I got up on the morning of Mar 29, 2025 looking for a good HIIT class and came across The Training Room through a quick Google search. I had never heard of this business before today--but after my experience, I won't be returning and can't recommend it.
I arrived about 10 minutes after an 11:30 AM class had started. After paying for parking, I realized I was likely too late to join and figured I'd check with the front desk to see if there were any other class options later in the day. That's when things took a troubling turn.
Before I could even finish my sentence, the front desk attendant cut me off with, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." No greeting. No attempt to understand why I was there. Just a sudden and dismissive response that felt more punitive than professional.
I asked if I was being treated this way because of the color of my skin. Rather than engage with the concern, the attendant grew defensive, and the tone became even more uncomfortable. Later, I received two follow-up calls from the business. The first caller claimed the attendant "felt scared" because I challenged her response--even though that same caller admitted the situation could have been handled better. That framing--where a Black man simply questioning poor treatment is spun as a threat--is not only tired, it's dangerous.
The second call, from someone identifying as a manager or owner, was the most disturbing. Instead of showing concern or professionalism, she took an even more condescending and defensive tone. She accused me of "playing the race card"--a classic tactic used to deflect from accountability--and then said, "Good luck navigating life" & also stated that "my life is going nowhere." Those comments were clearly meant to demean and dehumanize me, as if to remind me of "my place" for daring to speak up. This is the very definition of racism: I raised a concern about being treated differently due to race, and her response was racism--dismissive, disrespectful, and retaliatory.
What should've been a simple inquiry about a class turned into a demeaning and racially charged experience. From the front desk to leadership, the energy I received was exclusionary, unprofessional, and deeply offensive.
If you're looking for a gym that treats everyone with dignity and respect--this isn't it.
I feel compelled to respond to the false and inflammatory claims made by the owner of The Training Room.
Let's walk through the facts--logically and chronologically:
1. I found The Training Room through a Google search. I had never been to this business before. As a first-time visitor, I was unfamiliar with any late arrival policies. Why would I get up on a Saturday morning, pay for parking, and walk into a place I had never visited before just to "harass" a staff member I had never met? That accusation is not only illogical--it's offensive.
2. I arrived about 10 minutes after the 11:30 AM class had started. Realizing I was likely too late to join, I simply approached the front desk to ask if there were any other class options available later in the day.
3. Before I could even finish my question, I was immediately told, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." No greeting. No inquiry into why I was there. Just an abrupt, dismissive response. I left the gym voluntarily without escalation--and immediately called the gym's management, as I was informed the owner was not present.
4. I later received two phone calls.
* The first from someone identifying as the owner, who claimed the front desk staffer felt "scared."
* The second from someone identifying as the Manager, who not only accused me of "playing the race card" but explicitly insulted me, saying my "life is going nowhere" and wishing me "good luck navigating life." During that call, she stated the conversation was being recorded, to which I responded, "Good, I'm glad it is."
5. The owner's public response is dishonest.
* There were not "30-50 witnesses" to the interaction; the immediate area was largely empty.
* At no point did anyone explain a policy to me until after the situation had already escalated unnecessarily.
You continue to avoid the core issue: I, a first-time Black customer, was treated with suspicion and hostility the moment I walked through the door, without cause. Instead of reflecting on this, you have chosen to discredit, gaslight, and misrepresent what happened.
Calling out anti-Black racism is not harassment.
I stand by every word of my experience. I have video footage of the initial exchange, a written record of your messages, and I am pursuing legal guidance. I won't be silenced--and others deserve to know exactly how this "inclusive" space treats people when accountability is on the line.
This experience--and your handling of it--speaks for itself. read more