It is never too late to go to the gym

Ramona Temple went to her first fitness competition at 39.

Flash forward nearly 15 years, Temple, 53, is the co-owner of Resistance Training Group Fitness, a new women-owned gym at 9900 Montgomery NE. The gym opened on Oct. 30 and held its grand opening celebration earlier this month.

“It is never too late to get started,” Temple said. “Even bodybuilding, I got started at almost 40 years old.”

Temple grew up in Deming. She had kids young and would go running occasionally. She worked at a bank.

“I started teaching a step class and went into weightlifting,” Temple said.

The real change was when she moved to Albuquerque. Temple said her kids reminded her that she had always wanted to do a bodybuilding competition.

For 12 years, Temple competed in body shows, stopping at age 50. She was featured in Strong Fitness magazine.

While she competed, she also worked as a personal trainer at Anytime Fitness for eight years.

Temple said jumping out of the plane when she went skydiving is what gave her the courage to open her own gym.

“That was so hard for me. My life was never the same,” Temple said.

Used to rigorous body-building schedules, she gave herself two years to get her gym started.

After securing the location, she would go to her personal training job at 9 a.m., then renovate and prepare her gym in the evening.

“We found this place and in six weeks we were open,” Temple said.

Temple has not done a body show in the last three years but she often trains other women to compete.

A big aspect of her gym is having an encouraging and positive community. Temple said consistency is what matters.

“It doesn't mean you're always going to be motivated,” Temple said.

However, having a community at the gym can help you on those days.

The bulk of the clients at her gym are women she trained one-on-one at Anytime Fitness.

“Everybody came here with me,” Temple said.