The Richmond Gym

The Verdict

Richmond seems to be dotted with thousands of backstreet industrial gyms (must be all those warehouses lying around), but finding one that isn’t a sweaty, GloboGym muscle palace isn’t always easy. Enter The Richmond Gym: an accessible fitness space that’s all about good technique and old-fashioned fun.

Example. This is a place where the trainers actually know your name. There aren’t any mirrors on the walls, and a**hole quotient is refreshingly low. In fact, The Richmond Gym’s website is pretty upfront about NOT being one-size-fits-all. This is a place you come for a balanced workout with professionals, a gym where you can go at your own pace and track your progress over time. Mirror selfies, testosterone-fuelled grunting and perving on people in leotards not so much.

The Richmond Gym also has a few interesting specialties that set it apart from your run-of-the-mill fitness studios. It’s one of Melbourne’s few venues dedicated to kettlebell workouts, and runs proper Girevoy classes if you’re interested in the free-weights approach. It’s also got an in-house handstand instructor (the freakishly balanced @davyhandstands) who can help you master the art of standing on your arms—if, for whatever reason, you've reached a point in your life where that feels necessary.

There are regular strength and conditioning classes too, of course, plus personal PT sessions if you want a more bespoke approach. Plus the first session comes 100% free. Sweet.

It’s refreshing to find a gym that takes fitness seriously, but also understands the inner demons who whisper, for example, that three slices of cheesecake is a totally reasonable Tuesday night post-dinner snack. This place is about results, not judgement. Sounds like a winning combo to us.

Image credit: The Richmond Gym