Fitness influencer and serial entrepreneur Cory Gregory has his own fantasy land in a 15,000-square-foot warehouse located in Granville, Ohio. The space, which he reconditioned, includes his place of business, a 5,000-square-foot gym and an enticing, hidden cigar room. The concept might sound fanatical, but once you understand Gregory’s story and cigar journey, it becomes clear that this undertaking is simply par for the course. Gregory got into premium smokes when he was business partners with Arnold Schwarzenegger, arguably the most famous cigar smoker on the planet. As Gregory reshaped the bare bones warehouse, lessons from the bodybuilding icon helped inspire him to add a cigar room into the mix.
Gregory, 47, is a man of many hats. The foundation for his life was set at just 19 years old, when he followed in his family’s footsteps becoming a fourth-generation coal miner in Ohio. But Gregory already had bigger plans in mind. He logged many 70-plus-hour weeks in the mines, saved every dime and used the money to move to Columbus, Ohio, where he started his own gym at 20 years old
In 2008, he co-founded MusclePharm, a sports nutrition brand that grew into an industry powerhouse. In 2015, Gregory sold his stake in the company and ventured into new projects. He has since launched a workout programming and nutrition app called “CoryG Fitness,” created his second sports nutrition brand called Max Effort Muscle and co-founded The Old School Gym, a 5,000-square-foot, invite-only training facility located inside his warehouse. The gym is home to the “4AM Crew,” an elite powerlifting team, and other high-level athletes train there.
Gregory enjoying a cigar with Schwarzenegger, who has graced Cigar Aficionado’s cover a record five times.
Gregory has also published books, holds many certifications in nutrition and exercise disciplines, runs an entrepreneurship course and has graced the cover of countless fitness magazines. That pedigree has led to quite the social media presence, with nearly 500,000 followers and subscribers between Instagram and YouTube, where he shares a steady stream of content.
Gregory’s gym is a wonderland for serious weightlifters, which makes it even harder to imagine a hidden cigar room sits just nearby.
The warehouse is Gregory’s daily headquarters, but it took time and creativity for it to come to fruition. “It was a cinderblock, 15,000-square-foot building when I walked in,” he says. “And I could build however I wanted.” That’s exactly what he did. Gregory purchased the warehouse over five years ago, and he says every year since he’s honed in on a new project for the space. Building out the gym was one of the first priorities. Which, if you can’t tell by the name, “The Old School Gym,” is meant to have a no frills, iron paradise vibe. The gym takes up a third of the entire space inside. The Max Effort Muscle operation is also run out of his warehouse, which includes a packing area, a design room, a retail store, inventory storage and offices for his employees. He also has a food prep service, a podcast studio and a mini basketball court.
The Max Effort area of the warehouse is full of bright colors and spaces that facilitate the business. The basketball court adds to the fun.
Then came the cigar room. “When my family and friends get together, we can come here instead of going out to a bar,” says Gregory, who also uses the room as his office. “I was always staking out where I could have a place like this.” About two years ago, the warehouse came into focus as a fitting locale. A buddy Gregory trains with offered to send a guy out once a month to build the room if Gregory let him use his studio to record his podcast. A deal was soon struck
The cigar room came together easier than you may think, but it required a kind of all-hands-on-deck approach.
The all-purpose builder framed the room first, positioning it against a warehouse wall in the very back. Next came the electric, followed by insulation. Gregory’s son and a friend constructed the interior walls using leftover pallet wood, giving the space a rustic, log cabin feel. Gregory clear-coated the floors, added a rug, leather chairs, a pool table, a bar area and a flat screen television. A RabbitAir system and exhaust fans offer ventilation support. All said, the cigar room is roughly 700 square feet, with ceilings stretching 13 feet high. The room was finished in six months, with most of the work done periodically.
Gregory (right) having a chat and a smoke with his buddy Jacob Emery in the cigar room. Emery earned his admission to this hidden smoking alcove by helping Gregory’ with its creation, sending a builder out to help with the construction.
The cigar room is virtually undetectable to those not in the know. “You don’t even know it’s in the same building,” says Gregory. “Unless I go over and show people where the door is they don’t even see it.” The warehouse is secured by access codes, and the room is situated behind a non-descript, black door followed by a separate corridor. “Unless you’re coming back here with me, you ain’t seeing it pretty much,” says Gregory. “It feels like you’re in a whole different place.” The room has a lodge feel, with warm, dim lighting and a homey character that juxtaposes against the rugged, old-fashioned gym and the brightly-colored Max Effort area.
Gregory has logged many hours in his iron paradise gym, but he also appreciates the calming power of a fine cigar.
Gregory has built his life around discipline and hard work, but he’s come to appreciate the value of relaxation and indulgence. “Arnold said to me one time when I was at his house, “it’s okay to have a little dysfunction with all the discipline,”” says Gregory. “That was a thing that really just stuck with me.” This wisdom is evident in the multi-purpose warehouse Gregory has created. The regimented life still reigns supreme, but cigars have become an accepted source of lenience to his status quo. “Look, when I made this room, there were times at 9 a.m. I sparked a cigar because I was so excited,” he says. “But I try to keep a boundary and moderation set as good as possible so I can enjoy it.”
Most of the time, the cigar room functions as an everyday office for Gregory, but it’s also a place he likes to host family and friends.
Gregory says he averages about two cigars a week. In his mind, staying true to his guidelines allows him to enjoy life’s pleasures without feeling as if they’re a detriment. This is the general philosophy he applies to most facets of his life. “I have high expectations for myself so I think finding things that do help me relax and take a moment are important,” says Gregory. “And I think cigars are one of those things for me.”
Gregory’s bar corner has a lot to grab your attention, from a picture of him and Schwarzenegger, to magazine covers bearing his likeness, Max Effort protein bars and plenty of fine Bourbon and cigars.
“I started getting into cigars when I started working with Schwarzenegger,” he says. It began at a Christmas party at Schwarzenegger’s house nearly 15 years ago. Gregory, there alone and looking to settle in, made his way to a cigar station and started chatting with the couple running the operation. “They taught me everything that night and I just picked it up,” he says. At the time, Gregory was collaborating with Schwarzenegger through his company, MusclePharm, as they were launching a new line of sports nutrition supplements called “The Arnold Series.” The partnership included large-scale promotional projects in conjunction with BodyBuilding.com, one of the leading online retailers for fitness supplements and workout guides. As part of the promo, Gregory interviewed Schwarzenegger (one YouTube version currently has over nine million views) and he also worked with him to remarket footage from Pumping Iron, a 1977 bodybuilding documentary that helped launch Schwarzenegger into stardom.
Gregory is loyal to the cigar from the Christmas party, saying it’s still his go-to smoke. He continues to purchase mail orders from the couple, mostly their signature barber pole, which Gregory says they keep unnamed. He says the non-Cuban Montecristo White Series, Oliva, the Cuban Montecristo Open Eagle and the La Aurora Family Creed Series are other favorites
As Gregory lines up his shot, one can assume he’s already considering his next move.
With the warehouse more or less in final form, more ambitious projects are underway for Gregory. Three years ago, he purchased an island on Buckeye Lake, south of Granville, and naturally dubbed it “Muscle Island.” At an acre and a half, Gregory says the island was uninhabited, a raw piece of land devoid of anything man-made. He has since installed utilities, built a shipping container house and gym and is currently installing a sauna, among other things. Could another cigar room be next? Who knows—with Gregory, anything is possible.
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