Friends of the Gym

Friends of the Gym is more than a gym! It’s a warm, welcoming and empowering space to move your body that’s truly an inclusive environment, thanks to the care and intention of the owner, Olli. Olli has created a space and assembled an amazing team of trainers that is focused on holistic health, body neutrality, and building community. With the small class sizes I get to know and work out with such cool people, and I get coaching from the instructor. When I started attending the strength classes I didn’t have a lot of experience with free weights, but Olli took the time in class to show me the ropes such as how to safely set up for a bench press, and they’re helping me continually to work on my dead lift! They remember what I’ve been working on and really care about helping me progress in my strength journey. In every class, they do a check in and they also ask everyone how the class was for them. They regularly seek out feedback on what people are liking in the classes and what they want to see more of. I really appreciate the commitment to body neutrality which feels so different from other gym experiences I’ve had. It feels really good, like I can just focus on the experience of lifting weights and the enjoyment of the movement, with no pressure whatsoever to feel like I’m doing it to look a certain way. I attend the mask required radical strength classes, and Friends of the Gym does a great job of making it a clean air event, with air purifiers, doors open to the outside, and requiring and enforcing high filtration masks for everyone in the space. I love being able to work on my strength without worrying about respiratory illness that could compromise my health! These classes are such a wonderful example of the inclusiveness and care for community that Friends of the Gym practices! Thank you Friends of the Gym!

I've been going to FotG for open gym hours for a while and I love it. It's a super inclusive space, and everyone I've met there has been so friendly and considerate. It's very community-oriented. The space is small, but well stocked with all the equipment I need for lifting. I also kind of love that open gym slots are limited to 3 people at once (due to space constraints and safety). I never have to wait for a squat rack! And I've never run into issues with the slots I want being fully booked either.

I found Friends of the Gym earlier this year and have tried to attend the weekly 'mask required' class every week. First of all, it's so great to have an accessible and careful workout space in the city and I am so grateful to FotG for that! Working out with folks that take public safety and neighborly care seriously is so affirming. Also, the class is led by Olli - an incredible workout instructor and coach. The workouts switch up all the time which keep things fresh. Olli leads the class in a way that anyone can get a ton out of it - whether you're new to a gym space, an experienced iron pumper, or anything in between. I love going to FotG and am so glad it exists!