Big Tex Gym — Local services in Austin

I started coming to Big Tex Gym in March of this year. I began personal training under the owner Steve Smith and he has helped me become leaner, stronger, and more confident in ways I didn't think were possible. I lost 50 lbs in about 5 months, while at the same time my bench, squat, deadlift, and OH press all skyrocketed up! I was always the fat kid growing up, very quiet shy and introverted. Training at Big Tex Gym has helped come out of my shell and is exactly what I needed to take control of my life. I set goals for myself, and Steve's constant support, encouragement, and belief in me helped me to realize that I can meet and exceed these goals and my own expectations for myself. Now I am looking forward to competing in at least two powerlifting competitions in 2013 (one of them will be run by Big Tex Gym), I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life, and I have more confidence and self-esteem than I ever thought possible.

If you have any interest in the following, Big Tex Gym is THE place to be in Austin: Powerlifting, Bodybuilding, Strongman training, setting and meeting goals for yourself, increasing self-confidence, losing weight, becoming stronger, improving your quality of life, or just getting off the couch and finding a great group of men and women to train with. This is NOT your standard chain gym!! There are machines to work every part of your body but being a hardcore gym, the emphasis is definitely on free weights and serious strength training. There is a large football sized area behind the gym for flipping tractor tires (or whacking em with the sledgehammers), pushing a Prowler, carrying Farmers Walks logs, pushing a truck (my favorite) and anything else you can think of to do. New machines and Strongman equipment have been coming in over the past several weeks. We also have members who compete regularly and often in Strongman, Bodybuilding, and Powerlifting who are happy to help with any questions you might have. Membership is cheap, too. There is also a cooking grill out back available for use by members. This place is perfect for everyone, men and women, all the way from first time beginners to elite competitors. Ask for Steve or Amin, they are both very approachable, have a very positive attitude, and WANT to help you to succeed and meet your goals. Come on by Big Tex Gym for a free workout and free Personal Training session, it just might be the first step toward a happier, healthier, more confident,...

For years, this gym was more than just a place to work out—it was my second home where I built a supportive community. Staff members like Ash and Alissa consistently created a welcoming environment, which I deeply appreciated.

However, a recent incident has left me deeply disappointed and compelled me to cancel my membership. After experiencing an uncomfortable encounter where another member exposed himself to me, I immediately reported it to the after-hours line and followed up with Ash and Alissa. They handled the situation with empathy and professionalism, informing me that the individual had been banned. Despite this, I observed him working out at the gym for several weeks afterward, including evening times when the front desk was staffed.

When I attempted a final follow-up, I encountered Melissa, a staff member I hadn’t interacted with before and who was unaware of the incident. Her argumentative and unprofessional behavior made me feel that my concerns were insignificant. When I requested the gym’s email to voice my concerns, she retorted, “You can email me; I’m not a liar. Is that what you’re saying?” As I tried to clarify, she interrupted with, “I’m not going to argue with you, but you’re welcome to cancel your membership.” This interaction left me feeling dismissed and undervalued. Not to mention, I found that this man already had a criminal record for indecent exposure via a simple google search — yet I was told by Melissa that the owner needed to find “more proof” of the incident in order to ban the member.

Despite numerous attempts to reach out to management for a resolution, I have yet to receive any response, further highlighting a lack of concern for member well-being.

Leaving this gym means walking away from a community I’ve cherished, a decision I did not make lightly, especially being four weeks out from my next competition. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and works towards creating an environment where all members feel heard,...

Update: I'm genuinely thrilled to see that the Eagle Cybex leg extension machine has finally been repaired, with a brand new seat, an upgraded shin pad, and an adjustable wheel to fine-tune shin pad placement. Thank you to the Big Tex staff for addressing this issue; you may not realize just how much this means to some of us, even if the process took longer than hoped. My only remaining wish is that equipment maintenance continues to be a priority moving forward. Once again, thank you so much!

I'm making this review with great hesitation, but alas, it must be done. Big Tex seriously lacks a proper leg extension machine. The only halfway decent one they had, tucked away in the small corner of the gym next to the Arsenal vertical leg press (“Eagle Fitness Systems by Cybex”), has been broken for months. The metallic adjustment handle is snapped off completely, making it impossible to set the pad to the correct height for shin contact. Without that adjustment, the machine is essentially unusable (only for those whose legs are long enough). This impediment virtually leaves the gym without a decent, functional leg extension machine, which is truly saddening. Leg extensions are absolutely crucial for fully targeting the quads, especially the rectus femoris, a muscle that squats and other compound leg movements can’t effectively isolate to stimulate hypertrophy. The few other leg extension machines in the gym are poorly designed (from subpar manufacturers), with poor resistance profiles, limited range of motion, or insufficient weight capacity, making it nearly impossible to train the quads maximally to stimulate growth. Until this is fixed, I’ll be doing my leg workouts at Planet Fitness instead; at least they have relatively decent leg extensions. On a final note, it's truly disheartening to see that Big Tex's sister gym, Iron Forge, is receiving more special attention with the equipment...