RVA Iron Gym — Local services in Mechanicsville

I started a membership at RVAIron and after a couple weeks I noticed I seemed to be gaining muscle quicker than usual. 3 things: I thought maybe I was working out harder due to the environment, (a bunch of ripped, and I do mean ripped, dudes walking around). Maybe it subconsciously inspires you. Second, it was my first time using plate loaded machines. They’re the real deal, feels a lot different than the assisted pulley machine at a typical gym. Thirdly, on a personal note, I had just started working a sedentary job and gained about 8 lbs (I’m small so it makes a visible difference lol) but anyway, I was gaining weight due to being at a desk but I kept working out and it’s almost like that combination was perfect because I filled out but didn’t get fat. If that makes any sense.

My only dissatisfaction in my experience was lack of community, like strangers sparking conversations and sharing a moment together. I grew up going to the Y and really enjoyed that component there. I’m not a fan of the culture of let’s all put on headphones and ignore one another and not even say hello. And yes, I did try to be that friendly approachable person, it just didn’t work for me so I eventually fell in line. Just my take!

Also I sadly didn’t get to learn what all of the intricate machines do because I didn’t want to ask the employees about every single one. I asked about a couple but didn’t want to be like, hey take me down the entire line and do demos lol… but yeah some type of open instruction would’ve been nice cause some of the machines look like a straight up contraption lol.

Thanks RVAIron for helping me...

My gym is closed for the week between Christmas and New Year's, so I decided to get a week pass at RVA Iron.

That's the first thing I really liked about them: the ability to purchase day or week passes as you need them. That's pretty rare for a gym to do, and this is a great option for lifters who are traveling or whose gyms close for a week during the holidays.

The facility was clean, well lit, and the equipment is well maintained. There's a great variety of equipment too- I've been lifting for many years, and even I couldn't recognize some of the stuff they had there.

I really appreciate that they're open 24 hours as well- I went at around 5 AM, and even though there's no staff there that early, I had no trouble using the app to enter.

Even though it was pretty much empty when I went, the other lifters who were there seemed friendly and said hi to me. I saw people wiping stuff down after using it and reracking their weights. I really appreciated seeing that.

My only (small) complaint is that they blasted some insanely loud music in there after 7 AM on the weekend I was there, but that's why they invented earbuds.

If RVA Iron was closer to me, I'd seriously consider joining it permanently. If you lift and are looking for a good place to do it,...

edit 3: raising to 4 stars bc they have done a great job restocking wipes since my last edit!

edit2: most stations are just moist sweaty towels now, the gym being too cheap to even go nextdoor and get more disinfectant spray

Edit: I am sorry to have to lower the rating to two stars due to the gym running out of wipes now for the second time this summer. Instead they have substituted them with these gross microfiber towels that the staff replaced every shift that end up sopping wet and gross, leaving black marks on my hands. This can obviously be a carrier for many skin diseases and if their supplier ran out of these one time use wipes they should instead use paper towels as a substitute like other gyms. Last time they ran out of wipes for 2.5 weeks I was told my concern was taken seriously, but since it happened again it obviously was not. Ironically my original review includes how clean I thought the gym was.

Old review from a year ago: Great Iron Gym with clean and...