Wheelhouse Academy - Birmingham, Alabama

Austin Murdaugh

Although I do not workout here anymore, my time at this gym was a very positive one. The owner and coaches were top notch and very helpful when asked about form and best practice. On day one, the coaches take time out of their usual workout to give you complete and undivided attention. The gym has a focus on multi-joint, multi-muscle movements (ie. bench press, over head press, hang cleans, jerks), and built into their programs, they have isolated movements usually after the core lifts they provide. Their workouts are structured to build muscle bulk, and they are very effective at that.
Now, this was my fault, but I did end up injuring my shoulder during their conditioning class, and I was doing a lift that placed a lot of stress on my shoulders. The coach did find me struggling and helped to modify the lift in the moment, and all the staff were available afterward to give pointers and tips to help improve the lift and how to modify while I was recovering.
I would say, if you decide to come here, and you don't have much overhead bar experience, make sure you err on the side of caution when it comes to overhead shoulder weight, go 10-20 pounds lighter, even if it's easy, to really nail your form before going ahead and increasing weight. Even if the workout isn't as hard as you want, your shoulders will thank you.
In summary though, if you want a really fun and engaging atmosphere of all kinds of people, workouts that are varied, classes that are structured to get you stronger, and encouraging leadership, then wheelhouse is a great place to train.

Lailie Simon

Luan and Wheelhouse Academy are unlike any gym experience I’ve ever had. Luan and the coaches are extremely passionate about what they do and they really care about the community and helping everyone achieve their goals of all different types. The facility is big, clean, organized, and well stocked with different weightlifting and other fitness equipment. The class schedule is great and has multiple early morning classes. The community is full of welcoming, incredible people. It’s been an absolute pleasure to train here and I highly, highly recommend Wheelhouse Academy for anyone!

M Painter

Wheelhouse is the best. They made me feel welcome. The coaches were always super friendly and patient with me as I learned the process. Plus the community outings made it fun to connect with others! I highly recommend!

Samantha Bolian

Love Wheelhouse! We went here for 3 years and only left because we moved out of state. It's a great place to learn and level up your skills - I had never done Olympic lifting before joining, and am now very comfortable with all the lifts. The coaches are very focused on making sure you've got good form and that you're lifting safely, which I really appreciate. The community is amazing - we made many of our best friends here, and we're so sad to leave. If you're looking for a gym, definitely check it out!

Emma Farmer

I’ve been teaching Yoga at Wheelhouse for over a year and loved my experience with the gym & the people in it! Wheelhouse is a friendly, encouraging environment always!!

Liv Walker

Wheelhouse is incredible. I’d never worked out before when I joined 1.5 years ago and they were so good at teaching me how to do everything. They were patient and knew how to modify workouts to match my ability and knowledge. The community here is unmatched, everyone remembers your name and the coaches genuinely care about you AND your progress. They do a lot as a community outside of the gym too, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to connect with your classmates.

Regardless of if you’ve never worked out a day in your life or if you’re basically a semi-professional gym rat, you’ll have a place here and a team to push you and teach you.

Nathaniel Bartlett

I love this place. If you're looking for a gym with a community feel, look no further. People socialize with each other, the gym puts on community events, coaches are actively engaged with members, and more. The gym has a great location downtown and is a very clean facility. The equipment is great (even learned about kilos!) and the coaches are very knowledgeable and available for questions or help during your workout sessions. The class packages are very fair priced and class schedules are great. I will (and have) recommended to all my friends in the area. This gym accommodates beginners, amateurs, and enthusiasts all at once. There is no intimidation by competition with other members like other gyms. My only regret is not having joined sooner! 100/100

Justin Shaffield

Wheelhouse is a really unique concept for trainer-led group classes. Luan mixes a variety of training concepts, most notably x-fit style intensity with a martial arts notion of fluidity of motion.

The location is brand new - great, high quality equipment! Best of all, they have a special area for extra work or cool-down after the class!