By Ann Donnely
Ryan Holderman, owner of The Gym in Aviation Mall in Queensbury, was always an athlete in high school and college. After college, in 2009, he moved to New York City, where he completed a program for personal trainers and worked as a trainer and manager in some large “corporate” gyms.
In 2014, Holderman decided to return to the Glens Falls area. “I came home and realized I wanted to open a gym,” he said.
His first gym, in the Midtown Shopping Center in South Glens Falls, was 3,000 square feet. After three years, he expanded to the Queensbury Plaza in a space measuring 6,000 square feet and ran the business there, as much as was allowed, through the pandemic.
In July 2023, The Gym relocated to its current site in Aviation Mall in space that was formerly TJ Maxx. “It’s a larger space. The mall, for me, was a big space to take on. Four times the biggest space I had before, so now we have so many other fitness sectors,” Holderman said.
In addition to the areas with equipment for training, there are areas for yoga, batting cages, indoor cycling, physical therapy, massage therapy, and more.
There are five to seven coaches, including two to three cycling instructors, a physical therapist, and a yoga instructor. People cannot just come in as an individual and work out on their own. The Gym provides private training, semi-private training, group training, and kids’ camps for 8-12 year olds.
“We are a balls, bands, and bungees kind of place. I don’t believe in machines. Our big thing is biomechanics, studying your body and how it moves. If your body moves the same way, it won’t be like mine or somebody else’s,” Holderman noted.
Ninety-six percent of the members are women between 25 and 75 years old. They also work with people with special conditions, such as COPD, undergoing chemotherapy, and pre- and post-natal.
“We hold a meet-and-greet with each prospective member to sit down and talk about injuries, nutrition, goals, what their workout history is like, and get to know them. From there, we do a movement assessment and teach them basic movement patterns like squats, lunges, sit-ups, etc., to see their fitness level,” Holderman explained. Clients then receive a free 30-minute workout.
“We cater the workout or process for each person rather than saying, ‘This is what you are going to do, or it’s your only option.’ Maybe 30 minutes one-on-one with a coach twice per week. Maybe it’s in a group. Maybe spend some time in physical therapy or yoga,” Holderman explained.
The schedule is based on the individual rather than just catering to the masses.
Unlike many other gyms, you must work with a coach whenever you are in The Gym. “That way, you have direction and accountability, an understanding of how to do it independently, like a training wheel,” said Holderman.
Holderman feels that people can be over-reliant on coaches. “People need to be accountable for themselves. You will fail every time if you don’t have a powerful reason—giving people consistency and finding their reason, not just because they want to get fit or look like someone in a magazine. They should consider why they want to come in. What is the reason that will motivate them, make them jump up and down, and be super excited? When was the last time they felt comfortable with themselves, and how they want to return there?” he said.
The Gym provides an environment in which to surround yourself with like-minded people; people who want to get better and make each other better; people with courage, energy, and enthusiasm. “Where your greatest accomplishments will be celebrated,” Holderman concluded.
The Gym is located at 578 Aviation Mall Road (near the Peter Harris entrance) in Queensbury.
Visit http://www.thegym518.com for more information.