The Gym

The best gym on the planet! I traveled many places and visited many gyms but this one is unique. Amazing location in San Diego with big car park. Great atmosphere and people, motivational music, great equipment and people behind desk very friendly and professional. Great old school gym. Must visit. Martin Petro, Natural Pro bodybuilder

Just started coming here and loving it. i wish it had a sauna as well! :) I also want to add to Kode's ridiculous comment about worker staring at her. We humans have eyes and we use them to look / stare. There is NO crime in staring at you. There are 0 threats from someone looking / staring at you. Define staring also...how long is considered a staring moment? Do I need to make someone's day so bad where you also have to mention their name on google maps? this couldn't get addressed in person? What do they need to do about that? Put the guy on a leash? Go there, put the headphones on and focus on the training and not who's looking.

I like the gym, it has very nice feautures and the overall facility is nice. But as a woman, I can’t help but feel intimidated when a man is staring at me whilst working out; and to top it all off, hes a worker there?? I believe his name was Cole, you guys need to sort it out ASAP!

I have becomes friends with Brad the owner and he has put together one of the best gyms in all the United States. Recently on generation iron rich gaspari went to visit and gave glowing reviews. If you're a hardcore bodybuilder this is The place to train. If you're a person that would prefer to go to LA fitness or planet fitness, you don't want to step into this gym. I'm in my early 50s but I love the camaraderie of the old school gym workouts. From California to Florida it is a great place to work out.

I love this gym for what it is. The assortment of free weights, cable machines, and focused crowd makes it a great place to lift some heavy things. My only complaint are the treadmills. Half of them are wildly out of calibration, 7mph can either be 5mph or 10mph depending on the machine. Two treadmills will shutdown from whatever the set speed is to 0 mph in just a few strides 😮‍💨.

All the members have great vibes and the staff are super nice. The price is unbeatable especially when you consider just how much you get from your membership. There's practically any piece of equipment you could want and they're always being taken care of and reupholstered. I've been coming for 6 months and its gonna be hard to find a gym this good when I move

I love this gym is the best ( BUT ) Must off the ppl are so so stupid when it comes to parking they have to stop and make traffic to wait on one person to finish workout and move his car , they have no idea who and when that person is leaving they just block everyone and everyone has to wait for mr/ms idiot to park like they own the parking lot

THIS IS THE BEST GYM THAT I EVER SEEN!! So friendly staff, never wait for your routine(cause there are bunch of equipment there), everybody hardworking,,Everthing included in $100 for 3 month...! Hope it also has 1 day pass so that I can sales to my friends too😂

This is by far the best gym I've ever worked out in. They have every machine you could ever need, and they have a lot of them. The staff is AMAZING. They're very kind. I was going to buy a day pass for every day I was in San Diego, but the staff told me I could buy a week pass for much less. It wasn't clear when the week pass ended, and I guessed a day too late, but they let me workout that day anyway. The only bad thing is the parking lot but the gym itself is lights out amazing. 10/10 would recommend

This is one of the best gyms I've been to for a number of reasons. The owners are amazing. Everyone feels like family. They have great hours. They offer a flat membership fee with no hidden fees or cancellation fees. You can even buy a day pass or a week pass. The facility is very large. You have the option to train indoors or outdoors, upstairs or downstairs. There are probably 20 brand new stairmasters with tons of cardio options upstairs and tvs to watch sports while doing so. There are areas for you to do abs or stretching and even mirrors for posing. Downstairs there is a microwave with sofas in case you needed to heat up food. Outdoors there is a cart where you can purchase meal prep dishes or protein shakes. There is also an office to get phenomenal sports massages. In addition there's a shop to buy supplements connected to the gym. Parking can be a challenge on certain days and times, but you can always park across the street and walk over. They're always upgrading equipment and making changes. I love the vibe here. It's definitely worth a visit and even a membership.

Favorite gym I've ever been to. Outdoor/indoor - great amount of equipment. If you are looking for a fancy gym this isn't for you. If you are looking for a great workout and great vibes- this is the spot.

I mean you know... its the real deal and all fam here.....Been a member for a year... its a good place to be for motivation and some damn good equipment.

Without question, The Gym is by far, the greatest gym in the entire world. It is a bodybuilders paradise, as well any fitness die-hard. There is equipment that will never be found again. The atmosphere and adrenaline rush training at The Gym cannot compare to any other gym in the country, and probably the world. It far surpasses every threshold of what a real gym should be. The owner is a former bodybuilder, and one of the best 'gym rats' in the world. He knows what kind of gym is needed to have great workouts. The Gym is the best gym ever!

