The Fort NYC — Local services in New York

The Fort – A Life-Changing Experience

I’ve been attending The Fort since February 2023, and it’s truly been transformative—both mentally and physically. After gaining 40 pounds during the pandemic and struggling with recurring back injuries, I was at the lowest point of my life. I was not only overweight but mentally in a very dark place, dealing with severe depression and even suicidal thoughts. I knew I needed help, but I felt lost and overwhelmed. That’s when I found The Fort.

It started with a compassionate, thorough phone call from Kyle Fields, who listened to my fears—about injury, feeling out of place among fitter people, and my general insecurity. He connected me with Dan Trink and Brett, who helped me take the leap. My first visit was nerve-wracking, but Brett was incredibly kind and thoughtful as she toured me through both gym locations. I vividly remember being out of breath after climbing the stairs—proof of how far gone my fitness was. Still, I decided to commit, and that decision changed everything.

The Fort operates on four-week training cycles, alternating between strength-building with lower reps and high weight, and hypertrophy with higher reps and moderate weight (this is an oversimplification of their programming; there's also mobility drills, an important focus on form, cardiovascular conditioning, and a lot more). Every session ends with a grueling “THAW” (Test of Heart and Will), an intense finisher involving conditioning exercises like rowing, sandbag cleans, burpees, etc. It varies per class.

My first workout was humbling—I felt my glute cramping during the warm-up and was unable to finish the THAW. But with encouragement from the coaches, I kept showing up, despite the soreness and doubt. I made a promise to myself that by June 2023, I would be able to finish the THAW in "Beast Mode" (a more advanced level). And I did!

For those of you worried about injuries, the coaches are also incredibly attentive to any discomforts, adapting exercises on the spot to ensure you’re working safely and effectively, whether it’s modifying movements due to a sore knee or adjusting a lift that causes pain.

When I started, I weighed 236 pounds at 5’11”. As of October 2024, I’m 192 pounds, stronger and leaner than ever. I went from barely squatting 35 kg to an impressive 95 kg for reps, with a 130 kg one-rep max. The coaches at The Fort are a huge part of this progress. Their attention to form, personalized approach (with no more than four people per class), and relentless support make all the difference. They help you push through those tough reps, ensuring safety and progress every step of the way.

The sense of community at The Fort is something I never expected but now deeply value. Yes, there are some incredibly fit people, but there’s a mix of all fitness levels, and everyone supports each other. There’s even a healthy competition with workout tracking, but no shame—just a focus on personal progress. The friendships I’ve made here, both with coaches like Jules Bolte and fellow members, have been crucial to my journey.

As for pricing, yes, it’s more expensive than your typical gym, but price can be a strong motivator for those looking to push themselves to new levels of performance. The Fort motivates you to go—your progress is visible on a massive board and via tracking on an app. The level of coaching, personalized attention, and adaptability (especially for frequent travelers like me) justifies every penny.

With four locations across NYC, The Fort is accessible, but more importantly, it’s a place that truly cares about your fitness journey. I’ve been to all three Flatiron locations, and each one has something special.

To sum it up: The Fort didn’t just change my body—it saved my life. I was in a deep, dark place when I started, and now I feel strong, motivated, and part of something bigger than myself. If you’re serious about transforming your life, I cannot recommend The Fort enough.

Thank you Kyle, Dan, Brett, Claire, Jules, Eric, Edgar, Cody, Hollis, Heather,...

The Fort is for EVERYONE! I started working out at The Fort 11/2021 and I have lost 60lbs in about five months. I only start with the weight loss component because I know for a lot of people “weight loss” is such a strong motivator for starting an exercise program. For me, weight loss has just been a bonus to my experience at The Fort. The community, the exercises and progressive training regimen (changes every four weeks), the flexible schedule (first class at 5:30am, last class at 8:00pm), the great music, and the supportive coaches are just some of what you get at The Fort. The owners Dan & Kyle have created such a unique, all-encompassing, challenging, and fun training format that makes you want to workout every day. The small class size and one-hour full body workout allows for better instruction, and every week you will see progress in your form, movement, body composition, strength, or whatever your individual goals are. ALL of the coaches are impressive, dedicated, genuine, passionate, and maintain a certain command for execution and results, which is superior to any training I have ever experienced before (I’ve tried a lot); they are here to help you be better. Better is truly defined by you.

The training you receive at The Fort extends past the gym and positively impacts your daily life. Don’t be confused, the workouts are tough; but it’s you against you! The podcasts, newsletters and training tips are practical and help you stay on track and remind you that you are not alone in your health journey. I cannot express enough gratitude for the positive influence and catalyst for change The Fort has had in my life. To drive home my point, I do not even live in NYC, but I shifted some things (…my entire AZ life), so that I could take advantage of the opportunity to train at The Fort and take back control of my physical and mental...

Incredible place to either begin your strength training journey, continue it, or up level it (massively)! Highly recommend The Fort for small group (what really feels like personalized) sessions with professional, welcoming, encouraging, and knowledgeable trainers (a wonderfully diverse group of coaches who are your cheering squad along with your session mates) who offer focused, structured, and variable training programming which both builds a base and uplevels your capacities, physical and mental.

Four standouts for me are:

Accessibility - The Fort is a best-in-class inclusive space for those training with a disability. I am deaf/hard of hearing and each trainer eagerly accommodated my needs and ensured I could participate fully in an easy-going-no-big-deal we do this for everyone manner that made me feel both taken-care-of and also one of the group.

Inclusivity - As a woman, I felt supported, included, and safe training here - many of my sessions were all women (by chance), and the mixed sessions felt comfortable, even when skill and experience levels varied widely. This is one of The Fort’s many secret-sauce strengths - creating opportunities for all to train and gain together.

Training Programming - The training changes week over week/days over days so that you’re both skill-building on core strengths but also upleveling new strengths/skills in a way that is challenging but doable. I exceeded prior training meaningfully without ‘blowing out’ my body (avoiding intense soreness that compromises subsequent day training). It’s genius.

Onboarding - One of the best onboarding processes I’ve experienced, a perfect blend of a concierge who takes care of everything and a highly-efficient technology driven process. Made scheduling and trying new class formats so easy and truly felt like they care if you’re there.

10...