Travis County Strength

Great gym, great trainers, no egos. Not only are the trainers down to earth and educated, they want to see you succeed. This all adds to the motivation. Your classmates (or athletes as we are called) are cool, supportive and from all walks of life. Some have been at it a while and others as new as you are. The best part is every day you go the workout is different and you’ll be greeted with a smile (possibly a fist bump). You’ll leave exhausted but empowered. Good for the soul.

Ditto what previous reviewers have said. I’m also a Day 0 member and convert.
I resided overseas for two years after 1.5 years training under Travis. Well, let me take a step back and say after 1 year I went to the foreign country for a «look-​see» /​scouting trip, and was worried about maintaining my fitness for those few weeks. Travis had a simple suggestion — take an empty sandbag in my suitcase and fill it up there! That sense of innovation, that equipment and facilities shouldn’t limit the possibilities, and challenge to think outside the proverbial box is one of the things I’ve always admired about Travis.
While living overseas, I got distance coaching from Travis. He was very accommodating, understanding not every gym in every country has yokes, sleds, kegs, etc., and helped tailor the program to my circumstances.
But it just wasn’t the same, and what I mean is that unique environment in his classes. You won’t find a nicer coach who genuinely cares about your well being and progress. At least I haven’t. And somehow that spirit reverberates through the membership, as I have met some driven and motivating fellow members who make you want to give it 100% each class.

Travis is an excellent trainer and an amazing deadlifter (knocking out 12+ reps on the car deadlift in the up-​to-​175 weight class at the Hill Country Classic Strongman event last June). Gym owners who compete themselves have a lot of credibility. I prefer simple powerlifting and spare the cardio, personally, but for those who want it, I recommend this gym.

TCS, Travis Holley and Jen Shaw are amazing. I have been coming to TCS since it first open and I have been training with Travis for the last 3 years. I have done every type of workout there is from, crossfit, rugby, running groups to the conventional gym and there is nothing that compares to the work and energy that I put in at TCS. I love the atmosphere… it’s a non judgemental gym, where everyone is just trying to improve themselves plus it is really FUN! I laugh every time I am there and that is also usually at 5:30am which says a lot!
I can not recommend this gym enough! Try it and you will love it!

Great trainers and members that create a warm, comfortable, and amazing experience. I was visiting Austin and had my bro in law bring me in to keep working out while in town and Travis and the rest of TCS community were extremely welcoming. The wods were extremely challenging and Travis kept us motivated, even feeling comfortable enough to call me out on my ability to push some more weight, But also pulling me back when necessary. Any time I’m in Austin, I’ll be in TCS, and if I ever find myself living in Austin, this is the box I’ll be in.
If you’re looking for a box to change up your program, or just looking to get into CF, try TCS. The professionalism and great community support is all you’ll need to increase your gains and stay motivated for shattering any personal goals you have.

The hours I spend at Travis County Strength transform the rest of my life. The workouts are challenging in themselves and I am always left with a healthy dose of endorphins at the end. But my workouts here have also given me a kind of fitness that makes me eager to be active in the rest of my life. Picking up kids, running up hills, moving furniture, ice skating, hiking — I look forward to any kind of activity because, thanks to my years in LIFT with Jen, I am strong and I know my body. Like many at TCS, I discovered my love for working out at a crossfit gym. Happily, the parts of crossfit I did not like (ripped hands from tons of pullups, injuries, excessive competition, weird masochistic attitudes, weird narcissistic attitudes) are absent at TCS. There is more focus on functional movement and a fun variety of movements and equipment. The gym is spacious and the equipment is plentiful and well-​organized.
Jen and Travis, the owners, are genuine and passionate and they attract people who are genuine and passionate. I am impressed by every coach and trainer I observe at TCS. Nyki, who coaches LIFT with Jen, is not just a great coach but an inspiring human being. She should probably be cloned. If you are a lifelong bad-​ass athlete, you will find a challenge here. If you are a beginner, you will be valued here. I work out in Jen’s LIFT program with women ages 20 something to 60 something and I always end up feeling a unique respect for, and connection with, each person. It’s just that kind of place.

