Courage Performance

I injured my lower back a few months back, and I was craving to do some good Olympic lifts. I wasn’t the best, but I remembered meeting Josh a two years prior and the experience I had at his gym the first time I attended was phenomenal.
I joined his class last minute today. He tailored the workout to my needs, working on snatch (my fave olympic lift) as well as understanding what was causing my lower back issue which kept me out of the gym for almost 2 months. He trains and coaches in such a way that in the class you will see dramatic results and improvement intermediately, regardless of what physical impairments you have. He was able to articulate what we needed to focus on moving forward, as well as which strengths (literally) I could leverage.
Hands down, one of the best sessions I’ve ever had where I knew he had a genuine interest to help me take my performance to the next level. Can’t wait to train with him again.

I started CrossFitting a little over two years ago at another gym and quickly fell in love with the sport. Some changes occurred at my first gym (the programming/​coaching no longer aligned with my fitness goals) so I left in search of a new gym. Enter Courage Performance.
After the first class at this gym, I knew this was the place for me. Josh Courage (yes, that’s his real name), the owner/​head coach of the gym, is an extremely likable and very knowledgeable coach. He teaches most, if not all of his classes, and I don’t think you can say that about most gyms, so that’s a big plus. There is a clear purpose to his programming/​training cycles, and they are personalized to fit your fitness needs (general fitness, olympic lifting, CrossFit, sports training, etc.). In addition to that, Courage further personalizes the programming based on your strengths/​weaknesses, which I value immensely. I also have competed in one olympic lifting competition and will compete in an upcoming CrossFit competition thanks to his encouragement, something I thought about at my previous gym but never committed to doing until coming here.
The gym itself is in a great location. It’s located in Belmont, so if you work live in the San Mateo/​Redwood City region, it’s perfect for you. Actually, it’s perfect for everyone. I live in San Francisco, enough said. The indoor gym area is spacious, there is an upstairs area to change/​stretch, and there is an outdoor turf area with a rig/​racks for all those sunny days where you want to get your pump on outdoors. Yes, I said get your pump on.
Lastly, the community here is amazing. I made alot of great friends at my previous gym, which made it very hard to leave, so it was important that my next gym had a community I could connect to. I quickly found a home here, surrounded by like-​minded athletes who support and push you all at the same time.
If you’re looking to get fit surrounded by great people with a great coach who takes a personal investment for you, this is the place.

I’ve been Olympic Lifting and CrossFitting for about 12 years and have been with multiple trainers and boxes. Josh Courage is one of the very best. Josh and his team focus on incremental and safe improvement. Josh is out there pushing each individual and encouraging us to support each other. The community is great — fun, healthy and strong.
One of the things I really appreciate as a slightly older athlete is Josh’s programming. He keeps it varied and clearly has a plan in mind for the gym and for each athlete. He ensures we work all our muscles without overworking one. Having had weeks of too much shoulders or too much glutes in other boxes, I appreciate the thoughtful and scientific approach that Josh warmly embraces. If you are an athlete, he’s an incredible trainer who will bring your balance, flexibility, explosiveness, endurance and strength to new levels that will deliver for you in the game.
You will not go wrong in this gym. It’s terrific.

I’ve been working out at Courage Performance for the past 6 months, and have seen tremendous improvement. The program is structured to improve performance in real life activities (skiing, tennis, etc.) and I am always encouraged and pushed to do my best. The coaches bring in new techniques and movements so I am always challenged and never bored.

I started training at Courage Performance in August 2014 after relocating to the Bay Area for work. I had high standards for a gym since I had just left my beloved gym in NY. I didn’t want a cross fit gym per se, but I also didn’t want an ordinary, self-​led gym either. I found Courage Performance, met with Josh, the owner, and the community he has created, and instantly knew that I had found my gym!
I started out in the General Fitness classes which are very welcoming and fun, but challenging at the same time. There are people at all fitness levels and Josh is excellent at modifying parts of the workout in order to accommodate everyone’s needs. Josh explains everything and demonstrates each part of the workout, taking away the intimidation factor. This was great for me, as I was new to the Olympic Lifting part of the workouts. I was instantly hooked!
After ~4 months I decided to join Team Courage, which is where my lifting really took off! Josh creates tailored workouts for Team Courage so that you can achieve your goals (whatever they may be) and explains the reasoning behind each workout, as well. Josh is incredibly passionate about health, fitness and creating and achieving goals and it is clear why he is an award winning trainer. In the last few months, I have become measurably stronger and faster. In fact, I used to log miles and miles of running, but now I find I can run a fraction of the mileage that I used to run and I am even faster than I used to be and my endurance is even stronger.
The community at Courage Performance is a testament to Josh’s hard work and genuine interest in helping others achieve their fitness goals. With Josh’s coaching and the supportive and encouraging atmosphere, you will undoubtedly want to push yourself, too. I highly recommend Courage Performance!

I have been training at courage performance since August 2014. Not only are all members of the gym super friendly and nice, but the coaching I received there was life changing. My numbers (squat, deadlift, bench, clean & jerk, snatch, etc.) at least doubled after 6 months. I gained a solid 12 pounds of muscle (tested with hydrostatic body fat testing) and look the best I ever have.
Members are all kinds of athletic level and the community is pretty close. The facility is medium sized but offers everything you need for functional and performance oriented workouts: squat racks, olympic lifting platform, sandbags, kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, ropes, etc. The workouts are pretty crossfit-​like, usually consisting of a strength, olympic lifting and metabolic conditioning component. But Josh also programs a lot of accessory work for better posture, back health etc.
The experience Josh Courage has in coaching athletes of all levels in regards to olympic lifts and power lifts is widely known and appreciated. He drives gym members with regular events and competitions. At Courage Performance athletes don’t only develop physically, but mentally as well.
Josh provides well working advice regarding nutrition and mobility to round up the training.
I can only recommend to come over and try it out, whether your goal is to look or perform better or just be healthy.

What a fantastic gym.
There is something for everyone here. Whether you are looking to work on strength, mobility, power, agility; Josh will make sure the programming fits your needs. The gym community is extremely welcoming and encouraging. I would also highly recommend this place for athletes (college, HS or younger) as the programming will absolutely help you perform better on the field.
Couldn’t ask for a better place to spend a few hours a week and take care of your body.