Fitness entrepreneur Mikey Verdugo is the real deal. The Miaminative stared Bodytek Fitness half a decade ago and his Midas touch has resulted in rapid expansion and a foothold in the South Florida fitness market. Here, we delve into the history of Bodytek to retrace Verdugo’s footsteps and follow the success he has experienced thus far.
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he Wilton Manors location of Bodytek Fitness (2216 N Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305; 855-526-3983) is nestled snugly between a performing arts theater and an architectural firm along the N Dixie Highway fork connecting to NE 24th Street. The mirrors lining the interior are enough to inspire a Flashdance fantasy. Abandoned circular balance trainers, trampolines, towers of aerobic steps and stretches of exercise mats straddle the outskirts of the gym floor. Bold splashes of lime green paint on the walls brighten the space in the same way owner Mikey Verdugo does. The 41-year-old fitness expert radiates with energy, buzzing around the gym like a kid in a candy store. This location is a far cry from the humble digs where Bodytek was born. Five years ago, Verdugo started Bodytek in his 20’ x 20’ garage. Outfitted with a punching bag, free weights and a rowing machine among other equipment, Verdugo began embarking on an exciting journey that would yield unexpected success in no time. Within four months of setting up shop, 40 to 50 cars a night were crowding the streets around his house. Along with his new clients came calls from the bank, code enforcement and complaints from neighbors. Instead of crumbling under the weight and pressure of a burgeoning fitness empire, Verdugo buckled down and thought bigger. He opened the Davie location of Bodytek soon thereafter in a 1200-square foot warehouse. To the shock of close friends, Verdugo opened up the second location in Wilton Manors for the bustling fitness brand a month later. Before Verdugo became the toast of the SoFlo fitness universe, he was a cop for nearly a decade and also had his own staging and interior design company. For Verdugo, who has spent most of his life in or around the fitness industry, making
the transition into owning his own fitness brand was simply par for the course. “I started working out when I was 13 and fell in love with it,” remembers Verdugo. “When I was 16, I started to work the front desk at Gold’s Gym down in Miami Lakes. I was there from 16 to about 22. I was a personal trainer at 19 as well. In that time span, I became the General Manager for two gyms. I just love fitness.” Not long after finding his footing in Wilton Manors, this love of fitness motivated Verdugo to further expand Bodytek in his hometown. Although he grew up in Miami, Verdugo admits that he never spent much time in the trendy Wynwood district. After spending time in the area, he fell in love with its vibe and decided to set up shop there a year and a half ago. Much like his other locations, Bodytek Wynwood flourished. Verdugo has since revisited the Davie location and doubled the location in size. Despite such rapid growth in such a short amount of time, Verdugo isn’t in a rush to completely franchise Bodytek out just yet. “I’ve been approached to franchise or partner up by so many people,” confesses Verdugo. “Bodytek is my baby. Back in the day, my family had about 18 restaurants and we licensed them out and doing so killed them. I learned from that. People aren’t going to respect what’s yours like you do. To me, it’s personal.” Bodytek Fitness prides itself on helping clients reclaim their lives by providing intense, exercise-based health and fitness programs. Through specialized training and networking, Bodytek has crafted a community of support that has attracted patrons from all over Florida. Over the years, Verdugo has amassed an intensely loyal following from clients of all different walks of life.
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