Gold’s Gym Beverly Center: Redefining the Modern Member Experience
How smart design and strategic equipment choices set a new standard for fitness — with Life Fitness & Hammer Strength as the foundation.
When Gold’s Gym SoCal set out to open its new Beverly Center flagship in Los Angeles, the mission was bigger than building another gym. The goal: honor the Gold’s Gym legacy while reimagining what the modern fitness experience could be.
For Jason Taylor, VP of Facilities & Equipment Procurement, this was more than a build-out, it was a chance to blend heritage, innovation, and operational excellence into a single facility that could inspire members for decades.
“We’re known as a bodybuilding club, but we serve everyone; from families to first-timers,” Taylor says. “It’s about creating an environment where every member feels like this gym was built for them. Life Fitness and Hammer Strength helped us make that vision real.”
Members are drawn to Symbio’s adaptive Flex Deck, a one-of-a-kind running surface that automatically adjusts softness and firmness. Paired with interactive terrains that match incline and feel to virtual courses, the result is a cardio experience members talk about.
“No one else has it,” Taylor notes. “People step on it and are instantly surprised … in a good way.”
Beyond the wow factor, Symbio delivers operational wins. Each of the 45 cardio units is tied into Facility Connect, giving Taylor’s team real-time insights and proactive maintenance alerts. QR code reporting means staff can respond to equipment issues in under a minute.
“No one wants to work out on broken equipment,” Taylor says. “With Symbio, we can prevent downtime before it happens.”
The Beverly Center boasts the largest Hammer Strength installation in any Gold’s Gym SoCal facility; from legacy plate-loaded classics to the latest selectorized and ground-based innovations, including the Jammer, Belt Squat, and V-Squat.
“Hammer is bulletproof,” Taylor says. “It lasts, it performs, and members love it. It’s in every club I build. No exceptions.”
Taylor credits member feedback, strength training trends, and his own instincts in curating the mix. The result: a strength floor that meets the demands of serious lifters while welcoming newcomers.
Post-pandemic, spacing matters more than ever. At Beverly Center, the layout makes it easy for members to feel comfortable, confident, and in control of their workout.
From purchase to installation to custom staff training, the Life Fitness team supported every step. Even seasoned Gold’s Gym SoCal staff learned new insights about product features, maintenance best practices, and how to communicate equipment benefits to members.
“When your staff understands and believes in the product, they become part of the sales team,” Taylor says. “It builds pride and it helps close memberships.”
“It starts with the smile at the front desk,” he says. “It’s about a clean facility, nothing broken, people who know your name, and equipment that performs. Retention comes from creating an experience members want to come back to physically and emotionally.”
Read the full Gold's Gym SoCal Beverly Center & North Hollywood here.
For Jason Taylor, VP of Facilities & Equipment Procurement, this was more than a build-out, it was a chance to blend heritage, innovation, and operational excellence into a single facility that could inspire members for decades.
“We’re known as a bodybuilding club, but we serve everyone; from families to first-timers,” Taylor says. “It’s about creating an environment where every member feels like this gym was built for them. Life Fitness and Hammer Strength helped us make that vision real.”
Symbio: Technology That Elevates the Cardio Floor
Beverly Center became the first Gold’s Gym SoCal location to debut the Life Fitness Symbio™ cardio line, a calculated risk that’s paying off in a big way.Members are drawn to Symbio’s adaptive Flex Deck, a one-of-a-kind running surface that automatically adjusts softness and firmness. Paired with interactive terrains that match incline and feel to virtual courses, the result is a cardio experience members talk about.
“No one else has it,” Taylor notes. “People step on it and are instantly surprised … in a good way.”
Beyond the wow factor, Symbio delivers operational wins. Each of the 45 cardio units is tied into Facility Connect, giving Taylor’s team real-time insights and proactive maintenance alerts. QR code reporting means staff can respond to equipment issues in under a minute.
“No one wants to work out on broken equipment,” Taylor says. “With Symbio, we can prevent downtime before it happens.”
Hammer Strength: Strength Training Without Compromise
If Symbio modernizes the cardio floor, Hammer Strength anchors the strength zones with unmatched durability and member appeal.The Beverly Center boasts the largest Hammer Strength installation in any Gold’s Gym SoCal facility; from legacy plate-loaded classics to the latest selectorized and ground-based innovations, including the Jammer, Belt Squat, and V-Squat.
“Hammer is bulletproof,” Taylor says. “It lasts, it performs, and members love it. It’s in every club I build. No exceptions.”
Taylor credits member feedback, strength training trends, and his own instincts in curating the mix. The result: a strength floor that meets the demands of serious lifters while welcoming newcomers.
Design That Works Because It Works for Members
Taylor is meticulous about how members move through the space. Every inch is measured. Zones are organized intuitively: lower body in one area, upper body in another, free weights positioned with double bench rows and optimal mirror placement for maximum usage and flow.Post-pandemic, spacing matters more than ever. At Beverly Center, the layout makes it easy for members to feel comfortable, confident, and in control of their workout.
Support That Extends Beyond Equipment
Life Fitness and Hammer Strength didn’t just deliver equipment, they delivered partnership.From purchase to installation to custom staff training, the Life Fitness team supported every step. Even seasoned Gold’s Gym SoCal staff learned new insights about product features, maintenance best practices, and how to communicate equipment benefits to members.
“When your staff understands and believes in the product, they become part of the sales team,” Taylor says. “It builds pride and it helps close memberships.”
The Philosophy Behind the Success
For Taylor, the real differentiator isn’t a single piece of equipment. It’s the culture.“It starts with the smile at the front desk,” he says. “It’s about a clean facility, nothing broken, people who know your name, and equipment that performs. Retention comes from creating an experience members want to come back to physically and emotionally.”
Looking Ahead
The Beverly Center project is only the beginning. Symbio will roll out to more Gold’s Gym SoCal locations. Hammer Strength will remain a constant. And as trends shift, Taylor is confident in the partnership that’s helped Gold’s Gym keep evolving for more than 50 years.Read the full Gold's Gym SoCal Beverly Center & North Hollywood here.