Raise the Bar Fitness — Local services in Linton Hall

If you are considering the "free" 6-week challenge, please read this.

Firstly, I want to say up front that I cannot make any claims about the services provided at this gym - it's a group fitness gym, and I assume the classes are not significantly better or worse than any other group fitness gym out there. I do, however, want to educate people on the terms of the 6-week "free" challenge provided by this gym. I attended a free consultation last night and was disappointed at the lack of transparency surrounding the program.

As stated by some other reviewers, the challenge is not free. You are required to put a $600 deposit down before participating, on the condition that you will receive your money back if you complete the challenge successfully. To successfully complete the challenge, you must lose 10% of your body weight, or if your BMI is over a certain threshold, 25 lbs. That comes out to losing just over 4 lbs a week to successfully complete the challenge. In line with current conventional medical wisdom, losing more than 1-2 lbs a week is considered too fast, and can put you at risk of many health-related issues such as muscle loss, gall stones, nutritional deficiencies, and a drop in metabolism (which could lead you to quickly regain the weight you lose during the challenge). Please do not take my word for it - I encourage you to do your own research on the matter. More than the health risks it presents, losing 4 lbs a week is just simply not possible for most people, whose age, current weight, and other pre-existing health conditions may make it more difficult to lose weight and keep it off.

Brian, the owner, has responded to previous reviews that mention the misleading advertising by saying "We're sorry you did not read the entire advertisement." In this, I believe he is referencing the statement "Terms and Conditions Apply" listed conspicuously in some of the online ads. However, you cannot simply say "Terms and Conditions Apply" when advertising a service that costs $600 to participate in. The cost of your service is not simply a "Term" that you can exclude from advertisement, and I think it's a matter of time before someone gets upset at losing their money and brings a legal challenge against this gym.

Again, I cannot make any claims about the quality of services provided at this gym. I simply want people to understand what they are signing up for when they choose the 6-week challenge.

When you put down your deposit of $600, you are betting on yourself and your ability to complete the challenge. But this also means that - for the gym to make any money from this challenge - they are betting AGAINST you. They have no incentive to facilitate your success in this challenge. Ask yourself - would you pay $100 a week for a gym membership? That is what the cost comes down to if you fail. If you can live with that, and you think that this type of program is right for you, by all means, please do reach out. But don't fool yourself about what the gym's incentive is. In my consultation, the owner admitted that only 10-20% of people successfully complete the challenge.

I have attached screenshots below of the advertisement I clicked on from Instagram. As you will see, there is no mention of "Terms and Conditions" or what those Terms and Conditions might entail. If you are curious as to the illegality of such advertising, please consult Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 251.1(c), entitled, "Disclosure of Conditions." Quote: "All of the terms, conditions and obligations should appear in close conjunction with the offer of “Free” merchandise or service. For example, disclosure of the terms of the offer set forth in a footnote of an advertisement to which reference is made by an asterisk or other symbol placed next to the offer, is not regarded as making disclosure at...

I found Raise the Bar via an Instagram ad for their “free” 6-week challenge. There needs to be a strong level of discipline involved to get the most out of the 6-week challenge. Do NOT be fooled, the challenge is not free, but you can get your money back if you meet very specific challenge criteria or decide to sign a year-long contract with the gym. In the 6-week program, you are given a meal plan to follow and are supposed to show up for workouts at the gym 3 days a week. The meal plan is based on your current weight and fitness goals and is split into protein, carbs, veggies, and fat. There are quite a few restrictions on foods you can eat and they highly recommend you cook all your meals during the 6 weeks while following an intermittent fasting schedule. I entered into the challenge blindly and didn't think to ask more about it. I just figured this was something that I needed to jump-start my weight loss journey so I'll suffer through it. I got great results from the challenge and if I wanted to practically isolate myself from the world I could keep doing this for a whole year and be so fit. But alas, my only hobby is socializing over food and drinks.

There is an app for the gym that you use to sign up for classes. There are classes in the morning or the evening. I enjoyed the classes, although some days they felt too crowded. I liked that I could choose how hard I push myself in the class. The instructors were great at helping with correct form or suggesting alternative exercises when I had physical limitations. At the beginning of the week, they post on Facebook the class schedule. I enjoyed this because I didn’t need to put thought into what workout I wanted to do. I tried to do one cardio and two lifting workouts a week. If you are a member you can go to the gym the 6 days of the week they are open (closed on Sundays).

While I enjoyed the workouts and atmosphere of the gym, there are things about the gym that made me decide to not continue as a member. My biggest issue was that I could not justify the cost of the gym (currently $220/month) for the limited availability of use. The classes didn’t fit well into my life. I went to 6 am workouts and by the time I was done with class, drove home, showered, ate breakfast, and commuted I barely made it to work on time. There are only 2 evening sessions that didn’t fit into my schedule either. I wish there was a later evening class and more classes on the weekend. I am not the kind of person to wake up for the single 7:30 am Saturday class so I can get a workout in. Also, I was slightly put off that they don’t have jump ropes in the gym so we had to bring our own. With the price of membership, I shouldn’t have to bring my own equipment unless I really, really wanted to. The gym's app needs to incorporate the type of class (cardio/upper body/lower body) in its scheduling system. I shouldn't need to refer back to Facebook to help me schedule out my week on the app. I thought that the gym needed to provide more information in writing. The gym owner is def a tough-love kind of guy. On orientation day I was word-bombed with information for the challenge and nutrient advice and then had to recall it all. There is a portal with information that is hard to navigate and a Facebook page but what I need is an old-school packet of info that I could then write...

My husband and I joined RtB at the end of May 2017 and haven't looked back. You might be here looking at reviews because you are wondering how RtB will help you lose weight, lose body fat, and fit into smaller clothes. Today, I have some metrics to share with you. I have lost 23 lbs and 8% body fat. I have lost 3 inches from my waist, 4 inches from my hips, 4 inches from the area around my belly button. My chest size has decreased 2.5 inches, my biceps 1 inch and my thighs 2.5 inches. I am swimming in the clothes that were way too snug for me in May. The things you stand to lose are real nice but there is something even more fabulous than all you might lose. That is all the things that you stand to gain.

I have gained the concern that Brian, Jenny, and the coaches take in my overall health. This place is more than a gym. Team members at RtB express interest in my goals, and offer plans, including meal plans with real food, to help me get there. After all, one cannot out exercise a bad diet. I have gained all the encouragement and fun that comes from a community of experienced coaches, as well as, encouragement from other members at varying degrees of fitness--novices to the most skillful. Highly skilled members are awesome in that you can see what you are working towards.

Another area where I have experienced gain is the strength I have built while at RtB. In Phys.Ed. class throughout my adolescence I was the girl who couldn’t do much, if anything. Well, that isn’t true. I was pretty good at ribbon wands, haha. Now I can climb a rope, lift weights over my head, do weighted squats, including overhead, and handstands. I’ve discovered back muscles!

Healthwise, I am in much better shape. I see the evidence in a new found softness of my hair and compliments on my “glowing” skin.

I have gained the ability to work like I have never worked before. I am not simply passing time on a treadmill or an elliptical like I have done so many times before. I am pushing myself way beyond the threshold of comfort. I am sore more days than not because of it. That soreness is a badge of honor.

Lastly, I have gained immeasurable pride in the work I am able to do, in work I have done, and in my accomplishments during these past few months. I look forward to seeing what my fitness and health future has in store for me. At RtB you have so much to lose, but, so much...