By Stephanie Prokop, Staff Writer
FLORENCE First comes the egg nog, then the holiday cookies.
Next comes the denial and blaming the dryer for shrinking your pants.
According to owner John Herbert, Florence Family Fitness on Broad Street is one option for people with New Year’s resolutions to lose those holiday pounds, because the gym offers no long-term contracts and members can work out in a relaxed environment.
The building, which used to be a movie house several decades ago, is packed with weightlifting equipment, along with local sports-inspired memorabilia that Mr. Herbert and his wife, Andrea (who co-owns the gym), have collected over the last several years.
The gym opened in the summer of 2003, and has been growing ever since, said Mr. Herbert.
Since the facility is smaller than the average franchise gym, it gives members a feeling of security and camaraderie, he said.
”Since we are a very sports-oriented town, all of the high-school football coaches and most of the students also come here to work out,” said Mr. Herbert.
Mr. Herbert said the gym currently has approximately 2,000 members, with about an equal number of men and women.
The busiest time is early January, said Mr. Herbert, but all of the regulars know that by early February, a few resolutions get dropped and there will be more space, he said.
”People come and go,” he added.
Currently, the gym is running a special in which anyone can join without the initial $60 fee.
The gym features a weight station in which 10 different people can be using the machine at one time, as well as several treadmills, stationary bicycles, and stair-machines.
The top of the wall against the back of the weight room is signed with congratulatory wishes from local musician Tommy Conwell, and several Philadelphia Eagles’ cheerleaders.
The gym also has security cameras, which the Herberts said should help make parents feel more comfortable dropping off their pre-teen and teenage children to come and work out.
As far as following a specified fitness regime in the new year, Mr. Herbert says that he does allow customers to bring in their own personal trainers at no charge.
”I want the customers to feel comfortable to bring their trainers here so they can focus on the workout, rather than how much of a percentage we’re going to charge them,” he noted.
The gym offers a $40 month-to-month membership fee, which gets cheaper as the customer wishes to commit for longer a three-month membership is $107 and one year’s membership is $360.
”The important thing is that customers don’t feel as if they are locked in,” he added.
Mr. Herbert said he is starting to see families come in who have moved into developments in Florence that are going up on the northeastern section of town.
Along the entrance hall, visitors can see newspaper clippings of the high school football team.
Mr. Herbert points to the pictures and said that Florence sports pride means a lot to not only him, but to hundreds of others in the township.
”By seeing this, the athletes really get a sense that this is their gym,” he added.

