★ 5

The Jersey Strength Pit.

In two words, Life Changing.

In many words: We are all so dedicated to others, happily and joyfully to our children and parents, to our friends our neighbors, to our children's school and our churches etc. etc. But we are not so great setting time aside and dedicating ourselves to something for *ourselves*. Time is usually the problem. We are all spread too thin. We give to others before we take for ourselves. It just never seems right to put ourselves before...almost anything.

Eventually though - at least I've come to this point, and I hope you will too - I've come to realize, there will never, ever be "enough time". I will never carve out, with ease, without second guessing, without re prioritizing, in favor of another who needs me, time for myself, and the years, they'll keep marching by. And because I realize this, and how silly this life-long way of thinking has been, I've decided to, for once, make myself a priority. And, I've helped by justifying it with a Truth: I will be healthier, more fit, stronger, both physically and mentally, and so I will become a better me for myself and those I love and care for. ;)

I've been to other gyms. Not for nearly a decade though. Boooooooring. Same old, same old. Nothing new. Routine. Dull. The entire time spent watching the clock and counting the minutes until my time was paid. And then thinking "Thank God!" when my time was up.

When I saw a post on Facebook of someone talking about The Jersey Strength Pit, I thought "Wow! This is new! This is exciting! Do they really flip tires and throw sledge hammers? Whaaaat?" There is absolutely nothing "Traditional" about this gym. It is unique. It is interesting. It is creative. It is fun! (Whaaaat?!?!) Yes, fun! Time flies by. The clock is ignored. Chris, Zack and Megan, Owner, Trainer and Nutritionist, are pretty amazing. They are encouraging, supportive, motivating and very knowledgeable in their particular areas. They live by the same words and actions and ideals that they share with their clients. They live what they do. How refreshing.

I am pretty sure this is up there on my top five greatest commitments I've made for myself to myself. I feel like this is the first chapter to the healthiest life I have ever lived. I am so fortunate to have crossed paths with another member whose post I found interesting. Maybe this post will be "the" post that motivates you.

Do I drag myself to the gym some mornings? Sure. But it is not because of what I am about to do. It's about what I am not able to do, that I feel I need to do, because I am going to the gym instead. Old habits, bad habits, are hard to break. Guess what? The things I am not getting done because I am going to the gym instead...they keep. Almost everything does. And if something does not, for that one hour...I was way behind schedule anyway.

Make a commitment to yourself, and Chris, Zack and Megan will commit to you. I am pretty confident in saying, you won't regret it.

Source: Google

★ 5

Great trainers, caring team that gets results. If you want to transform your health this is the gym for you.

Source: Google

★ 5

I’m ‘only’ part of the nutrition program because I don’t live in the area however I have taken two classes at the Pit. I’ve enjoyed them both and found them challenging and led by a motivating and friendly instructor. The nutrition program gives me practically instant access to the nutritionist via a Facebook page, email and text to ask questions, motivate others in the group, and share ideas. I’m very pleased with my experience.

Source: Google

★ 5

It’s the small victories along the journey that count just as much as the goal at the end! Thanks to the help from the crew at Jersey Strength Pit, I was able to put on a skirt today and button it all the way up without a problem! Something I wasn’t able to do several months ago!

Thank you for your support & guidance over the past 30 days Christopher Lopez, Zac Hagenberg, & Megan Ántoni! It’s the personal attention that sets you guys apart from the chains! Also a big thank you to my SIL, Michelle Williams, for pushing the info about the Pit my way!

I’m so glad I went out of my comfort zone and took that first step into the Pit! Can’t wait to continue on this path to a more fit me! 💜

Source: Google

★ 1

First off, I don't have complaints about the equipment or anything like that. My review is focused more on the front office than the gym, so take this review for what you will. It's long, but worth it if you're on the fence about joining. My experience when I first started in 2016 was great—back when it was located in some small, cramped, 700-sq. ft. garage on County Line Road. Chris, the owner, was the main trainer and came off like an overall great guy who just wanted to help people get in shape and reach their peak physical potential.

In August '16, a few months after joining, the gym grew out of the space and relocated to the 3,000-sq. ft. facility on Bismark Road. The space is awesome—it's spacious, on hot says it doesn't get too hot (but there are massive fans blowing too), it's got heat for cold days, the turf half is great for sled work, the weight side has a 4 power racks, there's plenty of space on the surrounding lot to do sprints, etc. Overall, the new facility is quite good.

