Dan Judge, who owns The Gym McKinney, said he used to be an award-winning bodybuilder.
“By 1986, I was one of the biggest and strongest bodybuilders ever in the sport of bodybuilding,” said Judge, pointing to photos on the wall of his younger self.
Despite that success, Judge said he has “never liked working out” but continues to do so because he loves the health benefits.
Judge has been employed in gyms for more than 40 years, starting out as a trainer. Over the last couple decades, he has owned 11 different gyms, and at one point he owned three at the same time. Many of Judge’s gyms were in southern California, but he has been operating The Gym McKinney since 2014, when he and his wife Myrna moved to Texas to be closer to family. He said what sets his gym apart from others is the ambiance and culture.
“[Our 300 members] are folks who love The Gym,” Judge said. “They won’t go anywhere else, [and] they want to be here because it’s the environment that they want.”
Judge said that this environment is “private, personal and professional” and that it creates a safe space where “people can thrive in the gym” and not feel intimidated.
One service Judge personally offers is rehabilitation for clients who face physical challenges or disabilities. He said about 10% of his clients face these challenges.
One of those clients was a 62-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who had been using a wheelchair for more than 30 years. According to Judge, she was unable to move or use the left side of her body when she first started training with him.
“After two years, she fully recovered. [She] still has MS, but it’s manageable. That woman is now 86 years old, and she still plays 18 holes of golf three days a week,” Judge said.
The Gym
3600 Eldorado Parkway, Ste. D1, McKinney••469-435-0369
http://thegymmckinney.com
Hours: 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
“By 1986, I was one of the biggest and strongest bodybuilders ever in the sport of bodybuilding,” said Judge, pointing to photos on the wall of his younger self.
Despite that success, Judge said he has “never liked working out” but continues to do so because he loves the health benefits.
Judge has been employed in gyms for more than 40 years, starting out as a trainer. Over the last couple decades, he has owned 11 different gyms, and at one point he owned three at the same time. Many of Judge’s gyms were in southern California, but he has been operating The Gym McKinney since 2014, when he and his wife Myrna moved to Texas to be closer to family. He said what sets his gym apart from others is the ambiance and culture.
“[Our 300 members] are folks who love The Gym,” Judge said. “They won’t go anywhere else, [and] they want to be here because it’s the environment that they want.”
Judge said that this environment is “private, personal and professional” and that it creates a safe space where “people can thrive in the gym” and not feel intimidated.
One service Judge personally offers is rehabilitation for clients who face physical challenges or disabilities. He said about 10% of his clients face these challenges.
One of those clients was a 62-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who had been using a wheelchair for more than 30 years. According to Judge, she was unable to move or use the left side of her body when she first started training with him.
“After two years, she fully recovered. [She] still has MS, but it’s manageable. That woman is now 86 years old, and she still plays 18 holes of golf three days a week,” Judge said.
The Gym
3600 Eldorado Parkway, Ste. D1, McKinney••469-435-0369
http://thegymmckinney.com
Hours: 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
