Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

City People

When Harry met flabby

He doesn't just own the Smith Health Club on Horatio. It pumps through his blood, as it has for 50 years.

By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published July 23, 2004

GRAY GABLES/BON AIR - Inside the Smith Health Club, a short man with broad shoulders and gray hair sits in a little office littered with papers.

He watches his customers work out, taking mental notes of their form. Walls of photographs of muscled people in Mr. America poses smile down at him. This is his life, and he couldn't be happier.

Harry Smith runs the Smith Health Club, which he says is the oldest independently owned fitness club in the country.

Six days a week, you can find Smith inside his gym at 3415 Horatio St., near Henderson Boulevard, providing personalized instruction to hundreds of fitness buffs, athletes and people who just want to get in shape.

At a time when large gyms are trying to lure customers with fancy marketing campaigns and special offers, Smith, 78, runs his gym the way he did when he opened almost 50 years ago. It's simple, with a focus on fitness.

"He's one of the pioneers," said friend and fitness instructor Aida Perez. "He's definitely the personification of training. He's the real deal."

Smith's passion for weightlifting began during World War II. He was in the Navy, stationed in San Diego. On weekends, he'd drive to Santa Monica, where he trained at Vic Tanny's Gym. He pumped iron alongside Joe Gold, of Gold's Gym fame.

He returned home to Atlanta, where he flexed his ripped muscles at competitions. Weightlifting and bench press titles followed.

In 1964, at age 38, he became the oldest contestant ever to win the Mr. Florida title. He had moved to Florida after stints in the Sunshine State as a pro wrestler. He always loved the water.

Smith, who at 5 foot 8 benched 435 pounds at his peak, opened the Harry Smith Health Club in 1956, charging high school students $20 for three months.

Today, there are still no annual contracts and enrollment fees. It's a flat $30 a month, with a promise from Smith that he will personally oversee your workout and get you in shape.

It's the individual attention that has kept Irene Papachristou of Beach Park coming back for 15 years.

"Working out at Harry's is like being amongst family," Papachristou said. "If you're not doing something right here, Harry will certainly let you know."

There's no computer to track a client's body fat index. It's all written on cards and filed alphabetically in a metal tin. Often, he stores it in his head.

He has trained famous body builders, such as three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane and Craig Whitehead, as well as generations of families. One man brought his son, who later brought his sons.

"These people here, they're my family," Smith said, looking through the window of his office. "This is all I need."

Smith doesn't just run a gym; he lives it. He has more than 30 weightlifting titles and was once crowned Junior Mr. America. In addition to Mr. Florida, he has earned the titles of Mr. Dixie, Mr. Georgia and Mr. All South.

To his more than 250 clients, he's just Harry.

"He is a great example of somebody totally dedicated," said Perez, one of the club's five personal trainers. "We all have a purpose in life. This is what he eats, breathes and sleeps."

Smith works out every day but doesn't watch the clock. His body tells him when to quit.

He skips breakfast and eats out most of the time. He watches his carbohydrate intake and packs the protein. He's a regular at Outback Steakhouse, Malio's, Bern's and Lauro's.

Twice divorced, Smith is known for being a flirt. He calls his female customers "baby" and "sugar" and will grasp your elbow as he ushers you through his gym for a tour.

His fitness center is divided into three sections: a room for hard-core weightlifters, one for those just looking for a good workout, and one just for women.

Smith does not envy Joe Gold's success with his huge chain of gyms.

"I like to give personalized attention," Smith said. "I want to be there, to know what's going on. Here, I can watch what goes on and be there, one on one."

He lives above the fitness center, always has a lunch date and rarely has time for golf, his second passion.

"I am busy, but I like it," he said. "This is my life, baby."

- Dong-Phuong Nguyen can be reached at 226-3403 or nguyen@sptimes.com

OCCUPATION: Owner of Smith Health Club

AGE: 78

FAMILY: His clients

STATUS: Twice divorced

TO STAY FIT: Lifts weights, plays golf

TO STAY YOUNG: Exercises and eats halfway right. "There's no secret there. It's just dedication."

EATING HABITS: Usually skips breakfast and eats out two, sometimes three, times a day. Eats lots of protein, avoids carbs. "I don't fool around with junk," he says.

BRUSH WITH FAME? Smith used to work out with Joe Gold at a gym at Santa Monica's Muscle Beach. Gold went on to open the famous Gold's Gym.

SECOND PASSION: Golf

[Last modified July 22, 2004, 11:11:55]