I've been attending PDXFIT regularly for three weeks, and am genuinely thrilled to write a review for this wonderful neighborhood gym. I've passed it for over a year, but dismissed it as it seemed too expensive. However, it being a four minute walk from my house and feeling my body slowly loose all fitness from being sedentary, it felt worth it to try the one week pass. After a week, I immediately signed up as a member, and it feels completely worth the cost. I've worked out at several gyms, ranging from 24 hour fitness types to similar boutique gyms like PDXFIT. PDXFIT has the ideal balance of friendliness, a relaxed environment, community orientation, with excellent and stringent teaching with a high level of focus on form and safety. It's also spotlessly clean, which is a pretty remarkable feat for a gym. Marco, the owner, and Halden, the other coach, are both wonderful, kind teachers who don't let you get away with poor form. Leslie, the co-owner, is also one of the friendliest and kindest people I've ever met. I particularly appreciate Marco's consistent focus on explaining the reasoning behind a particular exercise or way of doing something. Here are some questions I had before I came in that have been answered and will hopefully help others: 1) What do you get for the money? The membership covers small-group workouts six days per week. Classes are capped at 10 people so there's always plenty of room as well as access to coaching when needed. M,W,F,S are a combination of coached classes and open gym, T,Th are just open gym. The intangibles are that I've been a member for three weeks and have already been invited to three gym events that are either parties or supplemental workouts that include a social hour. 2) What kind of workouts are there? There are 3 different "tracks" you can take (not sure if it's actually called that) - one that is cardio focused, one weights focused, and one that is a blend of both. The workouts include for all a blend of free weights, barbells, kettlebells, and cardio (rowing, ski machine, or a horrible horrible hands and legs bike that is the meanest workout machine I've ever met), in different percentages depending on the track. The workouts are modifiable but I find myself very well challenged here. I also appreciate that the focus isn't on speed workouts outside of sprinting, and that timed rest is built into every workout, so I feel more able to focus on keeping my form than in crossfit or similar metcon type workouts. Each workout includes a warm-up, cool-down is on your own. 3) What level of fitness or knowledge do you have to have to be comfortable? I would say I personally have a medium level of knowledge and a currently low level of fitness, and I feel very comfortable there. There are people working out who are more "beginner" in terms of knowledge/fitness, as well as badasses who can apparently do one armed pull-ups and similar nonsense :D Everyone across the board has been very welcoming. 4) Is it welcoming to queer folks? This was a personal question to me as one never knows when going into a fitness space and I've had bad experiences with microagressions and similar trash. The answer is absolutely yes. I am a visibly queer, non-binary person who can't shut up about my wife, and I have been completely welcomed by both the owners and other members, and have met several queer attendees. That might be my only suggestion to the gym - a sign indicating "all are welcome here" for folks with various identities would have likely gotten me to come by earlier! This review is already far too long, but I am hopeful that it encourages folks to give PDXFIT a try. It's a great gym and I hope to be a member for a very long time. read more

I have been a member here for about 2 years . I LOVE this gym . Marco and Leslie are dedicated and encouraging trainers with heaps of knowledge . The gym is always clean and organized - and the community is so kind and fun . I've learned so much and would totally give 10 stars if I could . read more

I have been a member at PDXFit for 6 years now, and can definitely give it the highest recommendation possible for a gym. This is a truly special fitness community with top notch programming, caring and personal attention from the owners and coaches, and excellent equipment and accessibility. I think that what makes PDXFit truly unique is how it is able to help anyone continually progress with their fitness goals while also an cultivating atmosphere that is safe, welcoming, and affirming for everyone and every body. For anyone in the Portland area looking for a gym that can drive you towards serious progress in strength and fitness, and who value an affirming, fun, and welcoming community, this is the place for you. Come check it out! read more

I have been working out at Pdxfit for four years and it is by far the best gym I have ever joined. Marco designs the weekly programs so you get the most out of every single workout. If you want to get in the best shape of your life, and maintain it, join Pdxfit. read more

Marco and the staff over at pdxfit are phenomenal!!! I've been at pdxfit for little over 2 years now. Marco has help me restrengthen my grip strength after a serious injury and so much more! He has personal fitness plans for your goals! I've been using his combat strength and conditioning for my martial arts training. I feel like my endurance has improved extensively!! I recommend pdxfit for anyone with big or small goals, they'll take care of you like family! read more

