Planet Fitness, on Tenth Street in Gilroy, offers something for
everyone from light aerobics to powerlifters training for world
competition.
Planet Fitness, on Tenth Street in Gilroy, offers something for everyone from light aerobics to powerlifters training for world competition.
Owner Ricardo Espinosa of Gilroy and trainer Al Tortorelli of Hollister opened the gym three months ago with the hopes of providing something different in Gilroy.
“When people come in, we want to know their name,” Espinosa said. “We had a lot of support. We are extremely happy with the enthusiasm we have seen.”
Currently, membership in the gym is at 300 people, but both Tortorelli and Espinosa hope to double in size by the end of the year and continue to grow after that.
“We are looking to have 600 members by the end of the year,” Espinosa said. “We hope to ultimately have 800 to 1,000 members.”
Planet Fitness is built to be a gym, rather than a social club.
“It is open to anyone, from cardiovascular workouts to hard-core lifters,” Tortorelli said.
The gym features tread mills, free weights, heavy weights and cardiovascular workouts. But the main attraction of Planet Fitness is the “Power Pit.”
The Power Pit is a section marked off in the gym that offers heavy weights for people who want to bulk up or train for weightlifting competitions.
Sam Kaanapu, originally from Hawaii and now living in Gilroy, said the Power Pit lends itself nicely for power-lifters.
“It is very condusive to lifters,” Kaanapu said. “Many are supportive to the pursuit of power-lifting. I am very pleased to say the least.”
While the pit is marked off, any member is allowed to use the facilities.
The Power Pit offers different stations for just about any type of heavy work out all in front of a large mirror that nearly stretches the length of the wall.
On the wall perpendicular to the mirror, pictures from competitions are beginning to be put up. Currently, only a few pictures adorn the wall, but Tortorelli eventually want it to be covered with its members’ weight-lifting accolades.
Users of the Power Pit are for the most part weight-lifting competitors who have set records in California and have competed on the world stage.
In a competition, held in Rancho Cordova, six members of Planet Fitness, including Tortorelli, all competed and all placed in the top three in their respective classes and divisions.
All the competitors are preparing for Reno in November to take part in the world championships.
Espinosa and Tortorelli have worked to provide a balance between the heavy lifters and those who want a light workout.
“Our goal is to appeal to everyone,” Espinosa said. “We want people to come in and not feel overwhelmed. A lot of women members are very happy with the facilities.”
Power Fitness is open from 5 a.m. -10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekends.
Membership is open to anyone and is $29 per month, with no initiation fee through the end of the year. There are also special rates for families and students.
At the end of the year, the rates will go up, but Espinosa wants to keep the rates as low as possible and available to everyone. New applicants need to only go in and sign up. They will then get a tour and run down of the facilities.
Espinosa and Tortorelli hope to be in Gilroy for the long term and have no intention of leaving.
“We have formed a great partnership,” Espinosa said. “We are here for the long term, we’re thinking 15-20 years.”
Details: 846-9008.
