Fitness Factory — Local services in Pittsburgh

NOT FOR OLYMPIC LIFTERS

tl;dr Arbitrary noise policy subject to the whims of a given staff member and possibly including how much they like you and whether you've challenged their ego.

(See bottom for facility remarks)

I was stopped during deadlifts on rubber floor mats by a member of the staff who told me that I was dropping weights "too much". By "dropping weights" I mean maintaining grip on the bar but allowing it to descend mostly on its own force but preventing any bounce.

I asked him what he meant by "too much", asking if he was concerned I was going to hurt the equipment, whether he thought I was going to hurt myself, whether he believed I would damage the floors.

He attempted four arguments:

1. He said that it wasn't proper form.

I asked if he'd done a lot of research in this vein and if he'd like to walk me through his findings to which he had no response except to try and insist again that he was right.

2. He told me that he thought the weights were too heavy for me. They weren't but regardless that's my business; I signed a waiver after all.

3. He said it was making too much noise.

I said I wasn't aware of an express noise policy and I had, just 5 minutes earlier, witnessed a man who yelled 3 times over the course of 2 minutes as though he were attacking a viking hoard and that no one said anything to him. It'd been loud enough for the half a dozen people nearest him to jolt and look at each other in surprise.

I asked him if his noise policy extended to all noise or just my noise particularly. He said it was "too much".

4. He said that I should be using the rubber bumper plates rather than the metal ones.

I said I was happy to switch them and did so. He then watched me do 5 more reps with rubber plates and said again it was "too much".

At this point he settled on the "too much noise" argument. I told him that I wasn't going to change my form and that if it was a problem then he would have to ask me to leave.

He continued saying "too much noise" until I pressed him again that I wasn't going to change my form and that he would ask me to leave. Finally he decided that I should go.

I should mention that I did not re-rack my weights upon being kicked out of the gym. He asked me "aren't you going to re-rack your weights" to which I said "You just kicked me out of the gym."

I received a refund and during the process I mentioned that there was not, to my recollection, any noise policy in their contract that made sense of my being asked to leave. I can't claim to remember the contract in perfect detail but he agreed that our situation didn't seem to be covered by the contract.

He also said "I hope there are no hard feelings". To which I replied "do you mean to tell me that I shouldn't believe that I'm being singled out specifically" and he said "yes". To which I replied, and still believe, "I'm not sure that I haven't been"

I'd been going to this gym 1-2 times a week for ~6 weeks. I deadlifted with the same form every time. No other gym goers ever seemed bothered by it and I was never close to the loudest person there by a long shot.

My personal belief is that, since he was standing very near to where I was deadlifting, that he had a knee jerk reaction to what I was doing. He then said something to me and when I attempted to get clarity on the actual cause of his concern he squirmed until he found something he thought he could use against me and then, when I didn't agree to simply comply, he felt backed into a corner and took the only exit that saved him any face in front of the onlookers when I insisted that I wouldn't be changing my form which was to remove me.

Some notes on the gym generally: Generally adequate and clean but not an especially good place for Olympic lifters even excusing their arbitrary noise policies.

There are only 3 racks and 3 places to deadlift, the plates are spread all over the place and are all different shapes and sizes, and I was only ever to find 3 places where I had enough room to jump rope and never comfortably. There's just way...

Fitness Factory is an affordable gym, tucked away in ritzy Shadyside, with a unique approach to personal fitness. I've been to many gyms in the past, and no other gym has made me feel so personally motivated to better myself. From the moment you step through through those double doors, you think "this is the place I want to be." From the music choice to the wide array of equipment to the helpful and engaging staff members, this place is unmatched.

The facility is spotless. It is very rare that you should find a stray spill or sweat stain, and the staff is receptive to comments about broken equipment.

Mike understands that while it costs money to get yourself in great shape, you don't need to go broke doing it. The prices may be on par with big gyms like LAF or Equinox, but he makes it easy for you to maintain membership. He's established payment plans that make paying-off long-term memberships seem like a simple feat. While I don't have an after-hours pass -- which requires an easy, one-time payment of $50 per membership charge -- I imagine that those working in serving or hospitality industries find it invaluable. Other gyms aren't so lenient; it is clear that Mike takes immense pride in his business and is eager to share it with the community.

Mike makes a point to offer his members an experience that makes "going to the gym" feel less like a mechanic act. At the front desk, there is a variety of nutritional and performance supplements -- with an array of brands, mind you; it's great to see that he doesn't stick to just one -- that help you improve every aspect of your physical fitness, regardless of the season. Not only that, he goes out of his way to move around and introduce new equipment so working out is more of an organic process. I find myself constantly thinking on my feet, which has immensely benefitted my routine. The variety of the equipment he offers, which ranges between cardio machines, both low and heavy free weights, lifting machines, kettlebells, and several squat racks is nothing short of impressive. Also, the music, DEAR GOD, the music. Amazing.

Despite this gym first appearing high-end or exclusive, Mike has done his homework! He's created an aptly-named FITNESS FACTORY that is all-inclusive AND affordable. I imagine myself staying here for...

The machines and equipment may seem close and dense, but don't let that fool you! This is the cleanest gym you will ever go to. Somehow they created an amazing culture where all the gym goers feel compelled to wipe down the equipment after their use, and their staffs' diligence is unmatched. Plus they're super friendly (Hi Samir) and spend the time to get to know all the regulars.

In terms of cardio equipment, they have plenty of open options. If you're hardcore into the big three lifts you might find yourself waiting for an open bench press or squat rack once in a while, but the ones they do have are good quality and well maintained with fresh upholstery.

TLDR: One of the best gyms in Pittsburgh!!! Don't go to the cheap chain gyms. The Fitness Factory employees are always thinking about how to make their space better. Although the cons list seems long, it is only about specific details that don't apply to most people and there's always something that can be improved.

Stop by anytime and see for yourself why this place outshines every other gym in the area.

PROS: Very clean Friendly and non-judgmental environment Good equipment options Reasonably priced Everyone is there to lift hard Bathrooms clean Good locker spaces Fans everywhere Family atmosphere

CONS (for some people): There is very little open floor space (for stretching, functional movements etc.) A good amount of their barbells are constantly loose, warped, and inconsistently knurled Only one real bumper plate set (good luck doing any oly lifting here) None of the straight pull up bars have enough head space above them to practice muscle-ups/freestyle movements Can be a bit warm on a...