Powerhouse Gym Pittsburgh — Local services in Ross Township

To echo other negative reviews, it often started with the ownership. Any simple request or suggestion by a member was often treated as severe criticism and handled inappropriately by owners. They often became confrontational with both members AND employees when either chose to leave, regardless of reasoning.

In six months of working in addition to responsibilities at the desk, I also helped manage inventory and did janitorial work after my scheduled shifts for extra money for which I was grateful they permitted. I was by no means employee of the year but was extremely reliable. Unfortunately before a Saturday shift my transmission blew out, and I had no ride or anyone to cover for me. Despite an outstanding attendance record and ZERO reason to question my honesty, the female owner accused me of lying and demanded I provide a copy of the receipt from the towing company AND a faxed bill from the auto repair shop fixing the vehicle. I went as far as getting the bill faxed but decided I no longer deserved this disrespect and silliness. Even as I politely resigned and requested my paycheck she said she wouldn't have been surprised if I had my girlfriend conjure up a fake bill. When I received my final paycheck in the mail, I also received a handwritten letter from her lecturing me about lying in the workplace, two weeks after I resigned. This is completely outlandish and I wish I were making this story up. I know it's excessive for a review, but I just want people to understand what type of people own the facility.

The male owner was LESS confrontational but certainly still was. Without ever having heard of the shop that fixed my car he asked, "do they even fix transmissions there?" as if I had provided any reason to be skeptical. The desk staff was always friendly, and I did enjoy building a rapport with several members. However morale around the gym always was low because multiple members/day expressed their dissatisfaction, and even for a gym turnover was high. I wouldn't recommend this gym to a soul. Driving a little out of your way or paying a little extra for another gym will be incredibly...

I go to this gym when I am in town. If you need a quick lift the gym is great, the staff is also very nice. The owner however I may say otherwise, when I spoke with the female owner to get my brother-in-law signed up for a member ship she tried charging additional fee's in which I have never heard of before. Now to the gym: like I said I have been here a handful of times, and I mainly use the gym for their outstanding variety of machines for leg work outs. Every time I leave the gym my back is always hurting and I could never figure out why. Today I went to the gym and did chest/triceps, after picking up the bar, it almost immediately fell to my right. I thought maybe I placed the wrong weight on the bar, I looked it was correct, I lifted it again, the same thing happened. Out of curiosity I rotated the bar 180 degrees leaving the same weight on the bar. The bar now fell immediately to my left. Frustrated I weighed the weights on the nearby scale, the two plates which states 45 and 35 weighed in at 68lbs and the other two plates stating they weigh 45 and 35 weighed in at 82lbs. Additionally times prior there is always the creepy chiropractor which interrupts your workouts to speak to you about readjusting your back for a simple fee. Also I have never been to a gym where so many members pump steroids into their body. I have been around gyms long enough to know the signs, but when you are lifting weights and a grown man says "good lift" but sounds like a 12 year old female, there is a problem. Also watch out for the "wannabe" jokers. If you don't mind members stretching their core with weight lifting belts, or doing cardio on an elliptical with the setting on 1 and wearing a weight lifting support belt. If you have the time and money to avoid this gym I highly recommend it.

Over all you can see I am very displeased with this gym and it's ownership. I do not recommend this...

So, as many people who read these posts about this gym may know, the gym has been bought by a local family from the north hills area a little over a year or so ago.

The first week of ownership the entire gym was cleaned top to bottom and when I say cleaned I mean people on ladders cleaning the air ducts for better and cleaner air flow, all new paint and a complete update to the lobby.

This gym incorporated some old equipment that some members cannot live without and a TON of brand new equipment. While yes some equipment is older, it was requested by numerous members to keep it, which as most gym goes know is harder to maintain as the specific equipment may not even be in production anymore. The owners have bent over backwards to clean and maintain these pieces of equipment to try to keep them in working order and safe.

I have been a member of this gym for over 3 years and have been through both ownerships. This new family has brought so much to the gym experience that NO OTHER gym will be able to match.

They have celebrities come to the gym, they give new products a place on their shelves that may not be the top brands but are newer companies, they allow members to bring their animals. Not only bring them but in most cases the owners wife watches the animals so that those members can work out.

Another HUGE upside to this gym is that they are police supporters! They have a wall dedicated to anyone in law enforcement and patches from numerous departments all over the area.

These owners are CONSTANTLY looking for new ways to get their members involved and to keep them happy! They love their members so much that they have placed what I would call "Pride Pictures" of members that have competed in numerous styles of body building competitions right in the lobby. If you can't call this dedication to the members then I don't know...