Meet Paige Hunter | Gym Owner & Bikini Bodybuilder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paige Hunter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paige, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I think about balance in phases rather than trying to maintain perfect daily balance. Since my fiancé Andre and I are both entrepreneurs in the grind together, we understand that some periods require 100% focus. Like when I’m solving a critical gym problem, prepping for an event, or in the middle of a bikini competition prep. During these phases, I’ll say no to social events and prioritize the business because it’s my biggest focus right now.

But I also listen to my body and mental state. When I feel burnout coming, I’ll have people cover my classes at the gym and take a spa day, spend time with friends, or just take the day to sit on the couch and eat dill pickle popcorn. The key is being honest with myself. Am I genuinely needing a break, or am I just being fucking lazy?

I don’t expect perfect consistency because that’s not realistic. Some months are better than others, some weeks are better than others, some days are better than others. I just do what I can while I can. It comes in waves, and I’ve learned to work with that rhythm rather than fight it.

What should our readers know about your business?
Straight Up Fitness is a weightlifting gym that Andre and I bought from his mom two years ago. Even though we didn’t start it from scratch, it’s been a huge learning curve for me. I went from just being a trainer showing up for my classes to learning everything it takes to run a business. The cleaning, social media, KPIs, scheduling, payroll, taxes, there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that I had to learn from scratch.

What sets us apart is definitely our community. We’re blessed to have some of the best members who make everyone feel comfortable, whether you’re an experienced lifter or you’ve never touched a barbell before. I’ve literally seen our OG members step in and help newcomers, which is amazing. Our trainers are awesome too, and that comfortability factor is huge when you’re walking into a new gym.

What I’m most proud of is creating a space where people can find their happy place with movement. I believe weightlifting is king for stronger bones, better mental health, building muscle, and burning fat. But my whole thing is that everyone should find what makes them happy with movement. Whether that’s weightlifting, pilates, tennis, or walks on the beach. You just need to find something you like so you can be consistent with it.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that there’s always going to be another problem to solve. You fix one thing, another shows up. That’s just the way it is. So you can’t run yourself into the ground because you’re always going to be working on something. Sometimes you need to take a mental break, sleep in, take a walk, because stepping away from a problem helps you see the bigger picture.

I want people to know there are gyms out there that actually care. I want Straight Up Fitness to continue being that place where people can destress, connect with like-minded people, and work toward being their best selves.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So there’s this coffee shop called Bakers and Baristas right next to our gym that’s basically my second home. My two really good girlfriends and I – when it’s been a few weeks since we hung out, someone will text the group chat like ‘hey, let’s meet up, it’s been a while’ and we’re like ‘Bakers and Baristas Friday at 10am, perfect, see you there.’ It’s literally right next to Straight Up Fitness so I can go from work to meeting up with friends, plus I’m always there getting computer work done.

We’d definitely spend time at the beach because I’m obsessed, but we’re going to Newport or Laguna Niguel for the best beaches. You have to get your whole body in that ocean water, or at the very least your feet, because the magnesium is so good for you. It literally makes you happy and it’s an amazing workout too. We could hit up Fashion Island for shopping and if I’m going to Press Juicery, I’m getting the vanilla freeze with chocolate sauce and goji berries for sure.

I’m a big foodie and coffee person so we’d be trying different coffee shops . My go-to is always a triple shot regular latte with whole milk. And oh my God, we’d have to drive to Harney’s in Oceanside for sushi. Andre and I literally drive an hour and a half just to eat there and drive back because it’s that good. As a vegetarian, most sushi places only have boring avocado rolls, but Harney’s has a full vegan menu with tofu rolls and everything.

We’d do active stuff too. I love to be active, obviously I’m a gym owner so it comes with the territory. I love doing handstands and random calisthenics at the park with my dog, maybe pack a picnic with watermelon. I’m also really into painting even though I’m not good at it, but I love doing abstract stuff on blank canvases or paint by numbers, which are actually super fun and relaxing.

Cooking together is so fun too, especially making sourdough bread since it’s like a whole day thing where you can catch up in between the stretching and folding. And we’d definitely hit up Gemmae Bake Shop in Long Beach. It’s this Filipino-owned place with ube everything. Plus Bristol Farms for their legendary milk chocolate cookie. Andre and I are both big sweets people, so there’d be lots of treats involved!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, I feel like everybody in my life has helped me succeed at some point. I’ve been so blessed with amazing coaches growing up who believed in me and saw something special in me. You have no idea what that does to a kid’s self-esteem. Having someone in authority believe in you pushes you to want to achieve things and make them proud. That drive to make these people in my life proud, kept me working hard.

In high school, I had amazing friends and their families who really looked out for me. I spent a lot of nights at friends’ houses, and their parents helped with food and clothes when I needed it.

When I got into the gym space, that’s where I met my future mother-in-law Sonia and her business partner Michael. They hired me as a trainer at Straight Up Fitness when I had no business being one. I was coming out of college having gained 40 pounds, dealing with depression, feeling lost without the structure and support I’d had before. But they saw something in me anyway.

Being surrounded by the gym community, people who are go-getters, entrepreneurs, fighting for something better, pushed me out of that depression and to the next level. I’ve always tried to surround myself with people who are better than me, whether they’re fitter, making more money, or just have that mindset of wanting to improve rather than staying stagnant.

That’s where I met Andre, and he’s been huge in my success. As a female bodybuilder, we go through intense emotions, especially during prep when we’re eating fewer calories and training harder. Andre has been pivotal in supporting my emotional state and making sure I keep moving forward.

And my mom….she’s always been supportive even when I’m making bad decisions. She’d say ‘it’s your decision, you need to make your own mistakes,’ but when I did fail, she was there helping me figure out how to get out of my bad choices, never with an ‘I told you so’ attitude.

Website: https://www.straightup-fitness.com/home-5420

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigethehunter_/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@paigethehunter

Image Credits
Pat Dinco