The Protein-Packed Political Playground of Newtown | Welcome To The NAC

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Have you ever wondered what happens when fitness culture, politics, and suburban social dynamics collide? Welcome to the world of the Newtown Athletic Club (NAC) – a 250,000-square-foot temple to wellness that's so much more than just a gym.

My journey into this topic began unexpectedly at the supermarket while selecting pineapples. Overhearing two locals passionately criticizing Jim Worthington, the NAC's founder and owner, I couldn't help but notice how the conversation veered from alleged community developments to political affiliations with little regard for accuracy. This encounter sparked my exploration of why this local businessman generates such intense reactions throughout Bucks County.

The NAC defies simple categorization – it's simultaneously a luxury fitness facility, a political headquarters, a social club, and what Philadelphia Magazine memorably described as "a nexus of power, politics, money, sex and intrigue." With its saltwater pools, medical facilities, multiple dining options, and spa services, it represents what I call the "Epcot Center of Entitlement." The pool deck alone has become legendary – a microcosm of suburban social dynamics where business networking happens alongside displays of wealth and status.

Beyond the spectacle lies the true value of Worthington's creation: community. While easy to mock the excesses, we can't ignore the NAC's positive impact – from employment opportunities to charitable contributions that outpace many local institutions. Critics often overlook these aspects, perhaps because their criticism stems partly from admiration. Like other visionary entrepreneurs who transformed ideas into empires, Worthington represents the American dream realized – complete with controversy and contradiction.

Ready to experience this unique slice of suburban America? Share your thoughts about local institutions that generate similar love-hate relationships in your community. Have you encountered places where fitness, politics, and social status intertwine in unexpected ways?

• #SuburbanSaga
• #FitnessMeetsPolitics
• #NACUnfiltered
• #JimWorthingtonEffect
• #TempleOfWellness
• #EpcotOfEntitlement
• #PowerAndProteinShakes
• #BucksCountyDrama
• #LuxuryLunges
• #SpinClassAndScandal
• #WhereAbsMeetAllegiances
• #TreadmillTalksAndTea
• #CardioAndControversy
• #SaltwaterAndSecrets
• #GymTanPolitics
• #ProteinShakesAndPowerPlays
• #NotJustAGymBro
• #RedWhiteAndRecline
• #SuburbiaWithSidesOfSauce
• #SwimUpBarWithOpinions
• #LoveHateLocal
• #CommunityOrCult
• #SuburbiaUnfiltered
• #WhatsYourNACStory
• #LocalLegendsAndLunacy
• #SmallTownBigFeels
• #TalkOfTheTownship
• #FitnessWithFeels
• #NACNation
• #GossipAndGains

Peace, Love & God Above! :-)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up, guys?
What's up?
My flowers and friends.
Listen, I am here today to talkabout something that I wasn't
even going to talk about becauseI think the guy has enough PR.
But I was in the supermarketand I was picking out pineapples
you know, like I really knowwhat I'm doing with a pineapple
and I had a Jimmy Snuka, rowdy,roddy Piper, 1980s flashback.
If you know what I'm talkingabout, then you're as old as I

(00:22):
am.
And there's these two peoplesitting there and they're just
ripping apart Jim Worthington.
I'm like, wait a second, andI'm listening to this.
And apparently he's the onethat built the Wawa on the
bypass.
He's out there building theWawa.
Like they're like you know,they're ruining Newtown and

(00:42):
ruining Langhorne and JimWorthington's the cause of it
and he's the one behind Wawa.
Like no, I don't think so.
I think Wawa's the one behindWawa.
I don't know what you'retalking about.
So I'm just listening, like I'mready to throw the pineapple at
this lady because she makes nosense.
And then they're just rippingon him more and more and more
about you know, about him beinga Trump lover, and this, that.

(01:03):
And I'm just sitting there, meand the guy from giant are just
listening.
I'm looking at him, he'slooking at me and I'm like, yeah
, like I just want to go in thepool and look at women.
I was like I don't know, I'mgoing to go home and I got an

(01:29):
idea.
All right.
So I go home and I'm like, allright, here we go.
You know?
I mean, you guys already knowwhat time it is.
It's the rock bottom podcast.
It's the only show that's boldenough to ask is the newtown
athletic club a fitness center,a political hq, a reality show
or a fever dream that smellslike tanning oil and capitalism?
Spoiler alert it's all theabove and it can be whatever the
fuck it wants to.
Be all right, because until youhave as much as that guy, you
ain't got shit.
All right, I'm your host, djESG, and I'm a local legend with
a mic and vendetta againstoverpriced smoothies, and
today's episode is titled Guns,g-strings and Gym Memberships.

(01:51):
So buckle up.
Bucks County.
I used to run an LA Fitness forfive or six years, so if you
don't see the humor coming inthis one, you are way outdated
and need a reality check.
So let's start with the boss ofthis whole protein-packed place,
mr Worthington Dude.
Let me tell you something toall you people out there that
run your mouth about this man.
He's a gym owner, he's abusinessman, he's a political

(02:13):
figure, he's a fitnessphilosopher.
I'm convinced he drinkspre-workout instead of coffee
and trims his hedges withexecutive orders.
This guy has more energy thanDoracel and fucking Energizer
combined.
He built a 250,000 square footshrine to suburban absurdity, a
place where democracy meetsdeltoids and every smoothie
comes with a political opinion.

