Down four stairs of the Kerrytown Courtyard, treadmills, dumbbells, and yoga mats rest interspersed. Iconic sports posters plaster the lime green walls. Fish tanks, professional teams’ jerseys and even musical theater posters fill each bare space in a windowless cave of Kerrytown.

Sparrow’s Gym was started five years ago by Josh Johnson. At 15 years old, Johnson began working at Sparrow’s Market as a meat cutter. It was then that Johnson, now 30, developed a passion for health.

“I was a heavy set kid and not happy with myself. One day, I decided to change, and I started learning a lot about personal fitness, condition and strength training,” said Johnson, now the personal trainer and sole employee at Sparrow’s Gym.

Today, “buff” is the best way to describe the six-foot five trainer’s physique. His passion for health and ability to motivate others has led to the success of the gym.

On any given day, over 100 clients, ranging from ages 15 to 80, wipe their sweat and walk out the door feeling a little bit stronger. Many would agree that much of the credit goes to the magic and work of Johnson.

“Josh is that person who motivates you. You feel like he cares about you and gives you some accountability,” said Sharleen Helk, a daily user of the gym.

Steve Coron, a CHS art teacher and frequent user of the gym, spends most of his workout grooving to the beat on the elliptical.

“Josh is really smart,” Coron said. “He is really laid back and [recognizes the] days [when] I feel like crap and don’t want to workout, but [he] still pushes me.”

Johnson’s style of personal training is nothing but original.

“I like to see it as almost like a toning, core, strengthen style. [It’s] for people that have anything from a lower back injury to excess fat that they want to lose or even just to get better at a sport at a young age. I call it hybrid training,” Johnson said.

For University of Michigan Musical Theater student Rachel Bailer, it is all about the variety.

“I like the circuit training,” she said. “I like how it is a total body work out and [Josh] will customize [your workout] to what is sore or injured.”

Not only is Johnson’s style of motivating clients a success, but so is the atmosphere he creates in the gym. Clients lift weights, run miles and tighten their abs while chatting, encouraging one another and bopping to the music.

“My friends and I call it the ‘Cheers’ gym because ‘everyone knows your name.’ I would also say [the gym is] friendly, intimate, and crowded sometimes,” said Helk.

Agreeing with Helk, Coron described the gym as a “fun, collegial, supportive family. It is like working out with a bunch of friends. We make it fun. It’s hard work, but we yuck it up and make jokes and laugh so it’s easy to get through [the workout].”

Laughter continues filling the air as clients line up to get into the single changing room. The fact that there is no bathroom may be a deterrent to some gym goers, but darting over to Kerrytown is part of the whole experience. The gym is not all about glam but about the results.

Many star athletes seek Johnson’s expertise to become stronger and faster in their sport; Johnson even trained Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. But Johnson also takes pride in training clients from all walks of life.

“I had this guy that kind of had a second wind in life. He lost his wife to cancer, but then decided to start his life again and lost one hundred and twelve pounds. At the same time, in a year and a half’s time, he met another woman and ended up getting married. It was like seeing someone being reborn again. It was one of the most amazing things I have seen here. It was beautiful,” Johnson said. This is just one of the many success stories that Sparrow’s Gym has helped to write.

Many high school students have even found their niche at the gym. Athletes and non-athletes from all the Ann Arbor schools and surrounding communities look to Johnson as their fitness guru. For Pioneer High School sophomore Lilly Scheerer, the gym has had a positive impact overall.

“I am healthier, and I go to the gym more. I think I have more determination to do stuff.”

She believes Johnson and how he jokes with his clients helps to make it fun for everyone.

“He just knows how to do it,” said Scheerer.

“I’m like that Justin Bieber kid, just a little taller,” laughed Johnson. In reality he has become an icon in the community and may rival Bieber’s popularity. The popularity of Sparrow’s Gym has made a diverse group of people who come together in this small, windowless cave healthier and happier.