I’ve been asked to write this by a number of members and also on the EliteFTS.com Q&A, so here it is.

10. Training environment: training at a gym with the wrong environment will quickly stop your goals. Many gyms are a “meat market” where people go to be seen and not actually work, or they are full of nitwits that don’t train properly. Now I’m not saying that every single person at TPS trains 100% properly, but our nitwit factor is very low compared to most commercial gyms. We also try and show people the right path. We do our best to cultivate an environment where you are pumped to come in and hit it hard all the time.

9. The staff: TeamTPS is the BEST group of professional anywhere. I will put my staff up against anyone else’s. Nobody works here because they “need” this job. Of course everyone needs a job, but the staff here truly wants to work HERE and does their best to make TPS the place to train.

Try and find a better boxing coach than Eddie, or a better Thai coach than Marc. I dare you to try and find a better team of STRENGTH coaches that my team. I didn’t say personal trainers (you know, the ones who have you doing stuff on a balance board while telling you how great you are), I said Strength Coaches. Strength is the base of fitness. Our team will get you strong and in shape. They will do it better than anyone.

8. The equipment: Go to any other gym around and look at the equipment. In 9 out of 10 places, it sucks. TPS is full of the best equipment designed by lifters for lifters. Out boxing/Muay Thai area is also full of the best stuff we can get (and we are about to update some of it, too). Training at a gym with crappy equipment tells you that the owners don’t really care about you or your progress. When I say equipment, I don’t mean the fanciest new machines; I mean the bars, the racks, the benches and all the little things that we have here that make it the best place to train. We do not have the newest or shiniest machine circuit, but we do have the best, heavy-duty gear that was designed for lifting. TPS is full of gear form EliteFTS, SportsStrength, Metal Militia, SpudInc and more. Even the Nautilus circuit, which I think is only one notch above useless, is well thought-out and designed. We chose the Nitro circuit because if we had to have machines, at least they would be good ones.

7. Team Douchebag: Yeah, it’s a ridiculous name, but you know them and they have probably helped you out. Carlos, Steve A., Devin and their crew are pretty much here ALL THE TIME and they are all good lifters who are willing to help others out. Devin is a key member of Team Douchebag. He does nothing but eat Pop Tarts and smash weight while wearing purple unicorn shirts. His raw total is bigger than a lot of the geared lifters’ totals. He is always up to something, too. Keep your eyes on him, he’s shady. The reason that I single out Team Douchebag goes back to reason 1, Training Environment. They help us to cultivate the right training environment.

6. The members: Where would we be without you? We’d be out of business. TeamTPS values each of our members and we want you to take PRIDE in where you train. You can go to any gym that you want, but you come here and help us to make TPS what it is, One of America’s 20 Best Gyms. Sure, the staff is fantastic, the Douchebags are Douchebaggy, but every member help make TPS more than a gym–a community, a collection of people with shared goals (being their very best and always striving to be better) and helping each other out. 5. Awesome level: You should judge a gym by the level of awesomeness it has. TPS is so chock full of awesome that we have had to expand to 40,000 square feet to contain it all. We regularly have members wining fights, setting World and American records in the strength sports, contributions to major fitness publications by the staff on a regular basis and much more. The level of knowledge of the staff is second to none.

We’ve also got Steve, King of Awesome. According to him, he is so awesome it hurts.

4. The characters: Every gym’s got them, but ours are way better than yours. I won’t single any out in particular, but you know who they are. We love them.

3. The stairs: Walking up the stairs to get in the gym will get you in shape better that any workout you are going to do at another gym. Think of them as an extra bonus.

2. The shed: The shed is where the really hardcore lifters go. If you don’t know what it is, then you probably aren’t ready to train down there. You will routinely see 700-pound deadlifts, 400-pound atlas stones being hoisted and many more feats of strength in the shed. Think you are ready to go in? If you do, make sure you rack your weights or you’ll have to deal with Eric. He is as strong as he looks, and he is very protective of his shed.

1. You at your best, and better: Just as many athletes come to TPS to improve their already top-notch performance, many everyday fitness-minded folks end up here because there was something missing at their old gyms: results. TPS has the latest and best of everything—equipment, knowledge, environment—to allow you to challenge yourself, reach your goals, and challenge yourself again. If you’re not sure how to take advantage, get a copy of “18 Ways to Get More from YOUR Gym” at the Front Desk. That “you at your best and better” will not only be physical, but will affect your mind in positive ways, as well, giving you confidence and demonstrating that you can go beyond what you think your limits are in every aspect of life.