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- Jun 16, 2002
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Well, I am sad to report that after over 35 years in business. 5th Ave Bodybuilding gym in Brooklyn was closed for good on June, 30 2011.
It is one of the last hardcore gyms in NYC and it went out of business.
If you can recall the gym was featured on various Kai Greene video clips when he was training with Oscar Ardon in preparation for several IFBB shows. Mike Pulcinella shot many of these videos in fact he was at the gym several weeks ago shooting another segment.
Many champions trained at 5th Ave gym over the years and there are at least 8 IFBB pros who trained there regularly at one time or came up through the ranks to earn their pro cards while they were training there. Kai Greene, Bernard Seally, Chris Dickerson, Orville Burke, Ken Jones, Big Nicole Bass, Gennaro Brigante and Fakahri Mubarak ( If I recall right Fak lived in Park Slope and trained at 5th Ave gym prior to starting his competitive career). I believe I missing a few names as well. ( I think Heather Foster was there for a while too.)
There is also a host of great natural champions as well national level competitors who trained at 5th ave gym on a regular basis too.. Carmi Smith, Kenny Hall, Denise Richardson (long time former national competitor and former Ms. USA) Ian Mercer…and on and on and on … 5th Ave gym had a bodybuilding team during the 70’s, 80s, 90’s that often times had 15 -20 or more athletes entering the same show!!! In the next decade the gym continued to have a team however there were not as many competitors on stage..this was due to the fact that more gyms open up in the general area and people moved on or they retired from competition etc.
5th Ave was my home for almost 15 years and I am certainly going to miss it..even though..these days it really wasn’t cleaned much..and there were roaches and a mouse or two..
The gym went through some tough times over the years..after the first owner of the gym Charile Carollo sold it including the fact that one of the past owners had to relinquish his investment due to a murder scheme he was involved with. He is now in federal prison for the foreseeable future. The gym survived that situation and the subsequent list of owners who didn’t maintain the standards that Charlie established. So there was a gradual slight towards the abyss so to speak..
There were several factors that lead to this current state of which the owner bears responsibility. This includes his lack of interest, foresight, marketing skills, listening or adhering customers or those who have understanding of the gym business or the bodybuilding/training environment. As a whole these are the contributing factors that lead to the demise of the gym.
The current owner albeit a good person didn’t have a grasp for the training environment or a viable long term goal in maintaining this hardcore institution. He also has a host of other interests that occupied his time and prevented him from investing the time to cultivate the growth of the gym.
The owner didn’t have an effective management team in place to support the gym in his absence and there is a distinct likelihood too that he was reaching into his own pocket to cover expenses since clearly the gym was not making money. These signs are certainly not indicative of a business that is poised for longevity.
I will say this although the gym is closed, I am optimistic that the gym will be opened up again in the future ( not necessarily at the same place).. The environment at 5th ave bodybuilding gym touched so many people’s lives over the years not only from a training/bodybuilding standpoint…it was a place to where people congregated… I made some very good friends over the years…have been to their weddings, been there when they are struggling, seen their children grow up as well as gone to their funerals..so I have seen a reflection of different segments of life in that basement gym..
Hopefully this is not truly the end..however if that be the case..I know that I will have memories that will last a LIFETIME!!!!…If you would like check out the facebook page dedicated to 5th Ave gym ..do a search on facebook.
RIP 5th Ave Bodybuilding gym –555 5th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215
It is one of the last hardcore gyms in NYC and it went out of business.
If you can recall the gym was featured on various Kai Greene video clips when he was training with Oscar Ardon in preparation for several IFBB shows. Mike Pulcinella shot many of these videos in fact he was at the gym several weeks ago shooting another segment.
Many champions trained at 5th Ave gym over the years and there are at least 8 IFBB pros who trained there regularly at one time or came up through the ranks to earn their pro cards while they were training there. Kai Greene, Bernard Seally, Chris Dickerson, Orville Burke, Ken Jones, Big Nicole Bass, Gennaro Brigante and Fakahri Mubarak ( If I recall right Fak lived in Park Slope and trained at 5th Ave gym prior to starting his competitive career). I believe I missing a few names as well. ( I think Heather Foster was there for a while too.)
There is also a host of great natural champions as well national level competitors who trained at 5th ave gym on a regular basis too.. Carmi Smith, Kenny Hall, Denise Richardson (long time former national competitor and former Ms. USA) Ian Mercer…and on and on and on … 5th Ave gym had a bodybuilding team during the 70’s, 80s, 90’s that often times had 15 -20 or more athletes entering the same show!!! In the next decade the gym continued to have a team however there were not as many competitors on stage..this was due to the fact that more gyms open up in the general area and people moved on or they retired from competition etc.
5th Ave was my home for almost 15 years and I am certainly going to miss it..even though..these days it really wasn’t cleaned much..and there were roaches and a mouse or two..
The gym went through some tough times over the years..after the first owner of the gym Charile Carollo sold it including the fact that one of the past owners had to relinquish his investment due to a murder scheme he was involved with. He is now in federal prison for the foreseeable future. The gym survived that situation and the subsequent list of owners who didn’t maintain the standards that Charlie established. So there was a gradual slight towards the abyss so to speak..
There were several factors that lead to this current state of which the owner bears responsibility. This includes his lack of interest, foresight, marketing skills, listening or adhering customers or those who have understanding of the gym business or the bodybuilding/training environment. As a whole these are the contributing factors that lead to the demise of the gym.
The current owner albeit a good person didn’t have a grasp for the training environment or a viable long term goal in maintaining this hardcore institution. He also has a host of other interests that occupied his time and prevented him from investing the time to cultivate the growth of the gym.
The owner didn’t have an effective management team in place to support the gym in his absence and there is a distinct likelihood too that he was reaching into his own pocket to cover expenses since clearly the gym was not making money. These signs are certainly not indicative of a business that is poised for longevity.
I will say this although the gym is closed, I am optimistic that the gym will be opened up again in the future ( not necessarily at the same place).. The environment at 5th ave bodybuilding gym touched so many people’s lives over the years not only from a training/bodybuilding standpoint…it was a place to where people congregated… I made some very good friends over the years…have been to their weddings, been there when they are struggling, seen their children grow up as well as gone to their funerals..so I have seen a reflection of different segments of life in that basement gym..
Hopefully this is not truly the end..however if that be the case..I know that I will have memories that will last a LIFETIME!!!!…If you would like check out the facebook page dedicated to 5th Ave gym ..do a search on facebook.
RIP 5th Ave Bodybuilding gym –555 5th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215
