What would Hans and Franz say?
The world’s largest chain of coed gyms — with its iconic logo of a muscle-bound bodybuilder holding a barbell — will soon disappear from the Treasure Valley.
Signs at the three Gold’s Gyms in the Valley (two in Boise, one in Meridian) will come down over the next two weeks, starting Friday. The fitness clubs are all becoming Axiom, a new name for the chain locally owned by Micron CEO Steve Appleton.
Appleton opened the first two Gold’s Gym franchises more than a decade ago. A third, on ParkCenter Boulevard in East Boise, followed in 2004.
Appleton didn’t like changes that were made to the franchise agreements at the time of the 10-year renewal, said Axiom president JP Green.
“It hurt the flexibility that Mr. Appleton wanted. ... We opted out,” Green said.
He said he does not know what specific items Appleton objected to.
But he talked about the desire by the club’s management to re-brand the fitness clubs to better represent current and future programs and services. That’s something the YMCA did last summer, when it unveiled a new logo and highlighted its role as much more than a “gym and swim” in the communities it serves.
“When people think of Gold’s Gym, they immediately think of bodybuilding. That isn’t the only thing we offer,” Green said. “We’re truly a full-service health club. ...
“We have all shapes and sizes. A lot of times when people hear that Gold’s Gym name, they wouldn’t want to set foot in the facility.”
Even so, Gold’s has grown to about 25,000 members in the Valley, representing a large segment of the local fitness industry. The YMCA, which has four facilities locally, is believed to be the largest, with more than 56,400 members.
Green said Gold’s membership has grown 4 percent since 2008 but has been flat the past couple of years. Membership at the Y — which doesn’t turn anyone away based on ability to pay — has grown by more than 10 percent in the past few years.
Green said his team has estimated that 30 percent of local residents belong to one of the big three — the Y, Gold’s or the Idaho Athletic Club — and there are many other thriving fitness clubs out there.
“The industry standard is 15 to 20 percent (membership),” he said. “Boise is a very competitive, active market.”
NEW NAME AND MOTTO — ANYTHING ELSE?
Boise advertising agency Davies Moore helped Appleton’s team come up with the new name, Axiom — a term that some have found obscure.
“What exactly does the name Axiom mean? It doesn’t make me think of fitness when I read it or hear it. It’s very odd,” Elizabeth Boik-Kuntz told club managers in a posting on its Facebook page.
An axiom is a universally recognized truth. This club’s new motto: Truth in fitness.
“There are a lot of gimmicks that are out there: thousands of registered diets, machines that are supposed to get you to lose 30 pounds in three days,” Green said. “We really feel that we can help provide the knowledge, the education, the inspiration, quality locations, and really provide truth in fitness.”
“What we stand for is having fitness be a primary focus in everybody’s life,” Green said.
Members will see changes, inside and out, over the next couple of weeks, but there won’t be any staffing changes. The clubs’ 280 employees, including personal trainers, will remain under Axiom.
COMPETITIVE MARKET, MANY NICHES
The Treasure Valley offers a wide variety of fitness club options, including everything from national chains such as Curves and Fitness 19 to the home-grown Idaho Athletic Club.
There are seven Idaho Athletic Clubs in the Valley — two in Boise, two in Meridian, and one each in Eagle, Nampa and Caldwell. The brand was launched in 1986 in Meridian.
Idaho Athletic Club, which employs 400 people, has tripled its overall membership since 2000, according to Josh Grant, corporate manager. He declined to cite specific membership numbers but attributed much of the growth to the opening of the Nampa facility.
“It’s growing by leaps and bounds. We couldn’t be happier,” Grant said.
The clubs’ members pay an average of $35 to $40 a month. Their motto is “Affordable fitness for everyone,” and occasional specials have offered memberships for as low as $27.
Group fitness classes are very popular, Grant said, as they are no longer fee-based (all classes are free with membership).
GYM WITH A MISSION
The YMCA of the Treasure Valley was named best gym in the Statesman’s annual Best of Treasure Valley survey this year.
The Y charges adults $41.90 a month, with a $60 joining fee. Families pay $67.90 a month and $120 to join. Rates are lower for those 65 and older, young adults and youth — and the club offers sliding scales based on need.
The YMCA, a nonprofit, has a history of serving children and families.
This year, along with the new logo, Y leaders did a nationwide promotion of their broad mission to improve the health and lives of members. In addition to fitness equipment and classes, it offers pre-diabetic programs, support groups for those living with cancer and job training for refugees.
The model is more of a community center. “We want people to hang out at the Y after they work out,” CEO Jim Everett said.
The Y doesn’t offer membership specials. But they don’t turn away members who find themselves unable to pay due to the loss of a job.
“That’s the last thing someone needs, when you’ve lost your job and under stress,” Everett said. “It’s your way to stay healthy.”
The Treasure Valley Y, which has 1,200 employees (including many part-time workers under age 21), has gone through rough financial times, too. Eight to 10 management positions were cut a couple of years ago.
Everett said one way the local Y is trying to help residents be healthier is working more with local hospitals. In fact, the Y is now exploring the possibility of building a facility on the campus of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Meridian. The idea is to help patients connect with a fitness facility that can support their health needs.
“A nurse or someone connected to a physician’s office walks you over to the Y, connects you with your health coach,” said Everett, adding that many people who mean to follow their doctor’s advice to exercise never do.
The nation’s obesity epidemic and rise in pre-diabetes created urgency in finding new interventions, he said.
Who will pay for the new facility in Meridian? “That’s one of the things we’re having to work on,” Everett said. “It will be a joint venture. I’m excited about what’s on the horizon.”
Katy Moeller: 377-6413
