Starting Strength Houston — Local services in Houston

I'm thoroughly enjoying my Starting Strength experience so far (Intro session on August 14th, just finished my 2nd full week of training). I've believed in the methodology for some time now, through the books and web resources, and am grateful for the opportunity to have an easily accessible franchise gym to fully explore my own training potential in.

This is the type of training that I've long been looking for, although I couldn't have known it earlier, since navigating the hype and constant pursuit of health and fitness fads among many of my friends and coworkers is nearly another full-time job. My main goal is to see just how far I can go on the Novice Linear Progression before programming alterations have to be made, and how that progress is reflected in my own appearance and overall physical ability.

My biggest concern prior to beginning group training with the Monday, August 19th session (my first after my Intro the previous week), was the Bench Press. I incurred a Grade 2 AC joint injury in my right shoulder several years ago, with surgery not really an option, due to its lack of severity and no major lingering deficits, regarding pain or range of motion limitations.

Unfortunately with every subsequent attempt at resuming the bench press, the pain returned, as if a spike was being driven up into the AC joint from underneath. Looking back now, I can attribute this to a combination of poor-to-nonexistent technical proficiency and instruction, and the decision to work around benching with machine-oriented exercises, such as the seated chest press, "pec-deck" adduction, and inclined presses, all of which, regardless of weight or frequency, always resulted in the same pain that lasted for the better part of a week.

However, the Bench Press has now become my biggest source of excitement. I completed each and every set on Monday night, paying as careful attention as I could to positioning and alignment for every rep, and apart from the resulting soreness in those unchallenged muscles, there is absolutely no pain.

Thanks to Starting Strength, I can now Bench again, without the fear of being nearly incapacitated with shoulder pain in my dominant arm for days afterward. This is honestly something I never thought I'd reclaim, and to know that I have (and can now build upon it), has been a tremendous source of relief and satisfaction.

I'm looking forward to continuing my training, and am grateful to the staff at SSH (JD, Josh, Shelley, Chase, Andrew, Tony, and Nathan) for their knowledge, support, and encouragement....

Starting Strength Houston is an excellent gym, built on the same proven program and outstanding coaching that defines the Starting Strength community. The focus here is always on form first—not just adding weight for the sake of a personal record—which ensures every session builds real, lasting strength. With the personal coaching, I’ve made far more progress than I ever could have on my own.

The coaching staff, including Tony Stein and John Chung, is skilled, attentive, and able to tailor programming to each client’s needs. As an older lifter, my training looks different from that of younger members, but the coaches make the right adjustments so that I can train safely and continue to get stronger. The fixed weekly session times provide consistency and accountability, which keeps me on track.

The Houston facility is centrally located, clean, well-equipped, and organized. The lifters here span all ages—from teens to folks in their seventies—both men and women, all working toward their goals. There’s no intimidation factor, just motivation from training alongside people who push and inspire you.

From the moment you walk in and hear a friendly “HELLO,” you feel welcomed. Starting Strength Houston was my first training home, and it set the foundation for the strength and confidence I continue to build. I highly recommend this gym to anyone ready to get stronger with the guidance of expert coaching.

I am now based out of the Starting Strength Katy gym. I recommend both...

My son introduced me to powerlifting and I luckily found my way to Starting Strength. I’m in my late 50s and struggled my whole life to find a sport that I liked enough to stick with. In the 2+ years at SS, I can confidently say that it has changed my life and benefited me immensely in multiple ways. I’m much stronger, have better balance, more energy, and my knees don’t hurt anymore. I expected that the physical benefits would be tremendous, but the pleasant surprise was how much it has impacted my mental health. On days when I’m feeling exhausted by life the gym always lifts my spirits and I walk out feeling centered and happy. The other unexpected side effect is the camaraderie and friendships that I’ve experienced there. The coaches, other lifters, and owner are all friendly, engaging, and encouraging (though JD is also kind of a smart a$$ 😂). C’mon in! The...