Bang Fitness

I have mixed feelings about BANG.
This is mainly a review of the kettlebell classes which I went to for several months over the summer. I never participated in any of the training packages or monthly membership fees, so I can’t say much about that.
The kettlebell classes are taught by Steve, who is one of the most awesome people I have ever met. The classes are HARD, even for a seasoned athlete like myself, I was hurting for the first 3 weeks or so of classes, lots of muscle pain as you are working your whole body out really hard here, but after a few weeks your body starts getting conditioned to it. I made a lot of nice strength gains which was nice.
What I didn’t like about Bang was they changed the schedule and cancelled classes quite often without notice. At the time I was attending, they only had kettlebell 3 times a week (Weds eve, Fri eve and Sat morning). A couple times I showed up to be informed that the class wasn’t running that day. After I had been attending about 3 months they suddenly told me that the Wednesday classes were being removed all together, so really there was only one opportunity to go per week.
Since I had bought a punchcard (think it works out to about $ 15 a class) it wasn’t a huge deal but still kind of annoying, when you want to lift twice a week and suddenly they cancel the classes.
Overall it’s an excellent gym and they people are really down to earth/​non-​pretentious, but because it’s such a tiny facility, you are extremely limited with what you can do there.

Bang Fitness provides a hybrid personal trainer/​group training/​gym setting. In theory, this seemed brilliant to me. The Owner, Geoff does an assessment on you and then creates a 4 week program based on your goals.
Your sessions are pre booked, which is great– and there is a max of 4 people per trainer. My issues are the following: There are two trainers that I met in my month there, both gave different instructions for the same exercise which left me confused and frustrated. One of the trainers, whom I trained with the most, I found was borderline insulting and instead of encouraging and being positive– when I would be doing something incorrectly he would say so mockingly. One example is: I have issues with holding breath during exercise. So I was focusing hard on breathing and therefore breathing loudly. Instead saying something like «Great job with the breathing, now let’s try and soften it» he made a comment «I didn’t tell you to breath that loud!» in front of your people, it was quite embarrassing and discouraging.
His overall tone was often mocking/​discouraging.
The female trainer I worked with, was much more professional and had a much more positive attitude. I enjoyed training with her, and would have preferred to train with her more regularly.
After 4 weeks I was looking forward to the end. The gym makes promises like «we’ll reassess you in 2 weeks» but they never did that. The girl at the front desk is super friendly, they sell delicious shakes and cookies but beyond that I wasn’t overly pleased with the experience.
Is it worth $ 400 a month? I don’t think so. If the all the trainers were consistent and didn’t spend time chatting/​gossiping with their favorite clients and focused on training I think it could be.

In a downtown Toronto gym long, long, long ago…(a year and a half to be exact)
A not so young gym jedi (me), fought to free her republic from the criminal gang known as FAC. (Fats, Alcohol and Carbohydrates)
Pursued across the GTA restaurant scene by the Imperial forces, she fought valiantly to resist the dark side (inactivity).
Using the teachings (workouts) of her Jedi master; Obi Wan ‘G’ (Geoff) Kenobi,
she was able to build strength and improve her mobility.
Together with her devoted and wise side master Kazim and her foam roller, she battled and battled… Then finally decided she needed a change of scenery and moved to another galaxy.
May the force (i.e. Protein) be with you…
Whether you’re a budding star athlete or a joe schmoe looking to improve your body composition, Bang Fitness can help you with physical development needs. I’ve had the privilege of training with Geoff and his great staff at Bang during my time in Toronto and I’ve definitely noticed some changes in my physical form, energy and mentality.
While it wasn’t all roses all of the way, they made some great strides over the past year in their staff, facilities and programming. Seriously these guys are ready to rock. I’m happy with the changes I’ve seen in myself and I’m keen to continue my progress even though sadly I’ll be leaving these good people behind. Whereas before I used to bellyache about lifting heavy weights or pushing massive objects I now find myself relishing round after round of sweaty punishment!
What makes Bang awesome:
1. People come here to work. There’s two main options for gym-​goers here: semi-​private training under the guidance of several coaches or regularly scheduled classes such as kettle bells or metabolic circuits. Each visit, I see gym goers of all ages strutting their stuff and pushing their limits. Vanity gym bunnies: check your egos at the door.
2. Old school programming. Prowlers, bumper plates, kettlebells… all the good stuff is here. You worried about form? They’ll show you the basics and graduate you on to harder exercises along your journey. Long term success is not compromised for short term results.
3. Passionate and down to earth staff. They’ll let you know if you can perform that set with a heavier weight. They’re concerned about your movement but they also want to see you working to your fullest potential as well.
Caveats? There are a couple. The shower and change rooms are small and merely ordinary. In fact, the whole space will come as a let down to anyone used to training in a boutique gym environment. Substance and functionality before style. And yes, it’s expensive. Bang is by no means cheap but the prices are reasonable for what you get in return. You could bang it out (no pun intended) on the machines at your local Goodlife but you would not get nearly the amount of personalized attention and advice at this independent outfit.
If you’re serious about making some gains in your physical fitness, check these guys out!

