The Barn Gym

The Barn Gym A 24-hour strength and conditioning facility specializing in Strongman and heavy athletics

The Barn Gym is a 24-hour strength and conditioning facility specializing in Strongman and heavy athletics.

The Barn Gym will be closing permanently on January 1, 2025. While we were hoping to close in the spring and host one mo...
12/26/2024

The Barn Gym will be closing permanently on January 1, 2025. While we were hoping to close in the spring and host one more sendoff competition, this was the only viable option for us in negotiating with our landlord.

Several factors led to our decision to close The Barn Gym, but it was not a decision we made lightly. Life is taking us in different directions, and it simply wasn’t sustainable for us anymore.

If you were one of our members, thank you for getting stronger here. If you ever dropped in for a day pass, thank you for traveling to enjoy our phenomenal collection of equipment. If you ever volunteered for us in any way, thank you for giving your time. If you ever chose to compete here, thank you for trusting us to put on a hell of a show. It’s been an honor to share this space and so many unforgettable moments with you all.

If The Barn Gym is a part of your story, we hope it makes for a good chapter. We built something incredible here, and neither of us have any regrets about the time, sweat, blood, tears, and love we put into making it what it was. As heartbreaking as it is for us to see it come to an end, we will always be grateful to each other for going for it, and to those of you who showed up for us while it was here.

With love,
Mat and Hailee

VOLUNTEERS 🫶🏻🙏🏻🥶 YOU are why we can run a 72-athlete competition at our little Barn Gym. You are why we were done with a...
12/16/2024

VOLUNTEERS 🫶🏻🙏🏻🥶 YOU are why we can run a 72-athlete competition at our little Barn Gym. You are why we were done with all five events and awards before dark. You are why athletes continue to have good experiences and choose to compete here. We cannot express how much it means to us to have you all show up and spend all day in the cold judging, timing, moving equipment, encouraging our athletes, and even staying late to help us clean up. As athletic directors, it is absolutely crucial to have competent people we can trust to help us run these events, make decisions and problem-solve on the fly, and keep it safe and fun for everyone involved. We actually had more volunteers than jobs on Saturday. What an incredible “problem” to have. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are overwhelmed with gratitude.

Pictures by !!!

I’m sorry; we could only tag 20 in this post but we appreciate each and every one of you!!!

The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter was nothing short of spectacular. We want to congratulate all of our podium finishers on th...
12/16/2024

The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter was nothing short of spectacular. We want to congratulate all of our podium finishers on their stellar performances, and thank all 72 (!!!) athletes who participated in our contest.

We know you all literally signed up for something brutal, but we are still incredibly grateful that you stuck it out and braved the cold with us! We’re sure those stones were like hugging spheres of ice 😅

We put a lot of time and effort into these contests, and it is so worth it to witness your smiles, sportsmanship, personal victories, and general happiness while you’re competing. Seriously, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!

Special thanks to for the photos. Keep an eye out for more from Brandon!!!

12/11/2024

Video 1: Hailee says to swipe through these videos and read the caption to find out everything you need to know about our Max Atlas Stone event at The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter this Saturday. Special thanks to our friends at The Weight Room for sponsoring this event!!!

Video 2: For each attempt, the athlete will start with their hands off the stone and wait for the judge’s command to begin. They will then have 30 seconds to load the stone to the platform.

Video 3: Hailee demonstrates a successful stone load!

Video 4: If your initial triple extension doesn’t result in a successful load, you are allowed to pin the stone to the platform with your chest and get your hands under the stone to roll it up. You MAY NOT grab the platform with your hands and use your chest to push the stone up.

Video 5: All men will load to 52” and all women will load to 44.” This is a max stone load, Wessel’s Rule. This means that each athlete has 3 attempts. We will have a list of stone weights that athletes will be able to choose from for their attempts. Once you miss, you are out! In the event of a tie, the athlete with the heavier opener will win.

Video 6: Equipment allowed: belts, grip shirts, sleeves, stone sleeves, tape, tacky towel, tacky. YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN MATERIALS FOR CLEAN UP AND BE RESPECTFUL OF OUR SPACE AND EQUIPMENT. Tacky is a privilege, not a right.

We can’t wait for Saturday! See you then.

We are proud to announce as a sponsor for The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter! Mason Woods is an all-encompassing online throw...
12/05/2024

We are proud to announce as a sponsor for The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter! Mason Woods is an all-encompassing online throws coach, helping throwers push past their perceived limits. He’s also one of our favorite people and often drops in to train here at The Barn Gym!

Thanks so much to for sponsoring The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter on December 14th. Our friends at The Weight Room have bee...
12/02/2024

Thanks so much to for sponsoring The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter on December 14th. Our friends at The Weight Room have been nothing short of incredible to us since we opened our doors and we are beyond grateful for their continued support. This time, their namesake event will be the Max Atlas Stone load!

If you’re in the Richmond area, The Weight Room is the place to go for coaching and programming in the areas of strongman, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and general fitness. Their expertise is unmatched!

11/30/2024

Video 1: Hailee, Ben, Joe, and Brandon tell you to watch these videos and read the captions to find out everything you need to know about the Hercules Hold event at The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter on December 14.

