Gold’s Gym has named Brad Reynolds as sole CEO, signaling a bold new chapter for the brand. With deep roots in serious performance and strength training, originating with the first Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California, the brand is now getting a big lift on its mission to elevate member performance, evolve the gym experience and open its doors to more communities than ever before.
At the center of the upward momentum is Reynolds, who previously served as co-CEO when he joined the brand in September 2025. As part of the realignment, Danny Waggoner takes on the position of COO. In this role, he will be responsible for the development of new gyms as well as the operational management of the existing portfolio. Reynolds’ appointment shows that Gold’s Gym continues its clear ambition: to shift how the weight room is perceived and to ensure every person who walks through Gold’s Gym’s doors, no matter where they’re starting from, feels empowered to pursue their own version of strength. This philosophy traces back to the brand’s founder Joe Gold, who was deeply committed to pushing limits, transforming bodies and making fitness a lifestyle. Now a global icon, Gold’s Gym continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of today’s athletes, fitness pros, gymgoers and fitness newcomers.
The brand’s newest gym innovations, like the Austin, Texas location opened in 2025, represent the brand’s biggest and boldest investment yet, with membership growth significantly exceeding initial projections. Gold’s Gym is also set to open a flagship location in the Dallas area later this year that will be a testing ground for equipment, creative experiences and more as the brand continues to evolve in the ever-changing, and rising, fitness landscape.
At the center of Gold’s Gym’s next era is a fundamental transformation in how it grows and serves its franchise network. With Reynolds leading the charge, the brand is making a deliberate bet on franchising as its primary growth engine, investing in the tools, talent and operational excellence that define the world’s top franchise organizations.
“Gold’s Gym has always been built on the belief that serious results are within reach for everyone,” said Reynolds. “This brand has earned its place in fitness history. Now, we earn what comes next. We are going to build a best-in-class franchise organization, raise the bar on member experience, reflecting the full weight of what Gold’s Gym means to people, and make Gold’s Gym the standard every other fitness brand measures itself against. The standard we are setting is our own.”
For more information and franchise opportunities, visit goldsgym.com
