There is a difference between being driven and being called. Neil T. Anderson uses an example in one of his best selling books. A young missionary was not feeling successful in the mission field. As it turns out, he wanted to be a missionary to gain approval from an over bearing earthly father. On the other side of that struggle, claiming his true identity in Christ yielded a true desire to be a missionary because he loves God and wanted to serve him. It was the difference between being driven and being called. Kim Marie Ross is called and is walking out that calling — the driving force being her desire to share Jesus with women on a fitness journey.
Kim’s studio 3×3 Fit in Minnetonka has a mission steeped in her faith: To provide women of every fitness level with exceptional fitness training and motivational fellowship in an encouraging environment that is distinctly Christian and in which all are welcome. Kim’s fitness journey started long before her faith journey, but the calling has always been strong, so lets back up.
For many years Kim worked in Fitness product development She worked on inventing and developing machines, getting them patented and then marketing them on big name home shopping channels. Through QVC, Home Shopping Network and infomercials, she was bringing fitness to the masses before her current mission was in place, but it was all part of God’s plan.
Then, February 2nd, 2002, she found faith in God, turned her life over to Jesus and left the home shopping and product development business to go into retail. She has always loved bling and fun fashion and God called her to purchase a boutique clothing and accessory store in a thriving retail district Excelsior, MN and later at 50th and France as well. She followed Gods lead and purchased the retail store, promising to use it as ministry. At both locations, there’s no worry about walk in business, so the store thrived and Kim was able to witness and minister Gods message of peace and love to ladies as they walked in. When the Holy Spirit spoke to Kim, she would approach, talk with and even pray with customers as she was led to do.
Even though she was serving God, her heart and mind were still on fitness as ministry. In her own words, she even “battled about retail with God”; she wanted to be back in fitness. So she converted store space to serve her hearts desire. Bringing in large mirrors and rolling clothing racks, she started leading group fitness classes before and after hours in her fast expanding, 2 retail boutiques. The problem was, she wasn’t doing it Gods way. “I love to dance, and was using clean secular music, but it was compromise. I told God, ‘If this isn’t the way you want me to do it, take me out of this.’” And he did, one injury at a time, till Kim was in too much pain to teach. Her lesson: Never compromise.
Fast forward to 2015. Kim’s lesson of never compromising can be seen through out her studio, the clothes she wears and in every one of her classes. Reaching back to her roots of product development, Kim designed all of her classes around the rings, a now patented product just for 3×3 fit. Years ago, she marketed a similar product that she created, but Kim discovered that when the rings were weighted, the results were amazing. She worked for years on the right design, adding bands between the two rings and creating classes using those specifically. Today, she has many 3×3 workouts that she offers in studio and on DVD, 7 classes, 2 DVD home workouts, including a chair workout utilizing the 3×3 method with the rings and bands.
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n winter of 2014/2015, she started certifying instructors to take her brand new “Stretch” class into churches to help others find freedom through uncompromising movement and worship. God gave her the choreography to the stretch class one day as she was struggling in her spirit with yoga. The benefits to the body are profound, but in her own words “There is nothing holy about Yoga.” She created “Stretch” in one God inspired afternoon. It has better moves, its worship and believers can benefit from it and not be conflicted.
At the 3×3 studio, every class begins with prayer to Jesus, pictures of Jesus and scripture line the studio walls, there is no mistaking who is CEO of the 3×3 fit studio. It’s even in the name: “3×3 is fully honoring Jesus Christ,” Kim says. God gave her the name, the numbers and their meaning bringing depth to her calling. Three was so significant to Kim: Jesus gave us salvation when he was 33, the X represents the true depiction of the cross in Hebrew and Greek and in John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 3×3=9, 9 being the 9th hour when Jesus gave up his spirit on the cross. And so 3×3 Fit was born. “This is a Christian Fitness studio, and we are very open about that and make that very clear. Why would I compromise? I’m doing this for the Lord, I’m making my job about God, not the other way around.”
Classes at 3×3 Fit Studio in Minnetonka are held daily and you can find a schedule of classes at Kim’s website 3x3fit.com as well as sample video clips of Kim and the rings in action. Kim is a mother of 3 along with 5 Step Children and 4 Grandchildren. She Loves anything that has to do with God and building His Kingdom. She use everything in her life as a vehicle to bring others to Him. She clings to Jesus last words on earth : We all come with many purposes on our heart, but the one single unified purpose He put on every heart is to be His Disciples. “Go get the others!”
Watch the 3×3 Total Body Sculpting video in the VIDEO LIBRARY of Faith & Fitness Magazine.
Read more stories featuring people, services, ministries and event located in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area in our Twin Cities Edition of the April/May 2015 issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine.
