Santosh Iyer, November Spotlight

If you’ve taken a class at Graviton over the last few years, chances are you’ve shared a barbell, a laugh, or maybe even a burpee next to Santosh Iyer. He’s been part of the community for about 3 years—long enough to become one of our most familiar and friendly faces.

His Graviton story actually starts with his wife. “My wife joined the gym first, and I joined six months after, once she certified that Graviton was legit, because she found a great community here — I guess listen to your wife.” Once he stepped through the doors, he discovered exactly what she meant. As a self-proclaimed barbell fan, Santosh was hooked by the focus on fundamentals: “There’s a lot of emphasis on all the basic movements for using a barbell… I think this place gives great attention to those kinds of fundamentals, and I think that’s super important and that’s what kept me going.”

But the barbell was just the beginning. What really keeps him coming back day after day is the people. “It’s not one single individual, but Graviton has a great system where all the coaches are involved in your journey, and there’s a great community that shows up along with you each day.” For him, it’s the combination of meeting new people, tackling cool workouts, and spending time working hard together. “It’s just a great wholesome place to spend one hour of your day each day.”

His punctuality, however… is an ongoing work in progress. “There’s a running gag that I come in late to the gym, and all the coaches give me a hard time about not being punctual.” He laughs it off, but also appreciates that Graviton takes preparation and warm-ups seriously: “Being prepared is something that everyone takes seriously and that’s something that you can apply across the board to anything that you do — be on time and be prepared.”

Santosh has no shortage of memorable moments. He fondly recalls the Graviton scavenger hunt workout around Somerville, even though he got dehydrated midway through the event. His teammates made sure he could keep going, getting him a Gatorade and cheering him through the rest of the challenge. “We find special bonds during times like that,” he recalls. And then there’s the Spartan Race at Fenway, where this year Graviton showed up 20 members strong and Santosh participated for the first time ever. Running through such an iconic park, tackling obstacles and burpees together, was an experience he won’t forget: “The last bit out on the turf is just priceless.”

After years of consistent effort (with the occasional streak reset), Santosh recently earned something he’s been chasing: his very first Committed Club t-shirt. “You would think that that’s easy to do, but then life gets in the way often and you find that you lost your streak.” Each time that happened, someone at Graviton reminded him that “day 1 is today.” And this year, that persistence paid off.

Ultimately, Santosh loves moving alongside others—sharing what he knows, learning from people around him, and building strength as a community. “[It’s great to] consistently come in, get a solid workout, and get out all in one hour.”

Oh, and one more important piece of information: Santosh is extremely good at board games. He warns newcomers not to underestimate him: “I give friends a hard time when they come over for board game night.” Friendly competition inside and outside the gym seems to be a theme.

We’re lucky to have Santosh as a member of Graviton — for his dedication, his humor, and the energy he brings into every class (even when sliding in right on time).