YC fitness complex grows

A Yuba City fitness business is raising the bar with an expansion into a gym.

The Miladi Group has long been known for its Miladi Karate Academy, which has turned out competitive athletes. The group also has the Charisma School of Dance, Extreme Aerobics, Integrity Massage, Aloha Tans and The Oasis Cafe.

Now the company has invested close to a half million dollars in a new gym, Miladi Family Fitness, and is utilizing all of its 17,000-square-foot building on North Walton Avenue. The gym used to be operated by another company that leased 8,000 square feet of space. Miladi opened the revamped fitness center Jan. 1.

"The fitness was the last piece of the puzzle," said owner Alex Miladi. "Now we are able to fully serve the community."

With the new fitness center, he expects to add to the current staff of 17 and increase last year's revenues of close to $400,000.

Miladi has invested in equipment, revamping the facility with 107 new pieces of exercise equipment. Two gyms - including a women-only room - are stocked with treadmills, exercycles, resistance machines and other apparatus. Miladi even put in two pricey free-weight rack and platforms for high-level sports training - something that few gyms have, he said.

With the two new fitness center, Miladi said, he can offer something for parents whose kids are in karate classes besides watching their children train on a closed-circuit television and through a one-way glass.

"You drop off your kid to karate, you can train in the gym as well," Miladi said.

The gym fills out the company's fitness offerings. Miladi undertook an expansion with construction of a $1.5 million building in 2001. He added new services to the karate school that he started in 1992. Miladi, 48, said he has practiced karate since he was 12.

Miladi said he has always had an ambition to operate a karate and dance school, and that lead to a new building, new businesses and the Miladi Group.

"I always had this ambition to do a a karate school along with a dance school," Miladi said. "One thing led to another."

Appeal-Democrat reporter John Dickey can be reached at 749-4711. You may e-mail him at jdickey@appeal-democrat.com.