Definitely one of the best gyms in the world!!! The most and the best leg equipment area of any gym.

Dirty gym and old and falling apart equipment. Used to be a great spot to train with helpful and welcoming people, but turned into an unfriendly and territorial feel. Definitely one of the cheapest gyms in the area which is a perk, but you can understand why it's so cheap when you try and train here. Certain packs know each other and don't seem friendly to outsiders- leads to them passing machines to each other and cornering certain areas. Packed at peak hours to the point where it's difficult to get a full workout in without waiting. People camp out at the more popular machines and spend an excessive amount of time resting vs actually using the equipment. Would consider several other gyms in the area to focus on training. Parking is a nightmare and you'll spend over 30 minutes looking for a parking spot or longer walking. Some suggest parking in a nearby neighborhood, which is about a 1/2 mile walk and through multiple busy streets.

Great place to get a workout! Every piece of equipment you could want. Love the outdoor area.

I love this gym! Everyone is minding their own business and everyone here comes to lift. No one bothers you since everyone is minding their own business and I love that. I love that there's an outside section because it feels great at night. They keep the outside closed if it rains and is usually closed at 10:15pm most days. Parking is awful, that's no doubt. If I go to the gym anytime from 6am-9am parking is horrible. I've started going at around 9pm and there's plenty of parking.

Amazing machines, new and older ones. To be honest some of the older machines are my favorite. Clean facility and most importantly clean bathrooms. I love how there's a terrace upstairs with additional machines. The weather is usually nice and I love to enjoy it as I get my workout done. Great people and awesome atmosphere!!! Best in the west Have you been to paradise lately?

Love this place! I've been away 3 whole years. As soon as I walked in I was greated by Brad. Amazingly greated by my name! Amazing after all these years. Great place with many upgrades.

A gym for fitness lovers for sure. Very motivating vibe, and a lot of people working on themselves which is a very cool feel. People of all ages and sizes. It has a rustic feel to it. It's not the newest feeling gym, which means not the newest equipment which kind of leaves out that Instragrammy fitness crowd (I do vibe with this crowd as well tho). There are many different machines and different rooms, and an outdoor section which I really liked. It was relatively crowded, but I didn't have any issues waiting for equipment or weights. Parking was easy, but I can see how it might be challenging on a busy day.

Good equipment and outdoor space. Some staff are helpful, but others are frequently extremely rude.

Love this place. Owners are amazing. No enrollment fee or random cleaning fee every year. What you see is what you get. If the equipment breaks they fix it within a day or two. They post dates of when it's going to be repaired. There's a lot of machines so even if some equipment breaks you'll never have to worry about your split being messed up. The outdoor area is awesome. They keep it extremely clean.

This is by far the best "gym" in all of San Diego and arguably the best in California! I've been training here since 2012 when it was called World's Gym, and now even after the name change this is hands down one of the best if not the best gym in the country. Yep, not just CA! This is not your typical fitness center like 24, LA fitness, Crunch, etc... This place is an iron paradise! Some of the best machines you'll ever find are here. When you start training here, and gets used to it? Good luck trying to find that same fire when you train somewhere else. It will change your life once you step foot in to this dungeon! Thanks Rick and the whole crew!

The reviews speak for themselves period the employees act like they're better than everyone else. Don't ask Brad a dumb question or he will yell at you. Brad is an owner so he thinks he's God. But if you look at his eyes especially at night, they are red and and bloodshot and he is drunk at work. Hes a hot mess. He used to be a hard core roided bodybuilder in the 90s era, now he gets stoned and drunk. He Will only talk and flirt with you if your a hot female. If your a guy watch out. The place has rarely upgraded over the past 20 years, and if you are young and juiced up they will talk to you.

I recently joined with high hopes of achieving my fitness goals and enjoying a motivating workout environment. Unfortunately, my experience has been far from satisfactory, and I feel compelled to share my negative review. The staff's attitude towards customer service is another major concern. I have encountered numerous instances where the staff appeared disinterested and unhelpful. Whether it's addressing concerns or providing guidance on proper equipment usage, their lack of enthusiasm and knowledge was disheartening.

Don't waste your time here, Rick (the owner) hires the worst people. Staff mostly is shameful in the way they talk to members but hey seems normal in California, I would Noh waste my time or money here, members are mostly ok, it's the staff. Boycott for stupidity or until Rick fires and changes his staff. Anyone who said best gym I've been to has never been to a real gym- dragons lair in Vegas or oxygen in uae, even golds gym in Venice is 10x better

I went in and had a talk to the owner Rick today he's a great guy and this a good gym if you want golds gym Venice but you are in San Diego

If you're into the gym and enjoy a motivating environment, this is the place to be. Massive people everywhere you look. Huge variety of machines and a cool outdoor area on the roof. Sign up was easy, 3 months $100 no questions asked.

