Entrepreneur Alba Tull has chosen Sewickley as the site of her new business venture Ramp ‘N’ Rize studio, a fitness center that will emphasize a data-driven approach to working out.
While the original plan was to open in Lawrenceville, Tull instead chose a 4,000-square-foot space for the boutique gym near her home.
“My family and I fell in love with Sewickley well before we became residents and I am eager to have Ramp ‘N’ Rize be a part of the thriving community,” says Tull. “Beyond the draw of a state-of-the-art fitness program led by our nationally recognized studio director, Joy Johnson, the key to a successful business starts with the feeling of community and togetherness.”
Tull says the Sewickley location, which will open this March, will serve as a flagship for what will eventually be a network of related gyms around the city and region.
Developed by Tull, the studio offers data-driven workouts for full body conditioning featuring state-of-the-art fitness equipment such as the Power Tower and Transformer Pro, and both group sessions and personal training.
Linebacker Ryan Shazier joined as a minority shareholder in the project last year. Though he remains a member of the Steelers, Shazier has not played in the NFL since December 2017 when he suffered a severe spinal injury during a game in Cincinnati.
“Ryan is a true inspiration on and off the field with a ceaseless passion for sports and competition,” says Tull. “I look forward to having his incredible fitness insight and expertise as we launch Ramp ‘N’ Rize in Pittsburgh.”
In an email to NEXTpittsburgh, Tull explained that members would work with personal trainers and high-tech weight machines that can adjust the intensity of a given workout at the touch of a button. Information from each session will be saved and used to design long-term fitness plans.
“This feature allows accurate and timely data to both the member and instructor to ensure each drill is cued and executed with the most accurate results,” says Tull. “It’s the art of fitness and the science of fitness working together.”
Tull, who recently relocated from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh, is also a fine art gallery owner, commercial photographer and film director, and serves as CEO of Tull Investment Group and chair of the Tull Family Foundation.
Her husband Thomas Tull is a minority owner of the Steelers and founder of the movie studio Legendary Entertainment. Among other blockbusters, Thomas Tull produced 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” in which Bane murders every member of the Steelers offense save for Hines Ward.