I had been looking for a home gym that had great equipment, programming so I could turn my brain off and work hard, and a community feeling -- I found all of that at PDXFit. I am one of the newer members amongst a group of folks who have been going for years, and I immediately felt welcomed. I genuinely look forward to going to the gym now-- I know the workout will be hard, there will be someone with expertise there to guide me, and I'll get a dose of human connection. I really feel strongly that the coaches and owners Marco and Lesley have something really special going at this gym. So glad I found them, and I'd recommend it to anyone. read more

First, it's pretty clear that when multiple people post a review on the same day, there's a reason. I really tried liking this place. Convenient location. Spot-on Covid precautions in terms of limiting numbers, masks, delineated workout 'zone' for each member in a class (8 athletes per class, max). But.... I was one of approximately 30 that came to PDXFIT from another gym after it shuttered. We came there because we were (and are) fiercely devoted to our coaches who had collectively found another place that, with their guidance, we all felt confident would be a great landing spot. (THAT, friends, is what true leadership, dedication and commitment from coaching breeds - loyalty, trust and inspiration). That fire was quickly extinguished after a very short time, though. Marco and Leslie are stuck in their own ways. Ok. Yeah, they're the owners. But good owners embrace the talents that their employees bring to the business. We never saw that. Instead, they were treated as subordinates. They were admonished for not wearing a PDXFIT shirt, for not being able to recite word for word their 'mission statement' and they were not showing leadership. If M&L were serious and intelligent business owners, they would have embraced the natural leadership talent and motivational skills these coaches brought with them - not to mention the 30+ members and new revenue they enjoyed solely due to bringing these coaches on. Finally, even when we, the 30+ that came from another gym, invited new members, too, there was virtually zero interest/attention given by M&L to welcome them, instruct them, guide them, motivate them, etc. And that was STRICTLY when M and/or L were leading the workout. My wife actually had to tell M more than once to help one of our friends, who was very anxious and intimidated to join a group workout, who had joined on our recommendation. (So sorry, S!) I hung on as long as I could. Kept paying my dues every month without question even without being able to benefit from what those dues provide. I wanted to support them and the coaches. But when it's revealed that the coaches have had multiple pay cuts, yet our monthly dues are still coming in, it doesn't really sit too well. Nor does it sit too well when, upon trying to cancel the membership, the rationale and justification for charging the full price was that 'virtual' sessions were made available. Um. Ok. No equipment, no space. Full monthly price? Nah, no thanks. Factor in their hopeful emotional appeal by saying our dues go to the coaches (who, keep in mind had already had multiple wage cuts), was the very last straw. We saw it from the beginning. Tried giving them a chance. N & C were and are incredible, motivating coaches. We'll follow them anywhere. Too bad some people don't understand the value in that and place so much focus on reciting verbatim at a moment's notice a stupid mission statement. Real life does not always match up to an entry-level 'Business 101' or online 'how to manage...' class. Pros: convenient location, good Covid protocol (when open). Cons: lack of enough equipment (even with only eight people allowed per session - what would it be like with no Covid restrictions?), faulty equipment (rusted and broken barbells), poor attitude, 'my way or the highway' style of management and lack of appreciation towards employees and the immense value that they bring. read more

Like a few other members that reviewed, I followed the great coaching staff from my previous gym to PDXFIT when they left Woodstock to start a new chapter. I tried embracing the new location and the new owners, but was thoroughly disappointed from the jump. I'll never forget my first day there. Heidi introduced me to Leslie (owner) as a new member and Leslie proceeded to stare at the computer, not uttering even a welcome. The next day, the owners proceeded to crack jokes like they've known me my whole life which made me feel uncomfortable. When COVID hit, they tried Zoom sessions and continued charging the members full price for a very limited service. Since my membership began, they could've even adapted and brought a good bit of the gym outside to justify charging full price but chose not to. They didn't even offer to put memberships on hold until members like myself tried to quit. Instead they chose to adapt by firing 2 fantastic, knowledgeable coaches and continuing to charge full price for less than 25% of the membership benefit. I understand times are tough, but that is no way to run a small business. read more

