Earlier this month the Main Street Gym in Hellertown announced it will be offering 24-hour access to its members. The move was made to accommodate members who could not work out during its former business hours, as well as to help members maintain distancing to reduce the threat of COVID-19 spreading within the facility.
Members of Main Street Gym in Hellertown may now enjoy the freedom to workout whenever they please–even in the middle of the night.
The gym, located at 910 Main Street in Hellertown, announced its new 24/7 status to its 550 members on Aug. 3.
“If you are a night owl, shift worker or just want to maintain social distancing, you now have a gym that will fit your lifestyle,” the gym said in its Aug. 3 announcement.
Members in good standing must simply sign a new after-hours usage waiver and have a headshot photo and active credit or debit card on file in order to enroll in 24-hour facility access.
Gym owner Kevin Branco said the newly-offered 24-hour access has been going smoothly so far, even as members and staff adjust to the new gym entry system.
Kevin Branco has owned Main Street Gym in Hellertown since 2011. (FILE PHOTO)
Each member is assigned a unique PIN code, which they can use to access the building whenever they please. When a member arrives at the gym, they must simply enter their unique code into a PIN pad at the front door to gain access.
The entry system has facial recognition software, so when a code is entered the software expects to see the member assigned to that code. If the software does not recognize the person, or if someone else tries to gain access to the building, a staff member from the gym is notified.
Branco was excited to announce 24-hour access to his members, who he says have been requesting it for years.
“Over the years, whenever I would change hours there was always an issue,” Branco said.
“There was always a time that people were looking for, that we didn’t have,” he continued. “Until you’re open all hours, you will never satisfy everybody.”
Main Street Gym has members who are police officers, prison workers, EMTs, nurses and other shift workers. Branco said he even has a member who is an emergency room physician. When COVID hit and forced the gym to close in March, Branco began brainstorming ways to improve the facility in ways from which all members could benefit.
“I figured the number one thing would be more hours,” he said.
Offering 24-hour access meant that members who work shifts or odd hours could now work out whenever is convenient for them. Twenty-four-hour access also accommodates members who have concerns about staying safe and healthy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you’re very cautious because of COVID, you can come in the middle of the night,” Branco said. “You can come in at two in the morning when nobody is around.”
Members must simply enter their unique PIN code into the newly-installed keypad located by the front door. The entry system has facial recognition software, which alerts the gym’s staff if someone without access attempts to enter the building.
Twenty-four-hour access is not the only precaution the gym has taken to help mitigate the threat of COVID. The gym hired a third-party professional cleaning service to conduct thorough cleanings of the gym multiple times a week. Branco even altered their schedule to have them do their cleanings in the middle of the night.
“That’s an effort to keep people away from each other,” he said.
The company uses products specifically designed to kill the virus, and they specialize in cleaning major facilities, some of which are as large as stadiums.
The gym has also stressed to its members the importance of sanitizing everything they touch and maintaining distance from other members. Prior to COVID, people might forget to wipe down handles and bars, but Branco said members are being much more diligent with sanitizing now.
“I’ve got to be completely honest, I’m really proud of my customers for the amount of time and effort they’re putting towards it,” he said. “Frankly, I think everyone is terrified of sliding back into any kind of restrictions and not having the gym open for them, so they’re being extremely diligent and making sure everything is wiped down, clean and safe before they move on.”
The gym’s staffed hours recently changed as well. The facility is now staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Branco has been spending some of the time he’s away from the gym working on his campaign for state representative.
Be sure to follow Main Street Gym on Facebook and Instagram for more news and updates.
