Fitness Clubs
Academy of Lions
Academy of Lions is one of a few options for west ender's looking for a CrossFit-affiliated work out space. Newly settled into its third location near Ossington and Dundas, the gym hopes to bring the "old-school" back to working out.
For the uninitiated, CrossFit is a workout movement featuring intense conditioning and very few machines. Often used by police and elite athletes, it combines strength training with things like sprinting, gymnastics, and plyometrics. If you're looking to revive your childhood playground prowess or if you just can't stand lifting weights, this is probably the way to go for your conditioning needs.
Dhani Oks, who created the Academy with his best friend Sohail Bastani, walks me through the new location at 64 Ossington, and explains the gym's cardinal rule: no douches.
How, I wonder, is that enforced?
"We like to focus on athleticism here, not fitness," he tells me. "We want to go back to the primary, traditional physical things people used to do before commercial gyms became popular."
In a typical workout session, members run through custom workout programs featuring activities like hitting tires with hammers, climbing ropes, and lifting kegs. Sessions are designed to emulate sporting events and games, and feature simple movements like squats, pushups, and gymnastics. The focus is not on calories but on athletic challenges using minimal equipment.
To train, you usually have to come during a scheduled workout time when group classes are held. Academy of Lions doesn't have a well-stocked open-gym, and all workouts are coached.
Oks tells me about one of the gym's coaches, Olympic bronze medalist and three-time world champion weightlifter Alexander Varbanov. Noticing the traumatic gym class memories spreading across my face, he assures me that even grandmothers manage to survive their intense workouts.
The location itself looks nothing like a typical gym; there are no televisions of treadmills in the non-descript building. The minimalist decor and bare walls create a "Rocky meets Fight Club" aesthetic, and a giant tire sits right in the main entrance. Just a month ago, the building was an industrial complex, and you can tell.
Over the next couple of months, the Academy plans to make a number of renovations. Oks says he wants to build a rooftop garden and a café dedicated to the "paleo-lifestyle." In addition to serving espresso, Academy of Lions will serve local, organic, locally-raised food that's sustainable and appropriate for a caveman diet.
The studio also offers nutritional training, and runs a non-profit foundation for at-risk youth. The Foundation assists with skill training, lifestyle coaching, and job placements for members of the community. "We don't build muscles, we build people," Oks says proudly.
A full membership to the Academy of Lions costs $175 per month, which includes an assessment, some private coaching, and unlimited training in group classes. Drop-ins are not allowed, but interested parties are invited to meet with one of their trainers.
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No distractions. DYEL?
$175 a month for what!? A concrete bunker with used kettlebells?
I'll stick with compound lifts (like squats, dead-lifts etc.) with PROPER form and not the BS kipping-pull ups, intelligent programming, $55 / month commercial gym that allows me to work out safely and properly.
This last part killed me: "café dedicated to the "paleo-lifestyle."
Here's a better idea. Buy your own meats/vegetables and learn to cook.
Reebok crossFit Liberty Village recently open, and truth be told, this IS WORTHY OF THE MONTHLY FEE. The owner/coach actually knows what's he's talking about, pays attention to minor details in form, instructs each exercise safety and programs the wods intelligently.
misguided review reason #2: "Often used by police and elite athletes"
What is really becoming a new wave physical fitness isn't just restricted to elite athletes and military personnel. CrossFit is for anyone and everyone.
misguided review reason #3: "A full membership to the Academy of Lions costs $175 per month"
It actually costs much, much more. The $175 is a pre-membership fee. ANOTHER CASH GRAB!
Advice to all the haters out there: once you find a cross fit gym with experience coaches and well-programmed workouts, you'll defend the highly monthly membership fees you'll fork out. Please don't let a poorly fun business like Academy of Lions turn you off from cross fit.
I have been to many cf affiliates in the city, across Canada and abroad. Not that many cf gyms offer an inclusive, competitive, safe, and supportive environment but Liberty Village and the long-time original crossFit in the city CrossFit Toronto seems to be doing something right.
If you want a fun environment, with great coaching, no douches, and healthy competition, try Auxiliary CrossFit and Reebok CrossFit Liberty Village. Both are in the west end, and are much better and cheaper.
http://www.reebokcrossfitlibertyvillage.com/
In addition to the website, they have all the other social media handles.
1) There may be a "no drop in" policy but there certainly is a free weekly class to check out.
2) The rates are generally in the $175 or so range, not "much higher" as someone above claimed.
Crossfit Toronto's membership rates are roughly the same as AOL if not more expensive depending on your packaage...personally, travelling out to Logan doesn't work for me.
I have gotteen lots out of the programming and trainers and since i train roughly 4 times a week feel I get my moneys worth. If there is another option more convenient to you or conducive to the kind of training you want then go there.
People working hard and eating well = awesome.
The "my gyms better then yours" schoolyard douchebaggery is hands down my least favorite part of the crossfit/fitness "scene"...
Unfortunately, this review is poorly researched. If you've been to Academy of Lions, try another affiliate. You'll be pleasantly surprised :) You'll see gains in all fronts - from power and speed, to reaction times and coordination and even confidence!
I highly recommend you check out http://www.crossfitto.com/ Run by the only level 2's in the city!
