Unit 2 Fitness

I tried their crossfit out through Classpass.
First off, you need to know that it appears to be a boarded up building that has been shut down… go around to the back… it is super sketch, but if you go to the back there is a door. I show up to a gym about 10 – 15 minutes early when it is the first time I am going to it. I came here drove around until I looked on Unilocal and finally realized I needed to go to the back, parked, walked to the door and it was locked. I called a couple times and got the answering machine. Finally someone else walked up and stood there. About 5 minutes before the class began, the instructor showed up.
The gym is nothing fancy. Equipment is not super new, but it works… I have done a lot of crossfit and am usually happy with the workout. This one only had a really 3 exercises, all of which were shoulders. I felt that there was a good amount of down time. When I go to a gym, I don’t want to waste any time while I am there, because I would much rather waste time on my couch rather than just waiting around between workouts at a gym…
Their locker rooms/​showers are very basic. The showers are hot and powerful, which is great, but don’t expect any other amenities…
I would like to try their kickbox classes as I love to do kickbox… not sure if I would try crossfit there as I like a lot more other places for crossfit.

Unit 2 has the best jiu jitsu in Atlanta. THIS is the place to be if you’re serious about training BJJ. U2 also offers a variety of other classes like Kickboxing, Boxing, MMA, Fencing, Crossfit, and Personal Training. My wife particularly loves the women’s ONLY classes.
I’ve traveled all over the country training at different gyms and this place is one of the best I’ve ever experienced. I highly recommend you check it out.

Unit 2 has horrible customer service. After I moved, I tried contacting them for 28 days to cancel my membership and could not get anyone to return my phone calls or emails. The manager ending up telling me that he was not responsible for his staff not being able to return or deliver my messages. I felt tricked into paying an extra month and that I was dealing with a very unprofessional business. There are way to many awesome crossfits/​gyms in Atlanta to settle on this one.

I will give it to you straight.
Unit 2 is not cheap nor is it pretty.
But you know what? When fitness is your priority those things should not matter.
And Unit 2 is pretty awesome for that.
You are not paying to walk on the treadmill for 3 hours. Nor are you paying for tons of mirrors to take selfies. Nor are you paying for folks to flex around the machines to talk about how hard they train.
You are paying to work out with top notch trainers who train you to be as fit as they are. You are paying to work out with trainers who have a mixed martial arts mentality. That is NOT a LA fitness mentality. Its a way of life and they are serious. They help you, but they don’t pat you on the shoulder and accept your excuses.
And the gym is not pretty. Its not fancy machines or lockers rooms with saunas.
Its a gym with a boxing ring, with heavy weights, barbells, kettlebells and a kickboxing ring with heavy bags. The back has mats for the MMA stuff which I dont venture into because I am not closely qualified for that stuff. There is kickboxing and crossfit for us normal folks.
They offer:
Kickboxing
Crossfit
Jiu-​Jitsu
Muay Thai
Yea the serious stuff. And other serious stuff.
I recommend Unit 2 for some serious training. They focus on things like form, nutrition and getting healthy as a way of life. I remember once a trainer said to me regardless of what you do in the gym, if you cannot move your own body weight in a life saving situation, you are in trouble. I been hooked ever since.
Oh and they have kids classes too. No, not a kids rooms, kids classes. Yesterday they were punching it out in the ring while I was kicking a bag. I can appreciate kids getting some real activity in their lives.

Yday was my first day and they made every effort possible to make me feel comfortable. And the trainers are pushing and encouraging you to give your best. It was great to be there.

While the workouts and the instructor that taught the 2 classes I took were very nice, my issues was with the legality and wording of their cancelation policy. I attempted over a 5 day period to resolve this issue with no response from emails or messages left to the owner. I filed a BBB complaint and this complaint still remains unresolved due to the fact that no where in writing does it state the canceled contacts can be debited on any date other than the agreed upon date in the billing section of my contract.
I found the owner Nick deKay to be very rude, evassive to the actual issue and full of execuses, not any actual answers or apology; which is all that I wanted.
All though the trainers may be top rate, due to the billing contract issue and Nick deKay the owner, I would not recommend this facility. Very unprofessional.