But over time Chris pulled away from training in order to manage the day-to-day of the business and Zac was brought in to train the bulk of the (at least evening) sessions. Zac is a great guy but Chris was the reason myself (and my girlfriend) were there. We never really complained though because we liked Zac and we knew Chris had to handle other things to focus on how to grow the business.

The ultimate reason for this review centers around changes coming to the memberships in October '18—or, more specifically, how poorly he handled the concern both my girlfriend and I had about them.

On Thursday, 9/13, shortly after the announcement about the changes, my girlfriend called the owner to talk about the changes but was instead handled by his assistant/Pit Nutritionist Megan—as it turns out, he was sitting by Megan during their entire conversation. My girlfriend called me after, upset about the tone and callousness of the conversation and informed me that the changes were sticking (fair enough as things change and that just meant it might be time to find another gym).

She figured talking to Chris himself might at least give her better understanding of the situation, so she reached out to him on the 14th and he called her back. (Now this is where I went from, "oh well, maybe it's time to find another gym" to "I have lost all respect for you and your gym"...to put it nicely.) After they spoke, she called me crying because of the way he spoke to her—a faithful member of the gym for over 2 years. He proceeded to show his hand to her by yelling at her, "What is it worth to you?! What is the right price!?" while repeatedly saying, "You don't need to come here." Utterly reprehensible.

I proceeded to go back and forth with him over email to initially air out my grievances about the changes, then about how he handled the situation with my girlfriend and how poorly his mismanagement of client relations reflects upon the status of the business. Long story short, he doubled down on the tone his assistant took with my girlfriend ("she was not treated with disrespect at all by Megan or myself"), he refused to meet with me one-on-one to see if cooler heads could prevail ("That said, there is no reason to meet."), he abruptly terminated our memberships, and he politely refunded her the 7-months remaining on her contract as well as the half-month remaining on my membership. And, of course, he thanked me for my loyalty (money, presumably).

To close this out, The Pit was once a great place to be a part of. For some time, however, it's felt more transactional than inspirational. To be fair, if you have never worked out here before (especially at the old location), you may actually come to love it for how it is currently, but I caution you to try it out for yourself with whatever short-term intro options there are before committing to anything long term.

(NOTE: I can provide *a lot* more context to back this up but I'm limited by Google's 4,000-character review limit.)

Source: Google

★ 5

In looking at the available training options and facilities, I’ve been able to categorize them in a few ways. Big Box, CrossFit, CrossHIIT and then there is the Jersey Strength Pit. Chris, Zac and Meg have developed a training program within an amazing facility on Bismark Road in Jackson, NJ.

The goals of the training program are for members to lose fat, acquire strength, build bodies and help athletes of all levels perform better.
This is achieved through:

1. Prioritizing nutrition - Meg was added to build out this competency.
2. Utilizing big, hard exercises - The Pit uses compound movements such as Deadlifts, Squats, and Presses. To burn fat you want to be as fuel inefficient as possible. CrossHIIT workouts not involving weights – the more you do them, the better you get at them making you more fuel efficient. This means you have a tougher time burning fat. When using weight based training. The better you get the more you can lift which in turn takes more out of you.
3. Building Muscle - If you are trying to lose fat, you should gain muscle, period.
4. Scheduling - The Pit gets smart here. You have joint, spinal, nervous system and metabolic stressors. Most gyms focus on just 1 or 2 of these. The Pit’s incorporates all of these stressors $ gives you time between to recover. You can’t just do CrossHIIT or Powerlifting exercises everyday.
5. Rotation - This is the differentiator. Not only does The Pit adjust your daily sessions but looks at things from a monthly and quarterly perspective. The programs which the team have designed, incorporate metabolic resistance training, strength training, bodybuilding and strength + conditioning. This builds appropriate results even if you are competing for your next powerlifting meet.

This brings me to a couple of reviews which I have read. Note that out of all of the reviews I believe only 3 have ever been negative and two of them are related incidents. I think Facebook alone has more than 40 reviews with almost all of them being positive. Note, most people who have positive experiences do not write reviews I speculate that the positive reviews would actually be higher.

