Business & Tech

New Gym to Open On North Avenue This March

Chiseled Health and Fitness in Plainfield will serve power and olympic lifters, as well as those just looking to take classes or work on cardio.


Coming to North Avenue in Plainfield this March is Chiseled Health and Fitness, a three room gym of over 6,000 square feet which will serve a very niche audience of power and Olympic lifters, as well as those looking to get fit in separate areas for cardio and group classes.

Hiroshi Powell of Plainfield and his partner Karen Burke of Hackettstown came up with the concept for Chiseled Health and Fitness over two years ago and it has been a work in the making ever since.

"It's worth waiting for because we know how great it is going to be," Burke said.

The gym will feature three distinct areas; a 4,500 square foot area for weight training, a 750 square foot cardio room and 1,200 square foot “party room,” as Burke calls it, for group classes of zumba, kickboxing, yoga, body sculpting, power yoga and more.

Powell, a former power lifter himself, owned a gym once before in Staten Island with a group of other guys and has been looking to open a new gym ever since that one closed.

When Powell was on in college he was looking for gym and happened to walk into a very successful power lifting gym and with great trainers he said he ended up being pretty good at it.

“I would love to get a team out of this place that was as good as the team I was training with in Boston,” Powell said.

He added that a women’s team would be especially great for the gym.

According to Powell, the closest gyms that serve power and Olympic lifting are in Piscataway and Maplewood, he and Burke hope this gym will provide to the nearby community something that does not already exist in this area.

“What’s going to make us different is that the box gyms, the commercial franchise gyms if you will, their gym rules don’t allow the heavy weights the chalk to be used to get your grip, they frown on the guys grunting and groaning,” she said.  “We’re going to be different we’re going to let the guys use the chalk, make the dust mess and let the guys and girls grunt and groan, drop the weight, make the noise and do the heavy weight.”

She added that Powell would bring in his expertise on powerlifting and bodybuilding to a community that needs it.

So far, Powell has found a few qualified trainers, including himself, for power and Olympic lifting, but he is still looking for more.

“Anyone can buy equipment and put this together,” he said “The difference between a good gym and a bad gym is the people you have working for you.”

Burke added that in the 4,500 square foot weight training area they will have multiples of everything so there won’t be any wait time.

“If you’re serious about training this will be the place to join,” Powell said.

However, those looking for other fitness opportunities are not forgotten at Chiseled. Women or men who are looking to participate in classes or work on cardio will be in separate areas of the gym then those working on weight training.


Burke said making women feel comfortable at the gym was something she was very passionate about and this also resonated with the trainers she interviewed. She found that the location of Chiseled serves that need by having three sectioned off spaces.

The pricing plans at Chiseled reflect the customized needs of each person, whether it is weight-training, cardio, taking classes or a mix and Burke said the plans are even further customizable.

The gym offers numerous plans including daily rates for classes, cardio and weight training, ranging between $5 and $18, as well as a basic membership that includes weight training and cardio paid for weekly, monthly, half-yearly or yearly. There is also the option for an extreme gold membership, which includes cardio, weight training and four Cardio Extreme Classes a month. For a more in-depth description of prices, visit chiseledhealthandfitness.com.

“Whether you have a job or you don’t have a job, whether you have a new car or an old car, everyone is financially strapped,” Burke said. “If today you only have 5 dollars in your pocket and today is the day you say I want to get healthy, we can accommodate you.”

At Chiseled there is no sign-up fee, no cancellation fee and no clauses.

“It’s more than the membership,” Burke said “It’s getting people off the couch in for fitness and showing them what they can be healthy with and how easy it is and how fun it can be.”

Keep checking your mailbox in a few weeks if you live in Plainfield, Scotch Plains or Fanwood because a mailer with more information on Chiseled Health and Fitness will be sent out soon.

For more information on Chiseled Health and Fitness or to hear more about their pre-opening discount contact them at 908-956-5938 or visit their website.


Have you just opened a new business or will be opening one soon? Email me at nicole.bitette@patch.com.
 


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