I was a member at PDXFit for about five months. The workouts were fairly low intensity and often consisted of basic calisthenics that could be completed at home. The owners, Marco and Leslie, rigidly adhere to their own philosophy with little regard to member feedback. I was stuck in a six month contract with a steep penalty for canceling. I had no choice but to wait it out. The coaching staff was the best part of this gym, but they were obviously never valued by the owners. It was felt during workouts and led to a weird vibe in the gym. I go to the gym to get in a good workout and have an opportunity to have fun. Poor leadership and management of this gym prevented both. The owners did a great job managing the cleanliness of the gym during COVID, but that's where the positives ended. Equipment was scarce, and what was available, was near end of life. At best, this is a gym for beginners. If you stick with this gym for a few months, you will quickly outgrow their lackluster programming. read more

I've been going to PDXFIT for a little over a year now and I love it. Marco and Leslie truly care about their members and community, and have worked so hard to make the gym a safe and welcoming place, even in a challenging year. They have also worked very hard to adapt their programming to see the needs of members while they were shut down. The gym is clean, the community is great, and the workouts are challenging, but also accessible to all fitness levels. They work hard to make sure that everyone can participate and be challenged. I'm so glad I found the gym, and I'm glad that the doors are open again! read more

About 4 years ago I made the conscious decision that I was going to make changes in my life. I looked around for a while, but only found crappy personal training programs that were more "cookie cutter" thank individualized to help me get the gains that I wanted. That was when I found Marco at PDXFit. Marco has helped me to become mobile and able to function without the massive pain I was experiencing. Due to numerous injuries, I was truly in poor physical condition and unable to perform the simplest activities without gassing out and experiencing pain. He drew up a program that was 100% tailored to help me reach my goals. Over the years I have done individual training as well as some group training here at PDXFit. It is amazing to me to see how his programs not only have variants built in for people that cannot perform certain movements/exercises, but they are scalable for those that are at various levels of fitness. It is truly amazing how he can take 10 people and have each one doing very similar workouts, but individualized enough that everyone can progress as if it was a one on one session. The attention that he and Leslie give to the community members is amazing. There is no way I could have lost the 60 lbs and gotten into the physical condition I am in without their support. There have been a few coaches that tried to circumvent this process over the years, but they don't last long if they don't understand the progression and how each block of training builds upon the previous block. Finding an actual coach that truly understands what they are doing and not just finding workouts online is difficult. Marco's programs are built using his many years to personal training, research, and keeping abreast of current science/fitness techniques. I highly recommend that you give PDXFit a try if you want actual results and not just parade around in your gym clothes. Their programs are incredible and work if you follow them. read more

I quit this gym a couple months ago, and even though I had to pay out my contract, I'm glad I did. (Having people sign a contract for a gym like this is ridiculous anyway, especially during a pandemic when you can't offer classes frequently, and especially without a trial period). There's no olympic lifting, just a lot of circuits and hopping around, the training was disappointing. We were promised some changes to the programming to accommodate a large group of us who joined together from another gym, and the changes never fully materialized. The owners Leslie and Marco like to control every aspect of the classes, so you don't get the individualized input that is so valuable from different coaches normally. Now Leslie and Marco are blaming some of the coaches for a situation (losing clients) of their own creation. If you actually like getting stronger and lifting weights at all, this is not the place for you. read more

I've lived in the neighborhood for the same amount of time that PDXFit has been there. Once I started working with Marco, I understood why I had heard so many times, "Have you met Marco? He's so great!" The good and difficult work he has done to help build up the Lents town center can't go unnoticed. Workouts are always challenging with good information and science behind them. I plan on sticking it out and taking part in this great community as I continue to see changes in my body and build strength. I'm​ so glad I set out on this journey with these people. read more

This review applies to the newer PDXFit HQ gym on 6828 SE Holgate (Church annex, same owners). I'll start with the positive - I joined in July (with 30+ former Woodstock CrossFit members) when gyms and other establishments were allowed to reopen with limited capacity. I appreciated Marco and Leslie's safety procedures (limited capacity, stations spread 6' apart, equipment sanitizing procedures, masks, etc) while many other gym's blatantly ignored Covid safety protocols. I also appreciated how close the gym is to my house (less than a 5 min drive). Now the not-so-positive - the workouts did not accommodate the large influx of Crossfit athletes. It took three months of complaining before Marco and Leslie finally changed the programming to actual CrossFit workouts. Our amazing coaches (recently fired) were not allowed to deviate from unnecessary strict rules, which was unfortunate because their collective experience and knowledge was actually valuable to members. There was one or two occasions when a coach jumped into the workout alongside a member to help motivate and push them to finish. Both Marco and Leslie admonished (and eventually fired) this coach for "not following company policies". I feel like both Leslie and Marco lack a basic understanding of CrossFit community and culture. It is commonplace to improvise warmups for various reasons and for coaches to jump into a workout to motivate/inspire athletes who are struggling. To not understand this and try and run a gym like Initech with TPS cover sheets is ridiculous and loses sight of why we are there to begin with - community! I have more gripes, like broken equipment and charging members full price during a shutdown, but the unwelcoming environment was ultimately why I decided to cancel my membership. read more

