The Training Station

I can’t say enough great things about this gym. I unfortunately never knew about this gym when it was at its old location. Instead I was traveling a half hour to a very crowded LA Fitness just because Northern Liberties had no decent gyms! I’m so thankful I caught wind of this place after it relocated to Spring Garden. This place has enough (more than enough!) equipment to keep your workouts top notch and interesting! It is extremely clean, spacious and the staff is super nice and helpful! The hours are perfect, especially if you are an AM workout person like myself. If you have been patiently waiting for it to reopen, I promise you will not be disappointed!

I paid Phil a visit today because I just started up running and need some new shoes. The service I received was the best I have ever experienced when purchasing a pair of shoes. First, he spoke to me about my running, past exercise history, and how often I plan to run. Then, he measured my feet. He really spent time doing this, not just putting my foot in that metal thing like most stores usually do.
My favorite part about this experience was not once did Phil tell me what he was thinking. He brought over shoes and told me he has an idea of what is good for my foot, but wants me to make the decision for myself. After I made my selection, he told me that the shoe I was gravitating towards was the one he suspected would be best for me, and went on to explain why.
For a small shoe store, there were a lot of options. Phil really knows his stuff, and genuinely loves to run. I wish I lived closer so I could join his gym as well. It was such a positive atmosphere.

I’ve been training with Phil at the training station for over 4 years. He’s the best. He trains elite athletes and the super motivated (ie my wife post pregnancy) as well as the somewhat lazy and reluctant (myself) with care, focus and dedication. He’s by far the most knowledgeable trainer I’ve ever met and a super interesting guy as well. He also has a well of pretty solid wisdom on a range of subjects.

The equipment is in great shape, the place is always unbelievably clean. It’s smaller than most gyms, but never crowded. And the price is fair, considering weekend hours are short. Doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a larger gym — but has what I need (cardio and weights). Glad to have it in the neighborhood.

Clean, convenient gym. No hassle registration process and month to month. Have only ever seen it «packed» once (even at peak times) and still waited less than 5 minutes for a treadmill. Limited hours Fridays and weekends which is the only thing I’d change. Closed Sundays.

Can’t say enough good things about Phil and his shop. I’ve been there multiple times for shoe fittings and always leave with a smile on my face. Service is always excellent and most importantly I leave with the feeling that my business is truly valued. Prices are standard across the board (same you’d pay anywhere, even online) but the service is what keeps me coming back and telling all of my friends/​family.
Also, one of the few non-​crossfit gyms in the city with bumpers and actual lifting platforms. Unsure if there are real weightlifters that train here, but he has proper gear to do so.

It all depends on what you re looking for in a gym experience…
First is ownership. Phil is very professional, courteous, knowledgable and respectful but as a small business owner you don’t get the small business community feel. I feel more appreciated at Sweat or Citi Fit.
— He charges you for towels… yes towels. Very petty.
— He s very inconsiderate to his members when it comes to hours. He s not open on Sundays and he ll often close for 3 or 4 days at a time on holidays. This Thanksgiving he closed Thursday-​Sunday.
— He plasters the gym with awards from his youth and Yale memorabilia. You feel like your working out in his house not your gym. Can make some people uncomfortable and not very professional.
— He doesn’t fix equipment in a timely manner.
— Don’t be fooled. «Olympic Style» equipment doesn’t mean Olympic «Grade» Equipment. Every gym as Olympic Style equipment.
— The treadmills are low end. You need to manually adjust the speed and incline by repeatedly pressing a switch.
— No dedicated ab or stretching area. If there s more than 15 people in the gym, you’ll be tripping over other members.
If you re fit and in shape and looking for a gym to challenge you this is not the place.
— The machines are very very basic. Maybe 1 or 2 for every body part.
— No free motion machines.
— The dumbells only go up to 100lbs which in my opinion sets the ceiling very low.
— the clocks don’t have 2^nd hands. For someone that doesn’t want to wear a watch or differ to ur phone a 2^nd hand is important for timed workouts.
— Horrible gym for legs. No squat machine. No leg press. No leg sled. No Hack Squat.
— No mirrors. Gyms are suppose to have mirrors. Period. Anyone that likes not having mirrors in the gym probably is ashamed to look in the mirror.
— No classes. If you re looking for variety this is not the place
— No steam room or sauna.
— if you don’t live in one of the Tower Properties it ll cost you the same to work out at Citi or Sweat and they offer a far more challenging experiencing.
Positives:
— Compared to Sweat and Citi fitness it doesn’t get very crowded
— it s very clean
— if you live in one of the Tower properties it s only $ 20 per month. Makes it cheap enough to belong to 2 gyms which I do.
— if you find gym s intimidating this is an easy place to feel comfortable
If all you re looking for is a bare bones, border-​lined hotel gym to do some light circuit training and cardio this is the place. Personally, I’m looking for more. Are you?

