“Lift! Lift those arms up like you’re lifting those Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations!”
“Don’t worry if something jiggles!”
“If anything is aching or if everything is aching, that’s okay!”
These are encouraging words from Regina Griffith, the founder and co-owner of Total Workout Fitness, a women-owned studio celebrating 40 years of business on Saturday, October 28.
Total Workout Fitness has a long history in Montclair. When it first opened, the studio was called “Feel Better Institution” or F.B.I. However, the owners realized that the acronym was probably not the best for a fitness studio. The studio was initially located at 26 Northview Avenue at the Commonwealth Club in Upper Montclair for 22 years. It moved to its current location on 127 Grove Street, Montclair, 18 years ago, where it shares a space with Dance Works Studios.
Griffith, known as Gina or “The Mothership” to her clients, started the business in 1983 with co-founder, then partner, and longtime friend Jan St. John, who left the company in 2015. The women initially met at an exercise class. They were new mothers who wanted to be more active and have a safe space to exercise. They decided to start their own fitness studio catering to those needs and took a leap of faith.
Their first few classes were mostly filled with friends and family they asked to join, but now their clientele is beyond loyal. “We have a lot of people who stick around for 20 to 30 years, and that’s our mission to keep on being here!” said Griffith, who at 67 years old is still empowering people to become strong.
When they first opened, the majority of their clientele were young mothers. Through the years, the clientele has matured along with the business—women mainly in the mid-50s and older. The oldest client is 95 years old. The studio has become a strong community. However, Griffith wants people to know that Total Workout Fitness is not exclusive to older women. It welcomes all ages and genders.
Joan Schulte has been a client for 25 years. “I am 86 years old. I retired from my job, and the first thing I wanted to do was join a gym, and that’s what I did. I have a lot of energy, and I feel good. I think exercise is very important,” said Schulte.
Janice Amatucci, another client, shared her sentiments regarding how Total Workout Fitness has been a godsend for her. “Gina helped me survive after cancer. It has been amazing for me,” Amatucci continues, “There is a lot of camaraderie here. Everybody is supporting everybody else. The fitness is why we come, but we come back because of the people—especially Gina.”
Total Workout Fitness manages to go beyond just being a fitness center. The clients are there for each other’s births, deaths, weddings, child-raising, grandchild-raising, celebrations and traumas.
Griffith reflects on what she has created with her business. “There is a pride in that we kind of helped the community. I am more proud of that than if I taught good exercise classes. It is nice to think that we created a safe community. It is the pride of strong women in a community. I also feel that we contributed to helping people feel a little more independent.”