Fitness News
Dallas hospitality group unwinds limber workout center in Bishop Arts
There's a new workout option opening in Dallas' Bishop Arts from a renowned Texas trainer. Called Jungle, it's a fitness studio from JJ Pepper, whose various accolades include being voted Best Trainer of the Year by the Austin Chronicle in 2019.
The facility is from Exxir Activations, the real estate development, design, and hospitality group behind Bishop Arts restaurants and bars such as Paradiso, Botanist, and Tejas; according to a release, it'll open at 250 N. Bishop Ave. (the upstairs suite above Harkensback) this summer.
That is a temporary location. Jungle will move into a larger gym space at the back of Tejas which will incorporate outdoor areas; that is still under construction.
Pepper has trained professional athletes and fitness buffs in Austin, gaining recognition as the National Champion trainer and Big 12 Champion Trainer for Texas Men’s and Women’s Tennis.
A former rugby player and UT grad, Pepper is certified in Kinstretch (a program that develops control, flexibility and range of motion), mobility, yoga, Animal Flow, Steel Mace, durability, and kettlebells.
He drew a following while teaching at the beloved Black Swan Yoga. The Chronicle said, "JJ Pepper is part comic part Zen mobility master. His classes embody the exuberance, humor, authenticity, and unabashed weirdness that make our city great."
"My specialty is optimizing performance and mitigating the negative effects placed on our health by a modernized world and the specific repetitive movement patterns found in sports and athletics," Pepper says in a statement.
"My method blends holistic modalities and the scientific method to bring athletes and individuals to an ideal state, both physically and mentally, for the most efficient recovery, maintenance, and progression of functional mobility and healthy psyche," he says.
Jungle will offer private training and group classes in Kinstretch, Jungle Run, Muay Thai, self defense, foundational movement, mobility, interval and resistance training, yoga, kettlebells, and steel maces.
The studio will also offer nutritional consultations, programs and, eventually, meals prepared by Exxir Eats.