GrassIron

Powerlifting 3x/​week has been the most effective fitness approach I’ve taken, after having tried Camp Gladiator, Crossfit, running, walking, and a variety of diet approaches. I’ve been a client of this gym for nearly two years, and in that time have met all my fitness goals, have participated in one powerlifting and two Strongman events, and am in the best shape of my life.
If you’d never done personal training, it isn’t the cheapest way to go, but having someone else do the planning, tracking, and half the racking and unracking of weights means more time to lift and recover during your hour. Also, I pay by check, for 3 months at a time, for a discount.

I love GrassIron Gym! I love the owners, the trainers, the clients and Lupe’, the most adorable gym dog ever! These folks know what they’re doing AND they’re great people too. There are some hardcore athletes that train there as well as some regular folks like me. The cool part is that everyone is friendly and encouraging. If you need motivation and a pro trainer, this is the place to go!

These guys rock, plain and simple. The gym is owned by two ladies who themselves have been active in lifting for a long time. The trainers they hire are very (very) knowledgeable and talented. I have a number of old injuries that have been challenging to work around, but these trainers seem to have a good trick/​workaround for everything! :)
The staff is very friendly and knows their stuff quite well. I’ve been focusing a lot on form here and they are very VERY good about helping me improve my form on various lifts and movements.
This is some of the best money I’ve ever spent. I encourage anyone looking for a good class and/​or «coach» style trainer to check these guys out. I’m definitely not disappointed.
EDIT — while I’m not a woman obviously, I would say this place is very female-​friendly. I see at least as many women there as I do men, and in some cases I’ve been the _​only_​guy in the room. It’s very clean (you’ll be surprised!) and folks are very nice, not at all your typical «brah» at the gym. I do see people of every age range here — college all the way to senior citizens. And everyone is treated well.

Grassiron is a great environment to challenge your physical self in a positive environment for your emotional self.

Someone stole my Cheers reference which is not fair. I’ve been training at GrassIron since I moved to Austin last year. It has incredibly knowledgeable trainers (and owners) who will help you get wherever you want to go. The gym caters to everyone from people who compete in lifting competitions to lazy people like me that need a kick in the… There are classes (cardio, strength, olympic lifting), there are motivational activities like group walks, there are workshops were you can learn things like goal setting, and there is some awesome personal training. Not like that crap you’ve had before where they probably give the same workout to all their clients. You get a program for you — just for you and whatever your personal goals are — and it changes — often. While I have a long way to go I am in better shape and a better position going forward then I ever have been and I’ve tried it all before. The community is a great support structure and everyone and anyone no matter what you’re looking for is made to feel welcome… you know and everyone knows your name.

I have trained with Pattie from GrassIron for over ten years. These folks are the best there is. This training gym has the most diverse clientele you will see anywhere. At times it reminds me of Cheers. They offer very custom programs, free nutritional help/​advice and there is never any upselling. If you are ready to change your life for the better this is a great place to start.

I’ve known the owners of Grassiron for over a decade, when they opened the gym 2 years ago, I knew it would be excellent. And it was. They are experts in their field, excellent at what they do and have employees trained to the same level of competence. The equipment is top notch, the facility incredible. Plenty of parking, great prices, if you want THE best personal training facility (and the best trainers) in Austin, Texas, get in touch with Grassiron gym today!

I train with Marguerite and take the CardioStrong class. I would highly recommend both. Here’s why:
* Great workouts: The workouts are always personalized for me and designed to push me beyond what I thought I could do. I often end the session feeling completely burnt out, which is exactly what I want. For me, CardioStrong is fun, and the right mix of cardio and strength training to keep me interested (and burning fat). I am in good shape but am looking to get to the next level («really good shape?»). I do see people at all levels at this gym and think that it could be effective for anyone.
* Excellent customer service: The staff is extremely hospitable; they always take the time to say hello and ask me how I’m doing even if I’m not working with them. The encouragement I receive while working out is always positive and motivating. Any email communication I’ve had with them has been efficient and professional.
* Friendly atmosphere: Other gym-​goers are friendly and supportive. The smaller gym size gives me a feeling of comfort, confidence and community.
* Amenities: The gym is always clean. The use of towels is complimentary. They give you a shirt and some swag when you join, which is a nice added touch. I enjoy the variety of equipment in the gym and it’s always in good shape.
Go here, and you’ll see what I mean.

