Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Gillenwater.
Hi Ray, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
A former BlackBerry executive working overseas, at 26 years old I left corporate life – overworked and underweight. At 6’2″ and 168lb, the lack of sleep, exercise, and food from workaholism motivated me to find a way to build strength. I found a Reddit post about the Starting Strength program, read the book, and quickly put on dozens of pounds of lean muscular bodyweight. Shocked by how well it worked, I approached the creator of the program and world-famous internet personality, Mark Rippetoe, about opening gyms to bring this method to the general public. The first Starting Strength Gym in the world opened in Austin in 2019. Many of our sessions were waiting-list only, which is why we opened the Sunset Valley location in 2023. We now have 29 gyms open nationwide and our primary appeal is: rapid strength gains, whether you’re 19 or 91, under the watchful eye of a highly-skilled Strength Coach. I personally oversee the Austin gyms, which are considered our flagship locations nationwide.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We opened in 2019, you know ’19, as in Covid-19? A brand new, self-funded franchise company with a brand new gym, in a retail strip-mall. We almost went bankrupt. Our Members valued the impact we’d made on their lives so much that they continued paying their dues, even when we were closed. We paid them back once we re-opened and the rest is history. We anticipate needing six gyms in the Austin area to fulfill all of the local demand – Austinites want to get stronger and they want to do it measurably and safely, under the guidance of a Coach. Note to self, next time don’t start a retail fitness company right before a global pandemic.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
While the rest of the fitness industry focuses on group fitness classes, less-than-effective personal training, and fitness entertainment, we are solely focused on making our Members significantly and measurably stronger. Case in point, a 64 year old former MD and grandmother joins, suffering from frailty to the extent that she’d suffered a bone break – she now deadlifts over 300lb. Strong, robust, dense bones, plenty of muscle mass for metabolic health and day-to-day function. The insight: strength is the “meta” adaptation, it’s the one that positively influences all others. Getting stronger means producing more force. Machines, cardio, and light weights don’t accomplish this well enough. The primary barbell lifts do: Squat (the way we do it, so it’s safe and accessible to all), press, bench, and deadlift. Three lifts per day, three days per week, and add a little bit of weight each time you train, under the watchful eye of your Coach. There is no faster or more profound way to change your health and fitness, whether you’ve been suffering from back pain, bone density loss, type II diabetes, or simply want to reverse the slow decline of aging, lifting progressively heavier weights with a barbell is the most effective way to build muscle, bone, and connective tissue. And doing it under the guidance of a Coach that is well trained on form and programming, is the fastest and safest approach. This is what we do at Starting Strength Gyms.
What does success mean to you?
My personal goal in life is to help other’s achieve their potential. The definition of success varies based on the needs of the individual.
My professional goal is to help make people stronger. Success is defined by how many people we make measurably stronger and the measurement is tracked in each trainee’s digital logbook. If the weight on the bar went up, you are stronger and we are successful.
Mind you, strength is the means to an end. The end? A more enjoyable and full physical existence. We’ve helped 80+ year olds ditch their walkers and get back to independence. And we’ve helped thousands of others avoid that condition in the first place. Strength = capability, longevity, and mobility.
Pricing:
- First session is free: One on one with a Coach for 30-minutes.
- Personal training in a small group session for less than $40/session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.startingstrengthgyms.com/austinarea/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingstrengthaustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingstrengthaustin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@startingstrengthgyms
Image Credits
Starting Strength Gyms