I have a 1 month trial to this gym via Living Social that I will not be continuing and I’d like to explain why. On Tuesday night, I decided to try a kickboxing class. I believe the instructor that night was Will Ivy (based on photos on the website).
I saw Will and someone else making fun of the new people in the class.
As a trainer, Will’s job is to motivate and encourage people who are TRYING to better themselves. Not make fun of them! I cannot even explain the degree to which I am disgusted by this behavior, but it is also just bad business sense. Who would want to work out there after witnessing that?
Additionally, I think a trainer’s job is to TRAIN people. Throwing out commands without explaining HOW to do something is not training people. It’s lazy. He didn’t even wait until the class was finished to leave!
The bottom line is I am extremely disappointed that I gave these people even 1 cent of my hard earned money. If I had known this is the type of culture they encourage and/​or allow, I would never have wasted my time trying this gym.
UPDATE: in response to the owner’s post, I would just like to say that 1) I am not self conscious when I work out. I am pretty fucking awesome at cardio kickboxing and did it for a year and a half at another gym (X3 Sports which I highly recommend) with absolutely no problem. I don’t believe the trainer was making fun of ME. I think he was making fun of PEOPLE. 2) he ended the class abruptly and didn’t even walk us through a cool down or stretch period. I wasn’t commenting on the length of the class, I was commenting that he didn’t stay to finish what he told us to do at the end. 3) Now that I’m doing cross fit at another gym — something I also tried here — I can say I’m equally unimpressed by their xfit instruction.
Bottom line is I am not a moron, I know what I saw, I’m fairly intuitive about people, and I stand by my review.

I’ve just finished my second month of kickboxing classes at Unit 2. I started in late October by signing up for a year membership of two classes a week (the cheapest option, at $ 50/​mo). The holidays were just around the corner and I wanted to lock myself into a fitness routine that would be really resistant to any kind of wriggle room or rationalization.
I chose Unit 2 because of their good reputation, close proximity to my home and work, and they were well-​recommended by my previous gym. I also just don’t do traditional gyms because I have no motivation to make myself work out. I need someone to push me– and MMA is great at that. (Fighters have to be in really amazing shape, so they know how to WORK.)
So far it’s been good. I’d been going to a gym that was pretty far away, and it had instilled some pretty bad habits of not working out consistently. The holidays interrupted being able to go twice a week, but other than that, I’ve committed.
Kickboxing is a popular class, with a lot of available class times. Multiple classes during the day, with plenty of evening classes for the after-​work crowd. Unit 2 has a pretty steady rotation of instructors for kickboxing classes. I’m sure they teach other courses, so the class is more like an obligation for a lot of the trainers there. Still, it means you get instructors with different backgrounds and training preferences.
The instructors try new things and different styles outside of the standard drills, cardio and ab training. This is GREAT if you don’t want to get to adapted to your workout routine (but don’t want to go all CrossFit). I love that in just 2 months I’ve gotten elements of weight and strength training, plyometrics, circuit training, and more in my workout. One of the trainers even makes us jump rope– traditional cardio training for boxers.
Results?
Well, there was the holiday diet and about a total of two weeks that I missed, but yes, for the most part I have seen some results– besides the result of being ABLE to get through the class. (The first week I was near vomiting the whole time, and even into the third week I wasn’t able to keep up with the class– so I consider just getting up to speed and in shape to do the workout a result.)
BUT, I have noticed that my booty has gotten smaller, yet my weight has gone up, anywhere from 2 – 4 lbs (my normal range). So I’ve both lost fat and gained muscle. I think that in just two months this is pretty good– considering all I have to do is show up and have them yell at me! Seeing any kind of results is a good push to continue working out, and I’m excited to see where I’ll be when summer rolls around!
My long term goals are to minimize my thunder thighs, and bulk up my butt. If you have similar goals (weight loss, sculpting), I’d recommend supplementing with more than two classes a week, or with some other kind of strength training workout to build muscle (like I keep telling myself I’m going to do).
I highly recommend committing to a monthly membership and getting through the first month or two– I think a lot of people give up after a week or two, or just aren’t consistent. It’s common knowledge among the staff that the gym fills up in January with resolutions-​fulfillers and returns to normal by April. If you’re looking to meet a fitness goal as a resolution– prove them wrong! Don’t give yourself the option of quitting or lapsing and lock yourself into a long-​term membership like I did. You’ll thank me later ;)
There are some cons to Unit 2:
— Dirty. There are dust bunnies wherever people aren’t walking, and the mats are not at all clean– despite the strict no shoes policy. The bottoms of my feet are always BLACK at the end of class. I know it’s no corporate, franchise gym with a professional janitorial staff– but given the fact that it’s lots of people running bare foot and sweating and rolling around on the floor, they could stand to pay more attention to this.
*If this bothers you, but you still want the MMA gym experience, I really recommend Team Octopus
. It literally SPARKLES in comparison.
— Parking. The lot is horrible. It’s totally torn up on one side and people cram it in there. Your other option is on the street– which in Midtown… I made the mistake of going to a few classes around peak time, 6:30, and have had to park a few blocks down and walk. Definitely try to go earlier or later if you don’t want to spend 10 minutes trying to find a spot, or if you can’t parallel park…
— They don’t go the full hour! On the schedule the classes are listed as an hour, but there’s some internal memo that I missed that says the classes actually only last 50 minutes. I’m not paying someone to let me slack! I joined the classes because I can’t self motivate. I’m sure I could’ve gotten an extra 50 – 100 calories burned in those extra 10 minutes.

