I just came on a day pass and was compelled to write a review based on how easy it was to check out…read morewithout getting hard sold into a membership like what I experienced at LA Fitness down the street. First off, I had an Austin address which is required for the day pass. Secondly, I entered basic info and signed the waiver. I didn't have to then meet with a sales rep who would used high pressure sales tactics (scarcity, urgency, blah blah) to enjoy jt workout (unlike my LA Fitness experience). The gym would either sell itself or it wouldn't. Tomas at the front desk was very warm and personable, a very refreshing exchange. As for the gym itself, I like the layout, but it's definitely outdated. I'm going with a gym closer to me that is higher end, but I recommend using the day pass (if you're an Austin resident) to see if it's a good fit for you or not.

I was hesitant after reading mixed reviews, but, gotta say, this place is OK…read more Price is competitive, there's a huge variety of machines available with little wait, most everything is reasonably clean and in working order, it just works. The place isn't fancy, the medium-hard sell on personalized training is annoying but avoidable, but overall, it's a decent place. Most patrons are there to exercise rather than sit on a machine and smartphone away, and a good 85% of them exercise good gym courtesy.

I was with Austin Barbell for a little under a year. Initially, I thought the coaching was great…read more However, a good coach isn't just about results. The culture of the gym lacked a lot of professionalism. As a woman and woman of color, Coach Rob and his assistant coaches made it super uncomfortable for me - and other female athletes.

Took an Olympic Fundamentals class to brush up on my form and begin to reincorporate Olympic lifts…read moreback into my routine. Rob did an absolutely excellent job across the entire experience. Including an early morning assessment call on a Sunday and sitting in both sessions of training within a week. I would definitely encourage you to consider using them for both basic knowledge and high-level training, if you would like to compete!

Felt shady, like collusion between regulars and dealers. Probably won't ever be back.read more

There are good people I like who work here so it's unfortunate that I have to share this review. I…read morehave Wilson's disease which is a disability that affects my central nervous system. My hands shake, when it gets colder, it shakes worse. I used to wear cut off gloves to this game because they kept my hands warm and decreased my shaking and a dealer said he wanted to give me a cup of soup , implying that I guess I look like a homeless person, which is probably true. I wasn't insulted by the comment. It was just insensitive, and I knew he meant no harm by it it. When possible, I sit in the 1 or the 9 seat which is closest to the dealer. I sat in the ninth seat most recently, and I would say fold instead of pushing my cards and the cards are literally next to the dealer and I guess she didn't like that too much because she said something smart about it along the lines of " I guess I'll fold your hand for you. "I said I have a condition that makes my hand shake. It's easier if I just say fold To which she replied, you're not getting any sympathy from me. Nobody wants sympathy. A little empathy would be considerate. It sucks having a disability. It sucks even more that you have to explain yourself. Some of the staff can use some disability sensitivity training. On a good note, All the managers here are really cool and professional. When I asked to exchange my chips to lessen my stack, they help me put it together and of course I always tip. I know my condition can sometimes slow the game down so I tip generously and I am considerate at making fast decisions.

I needed help. I couldn't afford a trainer for an ongoing routine, but I needed to know how to use…read moregym equipment. I've worked with Chika twice. She's matter-of-fact. She gets straight to the point. She is kind and compassionate. Truly, she wasn't anything like I expected. There was no yelling or overly perky encouragement. She listened to me. She watched me move. She showed me how to do exercises that were in keeping with my poor physical condition. At no point did she make me feel ungainly or out of place. And I am ungainly. Ha! I also loathe loathe loathe exercising. I've been driven to it by a health condition that responds best to weight loss. I will be going back to Chika occasionally because of her calm yet energizing personality. I felt completely comfortable and wish I could see her on a weekly basis. She will help you. Don't be scared like I was. Call Chika. :D

Let me say right away that trainers like Chika are incredibly rare. You probably already know how…read moremany trainers are out there who just immerse you immediately into physically demanding cardio without understanding the state of your body, what your tolerances are, and without regard for proper position during exercise. I have been taking private sessions with Chika at South Congress Athletic Club for eight months. Her knowledge of the human body is amazing and she is committed to your improvement, injury-free. She understands every twinge, every little strange sensation in your knee or back, and teaches you that you should pay attention to these messages from your body. She will help you if you already have injuries and teaches you how to prevent them. I'm a dancer--a ridiculously old dancer. But as much as I love it, the injuries, the pain, and Cortisone injections in my knee were getting me down. I had a membership at a gym and had been trying various machines trying to strengthen my legs to support my knees, but everything felt like I was damaging my knees further. I also had a shoulder injury that needed help. I went to Chika to find out what movements were destroying my knees; to get help with flexibility and strength in one shoulder; and to develop a general strength-building series of personalized exercises for what I wanted to do that I could learn to do on my own. She spent the first session observing how I move. I was so anxious to dive into strength-building, I didn't even realize how important this was. She identified the crazy imbalance between my left and right side that I didn't even realize was going on (and mind you I dance looking at a mirror constantly). She told me we had to correct this first in order to keep me from injuring myself. That did not take long and soon I was constantly employing the little tricks she showed me to balance myself out and I began functioning equally on both sides. That's when the real fun started. Her workouts are truly fun. Have you ever had fun doing abs? No crunches! I am so much stronger and I'm able to lift quite a bit of weight with my legs with NO KNEE PAIN. She also worked with my chiropractor to further develop a shoulder exercise and we worked that into my routine. Because of Chika I avoided a costly knee operation and I've strengthen my legs to prevent future injury; I understand the value of listening to my body when it is telling me something is a little off; and I have way more fun doing my strength-building workouts on my own. And when I go to my sessions with Chika, I look forward to it and we have fun, we laugh, but I'm still working my butt off!

Super fun local bar! The service is great, great failures, great TVs to watch games on.read more

Best dive bar in South Austin!! Always a good time here :)) best staff & plenty of pool tables!read more

I absolutely love to train all of the martial arts this amazing dojo offers and the people are…read moreoutstanding and is overall an amazing place to train!

Small, makeshift warehouse place that looks like was put together with very low budget. After…read moreinquiring for info and a dojo tour, was put in contact with Angela, who started becoming pushy on having me give personal info to sign waivers and enroll even though I had asked just to briefly spectate a class, to the point of being rude with unprofessional tone. This interaction was enough for me to know to take my business elsewhere where they have professional establishment and staff. Don't waste your time UPDATE: To put The cherry on top, the staff have threatened to post "screenshots" of the texts exchange along with security stills of me during my visit as some sort of retaliation for the review. If this doesn't tell you the nature of this establishment and its people nothing else will.

Lots of machines that I've never had to wait to use one…read more Every time I'm there someone is cleaning something and therefore always looks cleans. I'd recommend the black card so you can access their massage chairs, tanning beds, and hydromassage beds (which are so good after a workout!)

It's a decent gym and you get what you pay for…read more I do enjoy going at times they aren't too busy. The app has a meter to tell you how busy they are. I do like that feature! Employees are on their phones a lot. You might get a greeting once in a while. I noticed an employee the other day watching Tiktok while she was refilling the spray bottles. Her phone was on the cart as she walked and scrolled. She missed refilling paper towels in one area, probably because she was glued to her phone. Many members don't sanitize the machines after, so I would suggest cleaning them before and after use. Even though there are signs everywhere! I've also been distracted with gym members having phone conversations while on machines. It's not a policy that is enforced, so I just find another machine and return later. It sometimes takes a while to repair broken machines. Black tape is used to repair tears in the fabric but doesn't usually last that long. Overall, $10/ month plus their annual fee is a steal.