Atlantic Ave March 2017 Edition

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special feature ║ Slash fitness
A Different Approach to Working Out
Slash fitness
By diane feen
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No
photos by melissa korman
treadmills, no ellipticals, no stationary bikes; oh my!
And guess what? We’re talking about a gym here!
Yep, you read it correctly. There’s actually
a gym nearby without the usual staples
of exercise machines found in health clubs
worldwide.
Welcome to Slash Fitness, 290 SE 6th
Ave., Suite 2, in Delray Beach.
Co-owner Joe Ardagna, sums up his
gym’s philosophy in five words: “Your body
is your machine,” he says. “That’s what sets
us apart from other gyms.”
Joe, co-owner Austin Brock, General
Manager Brandon Brennan, and Assistant
General Manager Alisha Walker all share
the same philosophy when it comes to
working with their many customers.
78 March 2017 | www.AtlanticAveMagazine.com
“People deserve to look a certain way,”
Brandon says, “and we’re here to get you
there.”
The Slash Fitness method isn’t content
at just making your body look its absolute
best. “It’s not just about the physical,” Joe
explains. “It’s about the mental as well. It’s
how to connect the physical, mental and
spiritual. We give them the tools to use in
their everyday life to help with the mindset.
You need it all involved.”
Brandon, pointing to his head, succinctly
adds: “It all starts up here.”
Owners Joe and Austin came up with
the Slash Fitness concept. “We had met at
Co-owners Austin Brock and Joe Ardagna
a different facility,” Joe recalls. “We had an
idea where fitness was going, and where it
needed to be.”
That’s when they created the concept.
The Slash Fitness program uses the concept
of group exercise. “Everything is
programmed for people in a 45-minute
workout,” says Austin. “We brought the
one-on-one experience to a group.”
The gym’s hours are 5 a.m. to 7:30 or
8:30 p.m. The setup is one trainer working
with 24 students. “Everybody gets equal
attention,” Joe says. “It’s a personal experience
every time.”
It’s an early afternoon in February, and a
class has just ended. As each student leaves
the gym, a look of euphoria - along with
sweat from a good workout - is evident
on their faces. Everyone takes the time to
high-five Alisha before they reach the exit.
And Alisha points out, some members
enjoy their time at Slash Fitness so much,
they keep coming back for more and more.
“People even come here two or three times
a day,” Alisha says.
“We actually have to tell people, ‘you
need to remember to take a rest day,’ “ Austin
adds.
“This is not your traditional gym,” Brandon
says.
Joe says: “We remove the monotony out
of working out. We literally have to argue
with people to get them to leave. Honestly,
one of our biggest challenges is getting our
members to understand the rest and recovery
process.”
Alisha, an Upstate New York native, and
Brandon met when they were attending
college in Pennsylvania. They saw videos