The GrassIron Gym is awesome. If you want transformative results in the context of a welcoming community, this is the place for you. I’d been to several trainers over the years but none of them were able to help me achieve the kind of results I’ve enjoyed at GrassIron:
1. Initially lost 25 lbs. and transformed my eating patterns (no more cravings and I still get all the chocolate I need :-))
2. Kept those pounds off for five years, then proceeded to lose ANOTHER 10 lbs.; no kidding! (In other words, in my mid-​50s I have now returned to the natural body weight I had in 9^th grade, only I’m stronger.)
3. Formed the healthy habit of weight training 1x/​week for strength
4. Formed the healthy habit of playing with others 1x/​week in «CardioStrong» circuit-​style training class
5. Formed the healthy habit of getting at least 7 hours of quality sleep a night
6. Formed the healthy habit of walking at least 10,000 steps a day (thank you GrassIron fitbit group!), and while at work I’ve learned to address intractable problems via stair-​climbing rather than mental-​muscling through…
Through all these changes, GrassIron has kept me injury-​free and taught me that for long-​term results the best strategy is actually to be gentle with myself. (This is not what I ever thought the best path to fitness would be.)
I am profoundly grateful to Amalia, Reet, Tina, Pattie, and Charles, and all my GrassIron friends.

Grassiron is fantastic all around! All the trainers are not only total pros with lots of experience and knowledge, but also genuinely nice people. Their new gym space is immaculately clean and very well set up with everything you could possibly need but nothing extra to get in the way. They offer lots of different class and training options to suit a wide range of fitness goals and schedules. And the atmosphere is always welcoming and encouraging and never the least bit intimidating no matter what your fitness level is when you start. All the folks at Grassiron sincerely care about each one of their clients and it shows. They work with each client individually (even in group settings) to make sure everyone’s unique goals are being met. And the best part is that they make doing the work fun and you will absolutely get rewarded with results. Highly recommend.

Amalia has been my trainer for 6 or 7 years and has taught me more about exercise and weightlifting than i ever imagined possible.
she is meticulous in her programming and super observant. she got me interested in the olympic lifts and powerlifting and i’m stronger than your average chick which feels awesome!
i’ve never injured myself working out with her, not even the overuse injuries that are so common in your average box gym, because she is so mindful and has such a safe and healthy approach. despite that, she has challenged me to lift heavier gradually and set new PR’s– so satisfying.
her abilities as a trainer are far reaching so i would recommend her for anyone– whether you are totally out of shape and need to lose weight, etc, up to an accomplished athlete trying to train better and get stronger.
and their new facility is awesome– super clean, current equipment like TRX, row machines, and tons of olympic lifting equipment, and everyone there is friendly so the atmosphere is inviting.

Grassiron is a great gym! – exceptionally clean and well-​run with lots of interesting and fun equipment (not so many machines) that make for more and varied uses of muscles. Grass iron combines strength training and cardio so that you get it all without really realizing it’s happening. The owner, Amalia and Patty, couldn’t be more accommodating and knowledgable. The time flies by and before you know it you’ve had a really good workout. Highly recommended.

I have been working on the Olympic lifts, primarily with Amalia, for over a year now, and she is an excellent trainer. She is excellent at spotting exactly what you’re doing wrong, and writing programs that allow you to work on those weak points.
I have also had the opportunity to observe them working with other trainees, and I’ve been impressed throughout with their ability to adapt programs to the needs and goals of their trainees (who range from the young and athletic to older trainees who haven’t been active for some time and everything in between). I would recommend them to anyone who would like to start, or even continue, their training.
I also have to say that their new facilities are incredible. They have a number of brand new Eleiko bars, both men’s and women’s, new bumper plates, and because it is their own space they’ve been able to customize it according to their needs (marking agility ladders on the floor, moving equipment to where it is most needed.) I highly recommend Grassiron to anyone interested in personal or small group training.

