Warhorse Barbell Club — Local services in Philadelphia

Join this gym. You’ll have zero regrets.

Until a few years ago, I lacked all confidence in myself. This feeling was so prevalent in everyday life that it was something I never actively thought about or struggled with. I didn’t have to convince myself that I wasn’t worthy or deserving of things. It was already hardwired into me. After three decades of living, I began to unconsciously uncover the disservice I’d done myself. And this took place through a medium I would have never expected: a gym.

Gaining strength requires an awareness of current limits, an acceptance with the present. But it also requires a willingness and confidence to push beyond the present. There’s nothing more humbling than when a lift feels far heavier than it should. There’s also nothing more satisfying than the opposite: when a lift is so smooth that it looks and feels far lighter than you expect. Despite the differences, both circumstances result in motivation to be better: to improve upon your failures and to build upon your successes. In the right environment, and with the right mix of humility and ego, you find yourself picking up a heavier dumbbell thinking, ‘I’m pretty sure I can do this...Yeah, I can do this...Well, sh*t, I’m actually doing this.’

Lifting is often viewed as an individual sport, but for me, that’s wrong. Lifting at Warhorse is more like a team sport than I’ve ever experienced. Like a team attending practices, we consistently show up. We experience the pain of the same airdyne workout. We can tell when someone is off or is coasting. We feel the push to be better when someone beside us is working their butt off. We watch as our teammates progress from negative chin-ups, to chin-ups with the green band, then the blue band, to body weight, all the while, inspiring the rest of us. We support each other. We challenge each other. We lean on each other. All so we can individually be better and by consequence, and perhaps unknowingly, make the entire unit better. And all by sensing when to call each other out and when to call ourselves out. Lifting is a team sport.

Without initially realizing it, I started taking what I felt and learned inside a small space on 2nd Street and applying it to the rest of my life. I started to push myself a little more. I started to be more assertive in my relationships and work life. I recognized how much more I could learn by speaking up. I started to expect more of myself and of other people. I began to slowly feel confident in voicing my opinion and needs, and admitting when I was wrong, all to try to make myself, and the groups I was a part of, better. Eventually, I became aware of the constant tearing down of myself that I’d been so great at my entire life. Eventually, I made the decision to actively root in myself some confidence. And eventually, I began to see the fruit of striking a balance of ego with humility outside the gym.

Now, I’m attempting to harvest some of that fruit as I strive to reach my career goals in a different city while I also broken-heartedly acknowledge that I have to leave behind the place that’s helped provide the tools I had no idea I needed my entire life. Picking up a barbell at WHBC wasn’t a silver bullet--therapy was a great potentiator--but I truly feel that lifting was a gateway for me.

Chris and Jaclyn, thank you for creating a space that’s provided the tools to build in me something that’s so much bigger than physical strength. I wouldn’t be taking the steps I am without you and your gym. WHBC community, your fellowship is something I would have never expected to extend beyond the confines of the gym; how ignorant I was. Its presence is something I’ve come to lean on and for which I’ll be forever grateful. Thank you for holding me accountable inside and outside those walls, for showing up every day to work your butts off, and for some really entertaining ice breakers. I love and will miss you all,...

Pros: Patient, People, Family, Community, Service, Passion, Accountability, Results.

Cons: None

I purposely waited over 1yr since joining War Horse to give this review because I’ve never lasted longer than 6months at a gym or training facility. The fact that I, someone who consistently failed to train for longer than 6 months, still actively attends Ignite classes is a true testament to what Chris and Jaclyn have built.

Early spring 2015 I noticed brown paper covering the windows of the newly constructed building located at 2nd and Brown. I walked by this location many times wondering what would be going into this once vacant lot. One spring evening I finally got my answer – Finally, some new information by way of s small sign that read “War Horse Barbell Club – Coming Soon”. Having never heard of a “barbell club” a quick google search took me to the company website with a ton of information about Open Gym, Ignite and a few other options but still nothing that answered my question – what is a barbell club. I fired off an email around 10pm and received an email back from Chris within minutes – his responsiveness had me hooked. As a former business owner, with a passion for service and customer dedication, I knew this was a ‘gym’ I wanted to join. Chris and I fired off an email exchange over the next few weeks. He talked to me about opening dates, their programs, and the type of environment to expect at his barbell club.

As I patiently waited for War Horse to open, one afternoon while walking my dog, I noticed the doors were open during construction so I decided to pop in. I was pleased to be greeted by Chris and Jaclyn. Deep into renovation mode, both Chris and Jaclyn took the time to dive deeper into what War Horse was all about and gave me a quick tour, discussed my personal goals and set me up for a trial membership.

