Local Gym Reviews

Finding the Right Gym in Caldwell and Catawba County

By Josh Miller

  Picking the right gym for you can be difficult. The Caldwell and Catawba County area is the host of many awesome gyms, and the fitness community of this area has grown leaps and bounds since my childhood. There used to be one game in town for both Hickory and Lenoir, and now each is dotted with gyms to fill nearly every niche. I am a longtime meathead, who has taken being a meathead to a professional level by making it my whole life–athletic endeavors, social growth and connections, friendships, and even business and livelihood revolve around the iron. I work with clients hands on exclusively at Ultimate Athletix in Granite Falls, NC. UA is set up as a private training studio, so that the appropriate environment can be created for each client or group. Everything at UA is focused on bringing the absolute best product possible to the training market. The best equipment, the best coaching, the best environment. This compliments my standards for online coaching well, and between the two my schedule stays packed. UA is by far the best place to train in the area and between Charlie and I we have well over 100k weight room hours between work, education, training and competition, as well as experience at the professional and even world class level of multiple sports. However, for all of that good, accessibility to UA is the limiting factor in how many people we can impact because UA is setup as a private studio for the aforementioned quality control reasons. Quite often those who can’t get into UA for a session or wish to train elsewhere on the other days often ask me what gym in this area is the best. The truth is that we have a ton of AMAZING gyms in this area, especially for the size of this area. More than likely, there is at least one place to fit your needs. 

When selecting a gym, there are a few simple considerations you should make. The first is the most important. Do they have what you need to pursue your goals? If your goals are very generalized and health centered, and more focused on building healthy habits then almost any gym should do. If you are training for sport, competition, or just like to be able to train really hard then you may need to seek out a facility to fit your needs better. The next consideration is if the place passes the vibe check. Is it enjoyable and encouraging to be there? Does being there promote a growth mindset? Are people there focused or very distracted? Finally, convenience and logistics. Simply put, will you have the time and ability to consistently make it there? If you are training for competitive goals then convenience isn’t a luxury you have if you want the best outcome, but if you are just looking to get off the couch and start moving, convenience should be very high on your list. In this article I will discuss some of the most popular gyms of the Lenoir, Granite and Hickory area to help you determine which gym is the best fit for you! Chances are, if you are reading this article you like to lift heavy shit. Whether that is you or not, I have you covered in this article. 

The first gym I will discuss is Coach’s Hardcore gym. Wayne Deloria is the owner of Coach’s, and he is a longtime strength and conditioning coach with a wide reaching impact from NASCAR to many walks of life. He created a wonderful home for strength athletes at Coach’s, and was the first REAL gym that was powerlifter-friendly in the area for quite some time. He catered to powerlifters and bodybuilders first, with a unique selection of old school machines to complement a well thought out and efficient free weight setup.

Over time he has added tools and now the gym hosts all the things needed for powerlifting, strongman and bodybuilding. This was so successful that last I heard he had capped his membership to keep the quality of training up. This is a great gym in Hickory, to check out if you have the chance. As I wrote this article I checked up on them, and they are no longer advertising at all, so they may have become just a private group of friends or club lifting at this point. If that is the case and you get an invite, consider yourself lucky. I haven’t seen Wayne in years, but he is a very smart, kind and awesome coach, businessman, and really anything he puts his mind to. And the gym is badass.  

Southside Power and Fitness, a well outfitted facility right by Lenoir-Rhyne University is a sleek and chic gym located conveniently in downtown Hickory. They have great equipment overall, and it is a nice facility with an upscale aesthetic.

It has a very clean, modern vibe, and supports LR in many ways. It makes a ton of sense for LR students to train there, as it is very nice and close by. It is well outfitted for bodybuilders, has a strip of turf for sled work and athletic movements, and has most things you would need for most types of training–including a nice PL bench, an area that works well for CF-like training and olympic lifting. Lots of great lighting to make your pumps look awesome and a fun place to get in a session. 

Xcel Fitness is the best commercial gym in Hickory by far in my opinion. From the vibe to the equipment, they truly do excel. They have all the basic free weight equipment you would need, and the owner is cool enough that he accommodates competitive lifters with special needs by either getting what they need, or letting them bring in specialized equipment and store it for their use. Everyone from true gym beginners to elite lifters are taken care of at Xcel. 

The owner of Xcel, Mike, is a great guy who takes the time to get to know his members and always makes people feel welcome, and strives to give them every tool for success. He is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about all aspects of the fitness industry–from business to equipment to the training itself. He knows a ton of Iron History, and has a real appreciation for strength sports, bodybuilding, and fitness culture. On top of that he is a great dude that really cares about his members, and it shows with the amazing facility he and his wife run together. Mike has selected the absolute best machines over time, from various lines. His knowledge allowed him to hand pick the best from various places, resulting in a wonderful combination of equipment at Xcel. Mike is constantly improving the facility as well, with the already stacked facility getting new equipment as it is developed, assuming it is a good piece of equipment that passes Mike’s evaluation of it and isn’t redundant with equipment he already has. 

Xcel has a cardio and “box” type of area, and a great area for group classes which provides a comfortable area of the gym to hit basic barbell movements. Everything you would need machine wise is taken care of in a hallway that serves as a quiet transition zone to the weight room.

The free weight area is outfitted very well also with everything you need from racks to tons of bars including some specialty bars and tons of plate loaded machines. What really sets them apart in terms of layout and equipment is the ability to flow between it all, and for it to be very packed and still not feel congested. Everything from selection to layout shows Mike’s experience in the fitness industry. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and Mike can boast that his gym hosts many successful members, both personally and competitively with several lifters from Xcel being top ranked lifters nationally, and even worldwide as well as having tons of success stories. If you are in Hickory, or anywhere in Catawba County, you are missing out if this is not your gym or at least in your rotation as you can! 

