Green Lake Strength & Conditioning — Local services in Seattle

I've never been a "gym guy". I grew up thinking I was too small to be athletic until I rediscovered sports as a young adult. So when I say, "I love this gym", know that it's not coming from somejock who loved working out...and I do love this gym. I had been searching for a form of exercise to replace the activity and community of a team sport after I suffered a ruptured Achilles. I found GLSC through a free trial and had no idea it was going to change the way I thought and felt about fitness. GLSC workouts were the highlight of my week, and over the course of a year, I saw my skills, strength, and enjoyment improved significantly.

Here's why I love Green Lake Strength and conditioning:

1. The coaches: Shout out to Coaches Hannah, Zeyab, and Jonathan, who were my first and primary coaches. They are the perfect balance between motivating and moderating, helping you gauge your skill/strength limits and safely push them. They are excellent at teaching form and technique, and they brought my high-school-level understanding of weightlifting up to par. Despite having an injured Achilles shoulder, their guidance helped ensure that I never injured myself (and in fact reduced my pain through strengthening and increasing range of motion) even while greatly increasing my strength and endurance. They can help you improve whether you're a beginner or an expert.
2. The community: GLSC has a vibrant community. Members get to know each other but not in an in-your-face sort of way - you can be a casual weekly member or you can join your fellow members on unofficial hikes and official BBQs and gatherings. There's a very wide range of ages and experiences in these classes, and they didn't make me feel "dumb" or out of place. Classes have been kept to 12 people max, which after experiencing much smaller and larger classes, 12 is a great number - not too crowded but not awkwardly empty. You also get to know each other through the infamous question of the day - just lean into it, it'll be fun, I promise. ;)
3. Facilities/programming: After trying several other gyms, I can confidently say that none of them quite match up to GLSC's programming. GLSC excels because of the three distinct segments of their strenght & conditioning workouts: Warm-ups, skill/strength-building, and WOD. The warm-ups aren't just stretching and jumping jacks - they are specifically design to engage the muscle groups that you'll be using, they help reinforce the techniques needed to complete the rest of the workout of the day, and they get your heart pumping. Other gyms I've experienced rush this part or do the bare minimum. The skill/strength segment is where I learned the most over the last year because they remove the speed element and focus on quality over quantity. Again, the other gyms I've experienced rush this part and either skip teaching altogether or push you into a higher pace too soon. They also offer a wide range of modifications and equipment to meet each person's level of skill and strength. The WODs vary between low, medium, and high metabolic conditioning and are varied in type and style so you're never bored. There's no "leg day" or "arm day" - your entire body will be exhausted every day. They oddly fill you with both a sense of dread and excitement, knowing how hard they will be but also how good you'll feel afterwards. And for what it's worth, the coaches have generally good tastes in music - good balance between pumping you up but not obnoxious techno.

A note about cost: It's expensive. But I look at value for cost, not low cost. The quality of the coaching and programming alone is easily worth it in my eyes. Add to that a clean, high-quality facility, fun community, and personal results and I was happy to pay the higher cost.

I loved this gym...but sadly had to give up my membership when my workplace moved away. I'm still searching for a new gym, forever comparing it to GLSC and still not finding its equal. Congrats, Nate and team, for building this wonderful gym and community! Hit me up if you want to expand...

Northwest CrossFit is my favorite gym in Seattle!

I first signed up for a membership at NWCF 3 years ago before taking a (long) break. During that time, I tried many, many other gyms and fitness classes (HIIT, functional fitness, personal training, etc.) in the Seattle area. While they were all cool in their own ways, I always hit a wall where I didn't feel as though there was much room for growth. It was only about a month ago that I returned to CrossFit, so I bought a pack of individual classes at NWCF and jumped back in.

Coaches: I was nervous for my first class, but all my fears were squashed immediately by the coaches. They're all amazing, knowledgeable, caring people who will remember your name and welcome you to each class. No one is invisible or nameless at NWCF, and believe me, that's rare at most fitness classes! The coaches take time to get to know each person, and you can tell they want everyone to improve and progress through the skills at their own pace. Best of all, they're always encouraging while emphasizing safety and proper form.