June 15 2015. The wait was finally over! War Horse opened less than 30 days before my wedding. I was out of shape, heavier than I wanted to be, and over my current gym (which I dreaded going to) so I decided to take Chris and Jaclyn up on their free trial – after the first class I knew this place was for me. I describe what Chris and Jaclyn have built as a perfect mix of power lifting, high intensity training and agility movements.

I have been on and off with gyms for the last 15+ years of my life. I fell in love with a Cross Fit box in Miami Beach only to be turned off by a horrible experience at a box in Philly. I loved to exercise but I could never find the motivation to go on my own and was lost in with all of the magazines, message forums and countless ‘latest and greatest’ exercise trends and didn’t want to have to think about exercising….I just wanted to get in shape, be motivated by like-minded individuals and work with coaches who really care about their clients. Ignite, War Horses strength and conditioning program, is designed to build strength, confident and improve overall health in a fun and friendly group setting.

Every class is limited to roughly 15 people ensuring the coaches are always right there watching and providing input as needed. Chris even recognized an old sports injury and was quick to accommodate me with a custom program and even went above and beyond to help me find solutions to my bad back. Every class begins and ends with group coaching, explanations of movements, and stretching – this is an area that many group classes or crossfit boxes fail to do well (or at all).

Anyone can open a business but it takes special people that have a passion beyond profits to deliver something truly exceptional. Overall, my experience with War Horse was nothing short of exceptional. In my first 30 days before my wedding I was able to drop 20lbs, improve my confidence, and build strength. In 12 months I have achieved everything the Ignite program promises to offer and I have met people I can genuinely...

Chris from War Horse Barbell Club (WHBC) taught me everything I know about weightlifting. I am very thankful that I have been strength training with him for over a year now. I came in knowing nothing. He was patient and stressed form and provided a well-balanced and thoughtful training program for me. Everyone that I have worked out with at WHBC has been very welcoming. I highly recommend checking this place out and working with one of the trainers or taking the IGNITE class. Chris’s enthusiasm is contagious and I am walking taller (straighter really), lifting smart, and looking forward to what I can accomplish next.

2 years later... I am still giving War Horse 5 Stars: Training and being part of the War Horse Barbell Club (WHBC) is an important part of my life. It sets my day, builds strength, takes commitment, celebrates my feats and gives me the humor to let go of the defeats. I receive so much from Warhorse and the team of Coaches that I wanted to express that in a ‘Why I Train’. As I was deliberating why I do train, it occurred to me that I couldn’t believe I still train. I met Chris Semick, co-founder of Warhorse, and started as a total novice in September 2014. I told myself give it 3 months with the stipulations to not feel guilty about spending the money or my lunch break, to not get down on myself if I struggle or feel embarrassed and to not beat myself up if I really didn’t like it. To be brave and try and extend that bravery to tell Chris it wasn’t for me, if it wasn’t. Everyone has their hang-ups and doing this felt like a big step. Three months came and went and I was hooked. I am so glad I met Chris and gave myself a chance to try something new. I had never lifted and had no experience. Chris was patient and had questions ready to help direct my goals. Without experience I was left without having expectations; that resonates for me. I didn’t know what was possible and therefore my expectations weren’t low or high, it was unimaginable. I can’t think of many, if any, situations where I went in without personal expectations. I knew enough that I needed instruction. Chris put the emphasis on form and that was a win for me. After the form everything else followed. I felt confident in my technique and comfortable at the gym and the weights increased. It was a cascade –form, confidence, sense of place, belonging, more weight. I was decent at it and that felt powerful. I noticed that I walked taller, hell; I had all around better posture. I was making progress and feeling solid. My job occasionally entails lifting heavy objects and more than once I embarrassed or impressed a few colleagues. Warhorse opened in 2015 and could have been intimidating with the equipment the streamlined interior but it wasn’t intimidating because I knew what I was doing, could follow instruction and do the workouts that were prepared for me. I feel good about being part of the Warhorse group and look forward to seeing each Coach and my usual workout crew. I have kept training because of the results. The results include seeing a physical change in my body but go so far beyond that singular (fantastic) result. The outcome of working out and training at WHBC has given me greater physical and emotional confidence, healthy goals (now I can have expectations), improved time management and the opportunity to meet people that share common objectives. It also helps that Chris and Jaclyn, also a co-founder, continue to check in on my goals, give suggestions and keep preparing those well thought-out...