Clean, simple, well set up, quiet (ish) and never too crowded. It is not a gym where people pump in front of mirrors and try to get dates. It is a gym where serious people go to get in shape or maintain. You have everything from people who are a little heavy and trying to lose to people who look like they spend much of their life working out.
The view is awesome. The owner, Phil, is almost as awesome as the view. I love the fact you don’t need to have a contract. My wife decided to stop going and avail herself to our home gym and her cancellation was easy. Phil ended the contract and simply told her «you are still always welcomed back.» Classy.
Everything you need is here, free weights, machines, tons of cardio machines, shoes, drinks, trainers and more. I have just never had such a great vibe at a gym. And nor have I ever seen one where everything looks new and spotless.

Great atmosphere. And Phil always greets you by name. You can’t go wrong

Joining a new gym can is never my favorite. Each gym tends to have their own culture and certain set of rules when it comes to machinery and general etiquette. Getting used to all of this is always a bit annoying to me so I was pleasantly surprised to see how laid back the training station is.
During my first visit, I simply asked phil if there was anything i should. For example, how long should I be on the machine if someone is waiting, where are the appropriate places to stretch etc. I guess I’m slightly more sensitive to these types of situations ever since I was verbally attacked by someone once at an LA Fitness because they thought i was on longer the the standard 20 mins… i wasn’t. ANYWAY, I was so happy to hear Phil’s response which was basically that there really are no rules and everything works itself out. You can stretch where ever you want, stay on the machine as long as you want and there have never been any problems. Wonderful! It’s not a big place but I’ve never had an issue getting on any machine i wanted.
The laid back atmosphere of the gym helps me get in, do my work out and get out. I’ve even started considering speaking to Phil about someone personal training which i never do at a gym so I think that really speaks to how comfortable this place makes me feel.
My only criticism is that it does not offer classes. That aside, this place is clean, laid back and has everything you need in a gym for a very reasonable price.

The Training Station is by far the best gym I have ever belonged to. As a resident of a Tower property (the investment group that owns the building the gym is in) my membership is only $ 20/​month. Anyone can join for $ 40/​month and there’s no contract.
This gym is absolutely spotless. Each machine has it’s own spray sanitizer as well as a towel. The cardio machines are all new and fully compatible with ipods/​iphones. There are also plenty of other weight machines and free weights. Phil, the owner, is very nice and always willing to give you pointers or answer any questions. Plus, there are buttons scattered about by all of the cardio machines. After running for awhile it is quite satisfying to hit the button and hear «That was easy!».

I personally prefer old «rocky» style gyms that still have IRON for you to lift with the old universal machines around… BUT when I took a tour and later joined the training station I was pleasantly surprised.
Pros:
No contract, $ 40/​month
Very Clean
2 professional platforms, squat racks, professional Olympic barbells, and plates
High end cardio equipment. (treadmills, ellipticals, spin bikes)
Free weight’s up to 120 pounds
Never crowded, great flow of traffic
Cons:
No steam room
No incline/​decline bench
This place has everything you need if you’re looking to make significant strides in strength and endurance, or if your just looking to burn off a little stress.
Phil the owner is a great guy and very knowledgeable come in and check it out you wont be disappointed.

