- Gym World
- Posts
- This gym owner got 200+ members from social media
This gym owner got 200+ members from social media
And now he has 33K+ followers and nearly 2 million likes on TikTok.
John Franklin
June 20, 2025
Hey Gym World,
We’ve talked to many gym owners who use social media to get clients, but none who’ve grown their business through TikTok. Until we met Joe Strada.
He started posting goofy, relatable workout videos on Instagram to make fitness feel more approachable. That was years before he opened Unleash’d Strength in 2019. And when TikTok started getting popular, he began posting there too.
Now he has:
33K followers
Nearly 2 million likes
A gym with over 600 members that’s grown alongside his online presence
If you’ve been holding off on content because it feels too complicated, Joe’s story is a refreshing example of how a simple and consistent presence can go a long way.
Here’s what he shared 👇
How Unleash’d Started
Before Unleash’d Strength was a gym, it was a passion project. Joe was working as an engineering project manager, but in 2015 he started posting fitness content on Instagram just for fun.
Most gym content at the time felt intense and overly serious. Joe didn’t connect with it, and he knew a lot of beginners probably didn’t either. He saw an opportunity to do something different, so he created content that made the gym feel more fun, relatable, and less intimidating.
He posted goofy workout videos, motivational clips, and memes like these:
That lighthearted content helped Joe build a modest but engaged following. And over time, he realized he wanted to turn that passion into something more.
In August 2019, he and his wife opened Unleash’d Strength. It was 4,500 sq ft, open 24/7, and cost just $39 a month.
They eventually expanded to 6,000 sq ft, tripled their equipment, raised the membership to $60 a month, and added 1-on-1 personal training.
By January 2020, the gym had 150 members. Two months later, it was at 210.
Sidenote: Joe lost his job right before COVID and decided to go all in on the gym. Not ideal timing—but it worked out.
About 90% of members kept paying, and Unleash’d was one of the few gyms that made it through the shutdowns. They even got featured in the Washington Post.
Around the same time, TikTok was blowing up. Everyone was on it, and Joe saw an opportunity to widen his reach and connect with a younger, broader audience.
So he made an account for the gym and started posting the same kind of content he was already sharing on Instagram. And it took off.
As I’m writing this, Unleash’d Strength has over 33,000 followers and nearly 2 million likes on TikTok. The gym now has more than 600 members, and over 200 came from social media.
How Joe Approaches Content
Most gym owners are busy. Content often feels like an afterthought or something that needs to be perfectly planned to work.
Joe doesn’t overthink it, and he definitely doesn’t follow a detailed strategy. But he does a few key things right, and that’s helped both his following and his gym grow.
If you prefer a more structured approach, check out fellow Gym Worlder Cassie Day’s content playbook. Her system helps you plan 12 weeks of content in just 12 hours.
1. Be relatable
The best gym content educates, entertains, or inspires. Joe does all three in a way that feels fun and approachable for anyone interested in fitness.
Instead of intense, hardcore fitness posts, he shares content that makes people smile and feel welcome. Things like funny POVs, lighthearted jokes, and relatable gym moments.
Here’s one of his recent posts that shows this in action:
This kind of content has helped him:
Build a brand people recognize
Attract members who fit the vibe of his gym
Turn followers into clients, who often refer others like them
Keep Unleash’d Strength top of mind
Content builds trust over time. One person followed Unleash’d for years and joined when they were ready because the gym never fell off their radar.
2. Spot Trends Early
The people who jump on trends early are usually the ones who see the most success. We’ve seen it with CrossFit gyms that opened at the right time—and now with gyms offering HYROX classes.
Joe did the same with TikTok. When the platform started blowing up around COVID, he saw the opportunity, posted consistently, and quickly grew a following. People started visiting Unleash’d just because they kept seeing it on their feed.
So what made Joe’s TikToks work so well?
He used trending sounds and formats that were already getting high engagement
His videos were short, funny, and true to his personality
Several posts went viral, giving the gym massive exposure
Here’s an 8-second clip from 2021 that used a trending sound and got 2.4M views and 230K likes:
@unleashdstrength all you bro #spotterfail #benchpress #powerlifting #benchpressmotivation #powerliftingmemes #powerlifter #powerliftingmotivation #gymhumor
Joe says TikTok used to feel more fun and casual, which made it easier to post regularly. Now that it’s full of ads and polished content, he hasn’t been posting—or growing—as much.
3. Follow Where Attention Goes
Social media changes fast. Joe was getting great results on TikTok for years, but over time, fewer people were engaging and more of his audience was spending time on Instagram.
So instead of forcing content on a platform that wasn’t working, he shifted back to Reels and kept posting the same light, funny videos his audience already enjoyed.
That switch led to:
More views and engagement
A simpler, more natural way to stay visible
Better organic reach
At one point last year, Joe says it felt like everything he posted on Instagram went viral. It’s still where he sees the most traction, so that’s where he’s focusing now.
4. Test What Works
Just like platforms evolve, so does the kind of content that gets results. And right now, storytelling-style posts like this one tend to perform well on Instagram:
The problem? Those posts can take hours to script, film, and edit. That’s not always realistic when you’re running a gym, and Joe gets that.
So he posts what works for him.
Every now and then, he’ll share a storytelling video because it’s what the algorithm seems to favor. But most of the time, he sticks to content that’s quick and easy to make because it’s what he enjoys and can stay consistent with.
Plus, some of his best-performing posts took less than a minute to make and still reached thousands of people.
If you’re a gym owner stressing about content, just keep it simple and post what you can. Showing up regularly matters more than being perfect.
TL;DR
Joe’s not a content strategist. He doesn’t have a posting calendar. He’s not scripting 3-minute storytelling reels every week.
But he’s built a gym brand people recognize and a membership base that has grown with it by:
Making fitness feel fun and approachable
Leaning into the platforms that worked for him
Posting content that’s quick, simple, and consistent
Spotting trends early and using them to get more reach
If content stresses you out, simplify it. You don’t need to go viral. You just need to show up, be yourself, and let people get to know you.
Content wasn’t the only thing we covered with Joe. We also talked about how Unleash’d Strength has evolved, the community events he runs, and what’s next for the business.
cheers,
j
📣 P.S. If you liked what you read, then tell another gym owner to subscribe to the newsletter.