Love the location. Great instructors but no parking and what really killed it for me is that the management doesn’t fix the air conditioning. Just had my last workout there after sweating in a 90 degree gym. Atlanta is not the city to have a gym that doesn’t invest in AC!

Went there and got injured so had to suspend my membership for a couple months. I went to the office and notified them. They turned my account over to a shysty foreign collection agency which has be constantly harassing me for a completely fake $ 1500 bill.
I have contacted the Gym several times to try to pay them the few months that I owe, but they do not respond. The collections agency is still harassing me.
What a terrible experience.

Two words — Roberto freaking Traven. Ok, that was three words.

I’ve been a member at Unit 2 for almost 2 years, and it’s been a great experience. I joined the gym for their striking classes (Muay Thai and boxing), their kickboxing class, and their weight room. They also offer Capoeira, Brazilian JuJitsu & CrossFit, though I’m pretty sure you have to be deranged to enjoy CrossFit. Or maybe you just like vomiting from exertion. Personally, I do not.
The gym’s location is pretty good– it’s central (just off Ponce, near Piedmont), so it’s convenient to most in-​town neighborhoods. The parking lot can get packed at certain times (i.e. the 5:30 classes), but street parking is usually available, too. Unit 2’s hours are slightly less convenient than those of bigger gyms, but that’s what I expect from a smaller gym.
Speaking of the gym’s total membership size, I love it. This isn’t an LA Fitness or a Gold’s. It isn’t some massive cavern with rows upon rows of sad people miserably walking on treadmills. The space isn’t tiny, but it’s cozy. There aren’t mirrors covering every conceivable surface, and there isn’t a stereo cranking out top 40 dance hits on repeat. Unit 2 is a little gritty– which is precisely what I want in my fighting gym. The weight area isn’t very large (it can get cramped when it’s busy) and there aren’t many specialized machines, but I feel like I can get a good lifting workout when I want to.
When started my membership, I lacked any fighting experience whatsoever (except for some karate classes… when I was 7). I took advantage of the free week that they offer to prospective members and tried out their beginning Muay Thai class. I had a good experience, so I signed up for 12 months of striking classes. I can only speak to the Muay Thai and boxing classes, and I love them. The class sizes are small (usually 2 – 12 students of varying skill levels), so every student gets personal attention. The senior students are also friendly and very patient with beginners. Students are mostly young and middle-​age guys (of varying shape & size), though women are definitely welcome and do attend. My only gripe is that the first evening class starts at 5:30, so I’m usually late due to traffic (and I have to leave work early to make it).
There are a few different instructors that teach the Muay Thai classes, and they’re all great. The instructors are varied enough that you have options as to who best fits your personality and skill level. They were really good with me as a beginner, but they work with students of all skill levels. The classes usually consist of a mix of light partner drills, pad work with partners, and occasionally some sparring (intensity is up to you) as well as 10 – 15 minutes of conditioning drills. In other words, you’re not stuck working a heavy bag for an hour. All of the instructors also offer private lessons (for a price), so you can get additional training if you think you need it.
I felt like I was going to puke during my first month of taking classes (and I was decently fit), but I just got in better shape (now I just sweat profusely). I highly recommend Unit 2 everybody, especially anyone interested in the combat sports that Unit 2 offers.

