Evolve Strength South

Unclean, poorly managed facility that compromises quality for profit.Yes, there are many amazing professionals that offer their services at Evolve, however, if you plan to work out, I would suggest you choose a different gym if you want a clean, properly equipped facility that does not compromise quality in order to receive a bit more money in their pockets at the end of the day.Evolve claims to be the best training facility in Edmonton with so various equipment to choose from, but what's the point if they don't clean their facility properly, replace overused/broken/faulty equipment and keep amenities in stock?The gym is extremely dirty all over the place. What about those nice and polished photos you see on their website, Facebook or Google you ask? Well, those were probably taken when they first opened, in 2014, four years ago; the hygiene standards have gone down since then. A better air filtration should be put in place since there's always dust all over the equipment and workers have to continuously wipe them down. The floors are always this dusty white colour due to the mix of dust and chalk around the gym. Although employees clean the facility regularly, Evolve never pays for professional cleaners to come in to fully disinfect/sterilize the place. All the weightlifting equipment never gets cleaned and the plate holders always have clumps of dust bunnies underneath. The lifting bars sometimes have blood on them that don’t get cleans; you’d just have to wipe it off yourself with the sanitizing wipes. And yes, that beautiful turf you see from the photos? I don’t think it has ever been cleaned, even once since it’s been used. Every time your hand touches it, you can feel how gross it is and it even shows when your hands start turning black… Moreover, the one water fountain they have in the whole building definitely has a horrible filtration system; the water tastes horrible and smells weird every time. The small button to release water is also a pain in the ass to hold down for what seems to be too long; the spout is so tiny and only releases so much water at a time.As for broken equipment, theres a list of them. There are so many plates that are broken; plates either have chunks torn off of them or their metal centre falls out and you need to put it back together by hammering it in with a smaller plate. The platforms are all broken down; the wood on them is chipping so much that you need to always get a broom and sweep the wood chips away before every use. The platforms are also so dusty that after you sweep the wood chips, you need to get the mop to wipe down the surface. As if it couldn’t get worse, some platforms are uneven so the weights will always move around and sometimes roll off the platform. There was also a time where lead was leaking from a kettle bell (yes, lead, the highly toxic metal and strong poison) and the solution was just to gorilla tape the leak; I'm pretty sure the kettle bell is still used in the gym. I just don’t understand why they can’t replace these equipment even when they opened 2 new locations elsewhere. What is our membership money going towards? New swag that we also need to pay for? No thanks.In addition, the downstairs washrooms are never stocked with paper towels, no toilet paper or soap. One of the downstairs bathrooms also smells like fish all the time. In the change room (I can only speak for the Women’s change room), again, are never stocked with paper towels or soap. It’s also stupid how only selected stalls have a bin for sanitary napkins. Seriously, what the heck?So, in summary, choose a gym where the owner actually reinvests their money into the equipment and facility in order to keep it a healthy and clean place to workout.If you’d like to know, I’ve been going to Evolve for a little more than a year now and am now seriously contemplating on changing to a different gym due to this gigantic list of issues. If you have a different gym to recommend, please let me know.Edit: June 18I created this account in order to remain anonymous and truthful in my review.

Outstanding facility - Well maintained, clean, and friendly. There is always plenty of high-demand equipment (I.e., benches, squat racks, etc) so you rarely need to wait. This gym is also fantastic in that it has a large area for calisthenics and a track with sleds, tires, etc for alternate forms of cardio.

No contract, affordable rates, top of the line equipment, and most of the clientele is looking to work on athletic development. Really cool atmosphere. This is the original location, so the equipment is a lot less standardized (which just means there are more bar variations, etc. to choose from).

Very welcoming community and most especially front of house always says hi or smiles! Something you don’t get a lot in other gyms unfortunately

A great little gym with good equipment options in great shape. I'm not their usual demographic, being more interested in cardio and resistance machines than straight lifting, but they have everything I need and were more than happy to help a gym beginner with any of my questions. Equipment and facilities are always clean and in good condition, and staff are very friendly and welcoming. No sales pressure, good prices, and they have options for those of us who aren't able to commit for a year at a time. I continue to recommend Evolve South to my friends in the area.

I'm glad I found this gym, here I have the rough idea what I need to work on. I'm glad that I have Luke Bialobzyski as my trainer. Whole area is clean and hygienic, Staff and other trainers are professional and friendly, just say Hi or hello whether if its members or staff. Even the front desk checks on my performance and how am I catching up. 10/10 recommended.

Of all the commercial gyms I've had an opportunity to visit, I've never been to one with such an inclusive and wholesome community as Evolve South. That, combined with the excellent equipment available makes it an obvious choice for any serious fitness pursuits.

Great gym to workout at and great trainers as well from what we have seen. This review is more so on a trainer there, Aman Jaggi, but reflects the gym, it’s culture, and facilities as well.We have been training with Aman for the last three months and it has been an amazing step in our fitness journey. He is a gem of a person and trainer.Aman keeps our workouts interesting and exciting by always throwing new thing into the routine, while still keeping the core exercises part of the repertoire. He positively encourages us to push our limits to reach new levels of strength and conditioning. We have surprised ourselves with the progress we have made.Aman genuinely cares about our fitness and checks in outside of workout days to see how we are progressing. He also offers advice on eating healthy and how a proper diet can lead to better results in the gym. With Aman, we get someone who is there to listen, motivate, and provide valuable advice whenever needed.Going to the gym can seem hard but on our days training with Aman, we always make it out and it is something that we look forward to. The feeling of having pushed ourselves to our limits has had a positive impact in our lives.We are grateful to have Aman as our trainer and look forward to continuing to work out with him at Evolve.

I have been training here at Evolve South since the day it opened and there isn’t a finer gym in the city that gives you such a plethora of training opportunities. Whether that’s Olympic Weight Lifting/Powerlifting/General health or Specific Sports training. The staff are all very friendly and the trainers are class acts when it comes to there due diligence in your training as a client or simply by creating a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone that comes to work out here. I love the garage feeling that it gives off by being such a small location it makes it feel gritty and an old school type of atmosphere. So, if your new to training and want a new gym to try I applaud you to give Evolve South a try or any of its other locations: Downtown and North if your looking for a change of pace from your regular gym

Liz Macklon In January 2023 I made the decision that I needed to work with a personal trainer as I was having more and more difficulty just accomplishing activities of daily living such as being afraid of falling down when outside and not being able to get up, having trouble getting up from low chairs, going up stairs and having to use both feet on each step.I have now been working with Aman three times a week for seven weeks and have seen a vast improvement in many areas. My balance has improved greatly.I can walk further when shopping without my legs hurting and feeling weak.I can now stand up unassisted from a low gym bench. I have much more flexibility in my limb movements.I had a rotator cuff injury in my left shoulder over a year ago and had been having physio for most of that time. Since starting the gym exercise I have much more pain free movement and the arm is a lot stronger.Attending the gym has also provided much needed structure in my day. I always have an increased energy level after my hour with Aman at the gym. I have more confidence in what I can accomplish.Aman is a wonderful instructor. He is very knowledgeable and patient. He explains everything well as well as demonstrating the exercises with rationale for them and always ensures that I understand.