A new South Side fitness destination – Anthos Training Clubs – has opened in Hyde Park at 1558 E. 53rd Street, located just under the Metra tracks, in the former Ancien Cycles space.
Co-Owners and Trainers Shaka Mitchell and Clifton Hempstead have joined together to offer personalized training and nutrition counseling – specializing in body sculpting, post rehabilitation, combat fitness, and sports performance. Anthos offers semi-private training, with up to four members working with one trainer while receiving their own individualized programs; as well as one-on-one private training.
With every client, Shaka and Cliff first establish a solid baseline, assessing his or her personal goals and motivations, performing a screening to assess proper movements and pinpoint potential physical issues, and getting to know the person better to create a rewarding experience and partnership in health.
Shaka attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he became involved in Martial Arts (Taekwondo, Judo, and Boxing) and received a bachelor’s degree in business finance. He is a former top U.S. Taekwondo fighter who received second place at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Nationals. He is the only non-Korean American to graduate from Yong-In University in South Korea, where he received his master’s degree in Taekwondo. He is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, TRX, USA Weightlifting, Functional Movement Systems, and the World Taekwondo Federation.
Cliff attended Aurora University, where he played baseball and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a minor in health education. He went on to teach and developed a passion for helping others recover from injury, specifically in sports, which led him to pursue a degree in physical therapy. He then turned his focus to personal training with an emphasis in sports performance and rehabilitation. He holds certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, TRX, DBC Training, and Certified Functional Strength and Conditioning.
The Anthos Training Clubs grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, February 23, with the official ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. and a celebration to follow with music, refreshments, a raffle for Anthos gear, and more.
