I've always hated public gyms - I hate leaving my house, the crowds, and the influencers with tripods. I spent a fortune building a full garage gym back home just so I never have to deal with that nonsense again.
I was in Missouri visiting my daughter for her wrestling tournament and figured I'd use my insurance perk for a free gym membership while traveling. The only place in network? Trash Planet Fitness. I was willing to suffer through it since it was free, but the staff couldn't figure out how to process the insurance and tried to charge me $20 for a day pass. Hard pass.
Did a quick Yelp search and found Brian's Gym - only $8 for a drop-in. I thought, "Eight bucks is eight bucks," even if it was probably basic.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
This place is the absolute best! hey have literally everything: multiple power racks, a complete Hammer Strength setup, and a huge variety of machines for every single body part. The leg section is unreal - belt squat, iso-lateral leg press, pendulum squat, hack squat variations... you name it, they've got it. Everything is clean, perfectly maintained, and laid out like someone who actually lifts designed the place. Even the cardio area is solid if that's your thing.
The vibe is what really sets it apart. No people camping on equipment scrolling TikTok and no tripods. Just serious lifters (and a few friendly beginners) who rerack their weights and respect the space. The staff greeted me like I'd been training there for years.
I still hate leaving my house and dealing with the public... but if I lived anywhere near here, I'd gladly make the drive to train at Brian's Gym every single day. Easily one of the best, most complete gyms I've ever stepped foot in, anywhere in the country. 10/10 - worth way more than eight bucks. read more