Arsen Sapsa in front of Arsen's Gym sign on 385 Boston Post in Orange.

Equipment at Arsen's Gym on 10 Capital Drive in Wallingford.

"Conquer" wall at Arsen's Gym on 385 Boston Post in Orange.

Upper body equipment at Arsen's Gym on 10 Capital Drive in Wallingford.

Weight lifting gym Arsen’s Gym is opening its third location in the state on March 12 at 300 Long Beach Blvd in Stratford. The local chain currently has two locations in Wallingford and Orange.

Arsen Sapsa of Orange wanted to create a gym where people could focus and "not worry about who and what is around them," he said. The atmosphere is what makes this place "unique" he said. "Everything is black and it gives you an old school modern gym feel where you go in, put your headphones in, do your thing and go home. People come here with a purpose."

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The gyms have standard equipment as well as “unique pieces” shipped from overseas like the power smith dual system machine. The new Stratford location includes over 50 upper body machines, 25 lower body machines, competition grade powerlifting equipment and a posing room where members can take pictures of their progress.

"I am using everything I have learned from opening Orange and Wallingford and applying at this new location. This is the biggest one yet," he said.

Before there was Arsen's Gym, there was Arsen's Training. Sapsa started his gym journey by getting his personal training certificate and training clients at a small location in Milford “that was perfect for one-on-one training sessions.”

Sapsa collected gym equipment from gyms that were out of business, and put it in storage until he had enough to open his first location. In October 2019, when he was 21, Sapsa opened the first Arsen’s Gym in Orange.

The Orange location was a success, and a year later he said he saw that there was a “need of gyms” in the Wallingford area. "This one killed it, it did and is still going strong," he said. The same week Wallingford opened, Sapsa decided to commit to a new location in Stratford as well.

"I am very excited for people to join and check out the new location. I'm giving it all I got and hope to open more," Sapsa said.