Monkey Bar Gym

Highlights/​Lowlights
1) tough workouts
2) some really friendly staff
3) deals available on groupon occasionally
We did the groupon for two which was an incredible deal! We thought the groupon was for a six week membership to the gym, however upon arriving for our consultation we found out that it was actually just for the boot camp classes. Th boot camp classes are offered 4-​ish times per week.
The staff person who helped us out at our consultation (required) was just ok. Not overly friendly and seemed annoyed by the questions I was asking. However, the trainer who led our classes during our short membership at Monkey Bar was great! She really pushed all of us to do our best while maintaining great form.
The classes themselves are really challenging but a great work out! The workouts change so you only do the same workout 2X per 4 – 6 week period.
I know that sans groupon Monkey Bar is pricy. Unfortunately we found that the gym equipment wasn’t super nice and the space itself could use a refresh. Good workout by quite pricy compared to what you would get from other gyms in the area for the same price.
Overall, definitely worth a try but maybe try and find a deal to see if you like it first!

I bought the groupon for Monkey Bar Gym and I was extremely nervous (as I am not a particularly fit person), and now I am definitely going to get a membership.
When you first sign up they require you to come in for an initial consultation. They will show you around and give you information about how the classes work and what to expect etc. This is a great time to ask any questions you may have and learn how the facility runs so you don’t feel so lost on the first day. The trainers recommend a plant-​strong diet and encourage all participants to log their workouts. I had my initial consultation with Raquel. She was amazingly helpful, and encouraging. It was nice to know one of the instructors before I had even taken a class!
They post the daily workout on a whiteboard so you can check it out before class starts. They also have a binder that has all the workouts for the month, if you like to look further ahead. The workouts change all the time so you’re never bored. Monkey Bar does a wonderful job of explaining/​modeling how to do each exercise. They make it a point to go over every exercise you will be doing before participants begin the workout. The whiteboard also has a section that is divided into «stability» «strength» and «power». Here they have suggestions for modifications/​challenges for participants who want to tailor their workout. The trainers are always helpful when it comes to finding an alternate exercise.
The trainers and members at Monkey Bar are very friendly. They ask you to get with a partner for some exercises and I have had no trouble finding a partner and striking up a friendly conversation with them. Members often say encouraging things to one-​another during the workouts as well. One day after the workout I was getting a drink and a man (who I believe is an owner, or at least another trainer I hadn’t met) asked me if I had recently joined. I told him yes and he enthusiastically welcomed me.
Overall, Monkey Bar is great. The workouts can be very intense but I always feel invigorated afterward. Great experience! :)

Monkey Bar Gym is great. It’s functional fitness in a community-​based setting. The crowd is diverse — young, old, buff, a little softer, etc! The variety of skill level makes it very inviting. The classes are fun and the trainers are very willing to help. As a newer person, I’ve been able to dive in at the basic level and I feel great. One note — they tend towards vegetarianism, so if you’re Paleo, just be forewarned that they like beans and tofu. There is tons of common ground of course as we all love vegetables and do our best to avoid processed foods. They’re accepting of my lifestyle and honestly, MBG is perfect for paleo people :) PS Raquel is the best.

I was never an athlete. In fact, I’m still getting the hang of this whole «working out» thing. But I’ve heard good things about MBG and was always curious. I purchased a Groupon with the intention of possibly buying a membership when I was finished.
No doubt. they get results. The workouts can be brutal (in a fun way). Despite that, there were too many big negatives to even consider extending my time here.
* Lots of pressure to buy a membership. Do trainers live on commission? Because, damn. It sure seems like it.
* The fake turf floor. It’s painful and it gets gross after people start sweating all over it. Say goodbye to the skin on your hands and knees if you’re doing floorwork.
* I have knee and shoulder issues and modify as needed. I know this, the trainer knows this before class starts. Random classmates, there’s no need to call me out IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS in order to tell me how I’m doing an exercise incorrectly. Working out here 6 times per week does not make you a trainer (and even if you are a trainer, you’re not running the class).
In short: nopenopenope

I’ve been a member here for about 8 months now and I’ve gone through 3 – 4 rotations of workouts (each lasts about 8 weeks but you can start at any point). The trainers are very helpful and fellow class participants with more experience have also been great teachers. I won’t lie to you. You will work hard here but you’ll do it with the group, with a partner or occasionally on your own, but the results are worth it. Your body will probably hurt (a lot) the first week but you will come back for more. Go to at least a few of the mobility/​stability classes to learn how to increase your flexibility or range of motion and relieve those sore muscles.
I’m in better shape now than I’ve been my whole life and I thought that I was in decent shape before I started. Um, yeah, not really. There are still days when the workouts just about crush me but when that happens, I just do what I can at a pace that works for me and it feels great.
The workouts vary from day to day and week to week, so you don’t get bored. You will work lots of different muscle groups. If competition is your thing, you can do that to try to move up the leader board or you can just focus on doing better than you did last class or last week. The 30 day challenges are a great way to get to know the place and how classes work with no long term obligation if you don’t like the results.
I’ve never been a member of any other type of gym, so I have nothing to compare this to. All I can say is that I’ve toured the traditional mega gyms and never joined. The first time I saw Monkey Bar in action was actually years ago as part of a class trip with my son’s school. My thought at the time was that school gym should have been more like this.

I joined MBG in August 2013. I’ve been hooked ever since! I’m a former gymnast and love how so many of the workouts use your own body weight for exercises. Very different from most fitness classes I’ve taken — in a great way.
I was a member at a more inexpensive and basic gym. I did not get my money’s worth because I could not get motivated to do more than run on a treadmill for an hour. Monkey bar gym has dynamic workouts that change with every 2 month cycle, so you are never working on the same exercises for too long.
I am finally getting back to my cardio and strength levels that I had when I was actively competing, and I’ve been trying to get here for almost 10 years. It took a group of knowledgeable instructors and engaging classes, but I’m finally seeing results! I can’t recommend MBG enough.

I have recently re-​joined Monkey Bar after several years away. When I first joined, I went through nothing less than a transformation during the 60-​day challenge. I thought that I could keep it up on my own, but let’s face it, some people thrive on peer pressure and just being told what to do. The price tag may seem steep, but it is on par with Crossfit gyms, and bootcamps that other gyms offer. The value is in the instruction. Jon and Jess, (and Olivia, Kevin, Polly, Robyn, Sean) are knowledgeable, motivating, encouraging wonderful people. I also really like the strong fundamentals from Eischen’s yoga that translate directly into the lifts that we do. So, if you like class-​driven workouts, high intensity interval training, and enjoy pushing yourself as hard as the person across the room that you are secretly competing with, this is for you.

Ace. Don’t fool yourself the workouts are tough as hell. Be very present with your current level of fitness. It is easy to get caught up in the energy and excitement brought to the classes by the instructors. Its better to sit out part of the workout that to injure yourself trying to keep up. I have done personal training here as well and it helped me immensely. I was in a lot of pain after a bike/​car accident and they were able to use Yoga and Kettle-​bells to get me better in a very short amount of time. Top Notch instruction and fitness made fun.