This article first appeared in the Leominster Champion on November 21, 2012.

A neighborhood gym  A world of fitness’
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY DANIELLE RAY
DANIELLE@LEGACYPHOTOONLINE.COM

John Eastman, owner of Eastman's Fitness, has always had a dream growing up to one day own a gym and be able to help people with their own fitness and health goals. When Harvard, MA native John Eastman first picked up a weight at the age of 15 he was immediately hooked to fitness and the pursuit of overall health and wellness.

Fast forward 32 years and Eastman now owns his own gym (Eastman’s Fitness, 6 Main Street) and recently competed in the October 27 Granite State Open, a pro national bodybuilding qualifier event held in Dover, New Hampshire. He placed 2nd in the Grand Masters 45 and over class and 3rd place in the Open Division where he competed against men 10 and 20 years his junior.

“I was proud of the work I did,” Eastman said of the competition. “I had some obstacles that took my focus a little, but what I was proud of most is I represented myself and my business and was professional about it.”

Eastman said he enjoyed the training aspect of getting ready for the competition, and has just as much of a “desire and passion” for it over three decades after he first tried it.

In fact, it was his dream growing up to one day own a gym and be able to help people with their own fitness and health goals. There are currently over 400 gym members at his gym, and Eastman has five personal training clients that he charges $25 per hour to motivate, inspire and sculpt.

“I have had members lose 50-75 lbs, and I am seeing more and more parents motivating their children and they end up changing their own lives around,” he said.

Describing himself as “selfdriven”, Eastman said he has gone about his business and personal life by setting an example to his clients and showing them that he is not just another business owner collecting money from them.

The tag line for Eastman’s Fitness is ‘A neighborhood gym  A world of fitness’, and he has worked hard to grow his business over the last decade that he has owned it.

“I keep reading about nutrition and new things that come along in the world of fitness,” he said. “With me, it’s important to keep current when going about how to train clients. I have worked with so many people over the years  I know how to help them reach their goals and guide them into better shape.”

One thing Eastman is most proud of when it comes to his own personal fitness regime is that he has never used steroids as part of his bodybuilding, instead opting to utilize healthy foods and all natural supplements as the basis for the way he continually works to improve his body.

“I was tempted to in my younger days; there were so many people who were doing them,” he recalls. But he was able to avoid the pitfalls of steroids and has been successful at shaping his body into the powerhouse that it is today.

“He looks like he is carved out of marble,” said Eastman’s friend and fellow fitness enthusiast Mark Montaquila.

Eastman said his bodybuilding “shift” began about a year ago. “My own success [was] really gained through diet, and I kicked up my natural supplements - my body changed dramatically that first year.”

He purchased the preexisting gym after being a client there for many years, and has worked diligently to break down the stereotype that people often associate with people who spend a lot of time at the gym and are into bodybuilding.

“Bodybuilding was hardcore when I got into it, and women weren’t frequenting gyms as much  I wanted to do this for health and set a good example.

The gym was “outdated and archaic” when Eastman bought it so he set about putting a lot of money into two renovations - the last a major one he did three years ago when he purchased all new weight and training equipment and a state of the art entertainment system including high definition TVs. The result is a space that is welcoming to both potential and established clients alike.

“Now parents are bringing their children, women are bringing their spouse. That would not have happened before,” he said. In his free time Eastman spends time with his 8-year-old son Trevor and enjoys chess and basketball as well as a plethora of outdoor activities such as bike riding and hiking.

He says he is thinking about doing another bodybuilding competition in July, and has already signed up for a second shot for a 1st place finish at the Granite State Open on October 26 next year  which also happens to be his 48th birthday.

“I wanted to win and turn pro, so next year I go back and try harder [to] make my dream come true.”

Eastman is running a special right now - $75 for a 6-month membership to Eastman’s Fitness. For information, visit www.eastmansfitness.com, call (978) 466-5888 or find it on Facebook.