Brookside training studio explores fitness as a science

By Kathy Feist

Maybe you joined a gym at the beginning of the year and have lost interest. You would not be alone.

“Ninety percent of people quit going to gyms within 90 days of starting,” said Daniel McKee, who recently opened StratFit in the Brookside/Waldo area. “That’s an awesome statistic!”

He believes people give up after seeing a lack of progress.

“They have no idea if their training is working. Or they think it’s not working enough. So they quit,” he said.

McKee has developed a solution for the burnout at his training studio: digital tracking.

His technology, also called StratFit, keeps clients motivated by tracking various results. It can “define, measure, track and improve what’s important,” he said.

What’s important for StratFit are the four pillars of fitness: stability, strength, endurance and power.

“The only point of training is results,” he said. “To see results, you need to improve your movement ability, which means you need to improve those four pillars.”

Clients begin with tests that provide baseline measurements. For instance, to measure stability, they are given a balance and plank test. For strength, they are tested on powerlifting, bench press, squat and deadlift abilities. For endurance, a running test. And for power, a vertical jump test.

After taking other biometric measurements (weight, height, fat), data is entered into a digital tracker and a customized training program is created based on the input. At the end of an eight-week program, a comprehensive readout provides results on improvements in the four pillars as well as the usual biometrics.

McKee, a native of Harrisonville, has been in the fitness industry for 27 years, starting as a fitness model in New York and most recently as a strength training coach for movie celebrities in India. After becoming a certified special-strengths coach 12 years ago, he honed his skills by studying Eastern European training science manuals.

“The Soviet Union spent a lot of money on the Olympics because that’s where they would show off internationally,” he said. “They had their top scientists working on training programs for athletes.”

After returning home during the pandemic, McKee began to put his knowledge to work. By using a system of applied mathematics, he developed the digital technology for the program. “Our bigger picture is that we are a fitness technology company,” he said. He hopes to make StratFit a software program accessible to personal trainers and athletic coaches everywhere.

But first he had to apply it at his training studio. On March 18, McKee opened StratFit in a small, renovated space at 323 E. Gregory Blvd. In it are several treadmills, a bench press, colorful metric barbells, and a squat bench. A computer screen and original artwork decorate the dark painted walls.

StratFit is also collaborating with E&A Sons Catering and Supplement Superstore at Ward Parkway for a nutrition program.

StratFit is celebrated its grand opening on March 29. McKee is offering a free first week. “If you’re ready to track it and improve it, then sign up with us,” he said.

McKee says his program is workable for all ages and body types. And the timing is right. After all, it’s been 90 days since we first hit the gym in January.