I thought I would write my first Unilocal review about the place I miss the very most in Austin, TX, where I lived from 2003 – 2014. Would that TCS have arrived earlier in my life, perhaps I would have avoided innumerable body image issues, digestive woes, and other consequences of aging…
My experience is mainly with the LIFT program, and also Jaime’s oly classes and small group work, just for full disclosure.
As an orchestral percussionist, I was wary to get into lifting weights and felt my habits of distance running and cycling were acceptable, no hands needed! However, once I started crossfit in 2012, I quickly saw the benefits of strength training and began to reap the benefits. By happy circumstance, I was introduced to Jen as my team coach for a challenge through my crossfit box, and I found her to be an engaging, intuitive person who honed in on my weaknesses and began to turn them into strengths. When she and Travis opened TCS late last year, I knew I had to start going there, and I’m so glad I did. The other ladies in the class didn’t know me very well, and it was clear that many of them had been working together for years and had deeply formed friendships and bonds, but they welcomed me and encouraged me. It was the first time in my adult life that I came to value female friendships outside my close circle of orchestra friends. I only wish I had been able to stay in Austin longer to cultivate those relationships. And the coaching! Jen yelled at me. A lot. In the awesome way only someone who is fully committed to, concerned about, and dedicated to your well being and improvement can be. She rocks. She doesn’t tolerate half-​assed work, and she makes you believe that you shouldn’t either. In fact, all the coaches there share this core set of values. My work with Jaime also began through a Crossfit challenge. She doesn’t yell so much, but like Jen, really knows her clients from tip to toe and gets great work out of them. Jaime is also a seriously accomplished lifter, and I learned so much about my form from her. When I found out I was moving to California, Jen and Jaime were the first two people in Austin who I told, and LIFT was the last place I visited before leaving Austin, well, second to last, as I was famished after the workout and needed a very large meal to set me off on the road properly. Since moving, I have found a new gym with coaches I like and people who so far seem very kind and hard working, but it’s not the same. TCS is a special place, one that will make you strong, yes, but one that will become a fixture in your life and have you dragging your very sore but thankful muscles back day after day to squat and sprint and climb round on your hands or drag tires to infinity and beyond with a big smile on your face.

I love Travis County Strength, and have been a member since day 0. We never do the same work out and always have a great time.
My only beef is the monthly membership system. Payment is made based not a Gregorian month, but the number of reservations allowed are based on a lunar month, which basically means by the end of the month, one will more than likely need to pay the drop in fee if they want to keep their routine up.

What’s amazing to me is the variety of people working out at TCS. 20-​somethings, high school athletes, regular adults, Crossfit-​types in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Everyone seems to be comfortable here, and the coaches do a great job of tailoring the group and individual workouts to the abilities and/​or limitations of their clients. The wide variety of training toys is pretty cool too — barbells, plyoboxes, farmer carry handles, atlas stones, sandbags, kettlebells, tire sleds, regular sleds, medicine balls… you get the idea.

Travis County Strength is the best gym you will find in Austin. If you are looking for a truly challenging workout, knowledgeable coaches and a community of amazing people, this is the place to go. I have been at TCS since the day it opened (about a year ago) and have been working out with Jen (one of the co-​owners) for about 1.5 years. During this time not only have I become stronger and built more muscle (without looking bulky), but overall my life has been completely transformed (for the better).
1) Equipment– TCS is a crossfit/​strongman hybrid. If you are looking for an elliptical machine or treadmill, you won’t find that here. Instead you will use real workout equipment like barbells, logs, sandbags, sledge hammers, tires, sleds, yokes, atlas stone, kegs. You will be sore in places you never imagined you could be sore.
2) Programming– Jen and Travis (co-​owners) do an amazing job with their programming. I’ve tried both the Strictly Strength classes and the LIFT classes, and both have smart and effective programming. The one hour classes start with a quick warm-​up followed by 3 – 4 different 10 min or so workouts. While focusing mostly on building strength, we also do short metcons. However, unlike at some crossfit gyms, the workouts are truly thought out and planned (which helps avoid needless injury). You won’t be doing 100 thrusters here for time… But you will be doing workouts that actually help build muscle and strength.
3) Coaches– All of the coaches here are amazing, friendly and truly care about your progress. In the LIFT program I have been coached by Jen, Mary and Nyki. All of them are beyond encouraging and have helped me achieve goals I never thought possible. The same goes for Travis. They will all make you work, but you will be grateful in the end. In addition, the coaches are more than just coaches. Jen has not only encouraged me during workouts at the gym, but has motivated me to do more with my life and career. She truly cares about the happiness and well-​being of her clients, inside and out of the gym.
4) Community– Our workouts are done in classes of maximum 12 people. (Sunday LIFT classes are usually at max capacity, while sometimes during the week the early morning classes might have 3 – 4 people). The women who are part of LIFT are incredible. You never feel alone during a workout. Someone is always shouting words of encouragement, coaching you through getting that stone from the ground to your shoulder, telling you that you can deff add more weight to the bar, etc. Having such a group of women around you will help you finish even the toughest of workouts.
5) Food– Working out is only one part of being healthy. The other part involves eating foods that are whole and that will fuel your body specifically. Over the year, Jen has helped me figure out what I need to eat to achieve my fitness goals and to become stronger. Her approach to this is practical and involves changes that can be part of a lifestyle, not a temporary diet. In addition once or twice a year, the LIFT girls will food log together so that we can all monitor each other’s food, sleep and water, give advice, provide recipes and help encourage each other to eat better. In addition, TCS also provides nutrition seminars to further help us figure out what we need to be eating and how much.
If you are looking for a gym I suggest you come try this place out. It is expensive, but trust me, it is worth every penny.

