Community Highlights: Meet Jonathan Gramby of GTA Fitness & Performance

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Gramby.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Well I’m originally from Elizabeth City, NC. I got into health and fitness when I was 13 years old when my Dad bought me my first weight bench. His first words to me were “Son, the key to fitness is to always lift more than you weigh” and that has stuck with me ever since. I always worked to get stronger and fitness suddenly became a passion for me.

As I matured, I started to wonder why the body works the way it does. When I got to college (ECSU), I majored in Sports Science. While I was there, I learned so much and started applying what I was learning to my own training regimen. All of a sudden, people started asking me if I could help them get into shape or if I could train their kids. It was almost like people could tell I had knowledge just from how I started carrying myself.

I started training people for free to get experience with different body types and learning styles, but I soon realized there was so much more to this than just providing workouts. I then wanted to have the confidence to monetize training so I started studying for the ACE exam. I didn’t pass my first time around and it was because I studied to memorize and not to understand. It knocked me down confidence wise but I didn’t give up. I actually started studying less and applying more because everything was situational on the test. I passed with ease the second time around. In 2017 I moved to Durham, the move was exciting because it meant that I would be closer to my daughter and I knew I’d have more opportunities in my career.

I started out at planet fitness, then got a job at Duke training the faculty members, next I transitioned to a black-owned gym, and in August 2020, I opened my own gym and training facility GTA Fitness and Performance. So this happened right during the pandemic. I know, crazy right! Of course my gym community played a very big part in helping me find and finalize the space so I’m forever grateful. I had to build the gym out by myself because COVID was still fresh and no one was coming out for work. But it was actually the best decision I’ve ever made and now I’m being noticed even more for the hard work.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t believe anything you truly want in life will ever have a smooth road. It may be more or less challenging than others on the same path, but never smooth. When I first moved to Durham, NC I thought I had my life figured out. Within a year, I was homeless and living out of my car some nights while renting out rooms and staying with friends when I could. Finally, people started to notice me and I was making good money. I had between 40-50 clients during the time so I was comfortable and was able to get my own apartment.

The next year the gym I was at took a major cut and I was no longer able to afford the same bills and lifestyle I had just got to. I still don’t know how I did it honestly. It stayed like that for some time and I had to get rid of one of my cars. Many blessings started to happen for me in crazy ways. When I decided I needed to sell one of my cars to get by on bills, I got into an accident that totaled that car, but the payout also allowed me to pay my next month’s rent. Next thing you know, COVID hit, and everything got even crazier. All the gyms shut down and we transitioned to online fitness. At this point, I was only making $500 a month, which I couldn’t survive on.

I had got tired of sitting around and quickly learned no one was going to save me but myself. I then created my first product “B.A.G. 40 Challenge” which is a 40-day fitness challenge and it helped me have the freedom I needed. I’m most proud of this product because that was my first “baby” in business. It was the gateway to all my current success; it produced my first 5 figure month ever! I helped people all over the world: Canada, Seattle, Texas, California, New York to name a few. They were able to obtain the results they wanted from the comfort of their home. I actually had one participant lose 65lbs over the course of 7 months, some were just amazed to be back at their high school weight.

That let me know that I could do whatever I put effort into. I started making other mini challenges for cash prizes such as “21 Day No Junk Food Challenge”, apple watch challenges and there will be even more coming. I was then voted the best gym to get in shape in Durham for 2021 so it’s been a year full of blessings. Through this, I was able to open up my physical location with no bank loans. What I learned through each struggle is that it doesn’t last forever. It is only a failure if you stop or give up. Each struggle helped mold me for the next level I needed to reach.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I specialize in lifestyle and weight loss/management where I help my clients reach their goals through fitness regimens and help them maintain their new lifestyle. I chose this path in fitness to help people tap into their inner fire. We are a lot stronger than we believe, we just need the right person to ignite it.

My gym GTA Fitness & Performance (IG: @gta_fitandperform) just won “Best of Durham 2021” for best place to get in shape. The acronym “GTA” stands for Greater Things Await and I stand on that because I believe people have so much waiting for them in life.

At GTA, we rotate through different training styles weekly to aid in client versatility (Lifting Week, Cardio Week, Mixed Week, Functional Week). We have three intense weeks of training and then we go back to the basics. We also offer a free stretch and recovery class to get our members ready for the week ahead.

Additionally, I’m working on my relaunch of B.A.G.40 and a new lifestyle program called “Let’s Eat Real” so be on the lookout for those as well.

In the fitness industry, it’s important to separate yourself because it’s really crowded. What sets me apart is my ability to build solid relationships and reassure people they can trust me. I genuinely want each and every client to achieve their goals and become the healthiest version of themselves. I get 90% of my clients from word of mouth, that’s the best form of marketing to me.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Throughout this journey, the most important thing I’ve learned is that we have to get out of our own way. Whatever it is we want to do, we’re fully capable of doing so, but we have to vision it and actually start to work towards it. Never let your own thoughts be the barrier that keeps you from a happy life. I had to get out of my own way, start being mindful of what I consumed on a daily basis as well as the company I kept. You always want to keep people around you that can help you grow and not distract you.

Pricing:

• Monthly Group Training starts at $200
• Monthly Private Sessions start at $600
• Drop-ins start at $40

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://gtafitandperform.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_goodfella1911/