By Arshan Afshar

Inside Sunset Gym’s distinct yellow walls, the clang of weights mixes with bursts of conversations as connections are built between sets.

For many of the gym’s members, the social atmosphere is what separates Sunset Gym apart from an average corporate chain. Conversations carry easily across the room, and it is common for members to introduce themselves to someone new between sets.

“At bigger gyms, you either come with your friends or you don’t talk to anyone,” said John Swirn, manager of Sunset Gym. “Here, it’s different. People see their neighbors on the street and also in the gym.”

Swirn explained that this culture is intentional. The staff make an effort to talk to members and introduce people they think could be friends. He described this as the staff’s main role.

Swirn noted that this approach has helped relations with members outside the gym as well. A few years ago, a member asked if anybody wanted to join her recreational softball team. Staff began asking around the gym, pointing members to the flyer she had posted. Within weeks, dozens of regulars had signed up. The team, eventually nicknamed the “Sunset Gym Rats,” was large enough to fill multiple rosters. On game nights, many of the players are the same people who first met while resting between sets at Sunset Gym.

“We just started asking people, ‘Do you want to play?’” Swirn said. “If they said they weren’t good, we’d tell them, ‘It’s cool, everybody on the team sucks.’” The team still plays today.

This culture is rooted in the gym’s philosophy. Their owner used to manage a 24-Hour Fitness, where he similarly developed friendships with members. However, he was required to meet sales quotas, which he said often forced him to turn casual conversations into opportunities to recruit new members. According to Swirn, this made it difficult for him to maintain genuine relationships.

When he founded Sunset Gym in 2010, he removed the corporate aspect. He said that he told employees to, “Come here, get to know your people, these are your people. Be with them, hang out with them, help them, know them, grow with them and they’ll grow with you.”

This shift marked a move away from the sales-driven model of corporate gyms. Rather than prioritizing sales, Sunset Gym prioritizes relationships by building genuine connections with members. Swirn explained that this environment makes it more likely for members to return, stay longer and maintain relationships outside of the gym.

This philosophy extends to the staff as well. Many employees were once members of the gym who were very drawn to the culture. According to Swirn, working at Sunset Gym just felt like hanging out with friends – and occasionally having to clean the toilet.

Swirn reflected, “Members may change, staff may change, but the culture will stay strong.”

Sunset Gym is located at 1247 Ninth Ave. between Lincoln Way and Irving Street. It is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Learn more at sunsetgym.com.