The vehicle behind the negative reviews was the change in structure to the program. But if you really look at things, you’ll realize the only thing that changed was the amount of time they could rest between sets. On many days, Chris has now prescribed a session where you can continue to lift heavy but, your rest time is limited between your next set. Nobody is complaining about the exercises prescribed, just the rest time and what the name is. This type of programming has been a staple in Chris’s methodology since I became a member 4 years ago. In fact if Chris were to get rid of session names and adjust the rest time between sets, nobody would have noticed.

In addition, during my training sessions with these members, I have never seen any of these members dislike a session. I have never heard any of these members speak in a negative way about The Pit. I have never heard any of these members speak in a negative way about Chris, Meg or Zac. All of the members who left, befriended Chris, Zac and Meg as is a common occurrence in small environments. This is also my general observation with all of the members I have trained with at The Pit. With most of the members who left, Chris spent his free time running numbers and guiding them during all of their powerlifting meets. In fact many of these members under Chris’s knowledge and guidance have achieved both state and national powerlifting records.

To conclude, I know that if you decide to train at The Pit you will like the sessions, you will work hard, have nothing but positive things to say, have positive experiences with Chris, Zac and Meg, and befriend them along the way. I know I have and I’m a better person both mentally and physically for doing so.

I encourage you to try a session out and by all means ask for me, I’d be more than happy to train with you.

Source: Google

★ 5

Jersey Strength Pit.... I worked with Chris (owner) on a couple of different occasions over the past couple of years primarily on charity events he sponsors- he gives back and pays it forward. I’ve been a member of a gym all of my adult life, became certified in various aspects of fitness Including personal training. When my old gym closed and I was looking for a new “home “ I reached out to Chris and I haven’t looked back. I’m obtaining my goals with his assistance and the assistance of his staff. Change is challenging - but from the day I walked into The Pit I felt like I’d been there forever. If you truly want results this is where you’ll get them!
Michelle W

Source: Google

★ 1

Owner is extremely unprofessional. So at the strength PIT you can get into the nutrition program which i did. Then they have a group where you can ask whatever questions you may about anything regarding nutrition. I was really taken by surprise how the owner Chris Lopez reacted. It was almost like he was insulted that i was asking it. I asked a very specific question, which i have seen these cookies elsewhere "supposedly" okay to eat.It made me feel dumb, like i don't belong there, and very uncomfortable. The care that was shown here was very little. The interaction below says it all. Would you want to pay for a place and this is how you get talked to ? I would not recommend it here at all.

Source: Google

★ 5

The PIT has changed my son’s life and mine! It has been 3 years for my son and myself almost 2 years training at the Jersey Strength Pit. I can't say enough positive things about Christopher Lopez the owner, Zac and Megan at the Pit! We were told about the Pit from a good friend who went their with her son. My son and I met with Chris and I knew there was something awesome in this place. My son has Autism. He also issues with social skills and many other things is a struggle for him. Chris treated my son the same as any other kid not different. My son loved the Pit and Chris as soon as he saw it. “Sign me up” my son said. Chris and Zac work with Sean amazingly and treat him with respect. They both know how to make him feel like NOT a failure and doesn't let him slack off. This has encouraged him to do and go for things he never thought he could do and succeed at. The change I see in my son is a total 360! He has gained a tremendous amount of confidence and motivation! He inspired me so much and told me to start going and I joined!! So now we go workout together. We have made so many friends at the Pit. I love lifting and I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I feel at home when I go to workout. The support that Chris and Zac give is something I am grateful for. Pushing me all the time, helping me come out of my comfort zone and cheering me on. I now also go to the Pit’s Nutritionist Megan. She is amazing and her support is also something I am grateful for. She is helping me with all my nutrition needs and wants me to be successful on this journey. Best decision I made to meet with her. I am feeling incredible!
My son and I feel like a part of a awesome family. We are truly blessed to have found this incredible place. I highly recommend the Jersey Strength Pit and in courage you to tell everyone about it. You will not be disappointed and what you gain is amazing. Thank you Chris, Zac and Megan

