Starting Strength Affiliate Gyms are the best places to train in the United States. Managed by Starting Strength Coaches who have been evaluated for their expertise in instruction and their understanding of the Starting Strength method, a Starting Strength Gym affiliation is your assurance of a quality training experience, whether you join as a member or are just in the area for the week. Expert coaching, the finest equipment, and a helpful attitude toward your training goals are all part of the experience at a Starting Strength Affiliate Gym. For a list of all the Starting Strength Affiliate Gyms please visit StartingStrength.com.
In today’s episode, Rebecca and I discuss the Charm City Strongwoman Contest, the who, what, when, where and why. I have been running this contest for 13 years, as long as I have owned the gym. It has been a staple of my gym and a way to keep my sister’s memory alive. The Ulman […]
You can read about the story of the Charm City Strongwoman Contest here: Celebrating Strength and Sisterhood: The Charm City Strongwoman Competition “How You Can Get Involved & Support Charlotte’s Legacy The next Charm City Strongwoman Competition is just around the corner on Sunday, June 9th, located in Brewer’s Hill at 4015 Foster Avenue, Suite […]
In today’s episode, Rebecca and I wrap up our Four Part Series on “Coaching” and discuss what you should look for when hiring a coach to help you. Think about your WHY and choose who may be right for you. You can listen to the episode HERE!!
In part three of our four part series on finding your WHY, Rebecca and I discuss when and why you might think about hiring a coach. You can listen to the episode HERE!
We offer Basic Training ( small group bootcamp) and Barbell Training (Starting Strength). Both programs are for anyone who wants to get a great, full-body workout in an hour that will help them get strong, feel better, move better, lose body fat and help improve nagging issues in shoulders or backs. The choice is yours. You can learn more about our programs in the Membership Section of our website.
No, we are not the same as CrossFit. However, MANY of our exercises can also be found in CrossFit workouts. Our pace is very different from CrossFit as is our programming. Several of our clients are former CrossFitters and some clients take our classes a couple days a week and also do CrossFit. Everyone will find what is right for him/her.
Basic Training Classes last 45-60 minutes and includes a good dynamic warm up, core and power work, strength circuit, skills or conditioning and a cool down/stretch. Barbell sessions can last anywhere from 60 – 75 minutes based on whether you are new to the program or already training.
You don’t need to reserve ahead of time; however, you will need to schedule your first session with us, if it is the Basic Training program. For the Barbell Program, you will need to scheduel four one on one sessions with a coach to learn the lifts and get on a program. After your four sessions, you will join as a member. We have three different membership options to choose from. Once you are a member, you can simply show up for any session listed on the schedule for the week.
Every exercise that we do in Basic Training, whether it’s part of the warm-up or the conditioning, is scaled to the individual. We encourage everyone to work hard, but more importantly, we want you to work smart and we want everyone to always go at their own pace and compete only against themselves, not the person next to them. We always want you to keep improving; however, we will never ask you to push through joint pain or force you to keep going when you are so exhausted that your form is suffering. We encourage our members to train smarter, not harder. This means training 3-4 days a week, MAX. Most of our clients work with us 3 days a week and are active the other days. They progress because they understand the importance of rest and recovery. Getting stronger, feeling better and moving better are their goals, not exercising to the point of debilitating soreness.
This is a very common fear many women have when they start doing resistance exercise. It is also very frustrating because while many women complain about this happening to them, most experts tell them, “You’re crazy! Women don’t have enough testosterone to get bulky!” So who is correct? What is the real story? The truth is, for the majority of women, adding a significant amount of muscle is very difficult. However, some women have a body type where they do carry more muscle mass than average and they can gain muscle mass more quickly than average. The main problem I see is when a woman begins to gain muscle mass, and she does not lose any body fat in the process. You may look bigger… you are gaining something, without losing anything! This is why diet plays such a key role. In order for most women to get the look they desire, they must gain some muscle to add curves in all the right places, and also lose body fat to show off the muscle they have gained.
There are definitely some people in the class who are already quite lean and “in-shape.” However, we have a very diverse group of individuals who take our class, and they are in every stage of their strength journey. Some have been working out for a month, others for many, many years. Some of them can handle extremely intense workouts while others are still easing their way into more difficult workouts. That’s why we scale every exercise in every class to the individual and everyone can receive a workout that is challenging for him or her. We are a community here and with such a diverse group and an encouraging atmosphere, there is no need to feel self-conscious or embarrassed about where you might be in your fitness journey.
We actually think we are quite a bargain. When you pay $39/month at your local gym, you are paying for the use of the facility. And that’s it. Use of the facility. At Fivex3 Training, while you are paying for use of the facility, most importantly, you are paying for professional coaching. You are paying for intelligent and well applied programming to ensure that you get stronger, move better and don’t get injured. Our Open Gym group training sessions are small, allowing us to give you personalized and individualized attention. We are able to make modifications to the program to meet your specific needs so that you always get the most out of your training session. Your time is valuable and we want you to get the most out of it. At Fivex3, you get personal coaching in a group setting every time you train. At the gym down the street, if you want personal coaching, you would pay up to $80/session, plus your $39/month. If you scheduled 4 sessions a month, (1x week), that’s $320 + $39/month = $359/month. Or you could pay between $170/month – $210/month for unlimited training, individualized programming and personal coaching each and every time you come for training.
