FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Ares Corporate Opportunities Fund II, L.P.   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol GNC HOLDINGS, INC. [GNC] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director __X__ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) (Last) (First) (Middle) 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS, 12TH FLOOR 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/19/2012 (Street) LOS ANGELES, CA 90067 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) ___ Form filed by One Reporting Person _X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Class A common stock, par value $0.001 03/19/2012   S   7,371,269 D $ 33.5 13,297,934 D (1) (2) (3)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Ares Corporate Opportunities Fund II, L.P. 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X
ACOF Management II, L.P. 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X
ACOF Operating Manager II, L.P. 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X
ARES MANAGEMENT INC 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X
ARES MANAGEMENT LLC 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X
Ares Management Holdings LLC 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X
Ares Holdings LLC 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X
ARES PARTNERS MANAGEMENT CO LLC 2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS 12TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90067	X	X

Signatures

/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory of ACOF OPERATING MANAGER II, L.P., Manager, for ARES CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES FUND II, L.P.		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory of ACOF OPERATING MANAGER II, L.P., General Partner, for ACOF MANAGEMENT II, L.P.		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ACOF OPERATING MANAGER II, L.P.		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ARES MANAGEMENT, INC.		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ARES MANAGEMENT LLC		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ARES MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LLC		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ARES HOLDINGS LLC		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ARES PARTNERS MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC		03/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	The amount reported is owned of record by the designated reporting person, Ares Corporate Opportunities Fund II, L.P. ("ACOF"). The general partner of ACOF is ACOF Management II, L.P. ("ACOF Management"), the general partner of ACOF Management is ACOF Operating Manager II, L.P. ("ACOF Operating Manager") and the general partner of ACOF Operating Manager is Ares Management, Inc. ("Ares Inc."). Ares Inc. is owned by Ares Management LLC ("Ares Management"), which, in turn, is owned by Ares Management Holdings LLC ("Ares Management Holdings"). Ares Management Holdings is controlled by Ares Holdings LLC ("Ares Holdings"), which, in turn, is controlled by Ares Partners Management Company LLC ("Ares Partners," and collectively with ACOF, ACOF Management, ACOF Operating Manager, Ares Inc., Ares Management, Ares Management Holdings and Ares Holdings, the "Ares Entities"). (Continued in footnote 2)
(2)	Ares Partners is managed by an executive committee comprised of Michael Arougheti, David Kaplan, Gregory Margolies, Antony Ressler and Bennett Rosenthal. Because the executive committee acts by consensus/majority approval, none of the members of the executive committee has sole voting or dispositive power with respect to any shares of common stock. Each of the members of the executive committee, the Ares Entities (other than ACOF, with respect to the shares it holds directly) and the directors, officers, partners, stockholders, members and managers of the Ares Entities expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares of common stock, except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein, and this Form 4 shall not be deemed an admission that any such person or entity is the beneficial owner of such securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purposes. (Continued in footnote 3)
(3)	The address of each Ares Entity is 2000 Avenue of the Stars, 12th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067.

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