One of the most famous names in fitness is closing two of its San Antonio facilities. Two San Antonio Gold’s Gym locations will shutter in August, amid continued struggles for the brand.
MySA first reported the news, citing an email sent to members. CultureMap independently confirmed with both locations that the closures are imminent via phone.
The Nacogdoches gym, located at 4319 Thousand Oaks Dr, will close on August 3, and the Lockhill Selma club, located at 2323 Lockhill Selma Rd, will follow on August 17, according to receptionists reached on Thursday.
Originally started in Venice Beach, California, and now based in Dallas, Gold’s Gym rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s after being featured in the cult bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron, starring a young Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The chain eventually became the biggest gym franchise in the world, but struggled with lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. It declared bankruptcy in 2020 and was ultimately auctioned off to new owners, RSG Group.
However, the gym industry has changed significantly in the last several years. The brand identity of Gold’s Gym focuses on bodybuilding and “serious training,” while many of its competitors have adopted a wellness-based approach that focuses on individual goals instead of perfection.
San Antonio has one of the lowest gym-per-capita rates in America, but other companies are also aggressively expanding into Texas. These include the budget-friendly EōS Fitness, which is planning to open three locations in San Antonio in 2026, and Crunch Fitness, which is opening one of the largest gyms in the city.
These companies represent stiff competition for the venerable Gold’s Gym, which may explain why the chain is tightening its belt by shutting down some locations. The company has already abandoned El Paso, with a franchise operator filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in April.
Nonetheless, Gold’s Gym will still have a significant imprint in San Antonio with more than a dozen locations in the immediate area. The company is currently offering two free months of membership to beef up sales.
