Starting Strength Austin | W Anderson — Local services in Austin

"This is the year I get serious about fitness..." If you've ever said (or thought) that, you probably started with cardio. Deconditioned people need cardio, no doubt about it. I bought the fancy exercise bike that you put in your $7 million penthouse... you know the one. And I love it! But after you're able to climb a few flights of stairs without huffing and puffing, then what? You know what you're supposed to do: add strength training. That's where $h!t gets real.

I've gone to gyms, but I literally had never had a gym membership in my life. I hate the feeling of walking into a gym and not being sure what to do. I decided to try Joyce Luke's new Starting Strength gym on Anderson Lane, and wow, was that a good choice! No more fooling around with the pink dumbbells... they will put you under a 45# barbell and take it from there. (Actually, me being an over-60 under-muscled woman, they started me under a 35-pounder; and if you can't handle that, they have 15# bars too.)

Membership includes coaching, and while it's not literally one-on-one (in that you are not the only person being coached), it FEELS like one-on-one (in that a coach always seem to appear like magic, just when you're starting to do your set). Your first session is ultra-detailed coaching in the mechanics of the lifts and determination of correct starting weights. Every session after that, you will get form critiques and encouragement from your coach on every lift. They call it "small class" but I would compare it to tutoring. And every session after your first, you will go up in your weights.

There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment you get when you discover that you are actually capable of lifting more at every single workout. If you're a big young man, you may be adding 10-20 pounds per workout. I started out adding 5 pounds per workout. The coaches will work out what's right for you, and hold you to it.

The gym itself is the opposite of the big franchises. It's not cavernous, it's not crammed with treadmills, there's not a single television in the place. People don't dress to impress. No yoga, no smoothie bar, nobody in a corporate-logoed polo shirt trying to sign you up for a "training package." No big ropes, no running around in the Texas heat and then doing burpees till you yak. It's a clean, bright, compact place built to support one thing: barbell training using the big compound lifts (squat, overhead press, deadlift, bench press). If you want to do Olympic lifts, they have a platform for that. You can chin yourself in the racks. But mainly, it's a place where people go to get strong using barbells.

You sign up for a time slot and you go at that time, three times a week. This means you get to know your fellow lifters (because they're always there the same time as you). I work out alongside Jeremy, Steve, Alicia, Sean1, Sean2, Taylor, Kathy, Bo, Brian, Peter, and Jonathon. (Note: I've been a member for seven weeks and I know the names of almost everyone who shares my time slot... how cool is that?) There is always someone available to spot you (spotters are required on bench press), and btw they teach you the correct way to be a spotter as well.

Did I feel self-conscious the first time I walked in? Not gonna lie, I did. But it's 100% obvious that everyone in the gym is there with the same goal, and the vibe is very encouraging. The guy who just deadlifted 405# was so nice to me after my first squat class, where I squatted a hyuuuuge 50# and felt like a moron (hi, Nicholas, and thank you!) I've never walked out the door without a fellow lifter or coach or both calling out "Bye, see you next time!"

Can't end this review without a shout out to Joyce Luke and her MWF crew Mark and Jesse. They nail the fine balance between encouragement and correction. It's not that the lifts are so difficult to learn, but as the weight gets heavier, correct form gets both more difficult and more important. They're there to keep things on track and to keep their lifters safe and injury-free, as well as to get them stronger....

I've been working with Jeff on the platform for almost a year.  He is creative and effective in addressing the issues and weaknesses associated with a competitive lifter approaching 70 years old and thoughtfully answering my myriad questions.

Over the past three months, I've been preparing for a big powerlifting meet in New Orleans.  I worked with Jeff on the platform and Camisha Noble out of Starting Strength Cincinnati on meet preparation.  Jeff did an excellent job coordinating with Camisha to ensure that she was well-informed about my performance on the platform and that his coaching was aligned with her meet preparation plan.

Jeff addressed the problems that surfaced during training.  In particular, I tweaked my right adductor, which presented challenges for the squat, and I tweaked my left shoulder, which presented challenges for the bench press.  While I didn't PR these two lifts at the meet, I remained competitive.  The big success was the deadlift.  I was able to PR the deadlift!

I look forward to continuing the pursuit of getting stronger with Jeff and preparing for the next meet at the end of 2023.

Jeff is a helluva resource for Staring Strength Austin!

Starting Strength Austin is an excellent resource in the fitness industry. The Starting Strength Method is an efficient, well-thought-out, and well-documented model to get stronger. It is refreshing and encouraging to ask a question and receive a clear, concise, informative answer documented within the model.

The Starting Strength Austin Gym is well-equipped to get stronger and is efficiently operated. It is easy to schedule a 90-minute training session and comforting to know that your personal power rack and barbell will be waiting for you when you arrive. Every session is facilitated by a knowledgeable coach that provides insightful feedback, suggestions for improvement, and motivation to continue to get stronger safely.

Starting Strength Austin represents an excellent value in the fitness community at a fraction of the cost charged by the...

Highly recommend Starting Strength - Austin Gym. The five stars are based on: Effective training program, 2. Efficient training program, and 3. The coaches and members

1.Effective training program. In first 10 weeks: From: Squat:75lb to 160lb Deadlift:135lb to 210lb Bench:60lb to 90lb Press:40lb to 60lb I felt like like I lost strength after a lot of computer work/sitting. I now have excellent strength and it is noticeable in my day-to-day tasks. I can more easily manage bags of mulch, soil, cases of Costco TopoChico and other moderately heavy items without strain.

I am never sore or injured after working out at Starting Strength - to me this is remarkable given the amount of weight we are loading on the barbell. I'm not sure why I'm not sore after lifting that heavy weight, but coaches assure us that's normal with proper rest and technique. Before starting, I had nighttime shoulder pain for 1 ½ years after slipping on ice. Also, six months before starting barbell lifting, I pulled my back twisting to lift up a water-filled garden hose. All discomfort/pain from shoulder and back have gone to zero since lifting.

It is an efficient training program. Above gains/results in first 10 weeks (4.5 hours/week) attending the Monday, Wednesday, Friday sessions. It is a well-organized and disciplined method to gain strength quickly and safely. Show up, rest/eat in between days, do the technique and weight the coaches suggest then get meaningful results. No drug/supplements etc were ever recommended/taken. Hard work for those 4.5 hours and noticeable strength were my experience.

Starting Strength Austin is a fun and healthy culture of coaches and members. Coaches are affable and experienced teaching proper technique and getting me to intended/optimal strength. Members are in their own lane working hard to get stronger - no one is competing/comparing. Members are from all walks of life, ability, age, and varying levels of strength and...