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How a 23-year-old combined his love for tech and fitness into a new Fort Collins gym

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How a 23-year-old combined his love for tech and fitness into a new Fort Collins gym

Mario Garcia thought his love of technology would lead to a computer engineering degree. Instead, the 23-year-old is now using it to open a gym that will bring the science used for professional athletes to the public.

“I was really good at coding. I was really good at fixing computer software and everything like that with the engineering side of it,” Garcia said.

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Garcia started taking fitness more seriously, he started to feel like he “was just typing my day away” with his studies.

“I started seeing what a real impact health and fitness can have. So, I thought to myself during COVID, maybe I can do that with other people,” Garcia said.

So, he took action, moving from San Diego to Fort Collins to study health and exercise science at Colorado State University.

After graduation, he joined the strength and conditioning staff for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 2023 season, working with players one-on-one.

Now, Garcia is getting ready to open a 24-hour gym that combines his love of technology with fitness.

Sigma Performance Center, 3201 E. Mulberry St., Unit K, is expected to open by the end of the month. Among its offerings are weight and cable machines, a yoga/pilates studio, sauna and pre-workout bar. There will also be technology to help public train like the pros.

Memberships for individuals start at $50 a month, Garcia said. Additionally, Sigma offers group and family pricing as well as separate costs for classes (such as yoga, pilates, group exercise, and more) and personal training.

‘The definition of working hard’

Garcia was born and raised in Colorado Springs, but his family is from Guadalajara, Mexico.

When his parents first came to the U.S., they worked picking grapes in the fields in Fresno, California, before they moved to Colorado and started their own business — “an amazing construction company,” Garcia said.

“When I look up to somebody, or when I look at the definition of working hard … I think of them,” Garcia said.

This is what inspired him to eventually start his own business.

So, taking inspiration from different facilities he’s visited, Garcia is throwing his own spin on fitness Sigma Performance Center.

For example, a room is reserved for a piece of equipment with special sensors to collect data — such as a person’s different force metrics, speed and acceleration — something commonly used with professional athletes, Garcia said.

If someone is doing a deadlift and has an imbalance, meaning one leg puts more force than the other, they would be able to spot this and tailor work to target that.

“What more could I ask for with having one of my passions being technology, and having another passion being fitness, and the outcome is helping people — which is exactly what I wanted,” Garcia said.

A community feel

Beyond the technology and other features at the gym, Garcia wants Sigma Performance Center to have a welcoming atmosphere.

That includes playing music in Spanish to increase representation to the Hispanic community, as well as paying attention to feedback and acting on it.

“We actually left some space in our open gym floor so we could actually ask the community what they want to see,” Garcia said.

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