Redemption is Near
When I write a blog, I always have a good friend proof it. This time, she told me, “This reads like an ad.” If that is true, it is because I am so excited about finding this place that my enthusiasm sounds like an advertisement. But it is not an ad, because I didn’t get paid to write it. It is just the overflow of my true feelings. This is for those in Azle and nearby—if you are serious about your fitness, you need to check out Redemption Barbell.
I found this gym because of my desire to improve my health. When I tried a national chain gym, they treated me like a credit card number. They just wanted me to sign up for a year and had no interest in me personally. While that might work for some people, I prefer a more personal touch. Redemption Barbell was exactly what I needed!
Nestled in the heart of North Texas, Redemption Barbell awakened my inner warrior. The inside is sparse and rugged—no signs, no comfortable spaces, no televisions, no mirrors, no air conditioning, and no excuses. It’s a down-to-earth functional fitness/interval training gym with an old school vibe, and it houses several top-notch trainers, as well as coaches who lead group classes. And of course, they have lots of free weights, barbells, bikes, and other work out equipment.
On my first visit, early one Saturday morning, owners Nick and Cyndi Ramon, their new baby, and several other team members welcomed me. The people and mission of Redemption Barbell are what make it so remarkable. Within moments of entering, I began developing comfortable and no-nonsense relationships with the owners and staff. I immediately felt at home.
Me and Cyndi
Cyndi gave me a personal tour and explained that, as a trainer and someone who loves fitness, she sees their gym as a community. Sure, our bodies need to be “redeemed,” so to speak, but so do our minds, she told me. Over the last few years, they have watched people walk into the gym feeling beat up by life, and the exercise and change in their bodies gives them a sense of worth and chases away depression. Essentially, Nick and Cyndi believe many people come to the gym looking for a way to redeem something they’ve lost—confidence, self-control, peace, and ultimately freedom. Because of that, their mission is to build community through health and fitness family values, and living life to the fullest, the way God created us to be.
Cyndi told me that they are all about community, and although it’s often “messy,” their gym is a safe space where people can work through disagreements and emerge stronger. They can fight through relationship struggles, fight through physical hardships—that’s what fitness is, fitness for the mind, spirit, and emotions. The end goal of this sort of redemption is strength in all areas.
Jeff Before
Me and Jeff Today
Here is a picture of Jeff, one of their regulars, who used to be 365 pounds. (The gym recently moved from a barn to a 3000-square-foot building in Azle.) This picture epitomizes what Redemption Barbell is all about—quality of life. They say it is a place a 98-year-old grandma can come with her 20-year-old grandson, and both will enjoy themselves and see results.
Redemption. The question is: What battle are you fighting? What in your life needs redemption? The goal at Redemption Barbell is to redeem something you have lost. It could be confidence, a bad relationship, your health—or something else.
Whatever it is, Redemption Barbell provides a space and community in which you can begin to work that out. Tell them Jeannine sent you.