Why We’re Different
This weekend, one of our coaches, Kelsey, attended a workshop outside of our gym. She came back with some useful coaching cues and movements, but also with a bit of fire in her belly.
Although there were moments of learning, there were also comments passed, people laughed at for their body types and genders.
When you’re someone like Kelsey, who has devoted her entire coaching life to tearing down the barriers that keep people out of movement and strength training — when you coach in a gym that is welcoming, progressive, and focused on building people up — it’s jarring to step into a room where those old walls still stand. The ones that say the gym is only for the already strong, the already athletic, the genetically gifted. The ones who “fit the mold.”
That’s not us.
We don’t believe the gym is a place only for the physically privileged. We don’t believe jokes at anyone’s expense belong in a coaching environment. And we certainly don’t believe that strength and health are only worth celebrating in certain kinds of bodies.
At Uptown Movement, everyone works hard. That’s a non-negotiable. If you come here, you will learn, you will be challenged, you will train. But — and this is a big but — you will also be welcomed exactly as you are. Every single person who walks through our doors deserves the chance to put in that hard work in an environment where they feel comfortable, respected, and safe.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. It takes dedication and focus, from both our members and our coaches. Kelsey, along with our whole coaching team, has put years into shaping this atmosphere. It’s not an accident that our classes feel different. It’s the result of coaches who care about language, who pay attention to details, who understand what it’s like to step into an intimidating place — who carry both physical and emotional empathy.
Movement is valuable and vital in all bodies. Progress looks different on everyone. And the real privilege isn’t being “built for it” — it’s being able to share this space with a community that understands the deeper meaning of training.
⬅️ Click to listen to Kelsey's thoughts on gym culture
We’re proud to be different. We’re proud that members tell us they feel comfortable here when other gyms made them feel like outsiders. And we’re proud that coaches like Kelsey hold the line, calling out the old ways of thinking so the future of coaching looks more like this: hard work without exclusion.
Everyone is welcome here. Everyone must work hard. Those two things can — and must — exist together.