I just moved back home to Milwaukee, Wisconsin after spending the last 7+ years in California. I’m excited to be back home in the midwest, but I need a good, powerlifter-friendly gym to lift in. I checked a couple places out, but I havent really liked any yet(lol - my wife loved the Wisconsin Athletic Club because you get free tanning with your membership - she is a native Californian).
The best gym I have seen so far is the YMCA, but it seemed real crowded, and it’s expensive at $56/month+$100 sign up fee.
I plan to keep looking, but I need to find one soon, I don’t want to take more than 2 weeks off. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
On the North side of Racine there is a gym called Flex Fitness that has a fair amount of PL’s training there.
My best advice is click on the link below and email either Bruce or Darin. They should be able to help you out. There are a ton of great lifters around you.
congrats on moving back…you sound like me about 6 years ago… i really missed some of the gyms out there…my only advice is do what i did and that is go down to dunham sports and get a decent bench/squat rack combo and 300lbs of weights and do it at home, it will only set you back about $350 but its well worth the short wait time for a bench during your workout!
I do some strongman training with a group of guys from milwaukee, and I also train the olymic lifts with some other guys in oconomowoc. you are welcome to join us.
I’d recommend Animal House. It’s on 55th between Lincoln and Burnham. I’ve been going there for the past 13 years. A lot of free weights and Hammer stuff. They also have a tanning area. It’s more of a bodybuilding place (Art Atwood trains there), but it’s friendly to powerlifting and strength trainers as well. $400 year, or $40 month.
I’ve looked around at others, like WAC, but they don’t compare. I asked a guy at WAC once if they were ever planning on getting dumbbells over 80 lbs, his response was “we don’t want to attract that kind of crowd, we want to be more of a fitness facility.” After I picked my jaw off the ground I went back to AH and stayed.
I’ve been to the Brickyard on KK and it’s a pit (in a good way) but the equipment is just plain better at AH.
I just looked at Animal House yesterday and liked what I saw. It was a little crowded with unnecessary equipment, but I liked that it was more of a weight room and not a fitness center. The biggest thing I didn’t like is that I did not see a power rack, but maybe I just missed it.
My other complaint is that all the gyms seem so expensive and have limited hours. In California I was paying $20 per month for a nice gym with almost everything(no glute-ham raise). And they were open from 4 am to Midnight.
I guess I’m just a little disappointed. I was so excited to move back home, that is a little bit of a letdown to not find that perfect gym. I also come back to find out that none of my old friends have any interest in lifting.
Animal House does have a power rack, but only one. On the bright side, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it used–so it would be all yours. There are three open end squat racks though that get a lot of use. I agree there is a dearth of options here, but I think AH offers the best from the options to choose from.
On a bit of side note, if you can or do make it to Madison, I’ve heard very good things about Ford’s Gym.
I sent you a private message. Give me an email and you should train some strongman stuff with us. Also there is a deadlift and clean and jerk contest this year at summerfest on july 3rd if your are interested. i think its 25 dollars and it covers entry into summerfest.