I can’t believe for as long as this place has been around that there are only a handful of reviews for it. For that matter, the 5 star rating should every once in a while change for places like this so that someone can actually give it 6 stars.
Though all gyms have their pros and the cons, this one by far is the most training impactful environment that I have ever been in. You will learn to push limits like never before and the environment does not shy away from you pushing those limits.
There is no better impacting environment than that of Diamond Gym. It’s a hard-core place where anyone from novices to professionals can walk in the door, absorb the energy, be a part of the energy and walk out of those doors feeling both accomplished and spent.
-Great old school gym feeling -Knowledgeable staff -Awesome equipment and equipment layout -The the vibe in there is always incredible A truly motivational training environment
Originally run and owned by the late/great John Kemper and his family. The place has unspoken dignity and a brand of its own. Ex-pro bodybuilder and a really down to earth guy, Dwayne McDaniel runs the show now.
Not to take anything away from other gyms but, damn, this place should be the only kind of gym that ever exist. If there were franchise opportunities, based on the brand itself, I would be all over it.
If you are within reasonable driving distance of Diamond Gym Maplewood, New Jersey .... it’s not a gym that you should pass up on. you don’t need to be a training aficionado, a meathead or even a CrossFit douche bag. Everybody fits. Your time spent there would be totally focused on truth in training...
Read moreThe original East Coast Mecca. Founded by former Mr. New Jersey and Mr. Physique USA, the late John Kemper in 1976, Diamond Gym is an absolute landmark in bodybuilding gyms. I first heard about the place through an old WWF video of the British Bulldogs I found on YouTube years ago and I knew I had to see this place. It's a serious gym for serious trainers only. I'm talking so serious that all the cardio equipment is on the second floor, away from all the weights. Not even a single treadmill on the main level. In 2007, Dwayne McDaniel took over ownership and, from what I was able to see upon my visit in July 2016, he didn't change a single thing in the place (not including the flat screen playing old school bodybuilding videos at the front desk and speakers blasting music everywhere) - all the old free weights, barbells, plates and machines are literally the same pieces that were always there. Even the wooden panels are still there! It's essentially like working out in a museum, much like Bodyworx in Paterson. I totally recommend Diamond Gym gym for any serious lifter. It'd undoubtedly be my main gym if I lived...
Read moreThe good the bad and the ugly. Dwayne is an outstanding owner. He really cares about the gym and each member. The equipment gets a 3 out of 5. 5 being reserved for Bev's and the no longer around amusement park for gym rats ,Strong and Shapely . 5 is for having every peice of equipment and not knowing how to use it but you can still get jacked. 4 is for gyms like Dolphin in Brooklyn. A virtual warehouse of equipment. I gave the equipment here a 3 but added a star for the vast amount of pro and national physiques that regularly frequent the gym. The gym has great chest leg and shoulder equipment. Arms and back are dated. The place is a gym. Yet, it's the best gym of its caliber for the price. If you have competitive aspirations and live in Jersey,...
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