Kirk Galiani (left) and his brother, John, recently left Gold's Gym to open their new club, Onelife Fitness. Photo courtesy of Kirk Galiani.

IRVING, TX -- Brothers Kirk and John Galiani, who once were part-owners of Gold’s Gym International (GGI) and have been Gold’s Gym franchisees since 1990, have left the Gold’s Gym brand.

The Galianis announced last month that they have created a new brand, Onelife Fitness, for their five clubs in the Hampton Roads section of Virginia. The day after the announcement, GGI sent a letter to Gold’s Gym owners and staff, indicating the company was considering legal action against the Galianis.

Today, GGI announced that it has agreed to mutually part ways with the Galianis.

“Kirk and John have been outstanding operators and have been a big part of the long and rich history of the Gold’s Gym brand,” Joel Tallman, senior vice president of franchising and global operations for GGI, said in a statement. “Their passion for fitness is unparalleled, and their contributions to the Gold’s Gym brand will always be remembered by the many franchisees that have had the opportunity to work with them. We have both evolved our business models, and this arrangement works out well for both sides.”

Tallman later added, “While Kirk and John decided to go in a new direction, we remain committed to aggressively growing the best brand in fitness and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

Beginning in 1990, the Galianis grew to own and operate more than 10 clubs in the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland areas. In 1999, they purchased GGI along with private equity firm Brockway Moran & Partners and maintained ownership for five years until they sold their interests to TRT Holdings, GGI’s current parent company, in 2004.

Since that time, the Galianis have developed and sold several of their Gold’s Gym locations, including six North Carolina locations to the Titan Fitness Group, led by Gold’s Gym franchisee Jeff Skeen.

“We value our almost 20 years with the Gold’s Gym family as 20 of the best years of our lives,” Kirk Galiani said in a statement. “We have and always will have a strong passion for the Gold’s Gym brand and everything it stands for. Leaving the Gold’s Gym family was an extremely difficult and emotional decision for us, and we will miss it tremendously, but we’re excited about the opportunity to start a brand from scratch and mold it from its infancy.”

This is a time of transition for Irving, TX-based GGI. Last month, the company announced the resignation of CEO James Weaver and replaced him with Jim Snow, who had been an executive for TRT’s Omni Hotels.

“We’re extremely proud of what we were able achieve while we owned and operated Gold’s Gym International,” Galiani said. “We’re excited about the direction Gold’s Gym is headed in and think the future is bright for the greatest name in fitness. We have always felt that TRT Holdings, with their strong background in the hospitality space and experience owning a customer service-driven business, was a great fit for Gold’s Gym.”

John Galiani said he and his brother hope that GGI and Gold’s franchisees continue to grow the brand.

“We’re proud to have been a part of helping to build this world-renowned fitness icon,” John Galiani said in the statement. “We want to thank GGI and all of our friends within the brand for so many great times and memories that we’ll never forget.”

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