Planet Fitness gets a lot of hate from the lifting community, and while it typically deserves a good bit of it, it is not an option that is completely off the table. Especially if the alternative is nothing. If logistics or budget limits you otherwise, and you live right beside a 24/7 gym that is very cheap compared to competitors then it makes sense. If for no other reason, than to set yourself up for consistency so that you can adopt healthy habits. Definitely not my first choice in Hickory, but it is a choice. If general fitness is the goal, then it has everything you need. 

Moving on from Hickory, we have the Granite/Hudson area. Evolution Fitness 321, AKA Evo Fit is right off 321 in Granite, and is a convenient spot that has all the basics for Granite locals.

It is open 24/7 to make it convenient for their members to get their training in, and Tyler is a great dude. It is affordable, convenient, and accessible in a friendly, non-intimidating, welcoming atmosphere. 

Right up the road a few miles in Hudson a new facility has just opened, and IT IS SICK! They have created a space that is welcoming to all, INCLUDING those who train HARD! It is a friendly environment that gives you every tool for success from incredible equipment, amazing nutrition available in the form of healthy whole food meals, or shakes and supplements from their smoothie bar and 24/7 convenience. They are outfitted with the nicest new equipment money can buy, from the best racks with tons of cool attachments, to Ivanko weights, bars, and a Dynabody Standing Presses, to the ENTIRE ARSENAL LINE OF MACHINES, along with a few other machines pieced in that the owners, Roger and Angela Coffey selected to make this facility truly special and set apart from other facilities in the area.

They have literally anything you could need, and pretty much anything you could want too. Their facility is extremely well thought out, from equipment selection to layout, and they have really maximized their already large space and made equipment selections that streamline training, allowing you to bust out your sessions with the most intensity.

In the back of the gym they have a turf area for warming up and athletic movements, along with loaded carries with the yoke or farmer’s carries with the trap bar. Roger and Angela also display their appreciation for strength athletics by featuring successful bodybuilders, powerlifters and crossfit athletes who are all locals on their “Wall of Legends” in the back. I am honored to be on that wall, and I must say that the facility definitely lives up to the name, this place is LEGIT! Legit is close enough to Lenoir and Granite to be convenient for residents of either, and open 24 hours a day makes this the clear best choice for those in Hudson, Lenoir or Granite areas, and a truly special gym that you are missing out on if it is not at least in your rotation. The absolute best facility in Caldwell County by a long shot. 

Coming on up to Lenoir, you have three main commercial gym facilities that are convenient options for residents of Lenoir who cannot make it to Hudson or Hickory to train. Anytime Fitness, Workout Anytime, and Quest 4 Life. 

For many years, Quest 4 Life was the only game in town, meaning that it was the only gym you could count on being in business longterm. This is the place myself and many of the other local fitness professionals were bitten by the “Iron Bug”, and I think we will all forever be grateful for the journey that started there. However I think the fact that so many of us chose to go out and create ways to fill unfulfilled niches and services in the industry speaks for itself. They are not a 24/7 facility but do have a lot of pin-selected equipment, the basics for free weights, and several options for classes which make them very accessible to those primarily seeking to begin establishing healthy habits, as well as aging and special populations, and they are the only facility in town that does Silver Sneakers. This last point alone is awesome because it allows older individuals who qualify to attend certain aspects of the gym for free or at a reduced cost. They provide discounts to various employers around town, and have a lot of amenities that other facilities do not have, which does make them an attractive option to some working age adults as well. It is all about if a place is right for you, so if this sounds like an attractive option to you, then it is probably suited to what you need. 

Anytime Fitness was next on the scene in Lenoir. When Anytime Fitness opened, it felt like a beacon of positivity in the Lenoir fitness scene and gave off vibes of the good Rebel Alliance against the Evil Empire. It was opened by the incredibly friendly and welcoming Alex and Aja White, and is continued by a team of kind and positive trainers. It opened with the basics plus a few amenities. A badass rig with several squat racks, a small functional fitness area, group fitness studio, tanning, a cardio section, and the basics for machines.  What it lacked in machine equipment and amenities in comparison to Quest, it made up for with an energetic, open minded, friendly and inclusive atmosphere, a better free weight area with some specialty bars, more racks, a deadlift platform, kettlebells in an area for everyone to use and 24/7 access, and it is cheaper. Anytime Fitness is a great option if you are in Lenoir and probably won’t make it to Hudson or beyond often to train, or if you want to have a backup place to train hard when you cannot make it to Hudson or beyond. They have everything you NEED and they are open 24/7, as well as being located at a place in town that is easily accessible to many.  

Workout Anytime opened in Lenoir as it became clear that the market had space for more than one player in this area if they are given a fun and friendly environment that is conducive to training. Workout Anytime is comparable to Anytime Fitness in convenience and almost comparable to Quest on equipment variety, except the equipment quality and business model as a whole is aimed more at providing a convenient, budget friendly option. It does this very well, by providing a large swath of pretty decent equipment in the most affordable gym in Lenoir, and with 24/7 access. Workout Anytime is like a friendlier, more laid back Planet Fitness. It isn’t really designed for people to train insanely hard on that equipment, but they won’t discourage you from trying and you are allowed to do normal barbell movements. For lots of people, this honestly is a great option. 

This article primarily focuses on commercial gyms and public training facilities in the area. There are a number of smaller semi private and private gyms and studios in the area, as well as some of the franchised bootcamp style fitness classes and CF or CF style training. If that is what you are looking for, there are lots of options you can explore in the area. If you would like your facility or a piece of equipment reviewed, or have other article suggestions, you can have your input heard by emailing ntbfwtrainingsystems@gmail.com.