Located in the heart of San Diego, Grinder Gym sets itself apart with a no-nonsense approach to fitness and a strong community vibe. Known for its robust selection of specialty bars and strongman equipment, it's a mecca for serious athletes and lifting enthusiasts.
Founded by Dave DePew, a highly regarded figure in the strength training community, Grinder Gym is celebrated for its inclusive and motivating atmosphere. Members appreciate the value of old-school, hard work ethic amidst the accessible and well-stocked facility.
Pros:
- Diverse equipment for strength, powerlifting, and strongman
- Friendly, knowledgeable owner actively involved
- Supportive and inclusive community
- Tailored for serious lifters
- Community-oriented with a strong sense of belonging
- Rich variety of specialty bars
- Affordable membership options
- Open early and weekends
- Indoor and outdoor training spaces
- Hosts competitions and personalized coaching
Cons:
- Not for those seeking a modern, posh gym environment
- Limited in terms of high-tech, modern machinery
- Can be intimidating for complete fitness beginners
Location / Contact
- Address: 1013 Morena Blvd, San Diego, CA 92110, United States
- Phone:+1 619-840-8175
- Email:[email protected]
- Website:grindergym.com
Rating Stats
Frequently Asked Questions
Except the peak hours, this place remains quite free or moderately crowded.
This business has a rating of 4.8-star.
This business has 60 reviews.
The address is: 1013 Morena Blvd, San Diego, CA 92110, United States .
The contact number is +1 619-840-8175
This service is listed under Gym .
Add a Review
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
McKenzie P
11 months ago
The one star reviews are so strange. It’s one thing to say you don’t like the old school iron paradise/maybe jail yard vibes in comparison to trendier content gyms, but to suggest that anyone here is anything but above and beyond welcoming is bizarre. The three people who work here are incredibly nice, once you get over the initial shock that two of them could probably break you in half if they sneezed in your general direction. Even after I left the gym, the owner Dave will treat you like family just as he did me. The dude is a giant, jacked teddy bear with the biggest heart, and his similarly yoked young brethren that he hired has all the vitriol of a sour patch kid on his worst days. The woman is just freaking nice, which couldn’t be construed negatively in anyway. Any reviews that say anything else are FAKE—Dave would remove anyone behaving like that with the quickness. This gym is fully in the spirit of all the great old school gyms, which is about respect and community.
Ashur Benjamin
11 months ago
Beware… This place is the worst. I now have to purchase 4 bars for my home gym.In all seriousness, I was 4 weeks in to a new program and was looking for something in San Diego that would allow me not to miss a beat while on vacation. Grinder gym was 6 min away from where we were staying, opened at 6am (I am an early workout guy) and looked like everything I wanted - including some bars I’ve yet to get my hands on but wanted to. They had a week pass (very fair pricing) which was a bonus since I was staying a week.The owner was extremely kind upon signing up. Other members I spoke to had nothing but great things to say about the gym. Dont expect the glitzy of a typical commercial gym, but I consider that as a huge positive for Grinder. The well loved plates, bare steel bars, indoor/outdoor workout area, just everything about it was excellent.I moved from la fitness to a garage gym about 7 months ago. I’ve slowly been figuring out what I want to add (specialty bars are next on the list) and I got to try almost every bar I’ve been looking at. I was hoping to like just 1, but I ended up liking all 3 and one more I didn’t even consider but got to play with it at grinder. Thanks to grinder gym, it’s not going to be a gamble when I end up making the purchase.10/10 would recommend grinder. 10/10 will return every time we are in san diego.
Trevor
1 year ago
Great gym. Great community of lifters. The gym has a ton of strongman tools, and plenty of squat racks.
Timmy_Is_A_Mandofan
1 year ago
I went there workout and a guy named cole started to insult me because i was only benching 120 and started calling me weak and just being very rude i asked what his problem was and he yelled at me telling me to get out and threatened to call police
GoldenGoat
1 year ago
It is great place to work out and I really like the staff!
AJ Roberts
1 year ago
Incredible gym with everything a powerlifter, strongman or bodybuilder would need. One of my favorite places to train in San Diego.
Andrew Morrison
1 year ago
Grinder gym is that perfect strength athlete atmosphere. Tons of equipment and options for strongman, powerlifting, arm wrestling, etc. with every type of bar you could imagine.the owner is super friendly and has tons of wisdom to help along the way.It’s great for a stop in if your just traveling. I have a strongman competition in 4 weeks and they had every piece of equipment I needed to train for it.
Gym Bro Fitness
1 year ago
The Grinder Gym Team is more than just a gym that has all the unique and bada*s equipment one could ever dream of but it’s also a team & a family for people to come train & get better through health & fitness.
David Sten
1 year ago
Very happy to know this crew. From strongman to arm wrestling to powerlifting and beyond this facility is a beacon for San Diego strength.
Andrew Young
1 year ago
Awesome gym. All of the equipment you could need. A hardcore feel with a welcoming environment. Highly highly recommend.