From a native San Diegan, this is the best gym in town, by a mile. I made the switch about a year ago and have never looked back. I'll be working out here so long as it's around. Will not consider another joint, ever. The Gym is a haven for weightlifting purists. The folks here are serious about their physiques. And it shows. As someone who's been lifting since about 16, I can confidently say that the average person here is well beyond average in build and fitness. You won't see a lot of yuppies screwing around and wasting peoples time looking at their phones endlessly. The patrons are serious; they actually come in to lift. And I appreciate that. Upstairs, there's an excellent cardio room with all the basics. More than adequate to supplement your lifting. Downstairs, a tremendous variety of old school and newer lifting equipment. You can easily find at least half a dozen different machines for each prime and secondary muscle group. So many options to sculpt your way to a fantastic body. I would be remiss if I didn't address the unwarranted poor reviews left by some of the most miserable cretins around. You know who you are. Listen loud and clear: Apocalyptic, fear-mongering snowflakes, please steer clear of this place. You're never welcome here. You don't fit the vibe. People are here to grind, to do work. It's a mindset of toughness, grit, achievement. Constructs you wouldn't know anything about. We won't be deterred by a bunch of (unfit) sheep who cry foul over "social distancing". Alas, if you fit this description: (1) you suck; and (2) stay TF home and fall further behind...in life.

One of the better gyms ove ever trained at. Each room of the gym is dedicated for one or two body parts, plus the have a cool outdoor gym area on the second floor. Serious people walk around all over the gym, and the ow wr was a pleasure to talk with about bodybuilding. We will definitely be returning back to the gym to train again!

Love this gym ! Great energy , amazing staff. Amazing equipment. Truly the best part of my day

Just wanted to start out by saying this place is so much more than a local gym. You're treated like family day in and day out by the men at the front desk. Most of them remember your name when you come in regularly and start your training days off which a huge smile! Love that this gym has old school machines instead of the new hoist commercial gym standards! If you're interested in a serious gym and a fit family that will help you reach your health goals I highly recommend you walk in and give this gym a try! (Very affordable and zero BS contracts and fees) Started bodybuilding here a little over 2 years ago and just going to add that the owner and his sons are absolute gentlemen! Mad respect to this gym for changing names, keeping true to their core beliefs and continuing to run the gym the way WE want :) Sincerely, - @neeks93 (on insta) Very satisfied gym member!

the staff is very nice, more than enough equipment to use (3 stories) . Meal prep food vendors located outside + nutrition shop within the building. Great spot to workout and very inspiring

Best bodybuilding gym in town! All metal plates none of that rubber nonsense. Every-time I walk in I feel like a kid walking into a candy store. Hardcore equipment all around and the melodious sounds of 45s clanging against each other against the backdrop of heavy metal music. Great atmosphere of highly motivated meatheads and some of the most beautiful women in the world all working towards a common goal of being the gnarliest version of themselves. I love it here.

Just a juice head gym. That's not why I give 2 stars. The equipment is old and rusty. Seriously wtf. The staff is rude, they don't welcome people or have any sense of customer service. No sauna and if you ask they basically tell you to go to another gym. Dudes lifting with no shirts and flexing to take photos. That says it all. If you want to do cardio the few tv's they have barley work. It's just a shitty gym. I went 2x and I grew up I. The neighborhood. I guess I realize why i never went. Waste of money just go to 24 hr fitness. I gave it 2 stars bc you do t gotta wear a mask during restrictions and I respect that.

Great gym. Full of plenty of things to lift. Owner and the guys at the front are amazing. Best gym in SD. Only Cons: -Parking - closes early on Sat 9pm?!?!? - Trainers are terrible at following up when you inquire or act like they're too busy for you -One trainer was on their cell phone during our session. Would not pay for one again. I do NOT pay you to text.

Brad "the manager" has horrible customer service skills, a questions will literally offend him. It's a surprise they even considered him management material.

Great staff super friendly . The parking is completely awful! Waited and drove around in circles for 30 mins trying to find a spot. Will definitely never go back again.

If you're a gym rat and you're in San Diego you CAN NOT miss a workout here. Enjoy the outdoor area during nice weather.

