The Weight Room

The best gym in Richmond! A great place to get strong whether you’re 17 or 77 years old. Membership is not as cheap as the big chains, but the equipment is far superior and the coaching packages are a great deal considering the quality of the coaches here. If you do the “open coaching” package and come during the designated times, you basically are getting in-person coaching whenever you work out, which will really help you over the long term with technique, preventing/fixing injuries and mobility issues, and just getting stronger. They have programs you can do like general strength, powerlifting, olympic weightlifting, and strongman, which all will get you stronger than you probably thought possible, while improving your mobility, health, confidence, and physique. Not to mention having fun! The gym has an old school vibe which I prefer — what is referred to in certain circles as a “real gym.”

Was in town for the weekend and this place was recommended to me. Great gym and friendly staff. Great place to lift weights. Would definitely join here if I was a local.

I love The Weight Room. I went from not knowing what a barbell was to training for a Strongman competition over the last two years, and learned powerlifting and weightlifting movements along the way! It's a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for both absolute beginners and advanced athletes. I recommend this place to everyone, every chance I get since strength training is so important (especially for women!).

I have been training at TWRVA for over eight years. The coaching, equipment, and community are second to none. Whether you want to compete in strength sports or just become a stronger, healthier person, this place is for you. Don't be intimidated. All are welcome here.

Great gym. Dropped in while on a trip. Very friendly place, lots of equipment. Overall great atmosphere to work out!

I dropped in while on a work trip. This gym has everything a strength athlete needs. The owner and his employees were helpful and let me do my programming without issue. For my Olympic weightlifters, he has some great older Uesaka bars that were so smooth to lift on. I recommend this gym. Old school gym and it rules.

Best gym in Richmond. The coaches and owner/coach are top notch, honest ,and very knowledgeable. Very inclusive and welcoming to everyone.

This gym is awesome. I travel for work and visit a lot of places around the east coast and the equipment and people around here are some of the best. Pick your poison, there are tools for powerlifting, weightlifting and strongman. Chris is a great guy and if you live in or around Richmond and are looking for a place to train real and technique, this is your spot.

If you're looking to get stronger, this is one of the best places to do that in Richmond. Prices are very reasonable and the gym itself is very no-frills. If you're interested but don't want to commit, first drop-in is free and only requires you to sign a waiver. The owner and all the staff are athletes as well so they know exactly what you may need or want (even if you don't know yourself).

The best weightlifting gym in the area. Highly qualified coaches. Everyone can feel welcome and comfortable no matter their ability level.

You might call me old school or maybe just old, and you'd probably be right on both counts. I've been fitness training in some capacity for the past 25+ years so you can rightfully say I've been around and seen what works and what doesn't. I won’t bore you with a long diatribe on the contrast between “working out” vs. “training.” Just know that the former does little more than burn some calories while the latter actually works toward measurable improvement. What sort of improvement? That depends on the type of training, the programming and the end goals.

Recently I’ve seen a lot of friends and acquaintances join the local "Globo-gyms" and tell me about how cool it is to watch a movie while they ride stationary bike or hear others tell me how their latest Crossfit "WOD" left them in a pool of sweat, blood and vomit. Look, I get it. I get it because there were times in my 25+ years of training that I lost my way. I've been drawn to the big gym amenities and sampled the libations at the smoothie bar. I even gave Crossfit a shot, thinking that their "system" of random programming might actually be a breakthrough in fitness advancement that would provide a shortcut to achieve my goals.

Well I'm here to tell you that the basics of what works are no different now than they ever were. You can change the equipment, you can change the terminology, you can even throw $150+ per month at a fitness “coach” who got their certification at a weekend seminar if that makes you feel like you’re making progress. Hey, if it costs more and other people are willing to pay it, then it must be better, right? Sorry, the answer is NO.

There are three fundamental rules of fitness I've learned that will help the average person look better, feel better and live longer with minimal investment in time and money. 1. Strength is the basis for all fitness. Become stronger. 2. The barbell is by far the best tool ever created to make a person stronger. 3. Once you're well on your way to becoming stronger, introduce some conditioning work and dietary changes to complete the plan. That's it! That's all most folks who just want to get in better shape need to do.

Now, the remaining question is where to accomplish this plan in Richmond Virginia? Having sampled most of the available venues I can tell you that The Weight Room is by far the best training facility and it’s not even close! What makes it so much better you ask? In a word, the people who work and train there. Like I said before, I've been around and trained with some fairly advanced coaches and athletes over the years (NFL players, Pro Bodybuilders) and none of them hold a candle to the trainers and instructors at The Weight Room. Their experience and precision instruction make even the most difficult movements seem simple! All you have to do is show up and tell them what you want to achieve and they will get you there on the shortest, most efficient path possible. Two and half years ago when I first walked into The Weight Room, I knew at that very moment I was home. All I needed to do from there was get to know my new family. And what a tremendously supportive family it has been! When you're ready to get back to basics and achieve real measurable results "the old way," come check out The Weight Room. We’ll be looking forward to training with you!

This is not a commercial style gym. If you like strongman and power lifting this is a great gym to check out. Plenty of sqaut rack, deadlift plate forms and bench a. Plus a farm carry /yoke lane, stones and log press.

I've been training here on and off since 2007. One of the very best things about RVA: Chris Lawyer and TWR.
If you want to train powerlifting, weightlifting or strongman, I can't recommend another gym more highly.

Great place to do serious training, friendly and supportive staff, friendly members, quality equipment! Want to get serious about your lifts? Check it out. I've been training here for over a year and very happy to be part of the team

Great soace, super well equipped, nice clients and staff. I am a powerlifter who waa visiting town and it was great to find such a high quality place. Wish it were my homw gym.

This is a gym for people who are serious about weightlifting. They have lifting equipment that typical globo-gyms don't have. The trainers are knowledgable about good form and have tips to maximize your workout.

Knowledgeable staff, great equipment, easy to drop-in if your visiting like me.

Sadly missed my training session but I still got a great workout on my own and am sure to come back.

Awesome training facility that supports hard work, intelligent training methods, and overall supportive atmosphere. Best gym in RVA in my opinion.

Lots of racks, strong man equipment. A couple treadmills and elliptical. No machines, leg press, etc. Good powerlifting / strongman / Olympic weightlifting gym

Chris Lawyer the owner is a gifted and insightful trainer. If your looking for real gains this place is for you.