TCS is an amazing strength & conditioning facility led by some of the most incredible coaches I’ve ever trained with! It’s challenging, but adaptable to any level. The coaches urge you to listen to your body and there’s an emphasis on technique & safety of the movements. You’ll never have the same workout twice and we often use fun ‘strongman’ tools like tires, kegs and stones. I’m only 5′ tall so you don’t have to have a strongman physique to throw around some kegs or flip tires!
The space is huge with tons of parking and a shower in case you need to head straight to work. I love the people I train with and I always leave feeling accomplished. Travis & Jen have really created a sense of community at TCS and I can’t imagine training anywhere else!

If you think you’re really strong/​swoll/​ripped, come do one workout here and you will be humbled. Very humbled.
If you are a weakling (like me) and you want to get swoll, sign up now.

This is THE place to get fit and hang out with some awesome folks. Travis and Jen (who are co-​owners and head coaches) have setup a gym which attracts the best coaches in town and the best set of folks to train with. The cool part about TCS is that all the coaches are excellent and care a lot about making you better.
The specialized programs which uses elements from crossfit and strength training (using stones, sandbags, etc.) are their speciality. I have been training with Travis for the last 3 years and his classes have helped improve my fitness a ton. I have found his Strictly Strength program is the best way to get stronger — the warmup itself would be considered a tough workout at other places. Travis helps scale his workouts to work around both my (low) strength levels and my shoulder issues and does a great job motivating us to do our best. I really appreciate the personal interest he takes as well as his commitment to fitness.
Jen has a specialized program for women, called Lift for women, which has them lifting heavy stuff. She also has a running group for the 3M half, which I have joined. And the other coaches have specialized training for kids, for strongman training and for kettle bell training (with the world champion for coach).
Overall, with a community that’s serious about fitness and coaches who are experts, this is the best place to efficiently get strong. I strongly recommend folks to give this place and the coaches a try if you want to get serious about getting strong. If you are just wasting time at a gym, you owe it to yourself to check TCS out.
Finally a shoutout to their cute corgi — Darwin who has become the gym’s mascot!

If you come to workout at Travis County Strength, the following awaits you
1. An amazing hour long workout that has you sweating within the first five minutes. There is no chance for boredom, because the movements are quick, focused, and intense. It slows down during the technical lifting, but then a quick burner will follow.
2. Trainers who are attentive, friendly, and approachable. Questions are encouraged, and the workout can be scaled to your fitness level
3. You will have lots of new fit friends who encourage you throughout the workout
4. At your twenty year reunion, everyone will ask «what have you been doing, you look great!»
Come check it out, you will love it!

I wouldn’t have heard of Travis County Strength (TCS) were it not for a trainer moonlighting at ANOTHER gym across town — but isn’t word-​of-​mouth the best way to find the best things in life?
This has been by far the best gym experience I’ve had in years. I’m a former competitive powerlifter who became intrigued with CrossFit a year and a half ago because of its connection to Olympic Lifting — though I still maintain a healthy love-​hate relationship with CrossFit.
While I have made my peace with CrossFit — and I finally caved in and became a member of a CrossFit gym near my home in Florida — TCS is so much more.
Die-​hard CrossFit fans — and CrossFit gym owners who pay the hefty licensing fees — would probably be either angry or confused as to TCS’s identity. Is it a CrossFit ‘box?’ Is it a hardcore powerlifting and strength training gym? Well, surprise: it’s the best of both worlds.
Owner and head coach Travis Holley was friendly, patient, and actually curious: he asked me about my gym background and if there’s ‘anything I should know about’ — meaning stiff joints, back pain, knee problems, etc.
The workout was HARD. Just when I thought it would be over, I had to flip a ~200-​lb. tire 15 times.
The space is HUGE and clean. At first the lack of air conditioning put me off, but the 4 fans cooled the place down surprisingly well, even in the midday, late summer heat.
After the workout, I even bought a TCS T-​shirt. American Apparel, size XL.
I was upset after my workout because I was only at TCS on a one-​day pass, and I live over 1,000 miles away.
But I used to live nearby in San Antonio and TCS is actually one of the reasons I’d consider moving back to the Lone Star State.

