By Anthony Rifilato
As a student at Hofstra, where he majored in marketing and business, Rock said he was feeling self-conscious about his image after years of struggling with a weight problem. He topped out at more than 400 pounds, and though he made attempts to shape up at fitness clubs such as Bally's, nothing seemed to work for Rock, of East Rockaway.
"I felt uncomfortable," said Rock, who's now 27, of his experience at several gyms. "There was no one around to help."
When Rock was 23, he decided he'd had enough. He joined Synergy Fitness in Levittown, and it was the beginning of his metamorphosis from obese fast-food restaurant manager and college student into fitness club manager. At Synergy, Rock said, he was able to work with a personal trainer and receive the attention he needed to eventually drop 215 pounds.
"The big draw for me was that it's 24 hours," said Rock, who so devoted himself to physical fitness that he eventually became a manager at Synergy Fitness in Baldwin, a 24-hour gym which opened in January at 830 Atlantic Ave.
Inside, before-and-after photos of Rock illustrate the transformation he made through exercise. A photo of him, plump and cherub-faced, sits next to one of the trimmed-down Rock, a suave dresser with a 32-inch waist. "That's why I came into this business," Rock said. "I wouldn't sell cars or anything. I believe in health and fitness because it changed my life."
With 20 gyms in the New York metropolitan area, Rock said, Synergy is a fast-growing chain and an affordable alternative to trendy and expensive gyms, which charge up to $1,500 for annual memberships. Synergy offers affordable monthly rates ranging from $30 to $50, while an annual membership starts at $379.
Rock explained that as the new gym in town, Synergy is living up to its name by doing cross-promotions with local businesses while offering group and corporate accounts to everyone from school teachers to the Baldwin Fire Department. The gym has signed close to 2,000 members since it opened in January.
"I've had days when I sold 35 memberships in a single day," Rock said of the gym's burgeoning popularity, adding that members can take advantage of a number of discounts and plans, such as free memberships for referrals of five or more people. There is even free child care on the premises, and Rock said members have donated toys for the kids.
Synergy is open around the clock to accommodate clients with hectic work schedules. Those who take advantage of the late hours range from bartenders coming off their shifts to police officers just going off-duty. "The 24 hours is a big draw," said Rock. "It accommodates everyone."
Rock said his mission is to promote the many amenities and activities at Synergy, and maybe help people who are in the same situation he was. "I like to create an environment where people feel comfortable," he said. Rock recommends a personal trainer for gym novices so they can develop the most useful exercise routines and have proper techniques demonstrated for them. "We design workout programs for people who haven't worked out before," he said.
Inside the large blue-and-chrome facility, Rock enthusiastically explains that he wants the gym to be a bastion of fitness in Baldwin. He explains how local high school teams get special plans to use the gym, and how he took in 300 people from Hollywood Fitness in Oceanside, which abruptly shut its doors last year, leaving its members out in the cold. "I offered special rates just for them," he said, adding that he even hired two of the club's employees.
In addition to the endless machines and free weights (which are designed with handles for extra safety), Rock talks at length about activities such as body toning, kick boxing and new crazes like pilates. "It's basically a place for someone with any level of fitness to work out and stay fit," he said.
Members are lauding their new-found haven. "This place is great," said Baldwin resident Neila Bala, who was working her legs on an elliptical machine last week. "Aside from the staff, who know what they're doing, the classes are great," she said, adding that she also takes kick-boxing and pilates classes.
Synergy employs 15 personal trainers in Baldwin, who work closely with their clients and do everything from training to putting together workout plans. Like Rock, Michael Lancaster, a personal trainer here, knows how overbearing weight problems can be on a teenager. Lancaster said that for the past three months, he's been helping a teenager battling weight and self-esteem problems get into shape, and after talking to the boy's parents, he developed a training program for him. The program has been working he said. "It's very satisfying to see him so motivated now," Lancaster said.
That is the sort of environment Rock said he wants to provide all his customers. "I want to sell fitness," he said. "We want to provide a fun atmosphere where people feel comfortable."
