The Strength Club, a popular fitness studio in New York City, will soon be opening its second location — and its first in New Jersey — in Caldwell later this summer. Founded by Kenny Santucci, The Strength Club will provide group classes and personal training, focusing on building muscle strength and conditioning. The gym’s second location will be at 351 Bloomfield Avenue, taking over CrossFit Caldwell’s former location. Read on to learn more about The Strength Club coming to Caldwell, New Jersey soon.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Strong New York
Coming to Caldwell
Nearly three years after The Strength Club opened in New York City at 1 East 28th Street, 5B, the founder decided to open a second location in New Jersey. “I’m a Jersey guy through and through, so I have always wanted to open another gym there. I was offered an opportunity through a friend who had already had a gym there. My family also lives there, so all of the pieces finally lined up and it felt like it was meant to be. I have wanted to go back to NJ for a while and the right situation just presented itself to me,” Kenny, 41, told The Montclair Girl.
“There isn’t a gym in the area doing what we are doing. It’s also a good family town where I already have some infrastructure,” he added.
^ Strength Club Founder Kenny Santucci. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Strong New York
Planning for the Caldwell spot’s opening has been ongoing since January. It wasn’t until July of this year that plans were set in stone. Now currently under construction, The Strength Club New Jersey is expected to open in September 2024.
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The purely strength-based gym’s motto is “Quit the HIIT and get strong.” The Caldwell location’s foundation will be the same as the NYC location as well as the programming. The gym will provide group classes focused on strength training, personal training, semi-private training, kids classes, and high school athletic training.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Strong New York
Kenny shared what prospective clients can expect inside: “I am a huge equipment geek. I love getting new pieces. We have some of the best equipment in the world. Our group classes will use everything from racks to Keiser machines, barbells, to dumbbells, kettlebells, sleds, ropes, and slam balls.”
“We will have Keiser equipment, Panatta machines, Booty Builder, Rogue, Rep Fitness, and more. The Keiser machines are great for athletic-based training. We will also have machines as well as functional training,” he said.
Strength Club’s Success
Kenny is a personal trainer who grew up in Cedar Grove and attended college at Montclair State University. He made a name for himself and became a TV personality after competing on the 14th season of MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno 3, The Island and The Ruins, among other The Challenge shows — taking home the prize money.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Strong New York
After years of doing personal training (working with clients such as Jon Bon Jovi, Liev Schreiber, and Frank Ocean) and working at other gyms in NJ and NYC, he launched the first-ever Strong New York Fitness + Wellness Expo in October 2015, which, according to the website, is an immersive day of workshops, panel discussions, workouts, and inspiring conversations with the best-in-class wellness professionals, industry leaders, and change makers.
Strong New York 2023 brought together renowned fitness and wellness experts and trainers Don Saladino, Gunner Peterson, C.T. Fletcher, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and Jennifer Cohen. This year’s expo will take place on October 5th, 2024, following last year’s successful event. Early registration is currently open with general admission tickets available for $60.
Coming Soon
Meanwhile, The Strength Club NJ is currently providing Founding Memberships at $149 per month for unlimited classes. According to the founder, this will be the lowest rate ever offered. “We’ve already sold over 60 memberships,” Kenny shared.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Strong New York
While the studio hasn’t released the official schedule yet, The Strength Club New Jersey will follow the same format as the New York location with the weekly schedule as follows: Monday — Upper Body Strength; Tuesday — Lower Body Strength; Wednesday — Conditioning + Skill; Thursday — Upper Body Strength; Friday — Lower Body Strength; Saturday — Conditioning + Skill; and Sunday — Conditioning + Skill.
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More announcements will be made closer to the grand opening date in early September. The Strength Club joins the list of fitness studios in Caldwell, including Embodi Fitness, Indigo Yoga, The Drip Fitness, Evolve Cycle and Fitness, and Turbo Personal Training and Nutrition.
For more information, visit the website.
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