Video 2: This is an explanation of how we will determine the length of the handle chains for each athlete. We will have the implement’s feet set up on plates to mimic the angle we want to see when they are being held during the event. The athlete will stand in the center, assume their hold position, and then take the handles. One of our team members will count the links on the chain and record the number.

Videos 3 & 4: These videos explain the setup and demonstrate the ex*****on of this event. The athlete will stand in the center of the Hercules Hold, which will be clearly marked. Side spotters will lift the weight, and the judge or another volunteer will put the handles in the athlete’s hands. The athlete will extend their arms, communicate to the judge that they are ready to start, and prepare for the spotter’s 3, 2, 1, 0 countdown. IF SOMETHING FEELS WRONG, it is the athlete’s right and responsibility to let their judge know and ask to regrip the handles BEFORE the weight is fully released into their hands. The judge’s clock will start on the lead spotter’s “zero” and will stop when the weight touches the ground.

Video 5: A couple of notes on this event. First, we want to reiterate that we are using rolling handles and hook gripping is not allowed (meaning your thumb cannot be hooked under your other fingers). Second, we want to encourage athletes to do their best to let go of both handles at the same time for their own safety. Third….. we are requiring a minimum of two seconds on the judge’s clock. Anything less will result in a zero for this event.

EQUIPMENT ALLOWED: belts, sleeves, wrist wraps, chalk

EQUIPMENT NOT ALLOWED: straps, tape, tacky, tacky towel, anything else sticky

11/28/2024

Video 1: and telling you to scroll through these videos and read the captions to find out everything you need to know about the Fingal’s Fingers event at The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter.

Video 2: This is a 3 finger run for time with a 60 second time limit. The clock will start on the judge’s “go” and stop when the last finger hits the crash pad on the opposite side. If you don’t finish the run and earn a time, you will be given a rep score of 0, 1, or 2 (depending on how tragic this event is for you). We will not be taking split times. This means that if you and another athlete tie with a rep score of 1 or 2, you will split the points.

Videos 3 and 4: Hailee explains the implement setup and answers some technical questions that are bound to come up. Yes, belt cleans are okay. No, you may not get creative with how to flip a finger! These rules are in place for safety. If you need to bail, please just bail.

Video 5: This is an example of what your run might look like if you are kind of athletic but have a bum left hip

Video 6: Hailee tells you about these beautiful Fingal’s Fingers! They are about 6”x6” square, with a cap on the ends. Your weight class will determine which 3 of the 4 fingers you will be turning and whether or not we add weight to them.

Video 7: Equipment allowed: soft belts, hard belts, gloves, wrist wraps, knee wraps, knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, grip shirts, chalk
Equipment not allowed: elbow wraps, tacky, tacky towels, anything else sticky

Thanks for watching! You can learn more about this event by following the link in our bio.

is generously sponsoring The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter on December 14th! Podium finishers can look forward to some aweso...
11/26/2024

is generously sponsoring The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter on December 14th! Podium finishers can look forward to some awesome prizes from them. Follow Sterker Strength if you don’t already and check out their awesome apparel and products. We particularly love the smelling salts.

Thank you to for sponsoring another competition here at The Barn Gym. We are so appreciative of the support from our lo...
11/25/2024

Thank you to for sponsoring another competition here at The Barn Gym. We are so appreciative of the support from our local businesses! You can follow the link in our bio for more information on The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter.

Just a reminder that, although Evan does keep our gym climate-controlled most of the time, we will have the bay doors open and the heat off at Brutal Winter on December 14. Bundle up and cross your fingers with us for good weather 😅

11/20/2024

Video 1: and telling you to scroll through these videos and read the captions to find out everything you need to know about the car deadlift at The Barn Gym’s Brutal Winter.

Video 2: This is an example of what the event will look like. On the judge’s go, the clock will start and the athlete will strap in on their own time. The athlete will have 60 seconds to get as many reps as possible, waiting for the judge’s “down” command at each lockout. There is no “up” command. We will no rep you if you don’t wait for the “down” call. You should probably try harder than Brian and use all 60 seconds. Judge’s fist bump not a guarantee.

Video 3: This is an explanation of what we are looking for in a lockout. Your judge is going to see to it that your knees are locked, your hips are through, and all of your fingers (including thumbs) are in contact with both handles before giving you a down command.

Video 4: The pick height is 16” and the handles are 32” apart. Depending on what class you are in, you may have plates loaded onto the apparatus or a different vehicle. Don’t ask us how much it weighs; it’s a vehicle on a lever and it’s going to be heavy.

NOT FEATURED IN THESE VIDEOS but important is the equipment allowed and not allowed on this event.

Equipment allowed: belts, straps, knee sleeves, knee wraps, chalk, stretchy briefs. Straps of all kinds are allowed as long as they don’t have a metal hook on them.

Equipment not allowed: deadlift suits, anything sticky, straps with metal hooks

Thank you, and see you on December 14th! Feel free to message us with any questions that can’t be answered by reading the entire Iron Podium event page. The link to the event is in our bio.

Address

7448 Commerce Way, Unit F
Ruther Glen, VA
22546

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