From Champion Bodybuilder to Gold's Gym Franchisee
Good as Gold's Podcast EP15
Jeff Myth is a five time Australian champion bodybuilder, an expert personal trainer, and the extremely passionate owner of Gold’s Gym North Sydney. He has been heavily involved in the fitness industry for around two decades, and while it hasn’t always been easy for him, he has consistently delivered amazing results. This week Cal and Em chat with Jeff on the Good as Gold’s podcast to learn more about his fitness journey, the struggles he had along the way, and why he chose to open a Gold’s Gym in North Sydney.
Health and fitness has been a priority for Jeff his whole life.
“I’ve got the greatest father in the world. He taught me the most fundamental things about life, and he raised me to be mentally and physically strong. So, I mean, from the youngest age I could possibly remember, we were always training together. And he actually enrolled me into a martial arts academy at the age of four.”
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He put everything into martial arts and by the age of 10 he had his black belt in Kung Fu. At 13, he then found muay thai which he continued to do until he was around 18.
“I competed so I was a high level amateur fighter so I was still on that journey of really, you know, fighting was, was my thing. So I never really thought of bodybuilding, but I never stopped training weights.”
During year 12 Jeff broke a bone in his spine meaning he could no longer train, so when he finished school he did a building course at TAFE. It was on his way home one day that he experienced a major turning point in life. He was involved in a random road rage attack that left him seriously injured.
“I didn’t know what to do because I literally couldn’t go back to work and I had put so much effort into my building career. So I said I’m just going to start again. I’m just going back to the gym. So I just started training and I just kept it to myself.”
His best friend approached him and floated the idea of studying to be a personal trainer, so Jeff did. In those early days he really struggled to get a job and he even pushed for a gym manager to let him work for free and just give him a chance.
“Convinced him, gave me a chance. My first week I made $13,000. I literally didn’t know what to do with it.”
Over the next decade Jeff built up his clientele – his passion evident in his results – all while also competing as a bodybuilder. Until he received a letter from a gym manager.
“It said ‘DJ, you do not fit the culture of our club and we are worried that you may tarnish our reputation in the future.’ That was the sentence that changed my life. But reading that at the time was like my whole world falling apart. I had a one year old boy, I had a wife, I had a mortgage, I had over 100 clients that depended on and I knew these clients personally.”
During his time competing, Jeff went to America for the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. He went a month early and stayed with his sister in LA and trained at Gold’s Gym Venice Beach.
“I fell in love with it. I didn’t want to leave. I literally considered moving to L.A. just for Gold’s.”
So rather than finding a standard 9-5, when his world was falling apart, Jeff decided to take a risk and open Gold’s Gym North Sydney.
“The vibe is the most important thing in the gym, and what sets the vibe? It’s just like anything like a household or family. It’s a leader. Somebody needs a leader in the gym. It’s the small things that count, like making sure your staff are polite, making sure you have a smile and you remember somebody’s name at reception. To me you just don’t know what’s happening in someone’s life and that one training session just could be that one thing that’s holding somebody’s life together.”
He is passionate about educating his members and ensuring they feel welcome and safe no matter their demographic. From athletes, to bodybuilders, to grandmas – everyone is welcome.
“We want people to come into our gym and understand that they are purchasing education. They’re not just they’re not just buying a gym membership. And we’re not hoping they don’t come just so they pay the gym membership. I literally call people up and I’m like ‘hey, Mike, you haven’t been in for three months you all good bud?’”
Jeff is working to break the norms within the industry, and is all about empowering the men and women who walk through his doors.
“If I can build someone’s confidence up by 20% by teaching them how to train properly, coming into the gym with their head held up high, and being able to smash out a workout, I feel like I’ve achieved something. I know that confidence is going to translate in the workplace, in the relationship and just the way they care for themselves and they carry themselves.”
Jeff’s story of how he got to where he is today is truly inspiring, as is the way he talks about the industry and his goals to help others. To hear the full chat subscribe or follow us on Youtube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.