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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The Nines fitness center
registration open for weightlifting virtual meet
Come join the fun! Registration for the next Olympic-style lifting Virtual Meet is now open. The meet is Feb. 6 - 8. The deadline for lifters to sign up is Monday January 26th at 10p.m. GMT. Also looking for judges.
So far, Switzerland, Canada and the U.S. are represented.
Virtual Meets are a terrific way to compete with the utmost of convenience and the home-court advantage, while lifting with folks from around the world. It's free and totally for fun, so give it a try!
Portland Oregon Weightlifting
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There aren't a ton of outlets for us Olympic-style weightlifters in the Pacific Northwest. There's the main hub through Ironworks and Tom Hirtz in Creswell, just south of Eugene, and Crossfit-based PDX Weightlifting Club based in Loprinzi's Gym in downtown Portland.
There's also Portland Oregon Weightlifting gym in Sherwood, in the Willamette Valley.
It's small, cozy (in a no-frills gym way), and has everything you need and nothing you don't - including bad attitude. Jordan Franco opened it in 2006. He's just 26, an athletically accomplished local guy who's investing in his community with his independent gym. He makes his bread and butter through training area students for improved sports performance.
Jordan's a friendly guy. He's created a warm yet serious training atmosphere. The gym is stocked with bars of various weights and lengths, bumper plates (mostly in kilos), a power rack, blocks, stands, plus dumbbells, metal plates, and even a few kettlebells. The platforms feel great, and so do the extra thick bumpers, which just make you itch to pinch grip train with them.
Alas, rates are high, but terms are flexible. There aren't any crowds to fight. Oh, one other perk - Franco has the best set of gym rules I've ever seen, including "No yawning," "No stinking up the joint" and "No looking for your ride to come get you." Violations can cost up to 50 push-ups.
Photos from POW
Related link
Oregon LWC 37 events and info
Elite Kettlebell Gym in Tigard, OR
Update: It appears this gym has closed and just the MMA portion remains open into 2011. The gym links now point to www.skoggsystem.com, which advertises the Skogg Gym at 312 NW 10TH Avenue in Portland, Oregon.
I attended the grand opening of the Elite Kettlebell Gym in Tigard, the first gym of its kind in Oregon. Think kettlebell culture meets MMA. It's the lovechild of Michael and Sue Skoggs from Wisconsin.
It's small but the space is used well. It's very spiffy, all fresh paint and new floormats. Lots of simple cool stuff for strength and conditioning - thick rope rings, thick ropes to pull, tires to flip and beat with bats, strongman logs, stability balls, and kettlebells galore.
The downstairs is where Next Level Martial Arts lives, with various bags, a few pieces of exercise equipment, and dark open space. They advertise UFC coaching. Although the MMA action is downstairs, the vibe is pervasive throughout - that'll either turn you on or off.
Back upstairs, looks like the kettlebell gym is geared for for classes and personalized training rather than being an open playground (Note: ETA Once you progress through the classes, you are permitted to use the gym freely). The class schedule is intense, running all day M - F. Rates are really high. Guess rent ain't cheap on 99W, but I can't see them surviving like this.
- Day $25
- Week $95
- Ten sessions $200
- Month $149
- Quarterly $400
- Annual $1500
Thanks, guys!
ETA: Michael and Sue treated me and a friend to a free beginners' kettlebell class (my first opportunity to try kettlebells!). Enjoyed my visit. The dynamic swinging of the bells is a full-body work out, and gets the heart racing. I liked that the instruction was kept as the focus, and the music and timer were relatively unintrusive. Michael's manner was welcoming and not intimidating. Also, since I dragged in half-dead at the end of a 12-hour day, I liked that the work out atmosphere wasn't manic - my body was able to slide into it and I left feeling refreshed. We also had the pleasure of trying out some of the other toys afterward.
And here's a bit of gossip - they say they just signed the Portland LumberJax!
Fitness 101: How to start, build a home gym, choose a gym
Happy New Year! It's that wonderful time of year when fitness becomes a mainstream movement, exercise is discussed around the office water cooler, and folks remember that they're entitled to the joy of moving and being fit and healthy.
If you’re starting out, the best investment you can make is in quality education and motivation. It’s not always as clear-cut and fun as shopping for equipment and deciding what color you want to paint the gym walls, but laying your foundation will determine everything about your fitness life.
Spend some time actively figuring out what you want from your efforts. I say “actively” because this isn’t the part where you sit across the desk from a Bally’s sales rep and describe where your flabby spots are. You need outside stimulus to figure things out. So get out of the house and go to as many different kinds of sample classes, gyms and studios as you can. Drop in on seminars. Grab personal trainers, athletes and the person who looks like he or she is fulfilled and having fun and ask them what they do and why they do it. This is your shopping.
Don’t linger long enough for sales associates to talk you into anything. Avoid anyone selling anything at all costs. You want to hear from the real people who are walking the walk, and the experts legitimately talking the talk. Surf the Net, but not for long – it makes you sit still and too often gives little return on time and energy. Use it later, after you’ve begun to figure out what you might be interested in. Then you’ll know just what you’re looking for, and that’s the kind of search the Net is set up for.
Scouting a gym to join
Use an active approach to scout out a gym, too. Most gyms will let you try them out for free on a trail membership, but the real cost is they will subject you to a sales pitch. If you’re strong enough to weather it, go for it, but if you’d like to be low on the radar, ask to buy a punch card or a temporary pass instead. Don’t advertise that you’re shopping around, but rather, be the person who is in the area for a short while and needs to work out. Each place has its own philosophy and atmosphere, and choosing which one is a good fit for you is a big decision. You may simply fall in love with the adventure of exploring different gyms, like me.
Setting up your home gym
If you are setting up a personal work out space, how exciting! You can invest in exactly what you need, equipment made for your body and your goals. You won’t have to conform to the gym’s hours or wait for equipment, and the germs will be the ones you bring in. The music will always be stuff you like, and no one will know if you’re half-dressed or worse. Here’s what I have bought and spent over the years - and I'm frugal.
While everyone’s goals are different in setting up a work out space, there is a basic set-up that can serve everyone well, from a teenager to an octogenarian. The main things you want to do with your body are push, pull, lift and get your heart pumping.
If you want to work out most efficiently for your health, strength and looks, get out of Dick’s and Joe’s equipment sales floor. Steer clear of machines like the ones in the gym – Nautilus and Universal. Shut off the Bowflex infomercial. Steer clear of fad fitness gadgets. Go to the heart of it and build a “real” studio, stocked with the classic basics that you can spend the rest of your life growing into and exploring. Invest in the following list of perennials and the education to use them.
- Squat rack, squat stands, or power rack/cage (spacesaver = squat stands).
- Pull-up bar or Pull-up tower (spacesaver = doorway bar).
- Freeweights – Options include dumbbells, kettlebells, and/or an Olympic-style bar with plates, and more homegrown alternatives like cans of food or paint, or homemade sandbags (spacesaver = sandbags - infinitely adjustable).
- Flat bench (it’s almost impossible to find an actual flat bench residentially; you’ll most likely get an adjustable incline/decline/flat bench).
- If you like to do cardio on a machine, pick one you already use and like.
- Punching bag – a heavybag on a stand, or hung from a rafter. There are exceptional, foundational benefits you can gain from even modest bag work.
This is most basic formula for a solid, fully-functional studio. Beyond this basic studio, figuring out what else you want depends on what you’ll be doing. Each discipline has its own list of required gear. Developing your studio will depend on your educational search and journey.
Related: How to build your own weightlifting platform
