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INDIANAPOLIS — Nate Epler, a professional bodybuilder, recently opened a 23,000-square-foot gym called American Muscle Factory on the south side of Indianapolis.

“This is unlike anything, really, you're going to see as far as in this market," said Epler. "In Indiana, we have a lot of corporate gyms and a lot of studio gyms, and what I found over the last probably five-to-six years of being in the fitness industry, is that we really didn't have anything that was really tailored towards fitness enthusiasts." 

Epler's gym has 24-hour access and some equipment not found anywhere else in the area, including dumbbells that weigh up to 200 pounds.

"I've hand-selected every single piece of equipment in here," said Epler, who competes in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness. "We have over 100 pieces of equipment and it's a wide variety of some old school pieces, some old school brands that are not in business anymore. When you find those types of equipment, we call them 'the gems.'"

The business is family-owned and operated with Epler's mother sometimes working the front desk.

"We're trying to learn all of our members' names and we're just trying to give that that personal touch that I think is lost in a lot of corporate-style gyms or fitness," said Epler. "We really want to bring back that camaraderie within fitness."

Epler is a 2019 Junior National Champion in bodybuilding who won the New York Pro in 2021 and placed 5th in his weight class at Olympia last year.

The American Muscle Factory is located at 7747 Shelby St. in Indianapolis. 

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