INDUSTRIOUS - SLU Gym — Local services in Seattle

TL;DR - Highly recommend!

I joined INDUSTRIOUS in July of 2020, attending the SLU campus, and couldn't be happier. Not that I was in great shape before quarantine, but quarantine certainly didn't help. By July I was looking for a gym to kick my @$$ into gear, but given the restrictions, I wasn't sure what would be the best option, or what if anything was even open. After trying a couple CrossFit gyms, I joined INDUSTRIOUS. It is obvious that INDUSTRIOUS is going the extra mile to provide the best possible experience for their members within the current guidelines. I wouldn't say the price of membership is super competitive, at $200+ a month (I've never paid anything near that for a gym membership before), but I think its commensurate with the Seattle market, if not a little cheaper than the nearby CrossFit gyms. Ultimately, it's well worth the price.

Regarding what a workout looks like, you show up for class on the hour and pick a halo (as King County requires you to have 300 sq. ft. of dedicated space for each member). Each halo has all of the equipment you'll need for the workout, whether it be weights, bikes, rowers, runners, boxes, etc. You come in, pick a halo, warm up, hit the strength portion of the workout, bust @$$ in the conditioning portion of the workout, and you're out within the hour. All of the workouts are pre-programmed for you. Each hour/class has two dedicated coaches leading you through the movements and motivating you through the workout. All the coaches I've had so far have been great and helpful. All of the equipment and floors are cleaned after every class. You won't find a cleaner gym.

Regarding logistics, the earliest class is 5 AM, the latest is 7 PM. They have classes on the hour between then, except for 1 PM and 2 PM. The hourly class structure is very convenient. It certainly is annoying to have to reserve (often a day or two) ahead of time exactly when you want to work out, especially for someone like me who has an unpredictable work schedule. And, sometimes, the class that I want is full, so I have to join a wait list, and won't always make it on the list. But in the last few months, I can count on one hand the number of times I wasn't able to get a spot in my desired class time. This isn't their fault given the current restrictions. Since I've joined, they've expanded the number of halos in the gym, allowing more participants per class, and enabling more people to reserve their desired class time. INDUSTRIOUS is clearly doing the very best they can in the current circumstances, which is much appreciated.

I'd encourage anyone thinking about joining to do so, regardless of your age, fitness level, etc. Every workout can be scaled to your health and fitness level. I'm a 29 y/o male, but had a stress fracture in my foot when I joined, a history of lumbar spine injuries, and broke a toe a couple months into joining (not at the gym). I'm clearly a delicate little flower. But I've been able to modify all the workouts around these issues, and still get a great workout every time. I've seen a lot of progress even in 2.5 months. Regardless of your perceived limitations, even if you're older, prone to injuries, in terrible shape, etc., INDUSTRIOUS will help you...

Let's start with the positives:

I like how you have your own station with most of your equipment there. And before class, they tell you what other equipment you need to grab and it really isn't much. Workouts are pretty beginner friendly, or there's easier modifications. I believe his name is Brett but he's a friendly dude! Welcoming, and helped me grabbed all my equipment when I was running late. Talk about going above and beyond! There are quite a few coaches walking around, so if you have questions, you can flag one down!

Now let's talk about the negatives: Get there early to grab your spot! It gets really hectic during the transition of people going out and more coming in. It gets hard to tell who's claimed a spot and who's cleaning up and is on the way out. Yesterday, I got frustrated because I went to three different stations who told me that they were actually using it. It took four tries for me to get a station. Today, got there early and asked someone who was cleaning if I could have their spot. There are only THREE bathrooms! Speaking of getting there early, either show up dressed and ready to go or change before you get there. Every day I've gone in and there's a line to the bathrooms. Instructors aren't very hands on. Yes, they show you how to do the workout but they don't give you feedback. I think getting form correct is so important. I hurt my foot badly yesterday, to the point where I was on the ground and NOT ONE coach came by to ask if I was okay. It was only a foot cramp but I was literally on the ground and the person behind me asked if I was okay. Oh and today, I asked the coach what number round we were on and she just stared at me. Okay-- thanks coach.

Overall feedback: Love the music and the workouts! But if you wanna be best prepared: come early, dressed and ready to go! And have some knowledge...

The highest praise I can give Industrious SLU is that having relocated multiple times I always wish I could move back to Seattle JUST to attend their classes. Let's get the boring stuff out of the way, the equipment is well-maintained, the workout space is clean, and the wods are super fun and challenging. But the real stars are the coaches and the community. I've never been the athletic type myself, but I found myself excited to check in every single week, because of the constant encouragement and support of the downright friendly coaches. If they could teach me those Olympic lifts, I'm confident they can quite literally teach anyone. Special shoutout to Bret, Zanna, Stephen, and Heather, you just couldn't find a better group of coaches, with their welcoming personalities and infectious energy (thank you for taking my music requests!). I'm sure the morning coaches are just as brilliant, I'm just too lazy to have made it to any of those sessions. Plus, I made some great friends in the process - an amazing added bonus! And I've continued my fitness journey long after, which I can't say any other place has...