Stephanie and Sean Hebron

Source: Google

★ 5

The Pit is unlike any other exercise facility that I have ever been to. You can truly feel that they honestly care about helping you achieve your goals. It’s not just about selling you a membership. It is about making you a member of their family and working together as a team to obtain the results that you are looking for. Chris and Zac are amazingly supportive and I am so very grateful for the day that I chose to walk thru the door here and become a member of “The Pit”. I absolutely love it!! As far as nutrition, first I felt as though I may not need it right away. That I would just do the classes and cut out some of the bad stuff and that I would be fine. Chris explained to me that not having my nutrition right would have a major impact on how successful I am with obtaining my goal. He explained it in a way that made complete sense to me so I agreed to it. Then Megan did her amazing analysis and it made me realize just how far off I was from proper nutrition based on my personal criteria. Not just a handout with a list of food for me to eat and foods to avoid. But a personalized plan which takes into consideration all of your individualized data. Then Megan reviewed it all and explained in detail the how and why this is so important. Now I have access to her expertise every day to guide me thru when I need the help. When I say this is amazing I am not exaggerating. Chris and Megan have the experience to see what I needed even when I didn’t realize it. This was the missing piece for me. Now I am in the learning process and on my way to better results. I can not say enough good things about it. They are an amazing team and this is an amazing program.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 2

I was really intimidated to join the Pit in 2016, but after having a meeting with the owner, Chris, my mind was changed. Chris was positive and encouraging and I believed that he was invested in my health and fitness, and most importantly in me. So I spent about 2 and a half years training at the Pit, for about half the time with Chris and the other half of the time with his wonderful trainer Zac. In my time there I was able to cut weight, get super strong, and even compete in and set records at powerlifting meets.

Unfortunately, that encouragement and investment in me as a person that Chris showed more than 2 years ago is gone. The heart and soul of the gym is gone. The warm and upbeat owner that built me up completely knocked me down, no longer treating me like a valued member, but treating me like a number, like a dollar sign.

My initial hesitation to join this gym was the expense - $150/month for 3 workout sessions a week. Initially, the structure of the workouts were completely strength based, with conditioning worked in every few days. The nice thing was that Chris posted the workouts in advance, so since I didn't like the conditioning, I could just come in on strength days. Then Chris moved from a 700 sq ft garage to a much larger space. In this space, he decided to split classes up, so there were strength classes and conditioning classes at different times. I continued going to strength only classes 3x a week for more than a year and a half, still paying my initial $150/month.

Then, Chris blind-sided us all by cutting class options based on the price you pay. I went from 12 strength training sessions and unlimited conditioning classes per month to only 5 strength training classes and 17 conditioning classes per month. And if I wanted to resume my 12 strength training classes each month? I'd have to increase my $150/month charge to $300/month - double the money for the same workout schedule I've maintained for at least 2 years.

I reached out to Chris, as a long-time member, and had to deal with the gym's nutritionist on the phone. Not only did I not want to deal with her, but when I expressed my displeasure with the changes and asked about the rules of cancelling membership, she responded defensively, telling me I wasn't special and that I should stop judging the conditioning classes because I don't even take them. I then followed up with an email to get the details in writing and again, I got a response from the nutritionist.

Frustrated, I reached out to Chris via Facebook and he called me to discuss. I expressed my disappointment with the changes and told him I didn't feel my class allotment was in line with my pricing. He was already defensive as soon as he called, so after some discussion I could hear him losing his patience and began yelling at me, "What is it worth to you?! What is the right price!?" He then told me repeatedly, "You don't need to come here." Finally, he told me I was paying 700sq ft prices, not the prices worth his new space. I was so shocked by how much he dehumanized me that I got off the phone sobbing. I didn't want to deal with him again after that.

My boyfriend also attends this gym and reached out to Chris via email, venting his frustrations about the changes and how I was spoken to by the staff. He was also honest with Chris about how his greed and dehumanization of members is ruining the gym experience for members. After some back and forth, Chris abruptly terminated our memberships, issued refunds, and told us we were not welcome there.

This review is long and detailed, but I wanted to make sure that when a new member thinks about joining this gym, they know that it was once a great place that still yields great results, but the owner is on a downward spiral, trading his encouraging coach-like nature for a cold, hard attitude, no longer treating members like family, but like $$.

Source: Google

★ 5

Loving it!!!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google