After years of trying every kind of workout class imaginable in NYC and Jersey City--including…read moreat-home YouTube workouts--I had become convinced that I was simply incapable of sticking to one workout routine. Before Surge Fitness, I bounced between HIIT classes with lighter weights, Pilates, barre, yoga... you name it. None of them gave me the combination of joy, challenge, and ambition I was looking for. And despite reaching what I thought was my "ideal weight," I never really looked toned.
My final straw came when I looked at myself in the mirror before a beach trip and didn't love what I saw. I knew I needed to try something completely different, and I also knew I needed a coach to hold me accountable.
That's when I found Sergey through Google Maps. I scheduled an initial meeting the same day to talk through my goals, and he put together a program that was challenging enough to make me sore, but manageable enough that I could actually stick with it. He also gave me nutrition goals and regularly checked in on what I was eating to make sure my work in the gym wasn't going to waste. He would text me every day, which made a huge difference in keeping me accountable with both my workouts and nutrition.
The format at Surge is also something I really love. You do 1-1.5 hour weightlifting sessions 3-4 times a week with around 6-7 other people (sometimes fewer). It's small enough that you get plenty of individual attention from the coaches, but social enough that you get to know the other members and build friendships.
It's been about 1.5 years since I joined, and I can confidently say that I have never felt this good about how I look. For the first time in my life, I genuinely love how toned my arms are. I also developed visible abs despite doing very little direct ab work--about 90% of the workouts focus on upper and lower body. My lower body has gotten significantly more toned as well.
I never joined with weight loss as my main goal, but I ended up losing 6-7 pounds within a few months. I also didn't have to drastically restrict what I ate. With Sergey's guidance, I simply shifted toward a more protein-focused diet. And for anyone wondering about cardio: I barely do any outside the gym. I hate treadmills and typically get around 8-10k steps a day.
But honestly, the physical transformation is only part of why I love Surge.
Before joining, I was intimidated by weightlifting and would never have imagined myself picking up heavier weights or using some of the equipment I now use regularly. Our coaches take the time to explain what each exercise is targeting and how to do it properly, which has given me so much confidence. I keep track of the exercises and weights I use so I can challenge myself to lift heavier the next time. Watching myself get stronger has become one of the most fun and rewarding parts of the experience.
And then there are the two benefits I never expected: the **community and the impact on my mental health**.
I've made genuine, lifelong friends through Surge: people I love spending time with both inside and outside the gym, and who have also become some of my best accountability partners. The coaches, Sergey, Ehab, and Sabri, have become an important part of that community as well. It's rare to find a gym where you genuinely look forward to seeing the people there.
More importantly, I've finally built a consistent gym routine. I go 3-4 times a week, and my mental health has never been better. There is something almost meditative about lifting weights: you have to focus so completely on what you're doing that, for that hour, you forget about everything else going on in your life. I joined Surge after a particularly stressful period in my life, and building this routine helped me regain a sense of structure, confidence, and joy. And yes, Sergey will absolutely text you if you're missing from the gym, which is another pretty effective form of accountability!
**TL;DR:** If you want to get in shape, reclaim your confidence, get stronger, make amazing friends, and discover how fun weightlifting can actually be, I cannot recommend Surge Fitness enough. It completely changed my relationship with working out, and I genuinely can't imagine going back to the way I used to exercise.