Bug Out Training: Train for Life in Pelham, Alabama
Last Updated on 21 July, 2026
How a veteran, woman-owned fitness studio in Pelham is expanding into reformer Pilates — and chose WellnessLiving to run both locations from day one.
The Military Taught Her What Fitness Is Really For
Bethany McMeans founded Bug Out Training in Pelham, Alabama, with a conviction she didn’t develop in a gym. She developed it in the Alabama Army National Guard.
Military service taught her that physical fitness is not about performance metrics or aesthetics. It is about being prepared — for real demands, unexpected challenges, the full weight of whatever life brings. That conviction became Bug Out Training’s name, its tagline, and the standard against which every program is measured.
“This isn’t just a gym — it’s a place where you train for life. You’ll work hard, push past limits, and accomplish things you didn’t think were possible. You won’t do it alone, though; I’ll be by your side through every rep, every challenge, and every breakthrough.”
Bethany holds a Master’s Degree in Sports & Health Sciences and six professional certifications. She is an ACE Personal Trainer, ACSM Group Exercise Instructor, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Behavioral Change Specialist, and ACE Mind Body Specialist. She has worked with clients of all ages and abilities for more than 13 years.
A Private Studio Built for Focus
Bug Out Training operates from a 1,200 square foot, climate-controlled studio at 3021 Pelham Parkway in Pelham, Alabama — a by-appointment-only space designed to eliminate the friction of a commercial gym. No crowded floors. No waiting for equipment. Every session is intentional and structured.
The studio runs personal training and small group fitness classes built around strength training and boot camp formats. There are no membership, enrollment, or annual fees — clients pay for the services they choose. Personal training is currently operating at capacity.
Bethany’s husband Julian holds his personal training certification and assists at the studio occasionally. The operation is intentionally lean: a boutique model that preserves the quality and personal attention that defines the business.
The Reformer Studio: A Natural Extension
After more than a decade of strength-focused training, Bethany made a deliberate move into Pilates. She completed Balanced Body Reformer 1, 2, and 3 instructor training. Bug Out Reformer Studio is the result.
The expansion is not a pivot. Pilates complements strength training by improving balance, flexibility, and movement quality. Clients who do both do not just get stronger — they move better for longer. The two studios share a philosophy; they serve different dimensions of the same goal.
Bug Out Reformer Studio offers group reformer classes and private sessions, including options for two to three people booking together. IonCleanse detox footbaths are available as a standalone wellness add-on, bookable separately. A founding membership — capped at 10 members, designed as a three-month commitment that rolls into month-to-month billing — gives the studio’s earliest members a permanent stake in what gets built.
Why Bethany Chose WellnessLiving
Running two locations with different service models — strength training and boot camp at Bug Out Training, reformer classes and appointments at Bug Out Reformer Studio — required a platform that could hold both without requiring separate tools or separate logins.
Timing mattered too. Bethany needed to accept payments for the reformer studio before the doors officially opened. WellnessLiving let her build out class offerings, require payment at booking, and configure memberships and class packs from day one — so founding members could commit and pay before the first class ran.
Beyond launch, the platform supports what comes next. A hybrid membership that lets clients move between the strength training and reformer locations. Additional staff as the roster grows. Policies — no-show fees, cancellation notice requirements — configured once and applied automatically. Email and SMS marketing to stay connected with a community built on personal relationships.
Bethany also added a branded client app. Bug Out Training is a studio where clients feel personally known. The booking experience should reflect that identity, not route them through a generic portal.
What Bethany Is Building
Bethany McMeans built Bug Out Training because she could not find the environment she was looking for: a place where people feel supported, challenged, and trained for the life they actually live. Military service gave her the philosophy. Thirteen years of working with clients gave her the practice. A Master’s degree and six certifications gave her the depth.
The reformer studio is the next expression of that same conviction. Strength and Pilates are not competing modalities — they are two tools toward the same goal.
One founding member at a time, Bug Out Reformer Studio is becoming what Bug Out Training already is: a place where showing up is the beginning of something, and where every client is trained for the life that is waiting for them outside the door.
Follow along with their journey on their Instagram! And if you want to see how WellnessLiving can help your fitness studio grow into a fitness empire, book a free, no-commitment demo today!