The trainers here are merciless, which is probably a good thing. I don’t know that I’ve exercised as hard as I did here in a long time. It smells like you came here to sweat, which is probably also appropriate. However, they take care of you.
They push in a way that’s encouraging — no quitters/​slackers allowed. I also liked the little courtesies like them helping you put your boxing gloves on, and that you can buy water from behind the counter that isn’t prices so ridiculously that you feel like they’re taking advantage of my desperate need for re-​hydration.
Even with all the effort, it was a lot of fun. If you want to test your endurance and pick up a new skill, definitely check this place out. Just don’t be scared off if you have a hard time finding the door, because it’s in the back with a questionable looking parking lot. ;)

This is a actual mix martial arts, cross fit, kickboxing gym, it’s where people come to exercise or train and go home. There is no hanging around and nobody cares what you’re wearing. Personally, I like that nobody really talks to me. When I’m done I’m sweaty and I’m tired. I first came here because my wife bought a daily deal for kick boxing. When she told me I responded with «ugh, seriously? I hate exercising with other people and I hate exercise classes». Suffice to say, I was less than thrilled. The first class I got there, checked in, got gloves and was told to pick out a heavy bag (but not the century bags as they are old and hard as a rock, which is great advice). Kickboxing classes are 50 minutes. By the end of class I was drenched in sweat, as was most everybody else. It was a good overall workout and I was able to keep up (nothing too complex). The next 10 classes, same thing. I’m sweaty, tired, and got a good workout. Someone told me «I’ve being doing this a year, it doesn’t get easier». My daily deal ended and I signed up for 4 more months. Even after a month I could feel my clothes fitting a more loose.
Something else I like about the kickboxing class? It’s a good mix of people. It’s not huge muscle guys. It’s men and women in all ranges of ability. Nobody is even watching you because we’re actually exercising. Word to the wise, bring flip flops. I don’t know about the women’s change room, but the men’s is kind of gross. You may want to bring a towel or washcloth as well, like I said you’ll be really sweaty. And get to class early. Parking can be tight and you’ll need time to change/​stretch. I think they do daily deals on a regular basis, so I suggest looking for one.

I personally have a hard time sticking with a gym unless I have a goal in mind. Unit 2 is great at giving you goals, and fantastic with making you want to succeed for yourself and for the other folks in class.
I’ve been training at Unit 2 for about 3 months, (give or take) and I can honestly say that this gym will help you get in shape.
You’re not going to walk into the gym, put in your earbuds, and watch CNBC while walking on a treadmill though, so if you’re looking for that kind of workout, stick with what’s comfortable.
If you really want to get in shape, and get a great workout with a great group of people, this is the place to be.
Gyms like this constantly get chalked up to testosterone-​laden meathead dens, and I’ll admit I was worried about that mindset myself when I started doing jiu jitsu there. What I discovered is that Roberto Traven’s BJJ class is full of the nicest, most helpful people you can hope to train with. Everyone that’s a member of Roberto’s team has a passion for the art, and they’re excited to see a newbie develop the same passion.
With that being said, be ready to get worked. You’re going to be sore. You’re going to ache in spots that you didn’t know had muscles. If you’re a guy, chances are one of the women in class will pwn you on the mats… even if you’re much bigger than her. If you don’t give up and keep showing up to class, you will start to notice a flatter stomach, better endurance, and more confidence.
As far as pricing goes, I pay around the same amount as a YMCA membership would cost, but for me, it’s a much better deal.
Give it a try, you’ll be surprised at what it’s really like at this gym!

