HEW Fitness

What can I say about Hard Exercise Works (HEW)? I could just say it does, but that really isn’t much of a review. HEW really isn’t a gym, nor is it a box, it is an amazing family of like-minded individuals who strive to be the best person that they can be. Attending HEW is awesome! Everyone pulls together during the workouts as you are all doing the same exact workout and enduring it together. When starting off, if you cannot do the exercise or even do it at a specific weight, don’t worry the coaches work with you. All of the workouts are scalable. In time, if you put in the effort and listen to the amazing coaches, you will see that hard exercise really does work.They also have several classes that have a specific focus to help you on your fitness journey. There are stretching classes (yoga & pilates), running classes, Olympic Weightlifting Classes, and an overall program called HEWfit that focuses on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle.Once you are ready, HEW also competes in CrossFit competitions and has been known to partner with other local vendors to create our own. Most competitions are set up just like the daily workouts where you can do the recommended exercise and weight (RX) or scaled where the workouts and movements are not as strenuous as the RX. Whether it be your first competition or your 50th, HEW has an amazing community where other members and coaches come out and cheer each other on, regardless if they are competing that day or not.HEW also conducts several social and charitable events each year. Some of the social events for members have been: kickball, paintball, taking in a tourist game, a week of Halloween costumes, hiking trips, a night at Painting with a Twist, or catching a trivia night at a local restaurant. If you are not a social person, but love to help out charities, HEW gives back as well! At HEW, there is a program called “Sweat Angels”. Each time you check-in as a member (on Facebook), HEW donates money to a specific charity which rotates each month. In the past year it has been used to provide shoes, clean drinking water, bricks to help build a school, food for a rescue animal, access for women to have a breast & ovarian cancer risk assessment, and education materials for men on the risk of prostate cancer, just to name a few. On top of the Sweat Angels Campaign, we also do work out in the surrounding community such as participating in the Back-to-School Drive, the Tire Amnesty Charity Event, and stacking the Manna Foodbank Giving Tree for example.I recommend HEW to everyone, it is a lot of work (it isn’t called easy exercise works) in a truly fun environment. Come on in for a free class and experience it for yourself!

Personally, I really enjoy working out at HEW. I've been here for just over a year. The thing is, you can't come into HEW thinking it's just another gym. It's not like the Y or any of the other "big box" gyms. Yes, HEW is a franchising corporation but more in line with individually owned CrossFit gyms than Golds. It's not the place where you can mindlessly step into the gym, ride a bike for an hour or watch nautilus plates go up & down for 2 hours. It's a gym where I feel there is a great degree of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY attached to your workouts. It says it above the door when you walk in - Check Your Ego Here. Can you get hurt doing the workouts? Sure. Absolutely. I feel however that with the instructions being given, the watchful eyes on you during the workout and your own level of personal responsibility any potential injury is massively reduced to almost nil. These are weightlifting movements. You will be moving barbells up over your head. You will be moving barbells to your chest then squat & then find that barbell moving over your head again. Notice I write "moving" not just "tossing" because these are choreographed movements that take focus. For me that's where the personal responsibly comes into play. If you want a mindless workout, then yes, find another facility. These workouts take concentration, focus, an eagerness to learn, & a willingness to listen to your body. As that weight gets heavy, all those things tend to break down. Be personally responsible for how much you are focused and concentrating. If your head just isn't there that day ... drop down in weight, modify the movement, ask for another movement all together.ALL of the movements are more involved than just "Go swing that kettlebell up to eye level, back down, swing it up again, repeat, repeat". If you disregard the instructions as to proper form - yes, you might hurt yourself. If you are lifting more than you reasonably should just to keep up with other folks (check your ego) - yes, you might hurt yourself. None of these are scenarios that don't crop up at other facilities though. If you find yourself hurt while working out at HEW I would wager you would have found yourself hurt at whichever facility you choose to drop your gym bag. If anything, at HEW it's easy to want to do too much too fast because it's a bit addictive. More than I've found anywhere else. Again, personal responsibility. Listen to the coaches. Pay attention during the instruction part of each workout. All the basic info is there if you choose to listen. Everything from a narrow hand placement to a wide hand placement is important. It's why the coaches describe & demonstrate each & every movement of each and every workout. Following that, you have to be open to being corrected (check your ego at the door) on the big & small stuff. I wrote all the "basic" info is there because I've learned that just about all the movements have many, many finer points to sharpened as you get better. For someone just starting though, it can be intimidating which is why the coaches spend the time actually coaching & not just sitting in the gym somewhere waiting for you to come to them if you have any questions. You will see them, out of the corner of your eye, staring at you while you do something. Or more blatantly, standing right in front of you assessing your form. Make no mistake, it is a critique . . . but constructive & helpful to keep you save and progressing.To that end . . . the coaches. I can't say enough good things about them. Most of my experiences over the past few decades with exercise facilities have been with "coaches" who have many, many, many clients. My "personalized" workout tended to look like most of the others I saw in the gym. Help and service was given as I sought them out, rather than them coming to check in on me. These are not personalized workouts, don't get me wrong. However, the degree of personalization from the coaches is amazing.In any case, those are the bulk of my thoughts from the last 12 months. Hope it helps with any decisions.

I've never had so much fun doing burpees!! All the coaches keep what can be grueling workouts fun but challenging still. The coaches make you feel like you are a part of a community and not just a member of a gym. 5 stars doesn't cut it for HEW Asheville!!!!

Great gym. The first few weeks can be intimidating and overwhelming. You're not sure if you can do this stuff. But the coaches are helpful and encouraging and know how to appropriately push you to the next level. The community "suffers" together but that ends up just being fun. This place is really effective and highly recommended.

I started at HEW in February with the 5 week bootcamp and I was hooked! Very inclusive place to work out. The coaches and other members are very friendly and make an effort to help you if you are stuggling with a movement or scale something back if you are unable to complete a movement. Very challenging workouts! This place is amazing.

I found hard exersice works after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It was a late in like diagnoses (32 years) I thought my life was over but this amazing gym helped me get it back! The work outs are hard but fun. The coaches are informative and attentive. I'm getting stronger and thinner all the time!

I really can not say enough good things about this gym.The coaches are fantastic! I have met some wonderful people, and have been welcomed since my first day!Almost a year later, and I still Love going everyday!! Nothing to loose here, you gain a community!

I've been going here about a year. The coaches are amazing and helpful, both adjusting exercises to your level and encouraging you to try for more. The community, though, is really the gem here. People are kind no matter what level you are at and you quickly become part of the family. I really love it, I'm even bringing my son in for the summer!

My friend encouraged me to join in November of 2016 thinking that a little strength training would improve my running form. I was reluctant at first having a long history of avoiding gyms at all cost, but have completely drunk the Kool-Aid. After six months, my strength and tone have improved dramatically. The environment is tough, inclusive, and no body shaming is allowed!

Hard exercise works Asheville is incredible! Their five days a week five week Boot Camp is the perfect prescription for anybody who wants to get fit and healthy but doesn't know where to start. I'm one week in and wasn't sure that I could keep up because I am completely out of shape. I have already seen results in so many ways. I really look forward to going to the gym each morning. And after reading this out loud I'm pretty sure I've never said those words before. I highly recommend that anyone who is looking for start to a better life, or an alternative to your current boring workout regiment try Hard Exercise Works in Asheville. Tell them Tom sent you!