Literally in the shadow of the Tropicana Casino & Resort stands G&P Training & Fitness, the finest gym in Atlantic City.
Just opened earlier this summer, G&P features 6,500 square feet of space with 25 machines including Ellipticals, cardio equipment and 25 different workout machines. There are separate spacious rooms with a boxing ring and MMA exercise mat and also a designated area for yoga, pilates, Zumba and kettlebells. The locker and shower rooms are immaculately kept.
This past Saturday night as I visited the gym before the David Tua-Monte Barrett WBO Heavyweight title eliminator, there were five people working out in the state-of-the-art facility that is so impressive, it could be used as a scene to film boxing movie training sequences with Rocky Balboa or Ivan Drago.
“I wanted to give my team its own place to train out of, and since there is no other full-fledged fitness center in Atlantic City, to bring something new to this area,” said G&P owner Mike Brestle who opened the facility less than three months ago. His team of boxers consists of Qa’id Muhammad – a 2008 U.S. Olympic alternate flyweight boxer, Eugene “Juju” Soto, Rishard Muhammad, Lavarn Harvell, among others.
Brestle says he would eventually like to grow G&P into “a first rate facility that’s going to train elite athletes.” Right now, the gym is open 24 hours, seven days a week. “People that want to do their training here, you can’t beat Atlantic City, we’ve got the boardwalk, we’ve got the beach. Atlantic City is a 24-hour town. It needs a 24-hour gym,” he says.
Brestle also has plans to promote professional boxing shows in Atlantic City – under the banner of “Spartan Fight Promotions” – and has a date coming up on August 28 at the Trump Taj Mahal. Featured on that show will be heavyweight boxer Chazz Witherspoon, Patrick Majewski, and Qa’id Muhammad who has a pro record of 5-0 with 5 KOs.
“I’m very optimistic I can help bring boxing back to Atlantic City like it was in the old days,” says Brestle of the 1980’s golden age of Atlantic City boxing when Mike Tyson regularly performed to sellout crowds on the boardwalk, and his trainer Kevin Rooney once even maintained a residence in the area. “I have a lot of sponsors and local businesses who want to be involved with boxing.”
G&P Training & Fitness is located at 11 South Iowa Avenue. Annual memberships at G&P Training and Fitness cost $449, which equates to about $37 a month. There is also a $99 summer special, a special overnight (Midnight to 6 a.m.) rate of $25 a month. Another feature of the gym is a large, fence-secured parking lot with security and surveillance.
