The Iron Fortress Gym

Fantastic experience: Plenty of implements for the strongman or fitness enthusiast. It’s rare to find all these in one place. Owner was super cool. Other lifters were friendly and willing to show me how to use a squat cage I wasn’t familiar with.

Positive experience: Pros: - Great equipment for powerlifters - Very kind and strong community (plenty to look up to) - 24 hour access - Laid back owners Con: - Place is filthy, which most people are indifferent to. But seriously, borderline health code violation. Reeks of mildew upon entry, especially in the summer. - Music is also entirely too loud the majority of the time considering the reverb of the warehouse-esque design. Has substantially worsened my tinnitus, but most people are indifferent to this.

Fantastic experience: Iron Fortress has been one of my favorite places in Columbia. It’s got an old school vibe. You’ll find old and new equipment for both strongman and powerlifting, expect to sweat in the summer and wear a hoodie in the winter. I love that when I’m there I feel like I’m in my own garage and that things are laid back. The owners are knowledgeable and kind, and it’s easy to find a time when you can either run into friends or find the gym empty for solitude. It’s been a place of progress for me as well as my stress relief getaway. If you’re looking for a typical cardio machine gallery this may not be your place, but for anyone interested in any kind of strength and conditioning, you can do it here.

Fantastic experience: 6/30/2018: Been working with IFG and Nathan in particular for two weeks now. I was looking specifically for someplace that would be welcoming for a newbie to lifting, care about making sure I've got proper form, and not break the bank. Couldn't be happier with my choice! As someone who had never lifted before, I was a little intimated to walk in to IFG and get more information. But reading the reviews that were available, I decided to give it a shot. Everyone said it was welcoming, after all. And, they were spot on. Both of the owners are down to earth, good humans, who genuinely care about each and every person who walks through the door. And you can tell they attract equally good people to work out there - from spotting one another or just welcoming smiles or a nod to a new person. I'm participating in the 11 weeks of personally training and am so happy with it. I shopped around for trainers/gyms before deciding to go with IFG. I was looking for the most "bang for my buck" without compromising the quality of the experience. I also wanted to find a trainer/gym that was would help me learn and fall in love with working out as a long-term life style vs.just paying someone to get me in "shape" for X number of weeks. So how is IFG measuring up? From being able to get "homework" on the days in between training sessions, to having support, accountability, and someone available through text to change training times or answers questions (shout out to Nathan for being awesome!!), IFG has been better than I expected it to be. I look forward to what I'll learn each time I go, and am eager to practice at home or in the gym in between sessions. Excited to see how much I learn in the next 9 weeks of training! UPDATE: 3/4/2019 Well, so much for thinking I'd only sign up for 11 weeks of training, hah! What can I say, I drank the kool-aid and have fallen in love with lifting. IFG is amazing, folks. If you're looking for a gym that is laid back, low-stress, and a family. This is the place for you. A special note for the LADIES out there, if you're new to lifting (or a complete and total novice like I was) then I cannot say enough about getting some one-on-one training for Nathan or Zach. They are both incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and amazing coaches. They will go out of their way to make things work for you, your schedule/life style/preferences, etc. Need some concrete examples: I travel for work and therefore have an unpredictable schedule from week to week. This has not kept us from being able to progress. My workouts can be tailored to what's available in a hotel room. Additionally, last minute changes to when I come into the gym are completely something that happens more regularly than I'd like. Do I have to stress about my trainer being mad at me, docking my time, or anything of the sort? Heck no. It's always no big deal, and we can reschedule. The true flexibility is so incredibly nice. It's absolutely amazing. I never thought I'd fall in love with lifting as I have, but now I can't imagine not having IFG in my life. What are you waiting for, go sign up!

Fantastic experience: Zack and Nate are too extremely friendly and knowledgable guys who run a great place to work out. If you have questions, they are happy to answer them. They are always adding new heavy things to lift. They let the customers pick the music, rather than playing God awful pop radio I don't really know what else you could ask for in a strength focused gym, you know?