As a fairly dedicated lifter, I was initially overjoyed when I learned about this gym. After joining and spending a few months lifting there, I can say that most of my expectations have been met, but there are a few caveats.
First, the positives. The gym has almost all of the equipment that a powerlifter, bodybuilder, weightlifter, or general strength trainee needs. The most attractive part is the presence of two very nice power racks with Olympic platforms, a good set of bumper plates, York competition power bars as well as Olympic bars and a women’s bar (color-​coded for easy identification), and even dishes of chalk for public use. They also have dumbbells in 5 lb. increments up to 100 lbs., as well as plate-​loaded dumbbell handles and EZ-​curl bars. There’s a glute-​ham raise bench, a reverse hyper machine, and a full complement of all of the same selectorized machines found in every commercial gym. At first glance, this seems like it could be a serious lifter’s gym. It’s very clean, it’s rarely crowded when I’ve been there, and membership is very reasonably-​priced.
However, there are a few shortcomings to keep in mind for anyone thinking of lifting there. The most significant is the fact that the gym is located on the 3^rd floor of a building, directly above an office. The upshot of this is that in spite of the platforms, the bumper plates, and the chalk, you will not be able to do any heavy pulls during business hours due to noise complaints from the office below. If I didn’t generally lift in the evening, this would be a deal-​breaker for me.
Secondly, while there are two adjustable benches that can be positioned in the power racks and used for incline or decline benching, there are no dedicated incline or decline benches, which seems like a significant omission. Also, in spite of the array of equipment, the atmosphere is basically that of a commercial gym — in my experience, most of the clientele at any given time is on treadmills or machines with headphones in. This is of course not a big problem, but don’t come to this place looking for the experience of a true black-​iron gym. That said, I’ve yet to see anyone curling in the power racks, which is a definite plus.
Ultimately, I don’t know of any place that provides this type of equipment for such a good price. However, while it’s a big step up from the Sweats of the world, it’s still not a true lifter’s gym. But I’d strongly recommend it for anyone who wants to train the barbell lifts, as long as you’re not planning on doing it during the daytime.

I’m a member here and I’ve never liked any gyms, at ALL, until I found this one. First of all, you don’t have to sign a contract. YES! Second, it’s only $ 40 a month. Granted, it’s not a very big gym, but it has everything I need to get my work on. It’s on the third floor of a glass building, so you can work on the machines while looking out on Philly’s beautiful skyline.
The owner, Phil, is a really talented, smart guy and is there to help you in whatever way he can. Not only does he sell shoes (the right shoes for YOUR special feet), but he offers full-​body stretches, training sessions ($ 20 per half hour, $ 40 per hour), and grocery lists/​meal ideas to help you get your body where you want it.
Free parking in a lot across the street, unless there’s a big event going on in the Piazza.

Phil told me he gets nervous whenever someone comes in and says they read about his place online because it sets an expectation he worries he can’t fill. Well, he fills it.
I stopped in on my way home form work because I wanted to break up with my 2 year old running shoes (Sorry, Nikes, we’re just not working out anymore). Phil put me on a treadmill, videotaped my feet, analyzed my movements, measured my feet, and then blew my mind. He told me I have wide feet. In the 27 years I’ve been wearing shoes, I have never once bought a wide. Guess I should have. He put me in a pair of Sauconys that I never would have picked without his guidance (because they were ugly and looked like the shoes my dad used to wear to coach my softball team, qualities any seriously good pair of running shoes have. If you’re really worried about fashion, for a small fee you can get the analysis and take that info to the mall with you) in a size I never knew I needed, and it has made a world of difference. Now when I get back from a three mile run, my feet have no idea they’ve been pounding the pavement for three miles.
Honestly, I think this sneaker buying experience was the most fun I’ve ever had shopping. Phil’s an awesome guy who will enthusiastically commend your 12 miles a week while he trains for the Olympics. The gym is so beautiful. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t like outdoor running and may return to it’s climate controlled glory myself when winter comes.

I started running with Phil Clarke, the owner of this beautiful and state of the art gym, last year. I’m not a runner, but he said everyone can run and invited me to his free saturday mornng drills. In time, I ran a mile. Then there was a reasonable facsimile of a sprint. Now that his gym is open, I am continuing on the path of personal fitness and meeting the goals I set for myself. (Hello Broad Street!) The olympic quality equipment is a little daunting at first but phil is there to guide you if you need it., As soon as you work out on it, you realize there is a difference. You can plug in your ipod or phone, track your progress online or just enjoy the gorgeous view.
There is a host of ala carte fitness options you can add to your basic membership. And it’s not crazy expensive either.
You really need to check this spot out. It is completely unexpected and makes you want to work out… hard.

Brand new fitness center, brand new equipment, very affordable, and the trainers are very knowledgeable and helpful. I’ve been a member of many gyms in Philly and south Jersey and I highly recommend this fitness center!