CEO Corner: Glenn Greer, Co-Owner Of Red Zone Fitness

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The owner of a tiny gym in Coral Gables has a big mission - to help women of all ages lose weight, eat right, and tone up.

It's more than a goal, it's been an eleven year journey that at times had the CEO of Coral Gables Fitness sleeping in his fitness studio.

Red Zone fitness doesn't look like one of the big, fancy gyms because it's not.

And that's exactly how Glenn Greer wants it.

"We're like the Cheers of the fitness industry, we know everybody's name, we know a lot of their backgrounds, their children," he said.

Greer used to work as a personal trainer at one of the big name, big muscle gyms. But he had a different vision which was motivated by his own skin cancer diagnosis and his father who does cancer research.

"I thought about going to medical school, I thought about being a physical therapist, and this is one of the most incredible opportunities - preventative health," said Greer.

And he wanted to spread his message that resistance training, cardio training and proper nutrition are key to true fitness.
"We're not here to sell a pill, sell a magic potion, a special once type of fitness product. We're here to integrate everything, all the components together," he said

He and co-owner Luis Behar focus on a different kind of client; typically women who don't show up to the gym to show off.

"In the big settings, there's intimidation, there's an uncomfortable feeling, there's the mirrors. What we wanted to cater to were the people that were maybe intimidated by the big gym scene," said Greer.

It wasn't easy at first. They started in a tiny room with just one client. All of their startup money was borrowed from family members and charged on credit cards.

"We ate a lot of tuna fish. We in fact even slept at our studio just with the hopes of getting that one client, that second client," said Greer.
But he held onto the idea that small and simple works. And it has.

Red Zone now has 300 clients and is planning to open a Kendall location soon.

And the best part for Greer is knowing he is changing more than his clients' bodies, he's changing their lives.

"A lot of people come to us who are emotionally hurt because of the way they look, the way they feel- and there's nothing more powerful, more empowering, that wakes me up in the morning is to know I am helping people. And if it's one at a time- thats great."

Click Here to learn more about Red Zone Fitness.

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