Eastside Barbell — Local services in Springfield

I started at Eastside in 2021 looking for a coach to help me with my Olympic lifting since at the time I was very into CrossFit. Mel and Lauren were so kind and inviting the second I started working with them. Being from Florence I was doing remote training with 1 session in the gym per week. The days I went into the gym were my absolute favorite. The team was incredible inviting and helpful since I was just learning lifting in KG. I instantly fell in love with the idea of competing and decided to go to a fairly large competition for my first. Mel made the entire experience so enjoyable and I felt so at home with the entire team that went. Fast forward to now 2023 and I have moved full time to competitive olympic lifting and have made some life long friends in my teammates. Eastside barbell is more than a gym it’s a family that Mel and Lauren have created. They are both so incredibly knowledgeable in the sport of Olympic lifting and no matter where you are at in your fitness journey they are there to accommodate you and your needs. I feel honored to call myself an athlete of Eastside barbell club and am so thankfully for all the opportunities that Mel and Lauren have given me not only as an athlete but as a coach. If your looking for a gym that is respectful of every person not matter what, this is the...

I have been lifting with Eastside in their Strength and Conditioning program for about a year now. I initially decided to go there due to a recommendation from a friend, but I couldn't be happier with my own decision to pick them as my home gym.

I am also a disabled athlete, and initially was worried about participating in something that looked very competitive. From the beginning, Coach Mel and everyone I encounter has been endlessly supportive when trying out new movements or having to adapt my programming for a better fit. There's always someone pushing me to the best I can be! I consider this one of the biggest benefits; I can "set it and forget it" once I get to the gym, but never feel like I'm totally on my own. If I have any issues, I'm no longer scared of asking questions. I know there is a team of supportive people that will bring me in instead of being cliquey, which is something I haven't gotten in the fitness space in general.

There's so much more I could say, but you should go in and see for yourself! When they say "all levels welcome,"...

I’ve been training at Eastside Barbell for about 18 months now. I primarily train remote (90-mile commute) but visit the gym on a minimum of 3 times per month basis. This does not prevent Coach Mel from refining my technique as I share my lifts by video, and she breaks down my moves and provides coaching tips/tricks and constructive criticism (wink!). My favorite benefit I find at Eastside is the incredible community of world-class athletes who I get to call my teammates. Whether it’s the grueling work of the daily training or the road trips to meets across the country, we band together to learn from and encourage each other. We celebrate wins often, whether they are workout day lifts or our very large collection of national and world class medals. All coaches at Eastside, led by Coach Mel and Lauren are currently competing lifters themselves – there is never a shortage of encouragement, teaching and learning. And the bonus - a #gymdog...