You want a brutal workout set to a dope soundtrack?! Come here! Nothing further to say.
Your body will thank me later!

GOD, I felt like such a badass when I left this place. Something about punching a 100lb 8ft bag with boxing gloves just brings out the bloodlust in a gal.
Even though this place was the epitome of off-​in-​the-​cut, and even though the gloves smelled like ass warmed up, then spread over sweaty feet, I’d do their kickboxing class again in a heartbeat.
Fun times.

From the very start when my hands were getting wrapped, I thought to myself, «Oh yea, I feel dangerous». The kick boxing personal trainer took that foolish notion out of my noggin by having me (and the rest of the class), kick, punch, perform combos in between burpees, running around the bags and jump squats.
There is a bit of instruction, although after showing the moves to us twice, the class got it, though like others have said, when you commit to kicking those bag, your shin ain’t happy. Speaking of instruction, the trainer I had is dedicated to you getting the best work out you can, and would often tell us when running, pass people if you have to, and definitely challenged us with «that’s not as high as you can kick is it??»
So i’m not going to be a professional fighter… but after completing that 50 minute class, I still feel dangerous and i’d highly recommend a course.

You can just smell the testosterone as soon as you walk in.
This gym is on some serious Cock Rock shit. Which is great if you’re training for MMA, have a penis, or enjoy paying quite a bit of money for the privilege of having someone kick the shit out of you. If you’re training with Roberto Traven or you’re an MMA fighter (male or female) I’m sure you’d rate this gym 5 stars. I regularly see some of my old teachers on local fight bills.
If you’re not particularly coordinated, or knowing your right from left isn’t reflexive, I’d skip the kickboxing class. The teachers spent so much time stopping class to show me how to squat, jab, pivot, blah fucking blah that I was sure I wasn’t burning the 500 – 700 calories per hour they claim per class. I could never figure out how to kick the fucking bag without killing my feet and shins, could never get the routines down, couldn’t even figure out how to wrap my hands without looking like a mummy. Evidently I’m not cut out for kickboxing.
Also, dont be fucking cocky. I had this idea that since I could breeze through most bootcamp classes and I’m scrappy, Muay Thai was the thing for me. They tried to sway me out of the regular Muay Thai class, but I wasn’t having it. So I went, with 4 sweaty, grody dudes and tried to act like I was ‘fine, fine, no I’m fine’. After my ears started ringing and I got dizzy from getting kicked so hard, I had to admit: I’m not a fighter. I’m a sucker-​punching bitch, but not a fighter.
Their cancellation policy sucks, too. I had to email them and still got charged.

I’ve been a member of Unit 2 for about a year.
It’s an awesome gym and if you want to get serious about MMA then you need to come here.
Roberto Traven is the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor here. He is experienced and has won the Abu Dhabi Submissions Tournaments 2 years and is a UFC veteran. His teaching style is excellent and I love how he runs the class. I’ve been to Knuckle Up’s BJJ class and it’s not that good.
For their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class I would give it 5 stars.
This gym has the usual stuff… kickboxing class, Muay Thai, free weights, MMA ring, and Boxing ring.
The membership prices is cheaper than Knuckle Up.
The only thing I have to complain about is their membership services. Instead of talking to a person to cancel you have to email them. The thing is I emailed membership services several times and got no response back. Very hard to reach at times. I actually emailed them to cancel my membership after the one year was up but they continue to charge me.
This is my only gripe but despite this because it is very MMA oriented gym and because they have a great asset like Roberto Traven it’s worth going to.