We’ve all heard of CrossFit gyms, Pilates studios, Barre classes, and your standard commercial gym. However, not many know that for the sport of powerlifting, you also require a specific environment that’s typically more than just a platform to deadlift on and a good squat rack, which is what most fitness facilities typically offer.
Powerlifters are strength training athletes who lift heavy, and that requires specialized equipment, but more than that, it warrants an environment that is focused on the same goals and that can lift you up on the days when you’re not feeling the best – much like what occurs in your typical CrossFit facility.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the best powerlifting gyms in Birmingham, the United Kingdom and we’re going to discuss what separates them from the rest.
What’s the Difference Between a Commercial Gym and a Powerlifting One?
Before we get into the best powerlifting facilities in Birmingham, let’s talk a bit more about the differences between commercial and powerlifting gyms.
Commercial gyms are created with a broader range of fitness goals in mind and so they’re made to cater to a large part of the population. They often have cardio machines, free weights, and weightlifting machines, and they offer classes and help from personal trainers to their clientele.
On the other hand, powerlifting gyms are created with a specific strength-training goal in mind. They tend to have a more limited selection of equipment compared to commercial gyms, with a strong emphasis on powerlifting-specific accessories like squat racks, bench presses, deadlift platforms, and specialized bars.
In addition to that, such gyms often foster a community of strength athletes who share similar goals and training methodologies. They may offer coaching and programming explicitly tailored to powerlifting competitions so that new athletes can learn how to squat, deadlift and bench press correctly.
What are the Top Powerlifting Facilities in Birmingham?
As in every big city, Birmingham has a lot of good gyms, but most of them aren’t tailored to the specific needs of powerlifters. However, we’ve managed to find and narrow down the best ones in the following list.
Central Strength Gym Birmingham
Central Strength Gym Birmingham is famous for nurturing incredible strength athletes. It hosts a number of National and World Powerlifting record holders.
The gym is equipped with standard benches, deadlift platforms, barbells, and mono lifts – all pieces of equipment that can prepare you for anything that a competition can throw at you. The gym offers daily, weekly, and monthly passes, and its community is one to behold, as it will definitely inspire you to do more.
Gladiator Barbell
Gladiator Barbell is the kind of powerlifting facility that doesn’t even have its own website – just a Google Maps location and reviews that tell you everything you need to know. It’s an old-school gym in the best way possible – it has the proper equipment for heavy training, and it’s packed with like-minded individuals who’s only goal is to lift heavy and to do it in the best way that they can.
This Birmingham facility is ideal for those of you who want to meet with other lifters and train without the mirror, the fancy lights, and the people who are there simply to take photos of themselves.
Coliseum Gym
This is yet another facility that lacks the flashy website and the fancy commercials. It doesn’t need them because the kind of clientele it wants to attract doesn’t care about state-of-the-art machinery or new fitness classes.
Coliseum Gym is an old-school facility that has machines and free weights, along with a supportive community and incredible staff that is ready to help you at every turn. The atmosphere here is impeccable as most of the regulars are dedicated lifters who will want to share their advice with you, and the trainers who work in the gym feel that it’s their mission to welcome any newcomer and to help out in any way they can. As can be seen by the Google reviews, if you’re a powerlifter looking for a great place to train in Birmingham – Coliseum Gym is the right spot for you.
In Conclusion
Powerlifting gyms are not just about the weights and the equipment, they’re all about having the right environment. If you’re serious about strength training, you know that having an uplifting and knowledgeable community makes the experience ten times better, and it will further motivate you to chase your powerlifting goals. Unfortunately, commercial gyms don’t offer any of that.
And so, if you live in the Birmingham area, the selection of gyms we’ve handpicked in this article are certainly the kind of places that will make you push more and help you enjoy the sport of powerlifting more than you’ve ever done before.
