Jared Roosa stood in front of the BNI BiG group this morning and cut straight through the noise. Exercise, he said, is any deliberate activity above your day-to-day job. The work you do at your job is not exercise.
That simple line landed. In a world full of complicated fitness marketing, saunas, red light therapy, and endless wellness add-ons, Roosa and his wife Megan run E'Ville Fitness the opposite way. Their 5,000-square-foot gym at 233 Harvard Drive is built around one idea: show up, put in the work, and get stronger with people who know your name.
Roosa purchased the gym on January 6, 2025, after years as a personal trainer on staff. The facility first opened in 2018. He brings a decade of personal training experience, four years in the Marine Corps (he left in 2016), time at Club Fitness, and a clear sense of what matters. This year he set a national record in the back squat. Ask him the weight! He and Megan are raising their son Jameson while running the place. Roosa jokes about aiming to be the strongest gym owner in the area. The real goal is simpler and more ambitious: keep improving the gym and eventually open a second location in an underserved market.
What you will not find at E'Ville Fitness are the extras that often distract from the main event. No saunas. No red light therapy. No BS. Just the equipment you need, kept clean. Roosa calls it the cleanest gym in Edwardsville, and members notice. The space stays focused on lifting, moving, and showing up. He is currently planning a $25,000 investment in new treadmills to keep the cardio options solid.
The numbers back up the community claim. Roughly 500 members. About 130 people walk through the doors each day. These are not dormant memberships collecting dust. People actually train. Everyone tends to know everyone. Roosa describes the members as family and says it is a fun job. Eight trainers support the floor, and the team keeps making steady improvements.
That family feel is intentional. Roosa came up through the ranks as a trainer who already knew the members. When ownership changed hands, the culture stayed local and personal. Walk in on a typical morning or evening and the atmosphere reflects it. People greet each other. Trainers check in. Progress gets noticed.
Roosa’s definition of exercise leaves little room for excuses. Sitting at a desk, walking the floor at work, or handling daily chores does not count. Deliberate activity does. That could mean lifting weights, hitting the treadmill, or training under one of the eight coaches on staff. The point is intentional movement that goes beyond what life already demands.
For anyone who has been meaning to get back in the gym, the message from this morning’s BiG presentation was straightforward. E'Ville Fitness is open 24/7. Memberships start at $40 a month for individuals and include an initial consultation. The space is clean, the equipment is there, and the people are welcoming. No elaborate sales pitch required.
If the idea of walking into a gym where people know your name and the focus stays on real work sounds appealing, stop by 233 Harvard Drive. Talk to Jared or one of the trainers. Or just show up and move. That is the whole point.
That simple line landed. In a world full of complicated fitness marketing, saunas, red light therapy, and endless wellness add-ons, Roosa and his wife Megan run E'Ville Fitness the opposite way. Their 5,000-square-foot gym at 233 Harvard Drive is built around one idea: show up, put in the work, and get stronger with people who know your name.
Roosa purchased the gym on January 6, 2025, after years as a personal trainer on staff. The facility first opened in 2018. He brings a decade of personal training experience, four years in the Marine Corps (he left in 2016), time at Club Fitness, and a clear sense of what matters. This year he set a national record in the back squat. Ask him the weight! He and Megan are raising their son Jameson while running the place. Roosa jokes about aiming to be the strongest gym owner in the area. The real goal is simpler and more ambitious: keep improving the gym and eventually open a second location in an underserved market.
What you will not find at E'Ville Fitness are the extras that often distract from the main event. No saunas. No red light therapy. No BS. Just the equipment you need, kept clean. Roosa calls it the cleanest gym in Edwardsville, and members notice. The space stays focused on lifting, moving, and showing up. He is currently planning a $25,000 investment in new treadmills to keep the cardio options solid.
The numbers back up the community claim. Roughly 500 members. About 130 people walk through the doors each day. These are not dormant memberships collecting dust. People actually train. Everyone tends to know everyone. Roosa describes the members as family and says it is a fun job. Eight trainers support the floor, and the team keeps making steady improvements.
That family feel is intentional. Roosa came up through the ranks as a trainer who already knew the members. When ownership changed hands, the culture stayed local and personal. Walk in on a typical morning or evening and the atmosphere reflects it. People greet each other. Trainers check in. Progress gets noticed.
Roosa’s definition of exercise leaves little room for excuses. Sitting at a desk, walking the floor at work, or handling daily chores does not count. Deliberate activity does. That could mean lifting weights, hitting the treadmill, or training under one of the eight coaches on staff. The point is intentional movement that goes beyond what life already demands.
For anyone who has been meaning to get back in the gym, the message from this morning’s BiG presentation was straightforward. E'Ville Fitness is open 24/7. Memberships start at $40 a month for individuals and include an initial consultation. The space is clean, the equipment is there, and the people are welcoming. No elaborate sales pitch required.
If the idea of walking into a gym where people know your name and the focus stays on real work sounds appealing, stop by 233 Harvard Drive. Talk to Jared or one of the trainers. Or just show up and move. That is the whole point.
Click to view full size
1 Reply
Granite City, IL Resident
Thursday 12:20pm
Check out their open house on August 13.
https://edwardsville.com/events/view/413
https://edwardsville.com/events/view/413
Join the conversation — log in or create an account to reply.
