Specialties
PEAKFIT. Studio is Arden's only private personal training studio, built specifically for adults over 40 who are done with crowded gyms, generic programs, and zero accountability.
Founded by Katja Raab, a breast cancer survivor who rebuilt her body through fitness and nutrition, PEAKFIT. was created with one belief: your body is capable of more than you think, and it's never too late to prove it. Lead trainer Alexander Zierhut holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Florida Atlantic University. Together with corrective exercise specialist Franklin Pierce, they build programs around you, your body, your goals, your limitations.
We offer private 1-on-1 training, small group personal training, nutrition coaching, corrective exercise and mobility work, medical-grade InBody body composition scans, infrared sauna with red light therapy, and a fresh juice and smoothie bar.
Whether you're 40 or 75, coming back from surgery or training for the next chapter of your life, we meet you where you are and build from there.
This is personal training the way it should be: private, expert, and designed to change your life.
History
Established in 2025.
PEAKFIT. Studio was founded in 2025 by Katja Raab, a German-born entrepreneur who spent 17 years building a successful salon business before relocating to Asheville to pursue an active, health-focused life.
In 2020, Katja was diagnosed with breast cancer. After choosing a double mastectomy, she made a defining decision: she would rebuild her body through the power of fitness and nutrition rather than simply waiting to recover. That journey changed everything and became the reason PEAKFIT. exists. Katja co-founded the studio with her son Alexander Zierhut, a certified personal trainer with a B.S. in Exercise Science from Florida Atlantic University. Together, they opened PEAKFIT. to fill a gap they saw clearly: adults over 40 who needed real, expert, personalized coaching, not another impersonal gym membership.
From day one, the mission has been simple: help people move better, get stronger, and live longer -in a private, welcoming space where every client is known by name.
Meet the Business Owner: Katja R.
Hi, I'm Katja, co-founder and owner of PEAKFIT. Studio.
I spent 17 years running a salon before relocating to Asheville to finally live the active life I'd always wanted. Then in 2020, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After my double mastectomy, I made a decision: rebuild through strength and nutrition, not just recover, but come back stronger.
That experience revealed a real gap. Adults over 40 need expert, personalized coaching in a private, safe environment, not another crowded gym with no accountability.
So in 2025, my son Alexander and I opened PEAKFIT. Studio in Arden, NC. The studio I wished had existed when I needed it most.
Every client gets what I was looking for: expert coaching, a program built around their body, and a team that genuinely cares.
This is personal. Because for me, it always was.