(02:33):
And you know what?
We fucking love him for it.
He's got balls and he'll tellyou how it is and he don't give
a fuck.
So you walk into the NAC andimmediately lose all sense of
reality.
There's a saltwater pool, amedical center, three cafes, a
spa, a hair salon and a smoothiebar that doubles as an
unregulated town hall.
It's not a gym, it's thefucking Epcot Center of
Entitlement.

(02:53):
At any given moment, you'llfind Brenda debating someone
about almond milk, chad totallyfake, totally real vibe doing
curls in front of a mirror whiletalking about crypto, and some
poor soul from Yardley justtrying to find the elliptical
machine, the pool deck situation.
Let's talk about the scene.
Philly Mag once called it anexus of power, politics, money,
sex and intrigue.

(03:14):
I call it Bucks County SpringBreak.
And if you look at what's goingon in the world right now, with
people being raped, murderedand killed, I think it's the
safest place in the world to goif you want to go somewhere for
a week during spring break.
Trust me, mom and dad, yourkids will come home and they
will come home in one piece.
There's more oil than a JiffyLube, more gossip than a PTA
meeting and more silicon than aKardashian reunion show.

(03:37):
You haven't truly experienced aknack until you've seen a grown
man in Gucci flip-flops try tonetwork with a state senator
while holding a vodka cranberryand yelling bro at his
reflection.
And now the infamous January 6thsituation.
It's over.
Nobody cares anymore.
Leave the man alone.
Trump's back in office, andthat's all I got to say about
that.
He was also sued by acongressional candidate, and

(04:00):
guess what he won?
And that's all I got to sayabout that.
But who really runs this place?
Let me introduce you to thefictional but emotional real
staff of the Knack universe.
Brenda, smoothie shack queen,judgmental, wears leopard print.
Once told me her chakras wasmisaligned with my credit score.
Gary, personal trainer, onlywears cutoffs.
Once screamed no pain, nopolitics.

(04:21):
Mid-season Linda, pilatesinstructor and part-time
conspiracy theorist.
She thinks lunges activate thepenile gland.
Dj Deltz, the poolside DJ,refuses to play anything that
isn't a Pitbull remix or aReagan speech.
Real talk.
There are legit people makingthis wild ship sail.
You have Brian the CEO Keepsthe NAC finances tighter than
Chad's tank top.
Jen, aquatics director,oversees the pool of dreams and

(04:43):
drama.
Dr Meg, the club's very owndoctor.
That's right.
Your gym doesn't just have atrainer, it has a physician on
site.
You pull a hamstring doingsquats?
She's got you.
You have a midlife crisis inthe sauna.
She's probably got a pamphlet.
Chad writes yo, esg, how do Iknow if I'm lifting too hard or
not voting hard enough?
Brenda from the shack writestell Todd to stop putting
creatine in the blender.

(05:03):
He's turning my kale intoconcrete.
Freedom Ron writes I haven'tpaid taxes since 2004 and I'm
still jacked Thoughts.
Listen, here's the truth.
The knack is nuts, it's absurd,it's glorious, it's a political
rally inside a Pilates class,wrapped in a towel and served
with a protein smoothie calledthe Gipper.
But it's also a community.
It's spectacle, it's comedy.
And Jim, say what you want.
This is the ringmaster of theAirbrush Circus and for that I

(05:26):
salute this man.
There's no bigger name in allof Newtown.
He's the GOAT.
He's bigger than the schooldistrict.
He's bigger than the board ofsupervisors.
He's bigger than the townshipmanager.
He's bigger than the police,the fire Well, he's not bigger
than the police and thefirefighters, but he's bigger
than everything else.
And you know what People shit onhim for this.
Why?
Because a guy that started outsmall in another town decided to
come over to our town and buildan empire, build something that

(05:48):
everybody in town talks shitabout, but everybody wants to be
a part of.
Everybody wants to be him.
You secretly talk about himbecause you all want to be him.
Listen, I say a lot of shitabout Mark Zuckerberg, but I'll
tell you this right now I wouldlove to be Mark Zuckerberg.
You know why?
Because Mark Zuckerberg had aplan.
Mark Zuckerberg went and tookthat plan and made it real.
And now look at Mark Zuckerberg.

(06:09):
He might live in California, hemight run Facebook, he might
wear the same clothes every day.
But what do they tell you?
People that wear the same shitevery single day don't need to
worry about their wardrobe,don't need to worry about
anything else.
They just need to worry aboutgetting up and being great that
day.
You ever heard the expressionyou want something done right,
you give it to a busy person.
That's true, and jimworthington is a busy person and

(06:31):
I'll tell you this right noweverything he does is right,
it's not wrong.
It's right that man does moreshit for this town than all
these school bureaucratic buttwads all do together in one shot
.
Ask jim how much money he'sgiven to charity.
Ask him, ask these schoolbureaucrats, how much money
they've given to charity.
They haven't.
They've given it to roccosteakhouse.
Give me the porterhouse, please.

(06:51):
I'll see you in three hours.
Hello, thank you.
Talk to you later.
Thanks very much.
Here's the tip.
Oh my god, barely 20.
Remember if your gym doesn'thave lawsuits, protein shakes,
name-deaf political scandals anda DJ spitting pitbull at the
pool bar.
Are you even working out?
Until next time, newtown, stayhydrated, stay hilarious and
tell Brenda I said hi and leavefucking Jim Worthington alone.

(07:13):
You see that American flag thatsits outside of the NAC.
He's the most patrioticmotherfucker in Newtown.
God bless America.
God bless the USA.