Classes: Each class is an hour, during which time you're led through a very thorough warm-up tailored to the WOD (injury prevention!), followed by skill work, and then the WOD. I noticed there's a pattern to the workout programming each week, so one day might be all about calisthenics, while other days will utilize barbells/dumbbells/kettlebells. Personally, I like knowing I can expect barbell work on Tuesdays (for example) so that I can plan other physical activity around my NWCF workout. One thing that's great is the variety of programming! You'll never be bored at NWCF! One thing I have to mention is the scaleability of NWCF's WODs. I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to CrossFit skills, so I really appreciate that all of the workouts are scaleable. There's absolutely no pressure to be an expert right out of the gate because there's always room to progress from wherever you are on your fitness journey. One last thing: if you like to prepare yourself mentally for the next day's WOD, they're posted on TrainHeroic (website/app) the afternoon before.

Gym: Honestly, I can't think of a cooler training spot that NWCF. The first thing you'll notice is the floor-to-ceiling, clear, sliding garage windows on 3 walls of the gym. When classes are in session, all 3 walls can be raised for extra ventilation and a really modern, open-space vibe. People who've seen or been to NWCF unanimously say it's a really cool building. Inside, you'll find an expansive array of equipment organized neatly to maximize the space. It's pretty rad to workout at NWCF and it's a great location, in my opinion. Parking: limited on-site but plenty of free street parking.

Atmosphere: It's only been a month since I started going to classes, but NWCF already feels like a community. I'm an introvert, but I found myself becoming more and more comfortable here. The owner, Jake, is very friendly and welcoming, and you can tell he truly cares about each and every person. NWCF definitely isn't a globo-gym, and Jake, the coaches, and all the members have created a safe, friendly, super chill place to workout and engage with the Seattle community. In addition, NWCF regularly has community-building events, which are a chance to get to know other members and usually contribute to a good cause.

TLDR: NWCF has a fantastic coaching team ready to get you started with CF or help you improve if you already have a solid CF foundation. The classes are challenging and scaleable for people of all abilities. It's a cool space to workout in and you won't find a better gym community in Seattle. Curious or undecided? Everyone gets one week of...

I am going to preface this by saying it will read possibly more like a love letter…but I promise it is a gym review.

I was a devout gym member prior to COVID. I went 4-6 times per week. Paid for personal training. Met people I liked and enjoyed by classes. But was also often sad about the turnover rate. Fellow members seemed to stick around longer, but trainers were on a constant revolving door.

Then the lockdown happened. I worked out from home…on Zoom with some of those same fellow members of my gym or outside in parks. I could workout individually, but that was less fun and I definitely didn’t push myself as much. I looked forward to those workouts.

Fast forward to November of 2021 – a friend recommended this gym they had joined. I decided to give it a try, and I am so, so glad that I did. In the just over a year and a half that I have been a member of Green Lake Strength & Conditioning I have seen new coaches join and only one leave – for their dream job. I have met amazing people – coaches and members – and learned so many things about fitness and myself, about community.

GLSC isn’t a standard gym that is looking for increasing their member base on the assumption that a decent portion of those people won’t come to the gym to workout. They focus on building members up from their starting point – helping each person be stronger both physically and mentally than they were before. They believe in fun…finding the things to celebrate whether that be with birthday burpees (a tradition that sounds horrible but is so lovely) or a community potluck. They believe that the best program is about coaching – supporting people to do the movements well, rather than just “get heavy”.

Things I have learned include: my only competition is really myself – to have better form or be faster/stronger than previous me; to pay attention to specific details and the rest will come; to put things back where they belong (okay, I already knew that…but it’s important to take care of the space you’re in); that there is always time for dogs (also: cats); that I only cheat myself if I skip reps/cut something short; to listen to my body; to push myself a little beyond what I think I can do (because I can probably do it); that sometimes it is nice to commiserate mid-workout with someone going through the same thing; that having another place where you can connect with people and do something you love is incredibly important.

I am moving out of the country next week. I will miss my friends and family, obviously. But, honestly? The thing that makes me the most sad is moving away from my gym family. Because that is what GLSC is – a family. People who support you, cheer you on, celebrate your strengths & push you to work on your weaknesses, laugh with you, sweat with you, cry with you. You will not find a better gym, or better people. And if that doesn’t get you…there are adorable dogs in and out of that place all day. Come for the dogs, stay for the community &...