Ten-time Ms. Olympia Iris Kyla and former Arnold Classic 212 Champion Hidetada Yamagishi are still active in bodybuilding, but it isn’t on the stage. They have joined forces to open a Powerhouse Gym franchise in Las Vegas, Nevada, and so far, it has been a success. In six months they already have over 470 members, which is a good start considering the city they are in. Las Vegas has become a hotbed for bodybuilding, magnified by the fact that the 2022 is returning to Sin City this December.
Yamagishi and Kyle joined Dennis James on a recent episode of The Menace Podcast to talk about the work it’s taken for them to get to the point they’re at now.
“The gym has been pretty busy,” Yamagishi said proudly. “We are shooting for 600 within a year, so we’re actually ahead of schedule.” Kyle went on to explain that this wasn’t a random decision that they acted on.
“This has been on our bucket list for a while. We just didn’t know when we were going to implement it,” she explained to James. She explained that part of the reason for the success is that they know they can rely on each other when needed. “When the café (Bodi Café) was doing great and Hide and I having this wonderful relationship of trust, understanding and commitment, we thought that it was impossible for us to not to form the gym and have the café at the same time. So, we put our heads together after looking at so many gyms around the world, it was just about creating that blueprint.”
While Kyle and Yamagishi are bodybuilding legends, they make it clear that their focus isn’t just on the bodybuilding community. Everyone who wants to improve themselves would be welcome with open arms.
“It’s for all walks of life, not just for athletes.”
Yamagishi and Kyle are using the gym as a way to stay involved with the bodybuilding community. That led James to ask them both if they considered themselves retired.
“I’m officially retired, I’ve done everything I wanted,” Yamagishi confirmed. Kyle wasn’t so quick to make such an announcement.
“You’re going to make the internet blow up if I give an answer,” she joked.
Yamagishi and Kyle spoke more about the gym, their careers, and a lot more. Don’t miss this episode of TMP over at the M&F YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe so you can see all the episodes of TMP, the Reps podcast, and more.