Best gym I've ever been to. Bought a day pass due to my gym being closed. As soon as my current gym membership ends I'll be joining The Gym. So much equipment and the facility is so large that there's multiples of everything. So refreshing. A bit intimidating because I'm new to fitness (strength training wise) but it's actually motivating to see the amazing physiques there too. 10/10. I wish I remembered the owners name but he was super kind and welcoming which pretty much sealed the deal for me

came here for a day visit and the staff was surprisingly helpful. the equipment is oudated but its hard for non-bodybuilding gym goers to understand that which is why I personally am not complaining about it but it was bizarre to me there were few of the same equipment (ex:squat racks), but other than that the vibe was really cool this place really has some character!

Here are some Pros And cons PROS: Many different machines Different rooms/ gym spread out Friendly employees Clean restrooms Cons: Crowded! People just stand at a machine and would talk and talk to others there A lot of waiting for a machine Dirty looks if you aren't the fittest looking Hardly any parking

So I love this gym and I think it's great. But I had an experience that wasn't handle very well. I've been going to this gym for 2 years, obviously the parking isn't that great when it's busy. When I signed up I was never informed that when you go into the parking lot you're supposed to go into the first entrance and wait in the line...that essentially is a little frustrating considering in goes out into the street when it blocks up. So I go into the second entrance because there is always some parking spots in the back that no one looks at because they're waiting for the cars they can see pull out. So I enter the second entrance see a car leave see a guy standing in the parking lot on the phone waving down his friend(I think he was on the phone) I don't think much of it but I make my way into the spot and he gets in front of my car telling me I can't park there cause I wasn't in line. I tell him to get out of my way and he says if I don't back my car out he's going to punch it. I inch my car in pushing him out of my way and he punches my car. the guy and the front desk comes out and is frustrated that he has to come out and deal with a "parking lot situation" after I said he punched my car all he did was tell that guy that he should've have punched my car and tells me that that's how the parking lot works. Anyways I moved out of that spot and went around to where I originally was going to check and there were 2 spots(while everyone is waiting in line). Parked checked my hood saw there was a dent as I went inside I told the guy he left a dent on my hood and he basically says "you can call the police if you want." Then says, " I don't understand why I'm still talking about the parking lot. (Then gives me an explanation) you think the owner or Vons comes out and deals with parking situation. I'm not getting anything out of this" then he gave me 2 reasons as to what he's not getting out of it. I can't remember the other one but said "this situation isn't getting me laid" plus the other I can't remember. I love the people at the front, so I couldn't believe he handle that situation the way he did and said what he said to me. So I went to the bathroom and cried and I am no longer going to come to this gym that I personally loved to go to cause I feel like that situation wasn't handle nicely and some guy punched my car and gets a slap on the wrist.

Best gym in the world hands-down. A simple, cool, old-school place to get a good workout in with great vibes.

Great equipments; from old to new. disgusting bathrooms .. but who cares; this gym is the best in San Diego

Had a good workout, the gym itself is good. Not so much one of the employees, definitely not the best customer service provided; The owner knows who it is but does nothing about it. I probably went during a busy time since it took me 15 min to get a parking spot.

Friendly staff and reasonable prices for membership. Some of the equipment is a bit on the older side, but it's not a problem at all. If anything, it gives it a traditional gym vibe, which I like. Overall, an excellent gym if you're looking for a place to work-out without all the frills of the overpriced gyms.

This place is the best!!! Best gym in San Diego hands down. I'm visiting from Vegas, I went on Yelp searching to find a gym that was open during these Covid times and restrictions, (Side Note-the states need to open the gyms!) found this gem. They even have an entire parking lot right in front of it. I can only imagine how amazing this gym is when fully open. Place is huge! Two stories and an outdoor balcony gym they put together during this time. Absolutely amazing! The owners and staff greet you when you walk in and are extremely nice. On the balcony, they have everything. Dumbbells, cables, machines, squat racks, deadlifting stations, and benches. Tables with shade are setup that have towels and cleaning spray. Just inside they have an entire floor dedicated to cardio machines. This will be my new gym every time I come out to visit San Diego. I see some other 1 star posts based off of masks, Covid protocols, safety measures against Covid..... Haha!!! You are going to a gym! A gym where there are bodies of sweat and iron everywhere! You are actually complaining about a mask?!? What is a 2 cent mask is going to do?!?! Also, why would you go to a gym if you are afraid of Covid?!? Bottom line, if you are afraid of Covid, never leave your house. Become a recluse. You probably weren't that fun to hangout with anyways. Let everyone else live life and go to the gym.