I never thought I would love working out as much as I do. I started a strength and conditioning program at another Austin gym, but I needed a place that felt a bit more grown up than where I was. I needed a place and a community that felt like home. A friend of mine urged me to check out TCS, but I balked at the long drive from my North Austin home. I kick myself now because the drive is nothing compared to how much I love TCS. The people are so warm and welcoming and Travis and Jen have built something special here.
As a woman with two young children and who is quickly approaching middle age, I am wary of places that feel too young or coaches that ask you to push even when you are injured or feeling unwell. But I love Travis and Jen’s philosophy that you do your best for how you are feeling that day and that when I am hurt they quickly come up with alternative movements with no judgement and none of the shaming that I have sometimes felt at other places.
No one place is for everyone, but if you want to work hard, have fun and be part of an amazingly supportive community then TCS is worth checking out.

Travis County Strength is the best gym in town… period.
Led by co-​owners Travis Holley and Jen Shaw, TCS offers a wide variety of classes, all of which are geared towards getting you moving and lifting some heavy weight!
Travis’ Strictly Strength classes offer up a wide variety of movements (some more conventional than others), helping you get the most out of your time. Whether you are doing a set of keg cleans and floor presses, or the more traditional back squats and building runs, there is no way around the fact that when you leave, you know that you have gotten in a good amount of work. Travis’ personality is one of encouragement. He knows when to push and when to nurture, often taking the time to understand you, and catering his teaching styles to that of his class.
Jen’s LIFT women’s only programming is not one to be handled lightly. Every bit as intense and addictive as the Strictly Strength side of the gym, LIFT is a group of fun, powerful and strong women who connect over their desire to get and stay fit. Jen offers several social meet-​ups for the ladies throughout the month, allowing them all be friends both in and out of the gym.
Together Travis and Jen have created a truly unique gym that has attracted a wide variety of clients, all of which posses one strong quality: they are all great people. Honest and encouraging, those that work out at TCS are friendly, courteous and honest. They come into the gym with a positive attitude, always give it 100%, and honestly want everyone to succeed. And all that goes back to Travis and Jen. They have set up a system where everyone can feel comfortable and in place, regardless of your current fitness level.
Are the classes challenging? Yes. Will you get your butt kicked every time you walk into the gym? Yes. But, at the end of the day, that is why we work out. That is why we go to the gym. Knowing you are going to be in a positive environment surrounded by great people and friends makes the sore arms and legs totally worth it… its a community thing, and a great community to be a part of!

The best gym in Austin, hands down. You can’t go wrong with these coaches and their programs.
Travis’s co-​ed Strictly Strength will keep you guessing (you never know what crazy object he’s going to have you run with, throw onto your shoulder, jump over, press, etc.), and Jen’s LIFT For Women will welcome you into a warm, close community of amazingly powerful women… while kicking your ass. Seriously, this training is hard work, and they expect you to show up with a good attitude and put in your best effort. If you trust them and give it your all, you will see the best results of your life.
There’s a shower and tons of parking. And they sell delicious homemade paleo snacks in the back!
If you’re bored with the same old bootcamp grind, come check out TCS. Be prepared to quickly look and feel awesome while making tons of insanely cool friends. Also be prepared to have drivers on Lamar stare at you in awe as you drag a sled loaded with heavy weight down the sidewalk.

Travis County Strength is world class strength and conditioning facility that has been shown effective for a wide variety of people whether they are professional athletes or someone that has not exercised at all in the last 10 years.
This gym is led by coaches Travis Holley and Jen Shaw. Two of the best strength coaches in the country There are several other coaches that offer classes and personal training in a variety of areas. The workouts are customized to the individual based upon their abilities and goals. No workout is ever the same in order to keep your muscles guessing and maximize the effectiveness of your efforts.
I have been doing crossfit and strength training for over 4 years. Anytime I travel for work, I try to visit a local crossfit or two. I also drop in for workouts at facilities around Austin from time to time. TCS is hands down the best gym I have been to so far.
They gym is extremely clean, organized and well maintained. It offers a huge selection of fun equipment: atlas stones, kettle bells, keg shells, sleds, tires, and of course all the weights you could ever want. There are shower facilities on site. It has a great location in central Austin with plenty of parking.
On a personal note, working with Travis and his team has had a huge impact on my life. I would recommend anyone reading this review to take a moment and think about what it would feel like to lose weight and literally double your overall body strength. Those are the type of results that happen all the time at this gym.
If you are looking for a place to improve your strength, mobility, and health regardless of your level with zero judgements then you should definitely check out Travis County Strength.