LETS GOTO PARADISE

Paradise Gym allows gym-goers a unique experience. Located in Kendall, the gym offers a large space filled with various types of equipment, combining traditional crossfit, boxing, spinning and bodybuilding into one space.

“We’re about 25,000 square feet, which is a very big space for an independently owned gym. You know, we’re not LA Fitness or anything like that. So we’re not a corporate gym. So we’re just in a huge space and we divided it up into two very, deliberate halves. One-half is functional fitness: powerlifting, CrossFit and Olympic lifting. And the other half of the gym is the free weights, machines, and the more traditional bodybuilding type [equipment],” Paradise Gym Owner Chuck Arslan said.

Arslan worked at a gym called Paradise Gym while he was a student at the University of Miami, and later decided to rebrand his own gym to reestablish and reopen the new Paradise Gym.

A big aspect of Paradise is its style and design, which has allowed it to become a social media hot page where many influencers and athletes regularly stop by.

“We just wanted to create the right vibe in terms of everything from the style, the paint and the design. We’ve made it very, very Instagram and social-media friendly. We have a lot of influencers and athletes that come through, and most of our members are defi- nitely into working out and are actively working out,” Arslan said. Unlike other gyms, Paradise does not specialize in workout classes. Classes are mainly directed toward people interested in training.

“We only have maybe six or seven classes a week. We’re geared and built for people who are really into training, you know, we have our powerlifting equipment that is very specific. It’s top-of-the-line stuff – our Olympic lifting equipment is on top of the line and everything for each type of training is the specific equipment that that athlete would want to use. It’s not a one size fits all; we wanted to make something that would fit each person based on the type of training they do,” Arslan said.

One of the most well-known and photo-friendly parts of Paradise is the mirror room, which is a black and white room full of mirrors that contains one of the best lighting and photo areas for gym-goers to check out their progress and take pictures. While younger gym-goers typically make up the crowd, the gym continues to reach adults as well.

“We definitely have a younger crowd. We have a little bit of everything you know, in the mornings, a lot of adults go to the gym then it definitely turns into more of an ultra-high school crowd later in the afternoon,” Arslan said.

At Miami Palmetto Senior High School, many students frequently visit the gym as a daily after-school activity where they not only get to work out, but they get to socialize with fellow students from school and mentors who help them progress in their gym journey.

“You can just go to the gym and you don’t have to think about anything, and you can just get a break from school, and it’s nice to see people who actually go to your school there too,” MPSH senior and gym-goer Julia Beiley said.

Many MPSH students prefer to go work out at Paradise Gym rather than a corporate, ordinary gym because of the environment and positive energy.

“Paradise honestly just has a great environment. Other gyms are [less energetic] and quiet and they don’t have good energy whereas Paradise is just very energetic and the people are pretty nice,” MPSH junior and gym enthusiast Josh Siegal said.

Countless students who attend the gym heard about Paradise from their fellow peers and siblings and spread the news about it, making it a hotspot for MPSH students to work out.