Guess I was wrong on the fees. Here's the fee breakdown, taken exactly from AOL website.
If anyone wants to "drop-in", they first have to pay the $175 orientation fee. No cash grab here.....
This isn't directed to you BP but come on, is an "orientation" really necessary for someone who actually knows more than what the coaches are teaching?
Orientation:
One-time $175 package. 3 Training sessions dedicated to assessing your needs and getting you started the right way. This is a pre-requisite for all the “Program Options” below.
Program Options:
Best deal for the serious.
Unlimited Training: 12-Month Enrolment. $175/month (auto-pay)
1 Month Pass. $225/month
10-session pack. $199.
single drop-in $25
Trial Option:
Get started. Includes 3 session “Orientation” and 5 CrossFit single drop-in classes. $199
I noticed that all of these comments are very aggressive and wonder how many are coming from competitors?
I'd like to mention that the gym is actually helping out in the community and that is great accomplishment and vital to our city.
I think a Kodus should go out to them.
I really enjoyed the Dundas location and assume the new ossington place looks the same, just bigger. Trained mostly with Erin and Sohail and really enjoyed pushing myself in a group setting and realizing how much harder others are working than me = helped me push harder etc.
+1 for my experience, will go back once my groin is solid.
I'm a competitor and must say my comments were pretty harsh. You made a good point about the foundation they support. They really extend their support to organizations on a continued basis. And they've got a good thing going with the primal cafe. Huge success and Kudos for that.
My comments are based on their "teachability" and " daily WODS". Their workouts don't really make sense and their level of teaching is satisfactory, at best. With that said, maybe the instructor was having a bad day(or week)...everyone deserves a second chance!
Crossfit is for people who think more money = better than. There's plenty of wys to get fit and stay in shape and get functionally stronger without having to shell out cash for the word Crossfit.
I hear you on the inflated monthly fees, but crossFit achieves what some personal trainers and fitness clubs can't. You may think it's a cult and if it is, I don't associate getting brainwashed in it. I do the workouts because it's the most efficient way to workout.
But hey, if you're content paying $60 in membership fees (or paying $0 and working out on your own) then that's you're prerogative. I'm just speaking from my experience and I'm sure there are many out there so may not have had the same positive results as I'm experiencing. To each his/her own :)
Very supportive and knowledgeable coaches. I'm pretty sure everyone there is certified and very equipped to coach. In this last two months I've seen about 5 certification courses and workshops held there, where coaches from other gyms were getting certified, so I'm sure they're legit.
I've been really happy there and the other members I talk too really love it. The community is fantastic. I especially love that they have a Foundation that offers free programming for local street kids. These kids are great and the gym is really supportive of this initiative. And over Christmas they sold t-shirts that helped fund the building of 6 new schools in Kenya.
So, it kinda bugs me when I see people posting that the Academy hires drug addicts to coach. That statement speaks for itself and It's not worth debating.
I would take all these comments you see in this thread with a grain of salt. The CrossFit world is becoming very competitive and the mud-slinging is a shame. I love CrossFit and the community it helps build.
If you're interested in CrossFit and would like to try a gym, I have some suggestions for you.
First, I would encourage anyone who wants to explore CrossFit training to research the topic a bit. There are a lot of gyms that are affiliated out there and some very good gyms that do CrossFit style training that are not affiliated. The truth is, CrossFit has been around for a long time...even before it was called CrossFit.
Olympic Lifting, Gymnastics, Kettlebells, Running are the foundation of CrossFit. So, you want a place that is really solid in every aspect of those things. I have friends who go to other local CrossFit gyms like CrossFit Toronto, Quantum and Tidal and they are all great gyms, and they all are very unique. There's a great gym out in the East End called Strength Box that is run by a very experienced and CrossFit certified coach, but it is not an official affiliated CrossFit, but I can tell you that gym is one of the best out there. So, you really have to do your research.
A couple of new CrossFits opened up like Auxiliary CrossFit and Reebok CrossFit Liberty Village. I don't know too much about them, but I would certainly check them out in the process.
For me, finding a good gym is like finding a second home. CrossFit training really is something unique and special. It's fun and motivating to be with people who care about the same things and challenge themselves to such a high degree.
CrossFit programming does cost more than the average commercial gym. But, the programming is much more envolved and even though it can range from $150 to $200/month I think the value is still great. Some gyms do free trials. Some will let you drop-in whenever you want. Some gyms have a very thorough and comprehensive intake process where personal training is generally involved. In my opinion, all are good, and it depends on how big the CrossFit gym is. I'm pretty happy at the Academy, because I had to start with some one-one-one coaching and feel it really helped my improve my technique and understanding of the movements.
I've got lot's of friends who do CrossFit at other gyms so we are constantly comparing notes and talking about it. All in all, it's like anything else out there, just make sure you do your homework and pick the best place for you.
Unlike some of the people above, I don't have anything to complain about. My experience at the Academy has been pretty awesome. Have any of the complainers above even stepped foot in there before?
Hope you all find some peace.
y u so mad bro
I've been going to AoL for over a year, and have seen some amazing results and met some really great people.
I've yet to meet any drug users.
Perhaps you were confused and wandered into the rehab down the street?