The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Virginia strength gym has survived with help from members’ generosity
Fitness centers across the country are buckling under the burden of stay-home orders as many members stop their monthly fees. But Unleash’d Strength, a family-owned strength-training gym in northern Virginia, is still standing thanks to a group of powerlifters who’ve stepped in to help shoulder the load.
In fact, 176 of its 198 members are voluntarily paying their monthly bills to keep the Manassas Park gym solvent.
The gym is owned by powerlifter Joseph Strada, 28, and his wife, Margo, 26.
Member Angela Roark, 34, said she “never thought twice” about her decision to continue paying. It’s more than a place to lift heavy weights and build muscle, she said. There is a close community feeling amid the benches, racks and weight plates.
“We all kind of feel like we found a gold mine at that place,” said Roark, who is a nurse practitioner. “So we want to make sure that they’re there in the long run.”
Jimmy Kolb, who broke the world record bench press in the 275-pound weight class by benching 1,035 pounds this year, said he is grateful to the Stradas. He said they help him train every weekend and have used their photography and videography skills to help him build a following on social media.
“They give, give, give, so we don’t want to just take, take, take,” Kolb, 29, said. “We want to give back to them as much as we can and in any way we can.”
Joseph Strada has been a lifter for years. He founded Unleash’d Strength in 2016 as a side interest while working a day job as an engineering project manager.
The Stradas say the gym’s balance between discipline and fun attracts veteran lifters as well as rookies.
As the Stradas approached 200 members in early March, Virginia reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus.
Peaking at 210 members in the middle of March, the Stradas suspended new sign-ups.
When nonessential businesses had to shut their doors, the Stradas were left with another tough call.
“We knew we couldn’t ask our members to continue paying, but if they didn’t, we’d be done,” Margo Strada recalled.
They offered their members three options: freeze their contracts free of charge, freeze them for a reduced rate of $10 per month or continue to pay the full rate of $39.
Several canceled, but 176 of the remaining 198 volunteered to pay full price.
Unleash’d Strength could reopen in June, but even if it doesn’t, the Stradas say they’ve collected enough revenue to make it through at least the end of May.