Classes
Coached small-group strength, 60 minutes. A warm-up, one main lift, accessory work and a carry. The coach sets your weights and watches every rep.
- Size
- 8 per coach, max
- From
- $25 drop-in
Barbell gym · Strathcona, Edmonton
Barbells for normal people.
Coached strength classes of eight or fewer, open gym hours and one-on-one coaching, in an old warehouse a block off Whyte Avenue. You don't need to be fit to start. Show up, and we'll teach you the rest.
- Max 8 lifters per coach
- Chalk allowed
- Calibrated kg plates
- No contracts
- Open 5:30 am weekdays
What kind of gym this is
Platforms, bars, plates. And a coach watching.
Ironbark is a strength gym. The floor is eight lifting platforms and six racks, not rows of machines and TVs. We teach four things well, the squat, the deadlift, the press and carrying heavy stuff, and build everything else around them.
Most people who walk in have never touched a barbell, and that's the point of the place. A coach runs every class, keeps it to eight people, and starts you at weights you can handle. Strength comes from doing the basics often, for years, without getting hurt. We're here for the years part.
Good fit if you
- Have never lifted and want someone to show you properly
- Lift on your own and want a coach to check your form
- Want to stay strong for hockey, hiking, work or chasing kids
- Like small groups more than big classes
Not what we do
- Bodybuilding or physique prep
- Meal plans or nutrition coaching (we'll point you to a registered dietitian)
- Physio or injury rehab (we'll point you to a physiotherapist)
Three ways to train
Pick how you lift.
Most members mix them: classes during the week, open gym on a Saturday, a coaching session when something feels off.
Open gym
The platforms and racks are yours during opening hours to run your own program. For people who already know the lifts, or have done Barbell Basics.
- Hours
- Every opening hour
- From
- $95 a month
Coaching
One coach, just you. A program built around your week and your goals, and someone who fixes small things before they turn into big ones.
- Length
- 60 minutes
- From
- $80 a session
Never lifted? Start here
Barbell Basics
Four weeks, eight sessions, six people. You learn each lift with an empty bar first, and add weight once it looks right.
- Week 1The squat, bracing, and how to set up a rack safely
- Week 2The deadlift and the hip hinge, from blocks and then the floor
- Week 3Bench press and overhead press, and how to fail a rep safely
- Week 4Carries, putting it together, and your first written program
- $249 + GST
- Mon & Wed 6:30 pm
- or Sat & Sun 9 am
- New group every month
Hours
Open early. Open late.
Classes run on the schedule. Open gym runs on the side platforms any time we're open.
Monday to Friday
5:30 am
to 9 pm
Saturday
7 am
to 2 pm
Sunday
8 am
to 1 pm
Your first class is on us.
Tell us what you've done before (nothing counts), pick a time, and a coach will call to set you up. Bring water and flat shoes.