You know the honeymoon period? You try somewhere new, it seems amazing and like everything is perfect-​but then the cracks begin to show? Well, at Bang it was kind of the opposite. I really liked it when I first went, but now I love it even more.
The things I pointed out in my initial review still stand: they are incredibly personal and motivated to make absolutely everybody feel like they matter and allow them to reach their potential. I remember thinking that I’d have to be fit and in shape to try it, but I was completely wrong. They cater for everybody from those for whom the only Jim is the pizza guy and have never entered an athletic establishment to elite athletes. And everyone gets the same passion and gentle nudging thrown at them.
It’s poised to get better and better too now. They’re expanding into what used be the MMA side of the gym so there’s more room for classes, squatting, deadlifts and the like. New toys have been bought and the class schedule is now jam packed with bootcamps, strongman, MMA training… and my favourite Steve classes: kettlebells and Friday morning circuits.
Take my word for it: try the place. You’ll love it. And you’ll leave stronger, more athletic, in less pain and with the body you want.

If towel service and personal TVs on your treadmill are your priority, Bang Fitness is probably not for you. What sets this place apart from most other gyms isn’t just the style of training practiced — it’s the amazing amount of attention and care that the trainers provide. I’m not even a full-​time client, but every time I come here for a kettlebell class, everyone greets me warmly. It’s a shame I live so far away because I wish I could go here several times each week. I feel right at home here compared to most other gyms I’ve been to — it feels more like a community than a gym.
Everyone that works here seems dedicated and focussed on helping every client achieve better fitness — you won’t get high-​pressure sales pitches or overbearing trainers intent on reaching their client quota. There is a specific approach/​philosophy to fitness that runs through this place, which might seem daunting to newcomers, but overall I suspect most clients walk away with really useful information and results, even if they don’t agree with the everything 100%. The focus here is functional movement/​ability and strength rather than purely aesthetic results, so you won’t hear a lot of discussion about weight loss, although they do help fighters/​grapplers make weight for competitions.
I’m crazy about the kettlebell classes here — it’s one of the most intense workouts ever and you can expect to work hard in every class. Aside from the occasional nausea, I’d recommend this class for anyone who wants to really challenge themselves. I admit I’m a big fan of fancy towel service and even the occasional TV treadmill jaunt, but I don’t mind forgoing those things for the feeling I get at Bang!

4.5 stars. If you are looking to really improve your strength and fitness, I highly recommend checking out Bang Fitness. Their personal attention sets them apart from chain (and I’m sure many independent) gyms. Try it out at their introductory rate!
Pros:
+ They really work to understand what you are trying to do, give you a customized program, and make adjustments where required. I know this sounds like any personal trainer, but I’ve gone to several personal trainers and they use a lot of techniques I’ve not seen before, and if you are experiencing injury issues (eg. from playing team sports) they are great for suggesting exercises to help remediate the problem. High level of customer service.
+ They use a high intensity, brief interval approach. You may cut your workout time with the same or better results.
+ You’ll learn a lot about proper form
+ The exercises are easily transferable to home or travel as they are mostly done using boxes, balls, dumbbells and other such equipment… you’ll walk into the gym thinking «ok, where’s the equipment» but its there.
+ Classes (and all sessions, quite frankly) are highly intense, especially the Kettlebell ones
+ The semi-​private classes are good because they will put you with someone that is near your level and you can go through many of the same exercises at the same time — fosters camaraderie.
+ They push you very hard
+ Good nutrition advice
Not a pro or con, but important
+/​-​The price is fair for the quality you get. It’s a lot more than your $ 50/​month at Goodlife etc. but it’s a lot less than that $ 50 plus 4 personal training sessions per month.
Note: You can get a reasonable introductory rate for a month that allows you to try it out
Cons:
None of these things are huge deals but should be mentioned
— Facility size is small, and the fairly minimal male bathroom is high traffic and would benefit with some better organization
— I’d like to see more class availability, particularly in the morning… you need to make sure the times work for you if you are interested in taking them (its not necessary)