Former NYC doorman follows dream to launch new Staten Island gym and

STATEN ISLAND, NY — Driven by his obsession with health and fitness, Ivan Santiago, 32, left a decade-long union job in Manhattan as a janitor to start his own business.

“While I was working, I kept saving and saving money. I always wanted to create a fitness brand,” said the Dongan Hills resident, a New Jersey native who moved to Staten Island from Florida in 2009.

Santiago said he would save bonus money each year and work six days a week to save some money that would one day allow him to launch his own fitness brand.

That “someday” came sooner than I thought thanks to the coronavirus (COVID) pandemic.

“This vision started out as just a sportswear brand in 2021 post-COVID,” he explained, noting that he earned his personal training fitness certification and started coaching people while working full-time as a goalie. “I started working on clothing myself during COVID. He was still working the janitor job. I never had a break from that job during COVID. Then when I saw all the big gyms closed, he enlightened me. I got the idea when things started to go back to normal. I realized that with COVID people didn’t want to go back to these big gyms.”

Iván Santiago, 32, left a decade-long steady job as a doorman to start his own business fueled by his obsession with health and exercise. “While he was working, I kept saving and saving money. I always wanted to create a fitness brand,” said the Dongan Hills resident, a New Jersey native who moved here from Florida in 2009. (Courtesy of Ivan Santiago)

For this reason, Santiago began looking for a space where he could create a personal training gym in the North Shore, an area he felt needed more health and fitness opportunities. And he knew there was no better time than the present to risk it all and pursue his dream.

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“I told myself, either I’m going to take the risk now, or when I’m 45 or 50 I’m going to regret not doing it,” he said.

“So in early 2021 I decided to pursue my passion, which was helping people become stronger and healthier. So I wanted to open a personal gym to train one on one and also where I could invite other trainers to come and train their clients,” Santiago said.

He launched Vicious Fitness on July 12, 2022 on Bay Street in Stapleton. He also offers a full line of sportswear, all designed by himself.

“The idea is to get people up and active again. Motivate people and make them feel good,” she said.

INSIDE THE NAME

By naming both his clothing line and his gym, Santiago wanted one with meaning.

“The name is a family thing. My father’s name is Victor. So ‘Vicious’ was his nickname when he was young. My little brother makes underground music. So he used that name for music as well,” he said. “And between the clothes and the gym, the name fits.”

SERVICES OFFERED

Vicious Fitness offers training for everyone, from weight lifters to people who just want to stay in shape.

“I offer personal and strength training. I also offer a space for people to train on their own for a small fee so they can feel comfortable in a smaller space instead of packed gyms,” Santiago said.

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Vicious Fitness is equipped with multiple fitness machines to exercise the entire body.

“I have a pull-up bar, a dip bar, a dumbbell rack with weights from 5 to 50 pounds,” Santiago said. “I have a stationary tower that works basically every part of the body. I have medicine balls and a stretching area. It is very suitable for all your fitness needs.”

“The personality traits that I have that make me a perfect fit in this business is that I know what it feels like to be at a point where I didn’t like how I looked. I am very strict and outgoing; I am a leader,” Santiago said. “I like to push people to their strongest limits. I am also a very easy person to talk to, and I make other people feel very comfortable. I was made for this. My favorite part of the job is pushing people to the limits they never thought they could reach.”

VICIOUS FITNESS AT A GLANCE

Address: 681 bay street

Website: www.viciousfitness.store

Instagram: @vicious.fitness_

New Businesses in Focus is a weekly column chronicling the stories of Staten Island’s new business owners.

If you have a new business in Staten Island, please email [email protected].

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