This gym is pretty great! They have friendly and helpful trainers and classes at variety of times, including my favorite, early morning. It's awesome getting varied workouts without having to plan them myself. read more

I LOVE pdx fit! I was invited to Pdx Fit by a friend who is an enthusiast and I can see why! It is a safe space to come as you are and improve your fitness in a fun and encouraging way. A lot of workout places I've seen how it is easy to feel ashamed of not being the gym type but not at Pdx Fit, there are so many ages, shapes and types of people. It really represents the neighborhood. Marco is great as is the rest of the team. The workouts vary from day to day and week to week but there is intentionality behind them all, all working towards the goal of a stronger you. It's an amazing resource that we have right here in Lents. I highly recommend to anyone who is looking to invest in their health and wellbeing! read more

Great coaches, community and mission. A welcoming place where I can be myself and not feel judged. Check out both locations, Lents & Montavilla! read more

As another member of the 30 or so people who transferred to this gym in July, I can confirm what the other recent reviewers report. In addition, when we all joined this gym, it was with the clear agreement with Marco and Leslie that they would be taking on a Crossfit philosophy. They would be gaining an extremely loyal and fun group of people and we could continue our workouts and sense of community. Almost from day 1, they were unable to provide this. In fact, their behavior actively worked against a sense of community. Marco's toxic masculinity is oppressive. He has no ability to take feedback or suggestions from his PAYING members (especially woman, if he even responded to them) and let his emotions get in the way of good business decisions. He clearly has very little fitness knowledge and his workouts were straight out of a 4th grade gym class. When he finally had to honor his agreement and provide better programming, he decided to pay to have an outside person create the workouts. Even though he has a level 2 Crossfit coach on staff, who was experienced with programming. Even though we were in the middle of a pandemic and finances were tough. He is so emotionally fragile he was not capable of interacting with his members and went to great lengths to avoid us. He also has a level of paranoia that is concerning. He harassed his coaches frequently, accusing them of not supporting him, turning members against him and causing them to quit. This couldn't be further from the truth. Marco consistently failed to understand the concept of community and does not understand that we all had terrible experiences with them and we talked to each other about it. The coaches did not speak to us about these things and would never want us to leave, as that's their livelihood. And then there is his wife. That little peach is so unpleasant and rude, her behavior directly resulted in one of the coaches quitting soon after starting (YES Leslie, we know what you did). Marco and Leslie are more interested in control and pride than providing a fun, healthy community. They have no ability to take responsibility for their behaviors, no skills in leadership and no idea how to run a business. We gifted them a large, loyal group of people who could have really supported him through this pandemic. Instead, they are now drowning in paranoia, ignorance and bad decisions. read more

I love PDXFIT!! I started with them at their new location when things began to open up in the summer. First off...Fantastic safety protocols during COVID-19. Felt safer there, than going to a store or...anywhere! While there are always learning curves that go with moving a business and also trying to mesh a previous gym community, I felt they did it well. I felt welcomed and excited to get back into fitness! Coaches did a great job coaching, and I made progress! There was a combo of crossfit and other style workouts. I love the owners and have gotten to know them better since joining. They listen to my opinions and preferences and sarcasm in regards to workouts. And when I have a shoulder issues or knee issues, they are quick to offer suggestions in how to relieve those issues. Different stretching and mobility exercises have helped so much. They have also been working on different types of programming to accommodate more people's preferences and continue to find ways to make it better! During this 2nd shut down, we have zoom workouts, where they were kind enough to check out basic equipment for us to use. While there have been setbacks due to Covid and staff changes, they are looking ahead and building out even more! More equipment, more space...the sky is the limit! I love the heart behind PDXFIT and continue to support their vision for fitness and community. Can't wait until the new section is completed, and they are able to open it up!! Thank you Marco and Leslie for all your blood, sweat and many tears you have put into this gym. I believe so many will be helped in their fitness journey, just like I have! God bless you both! read more