Ironworks Gym
Ironworks Gym is the gem of Creswell, Oregon. This is one of my very favorite gyms. Nestled in a rural speck of a town just south of Eugene, in a brilliantly landscaped oasis, this gym houses the old school disciplines - Olympic-style weighlifting, powerlifting - and it has more bodybuilding machines (specific-muscle group training) stuffed into it than a warehouse. They're stuffed into every nook - a Roman chair here, an adductor there. Each space has a distinct character and feel to it, from the slick group exercise fitness room to the chalk-filled, cement-floored weightlifting studio. Expansive windows face an impressive golf course, and that's hugged by miles sand miles of rural Willamette Valley greenery. This gym screams the sucess of an empire built on dreams of dedicated visionaries, and each discipine it houses through meets and classes seems to be staffed by salt-of-the-earth folks, like Tom Hirtz. If you're ever even within a few hours of this gym, don't miss it, anytime of the year.
The Nines fitness center
The Nines is a Starwood luxury hotel in downtown Portland. I had an underwhelming stay there, but was glad for the opportunity to check out their fitness center.
As hotels go, it had more than most. As gyms go, this could probably pass for a small Curves or Snap. There was a good-sized line of dumbbells (Hampton), a line of slightly oversized machines jammed together assembly-line style (TechnoGym), a small area for floorwork, and a comparatively large number of cardio machines - high-end LifeFitness treadmills - the wide-dash style, and stationary bikes and elliptical trainer.
Although the room was on the small side, the mirrored walls gave it a bigger feel, and the TV sets, magazines, towel supply and oh-so-Nines funky water dispenser make it feel more alive than most hotel fitness centers. I stopped in during evening and morning hours, and there were a few people in it each time.
Don't expect to get a big squat night in, and there aren't any bars, but you can get a decent maintenance work out here on your resistance training schedule, and if you're looking for a cardio machine session, you're all set.
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