Massachusetts lifters

[jpfaherty]

Hey guys, I know there's been threads about this in the past, but where do you guys train that is powerlifting/strongman/bad ass friendly? Also, do any of you live in an area that is severely lacking in this area?

I ask because I'm considering opening a gym within the next couple years (working on small biz plan now), and I'm looking for a market that hasn't been tapped (at least correctly). I'm not looking for a small town, with the price of real estate in MA it would need to be a heavy traffic town/city.

Any information you could provide would be great

[_Smitty_]

Where in MA are you? Western or eastern part?

I'm in the western part of the state and actually travel to central CT to train because there's really nothing in the area for me.

[Retardo-pex]

Hey guys, I know there's been threads about this in the past, but where do you guys train that is powerlifting/strongman/bad ass friendly? Also, do any of you live in an area that is severely lacking in this area?

I ask because I'm considering opening a gym within the next couple years (working on small biz plan now), and I'm looking for a market that hasn't been tapped (at least correctly). I'm not looking for a small town, with the price of real estate in MA it would need to be a heavy traffic town/city.

Any information you could provide would be great

Just north of Boston in Everett there is Total Performance Sports which is an awesome gym. Mainly a strongman/powerlifting gym but they cater to everyone. Martial arts/boxing, bodybuilding, crossfit type group classes, the 1 on 1 training with actual accomplished lifters.

Further down on the south shore there is a powerlifting gym ( Baystate Fitness I think), this is in Scituate and maybe a 20 minute drive from Plymouth.

When I started powerlifting there was another awesome gym on the northshore, I think it was called 180 fitness, they had a whole high school sized gymnasium that was basically repurposed for indoor strongman, but I think they shut down a few years back.

Those are the only ones I can think of outside of Northeastern University's varsity sports center.

Most people who post in these threads seem to imply central/western mass needs more strongman love.

[gosettij3]

I am just outsude of providence ri and I currently traib at a ymca... what part of mass are you in.

[NicktheStick]

I'm out in the western part of the state... not much out here at all. I just left Northampton Athletic despite having an Elite bench and Monolift the atmosphere wasn't good at all for strength sports (more of the latte' sipping / zumba crowd). Just joined Club Fitness in Enfield CT. way better, but it's not a true powerlifting/strongman gym..but not bad at all. Lightning Fitness, Iron Horse and The Refuge (private gym) are the best powerlifting gyms I know of even remotely close to Western Mass, but they're all in CT.

[_Smitty_]

I'm out in the western part of the state... not much out here at all. I just left Northampton Athletic despite having an Elite bench and Monolift the atmosphere wasn't good at all for strength sports (more of the latte' sipping / zumba crowd). Just joined Club Fitness in Enfield CT. way better, but it's not a true powerlifting/strongman gym..but not bad at all. Lightning Fitness, Iron Horse and The Refuge (private gym) are the best powerlifting gyms I know of even remotely close to Western Mass, but they're all in CT.

Nick, you know that you and the UPC crew are always more than welcome to train with us at Iron Horse. Bench Sunday morning at 11:00, squat Friday night at 6:00.

[nsurdis]

back to the OP.. regarding your business model.. theres just not a ton of money in catering to the bad-ass powerlifting crowd if you want to make money doing it. I would re-think opening a powerlifting gym in a metro area. Rents are going to be sky-high, and honestly powerlifters are willing to travel to the suburbs for a good gym. You don't need to pay $3000 a month in rent for a metro location to attract powerlifters.

Just have good equipment, people, and atmosphere.

If you want to make money with it, everyone whos making a good living on it is doing it in the classes and cross-fit as much as I hate to say it.. then it that case.. yea.. metro area all the way.

[jpfaherty]

back to the OP.. regarding your business model.. theres just not a ton of money in catering to the bad-ass powerlifting crowd if you want to make money doing it. I would re-think opening a powerlifting gym in a metro area. Rents are going to be sky-high, and honestly powerlifters are willing to travel to the suburbs for a good gym. You don't need to pay $3000 a month in rent for a metro location to attract powerlifters.

Just have good equipment, people, and atmosphere.

If you want to make money with it, everyone whos making a good living on it is doing it in the classes and cross-fit as much as I hate to say it.. then it that case.. yea.. metro area all the way.

Sorry for the delayed response guys.

I'm on the south shore.

Nick,

I wouldn't open a gym that was strictly PL/Bodybuilding, just not frowned upon like the majority of gyms now. It would be a typical gym with classes, functional fitness, etc as well. I will most likely buy real estate as commercial property rentals make profit very unlikely.

[WillBrink]

MA/Boston area used to be full of good gyms with big strong people. It was the hot bed of bbing etc.back in the day. Now, such gyms are rare, and LA fitness, BSC, etc are the norm. The Golds Gym in Natick I go to is well equipped, and a good place to train, but not a big draw for dedicated strength athletes like PLs. etc. Considering the saturation of the market, the costs, taxes, etc I wouldn't open a gym personally in Boston area of MA, but good luck to you if/when you go that route.

I can't think of a single "hard core" gym in the region these days, but I have also not been looking for one either, so may just be under my radar.

[Brosynthesis]

There are absolutely no good, decently priced gyms in Boston. I have to work out at home due to this. Boston Sports Club is expensive and full of unnecessary things. YMCA are scattered everywhere, and Planet Fitness is Planet Fitness, no explanation needed.
Boston is a great place to start a hardcore gym. I live in Jamaica Plain and I cannot find any place to get a good lift unless I piggyback off a friend's guest pass and travel down to the Saugus/Everett area.

edit: but don't waste your money in a metro area at all as everyone else mentioned. you would not generate enough revenue due to lack of lifters here anyway in order to pay off your rent, taxes, etc..