FINALLY, A GUY THING NEW FITNESS GYMS TARGET OUT-OF-SHAPE, OVER-30 MALES.Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer The fairer sex has long retreated to women-only gyms to exercise in comfort, but now gyms are popping up where men can let loose and work up a sweat without fear of being judged by the opposite sex. ``If you're not confident about the way you look, it's OK because there's nobody to impress,'' said John Dover, a 53-year-old Stevenson Ranch Stevenson Ranch, California (in the 91381 ZIP Code) is a Los Angeles County, USA, unincorporated community west of Santa Clarita a few miles south of Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. The Stevenson Ranch fountain was redone in 2007. resident who joined a gym for the first time in his life. Cuts Fitness is planning new locations in the Valley, while The Blitz is on the brink of breaking into the local market over the next several months, with a gym in Upland Upland, city (1990 pop. 63,374), San Bernardino co., S Calif., in a citrus-fruit region at the foot of the San Gabriel Mts.; inc. 1906. Citrus fruits and grapes are packed and processed in the city. Paint, orchard heaters, auto parts, and feed products are also made. already up and running. The trend follows the enormous success of Curves, a franchise that's proliferated nationwide by going after women who regard themselves as fitness novices. Likewise, Cuts and The Blitz are going after men who may be intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. by the prospect of a typical co-ed gym. ``There aren't any guys in muscle shirts strutting strut v. strut·ted, strut·ting, struts v.intr. To walk with pompous bearing; swagger. v.tr. 1. To display in order to impress others. around, checking out how much the other guy is benching,'' said Scott Smith Scott Smith is the name of:
Operators of Cuts Fitness and The Blitz say their target market is the over-30 guy who's sedentary sedentary /sed·en·tary/ (sed´en-tar?e) 1. sitting habitually; of inactive habits. 2. pertaining to a sitting posture. sedentary of inactive habits; pertaining to a fat, castrated or confined animal. and has fallen out of shape in recent years; ``the vast majority of guys out there,'' Smith says. Until recently, Dover said he'd sit at home watching television, eating and ``not doing anything'' while his wife and daughter went to work out at Curves. He'd never joined a gym before, but one day decided to give Cuts a shot. He's lost at least 20 pounds since. ``The men we're going after aren't looking to pick up chicks or stare at pretty girls in spandex,'' said John Gennaro, founder and president of Cuts Fitness. Like Curves, these male-oriented franchises work people through a circuit system that spits them out in about 30 minutes. But the founders are quick to distinguish themselves from the sense of female-empowerment that envelops Curves. The Blitz is set up like a boxing ring, and Cuts features wood floors reminiscent of a gymnasium gymnasium In Germany, a state-maintained secondary school that prepares pupils for higher academic education. This type of nine-year school originated in Strasbourg in 1537. . In between stations, members do ``manly aerobics'' like working with punching bags and medicine balls, Gennaro said. The punching bags at The Blitz are positioned so guys face the wall and can retreat into their own world. At Curves, a friendly voice tells women to move to the next station. At The Blitz, it's a boxing bell. ``It's a little more macho and not as communal. People are doing their own things,'' Smith said. That's not to say there isn't any fraternizing. Jeff Jarred, who manages the Cuts in Northridge, said he definitely sees a spirit of camaraderie ca·ma·ra·der·ie n. Goodwill and lighthearted rapport between or among friends; comradeship. [French, from camarade, comrade, from Old French, roommate; see comrade. among his members. That's part of the reason members like Dover say they signed up. As Jarred chats with one regular, another strolls in and begins grousing about having to exercise. He throws some darts darts Indoor target game. It is played by throwing feathered darts at a circular board with numbered spaces. The board, usually made of cork, bristle, or elmwood, is divided into 20 sectors valued at points from 1 to 20. before diving diving Sport of plunging into water, usually headfirst and often following the execution of one or more acrobatic maneuvers. It emerged as a competitive sport in the late 19th century and became part of the Olympic Games in 1904. into his workout Workout Informal repayment or loan forgiveness arrangement between a borrower and creditors. workout 1. The process of a debtor's meeting a loan commitment by satisfying altered repayment terms. . ``It's a men's club atmosphere,'' Jarred said. ``The guys come in talk about baseball, current events.'' Since the opening of Cuts Fitness in May 2003, 170 franchises have been sold nationwide. The Blitz is experiencing similar success, with about 115 locations since its establishment in 2002. ``I was watching this strong phenomena of women-only gyms and wondered why there wasn't anything like that for men,'' Gennaro says in explaining why he opened Cuts. Just what drives men and women to same-sex gyms is still a matter of debate. Women often go to same-sex gyms to escape the presence of men, Gennaro said. For men, he said it's more about getting in and out as quickly as possible. Men don't necessarily mind the presence of women at Cuts. Member Larry Porton, a Northridge resident, said he wouldn't mind seeing women around - he just likes the Cuts program. Many of the employees at some Cuts franchises are women, in fact. But Gennaro points out you'd never see a man working at a women's gym. ``If I walk into a women's gym, they'd act like I have three heads and throw me out in three seconds flat,'' he said. Candice Choi, (818) 713-3634 candice.choi(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) John Dover, 53, of Stevenson Ranch works out at the Cuts Fitness location in Northridge, the first gym he has ever joined. (2 -- color) Larry Porton, left, and Joel Miller Joel M. Miller (b. 1943) represents District 102 in the New York State Assembly, which is comprised of Hyde Park, Fishkill, Poughkeepsie and La Grange, among other communities located within Dutchess County, New York. work out at Cuts Fitness in Northridge. The firm has sold 170 franchises nationwide. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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