Rain City Fit — Attraction in Seattle

I've been going to this gym for almost 3 years and this place is something special. I've gone to other boutique and high-end chain gyms in other cities, but they don't compare to what Rain City Fit offers. I love this gym and can't imagine working out somewhere else when living in Seattle.

I tend to be a morning gym-goer, I very rarely have to wait more than a minute or two to use any equipment, but honestly I'm able to do most my workouts without waiting. The after-work hours (5pm and after) can be a bit busy, so test your schedule to see what works best.

All the equipment is always clean and in functioning order. This aspect is truly under-rated. If something breaks, it's immediately fixed or resolved. Meanwhile I've seen super expensive gyms just not do anything to resolve the issue for days or weeks. Also a great majority of the gym goers respect cleanliness and clean up the equipment after usage too.

This gym is local owned and has a high sense of community. The gym has given back so much to local community members and businesses. The owner created an incredible safe space for LGBTQ+ and women here. If you don't respect that, this gym is not for you.

During covid-times, the owner took health and safety seriously and I truly appreciate him putting everyone's health first. He created an entire check-in system, set capacity limits to the gym, and enforced wearing masks. With people huffing and puffing when working out, this seemed like the best measures to decrease risks and keep everyone's health in check. It's a gym after all, so it should be a given that our health is a key aspect for gym culture.

There's no hidden fees, no sign up costs, and no cancellation fees. It's a month-to-month payment. So give a single month a try and see if...

I truly love RCF and look forward to my workouts and being in the space. Which is something I nevereverever thought I would say. I always felt intimidated by gyms and working out, and any attempts I made to start a gym practice fell flat over the years. In April I decided to take advantage of their sliding scale personal training, thinking I would go a few times and probably quit again. 7 months later and I'm still working with Roxy 2x a week, and going on my own another 2- all because RCF makes me feel soo comfortable and is truly a third space. I love how queer it is, I love how hard they support local mutual aid as well as their vocal support of Palestine, I love that they provide test strips, I love how giant it is and how each area has a different vibe (I always describe it as if a punkhouse was a gym- complete with a makeshift tattoo loft and hair salon), I love how many windows it has, I love how I rarely have to wait for a machine or rack, and how un-broey it is. Everyone either minds their business or is actively friendly. Sometimes there's free cookies or like... potatoes. Also it is CLEAN. I see someone vacuuming or mopping almost every single time I go. And it feels like it! My personal dreams for RCF are a loungey chill area, a bevvy fridge and taking over more rooms in the building for offering group...

This is a small community gym in a super convenient Capitol Hill location, run by a terrific group of folks who really care about both the gym and the community aspect, and will go out of their way to make sure that you (yes... you!) feel welcomed and safe in the space. You’ll find a broad mix of folks, mostly younger, but all of whom are friendly, polite and welcoming. As they like to emphasize, it’s “not a bro gym”, but you have all the essential equipment to pretend it were — squat racks, olly platform, deadlift equipment. Everything you need, and nothing you don’t — they maximize the space!

If you want a bit more serious lifting environment, but the same welcoming community feel, the Barbell Club around the corner is an excellent choice. As the name suggests, it’s more barbell-centric, but also has a good mix of Hammer Strength and other equipment, alongside dumbbells up to about 110 lb, so you can accomplish most powerlifting or Olympic routines. As a bonus, BBC has a ton of specialty barbells, including some strongman favorites.

Overall, this is a great choice for folks who want a top notch gym that happens to be in the heart of Pike/pine. Yeah, there’s no parking, but you don’t really need it. Plus, the fees are straightforward and super reasonable, with no contracts or other Tomfoolery....