Clifton Park gym headed to much larger space

PHOTOGRAPHER: Cady Kuzmich

GBOX founder and owner Glenn Brown throws punches in his Clifton Park gym Friday.

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The GBOX Gym in Clifton Park will be moving to a new space eight times the size of the current gym this spring.

Glenn Brown, 28, opened the relatively small gym in Clifton Park Center two years ago. The Schenectady native had been looking for a bigger space to expand his gym for more than a year when space next to Upstate Concert Hall became available.
“The right location finally came around,” said Brown. He expects the new gym to be completed by March.

Brown’s love for sports and fitness began when he started taking tae kwon do at just 4 years old. He went on to earn his black belt at age 10 and won gold at the Junior Olympics in 1997.

Brown moved back to the Capital Region recently after spending seven years in Florida, where he studied sports and exercise science at the University of Central Florida. Brown began working as a freelance trainer while studying in the South.
“I knew if I wanted to make a career out of this I had to open a gym — I wanted to open something that would be a game-changer,” said Brown.

With GBOX Gym, Brown aims to cut out the annoyances typically connected to gyms such as maintenance fees, cancellation fees and overcrowding. Use of the gym costs $40 a month, with no startup or cancellation fees.
“The only strings attached are the ones you make yourself,” said Brown. “You’re committed to yourself rather than to a contract [with the gym.]” Brown is so committed to the idea, he offers to pay new members’ cancellation fees from their previous gym if they decide to choose GBOX.

After listening to feedback from members over the past two years, Brown was committed to meeting their needs. He plans to have a cap on membership at the new location to avoid overcrowding. The new facility will have locker rooms, showers and a bar where Brown said people can “chill and watch TV after working out.”

“We’re focused on quality, not quantity,” said Brown. “It’s always going to be different. Every session with a client will be individualized. Nothing is cookie-cutter here at all,” he added.

January is notorious for spiking gym memberships as people make ambitious resolutions for the new year. “We advocate for permanent resolutions, not just a couple weeks,” said Brown.

He makes a point to make sure that even the person at the front desk can answer questions about equipment and form. “Everyone is an aspiring trainer. Everything is very thought-out,” said Brown.

Brown was attracted to Clifton Park partially because of the Shenendehowa school district, which boasts an impressive athletic program. Still, Brown said, “It’s not just for athletes. We get a lot of people who have never put on a pair of gloves in their lives. We never just throw somebody into it. Our biggest priority is injury prevention.”

Brown also emphasized that GBOX is not a man cave. “We have something for everybody. I want it to be for everyone,” he said.

“This place is a judgment-free gym. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Everybody helps each other. We root for each other,” said Brown.

Reach Gazette reporter Cady Kuzmich at 269-7239 or [email protected]