Los Campeones Northeast — Attraction in Minneapolis

This gym used to be great but it has lost most of its charm.

I have been coming to this gym for a few years and really fell in love with the environment, the people, and the equipment. It felt like a great community.

Over the past few years though, it has only gone downhill. They stopped providing access to all gyms. Not all the gyms are the same. They have different equipment, some much better for specific areas than others. They now require to pay an additional fee to access most clubs (not all). They introduced an "Elite Black “ gym for a premium price if you don't want to deal with all the "influencers" constantly recording their sessions at the gym or want access to machines that your location may not have.

The NE has a lot of people recording their lifts. Some are nice and understand it’s a public gym and shared space but the few that don’t understand that ruin it for everyone. I don’t care if you record, but just know your lift is not more important than the people around you lifting at the same time.

Now for the location specific issues. The NE is now my primary gym and the only one go to. This location has added a few new machines over the past few years but nothing substantial. There seems to he more of a push to sell merch and to add posters instead of getting equivalent equipment that their other locations have or upkeep maintenance. There has also been a newish trend of putting derogatory phrases that are printed and all across the gym. Most people have common sense not to wash out a protein shake in the drinking fountain but there is a need to call people maggots. Sure it’s funny at face value and I’m not offended by it, it just comes across as trashy. Not a very warm uplifting or welcoming gym with notes like that posted everywhere. If you want to stop people from doing it, watch the cameras, warn and then ban the people that do it.

The gym has become so over crowded. Price point is lucrative and at first it’s a great gym and they keep getting new people in. The limited equipment and increasing number of people lifting makes it very difficult to get a lift in efficiently. Some people are nice and allow you to work but that’s not the normal behavior. In addition, there is a trainer who will kick you off if you are using a machine or area. I have seen them do this and not even use it for lifting but to sit on while they trained their clients. When that same trainer is lifting, they will TELL you that they are going to lift with you, but if you ask to lift with them, it’s a hard NO to let you work in with them.

Parking is always nightmare.

The gym is very dirty.

This one is really confuses me. The men’s bathroom has two urinals. One has been broken for at least 8 MONTHS. Why? Did the annual maintenance fee not cover this? There is one urinal and one stall. There is a sign above it that says “they will not flush themselves” - they also don’t fix themselves. No idea why plumbing cannot get fixed for months with the added head count and annual maintenance fee charged to all existing clients in Jan since there has been only minor updates elsewhere.

There are some good things. Most the people are good. Most the staff is great. They added some windows making it brighter. The equipment is good, it’s about on par with any serious lifting gym. They have added some new equipment which is nice but it’s not mind blowing. If you avoid the morning, lunch, or after work rush, it’s tolerable but still tend to wait for things.

Just my 2 cents. Check it out for yourself with a week pass before signing. Don’t bother paying for only a day pass.

Edit: They fixed the urinal shortly after I...

“Look, man, I know it bothers you, but I’m not going to do anything about it.”

That’s what an employee said to me when I asked that someone without a handicap parking permit be asked to move their car from the only handicap parking spot. I told him to cancel my membership.

I am handicapped, and I’ve been a recreational weightlifter for most of my life. I studied exercise science at Concordia, though I didn’t finish the degree. I’ve got a shelf full of niche books by the likes of Rippetoe, Israetel, and others. I’ve been coached by Alex Viada. I’ve learned which exercises and machines work best for me. This is why I went to Los Campeones. Their combination of equipment selection and multiple locations is unparalleled in the Twin Cities.

I was a member of Los Campeones for two separate periods, the first in and around 2016 and again in and around 2019. In 2016, I went to the Blaisdell location. Nearly every time I showed up, the handicapped parking spots were taken by vehicles with no visible handicap parking permit. I spoke to the staff several times, asking them to try to ensure that these spots were reserved for handicapped people. They repeatedly assured me that they would. I told them that I didn’t mind the inconvenience during the summer, but that when ice covered the ground in winter, having to walk across the lot or across the street to the overflow lot—especially on a leg day—would mean risking a fall that could injure me.

Nothing changed.

I ended my membership and went elsewhere until a friend told me that they’d opened a new location in northeast Minneapolis that had more parking space.

The parking problem continued. I made the same requests with the same compromise as before. I was told something would be done.

Nothing changed.

At one point, I even spoke to Ben, the owner, who assured me that he took this issue seriously and would talk to his staff.

Nothing changed.

I don’t write this hoping it will change the way Los Campeones operates. Los Campeones has the right to narrowly cater to whichever customer base it wants. Businesses should not be forced to serve anyone. Businesses should rise and fall based solely on their ability to satisfy customers.

I just don’t think that disabled people are the customers that Los...

Disclaimer: This place is definitely not for everyone.

I'm not a powerlifter, shredded, or otherwise have a buff fitness physique. Average guy. This gym contains all of those people and average joes like me. Yet, I still find everyone friendly and respectful.

With that said, this gym has an environment that I love that you may not: Loud music playing throughout the gym - I never have to make a playlist or remember my headphones which is nice A high school feel of gym locker. Nothing fancy. - I do not use a sauna, showers, or amenities so no loss here Heavy on the weight lift equipment - I do cardio training in summer outside and for winter they have bikes, treadmills, stair climber that are generally free Renovations and new equipment - I have seen more way more improvements at this gym then any other I attended (new outdoors workout area) Not fancy. The place has an industrial vibe. I suppose it was a car repair place previously - I love it. To me, it is a place that yells "workout"

Obviously, the place is not perfect. Primarily, the place sucks for parking. During summer this is no big deal but on cold day in January/February this massively sucks. Don't think this one can be fixed...

Try it out for a month. I think they offer a free week pass if new to the gym. Good news is you can quickly get the vibe and feel to determine if this is the type of gym...