I’ve trained with Pattie for over three years. My background is in endurance sports but now my primarily activity is power lifting, with running in the background to maintain my cardiovascular fitness.
Initially, we worked on Olympic lifting, but due to the discovery of some underlying shoulder issues and my desire to build more sheer strength, we refocused on the power lifts (squats, dead lifts, bench press) and other specific exercises to increase my upper body strength. I have found Pattie to be knowledgeable, diligent, responsive, and pleasant to work with. With her help I have greatly increased my strength, even with a freak accident in late 2010 that put me out of commission for the better part of a year. I would say that I am stronger right now, even though I am still rehabbing a bit from that injury, than I was when I started out three years ago.
Many people need trainers to push them, and from what I’ve seen, Pattie is fully capable of doing that in a supportive, constructive way. But I have the opposite problem in that, left to my own devices, I often work at too high an intensity level, which can actually impede strength gains in the long term or lead to overuse injuries (or both), and need to be reined in occasionally. Pattie has introduced me to the concept of periodicity and helped me internalize it. She’s also helped me tweak my diet to optimize the effects of training.
I would highly recommend GrassIron in general and Pattie specifically if you want to get strong or conditioned or both (and stay that way). I have also worked with Amalia and Charles and my comments about Pattie apply to them as well.

Grassiron rocks my world.
I have worked with Grassiron for several years now. I have taken several of the specialty classes that they offer from time to time — boot camps, metabolic conditioning in the park and weight lifting classes — as well as individual one-​on-​one time with a trainer. My trainer, Amalia, has worked with me not only to increase my strength, but also has coached me on my nutrition and cardio for weight loss.
Grassiron trainers are NOT «one trick pony» trainers — they evaluate their clients and then create a customized plan for each person based on the results desired and what will work best for that individual. Furthermore, they gladly modify the plan as needed. I always remember something Amalia told me once: there are multiple ways to achieve the same thing. If a particular exercise causes me joint pain, then we will drop it in favor of another one that achieves the same results but without the pain.
They *listen* to me and are very involved with my training. I’ve seen some trainers spend time, playing/​texting on their cell phones, the entire time they are with clients. Personally, when I pay for a session, I want to get my workout on, not sit while someone is sexting with his or her girlfriend /​boyfriend.
For the sake of full disclosure, while I have been engaging Grassiron as trainers for several YEARS now, I have recently been assisting them with some light clerical tasks. While this in no way influences my review (in fact, I do the clerical work BECAUSE they are so awesome), I wanted to be honest so my review would be above reproach.

I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondilitis… which is basically degenerative arthritis and needed to find someone I could work with that wouldnt hurt me. My girlfriend had been telling me to go talk to Pattie Farley with GrassIron for at least a year and I had been resisting. With the new circumstances, I was left without a choice.
When I walked into Hyde Park Gym, I immediately knew this was a good place for me. It was a place for meatheads and average joes and everyone inbetween… which I appreciate being someone who is not an exercise junkie with HUUUUGE pecs or toned anythings.
I’ve been under Patties «direction» now since October and am finding myself watching my nutrition and exercise routine. Pattie is a no-​nonsense kind of trainer who doesnt care if you dont wanna… or if you’re not doing 500 lbs curls… shes ok with that too. She looked at my abilities, researched best practices, called my doctor, made me a latte, etc. and gives me the best of herself each and every week.
Ive worked out with several personal trainers over the years, but have never found one I would actually call a friend. I have definitely found that in Pattie and so will you!

grass iron are the best trainers in Austin, hands down. I’ve been training with Pattie at Hyde Park Gym for a year and couldn’t be happier. I’m in the best shape of my life, I have more energy, eat better (she’s an excellent resource on food and nutrition) and look and feel great. I was a bit apprehensive about joining a gym as I had fallen into pretty poor condition, Pattie made me feel welcome and comfortable and has me working out with confidence.