I used to love training here. Not any more. When gym staff tries to start a fight with you, you have to draw a line. For context, I was leaving the gym this evening, Sunday 11/19. At 5:00 on the dot I was in the locker room washing my hands and grabbing my belongings to leave when a younger member of the gym staff walks in and starts making snide remarks to me about leaving on time. The gym closes at 5 on Sundays, so I guess he was upset to have to stay a single extra minute. Boo-hoo. I looked at my watch as I walked out of the locker room, and it read 5:01. Since I did nothing to deserve the rude comments, I fired back and criticized their customer service. Once I reached the bottom of the stairs the old, overly-tanned, leather-skinned staff member who never wears shoes approached me and bodied me up. He began shouting in my face (up to this point I had not raised my voice at all) yelling "I'll show you customer service. I'll cut you a check and you can go train somewhere else!" Then as I was leaving the building, the same older guy walked after me saying "go ahead tough guy, take a swing!" This man was literally trying to start a fight with me because I walked out of the gym one minute late. He kept clamoring on about how he has family in town, but yet he continued to pursue me as I left the building. I repeatedly tried to leave in peace and he kept egging me on from afar. I finally turned and waited for him because he seemed to really want a physical altercation. When he realized I'm nobody's bitch, he tucked his tail and walked back inside. I am a general manager myself and understand what proper customer service and staff etiquette should look like. This is one of the farthest things I've ever seen from that. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever try to fight a guest/member in my establishment. This business deserves to fail if it retains employees like these. I'll be telling as many people as I can about this experience to discourage them from making the same mistake as I did in purchasing a membership.

My favorite place to be and a real bodybuilding gym‼‼‼ Brad is awesome, he always makes my day before my work outs note I have moved to SD 2 months ago. It's Home to me

Want to work out at a gym on a whim but have no gym membership? $10 can get you in here for a day; no strings attached, no contracts. There are monthly/annual plans available too that seem really affordable compared to other gyms. Front-desk dudes were friendly. Equipment seems alright; not state-of-the-art, but still gets the job done. People might think the gym looks grimy, but I'd say it has a "garage aesthetic" hahaha. I didn't smell any odors and it seemed like the place had decent air circulation. I docked a star because of the parking situation. Eek. Really tight and not enough parking spaces; unfortunately I don't see how they can improve the parking and in a way its current state makes a bottleneck effect as the gym didn't seem to be too crowded when I went on a weeknight. But still.....felt a bit weary thinking that I might ding a car when backing out lol.

Terrible people, literally go anywhere else if you're looking for a high quality gym experience

I'm from out of town and dropped in for a day. I was welcomed with open arms and treated extremely well. The owner, sorry bud forgot your name, was so cool and very friendly. This is a classic style gym mixed with newer equipment. Free weight area, cardio area with assault bikes, machines for all body parts, and clean restrooms. It's fit for all fitness needs! Thank you and I hope to come back soon!

Hands down the best gym! The people are amazing and the facility is a fitness lovers dream. They literally have everything. 100% recommend!

$10 day pass to check out this awesome gym! The two guys working the front desk were friendly and proud of the gym they worked for. They have an awesome selection of leg machines, which include a hip thrust machine, vertical leg press, squat racks and much more. This gym has so many exercise equipment that you don't see at your conventional gym don't. So make sure you try them all out. There's enough cardio machines and stair masters upstairs. The upstairs bathroom has showers as well! My only complaint would be the cleanliness of the gym and it's smell. There isn't too much ventilation and this gym and you get sweaty very quickly. They do a good job by putting fans everywhere but it isn't enough and not everyone brings a towel with them. I would like to see more of sanitizing sprays around the gym to wipe down the sweaty equipment!!!! Overall I would come back and recommend this gym to anyone who wants to surrounded by likeminded individuals!

The gym SD has been my go to gym for almost a year and a half. You see all types of people here if your reading a review based off "employees" in a place where you may have little to no interaction then you're probably going to the gym for the wrong reasons. I go i work out get my after workout drink and head out. If you are a lazy person who plans on doing things like not cleaning your workout area leaving your trash where it lays not putting up your weights after usage or disinfecting equipment after your done using it then yea this will be a 1 star place for you great way to get you yelled at but rightfully so. If you want a gym where you can go with a planned workout day let's say chest you will not be disappointed there's always something open to be used you don't have groups of people standing around unused equipment everyone for the most part goes in does their thing and moves on no lingering and I prefer that let's you go in take care of business and go one with your day. Highly recommend.

Out doors setting which I love...basic weightlifting gym with positive vibes! Love the energy and environment. Very close to my home mostly I walk to the gym since there is shortage parking. But it is perfectly fine. I love the gym.