Classics Strength Academy (CSA) is a HK powerlifting gym located in San Po Kong. It is on the 6th floor of a very low-key industrial building, which took a bit of courage for me to step foot in as a spoiled gong nui (Hong Kong girl). I first came across this gym because of an advertisement on Instagram, promoting their powerlifting initiative program and discovered that CSA is one of the better-known powerlifting gyms in Hong Kong. I had been a frequent visitor of other commercial gyms such as PURE fitness, Fitness First (RIP) and Anytime fitness, so I would be basing my review by comparing my experiences in different gyms.
Equipment
It is true that powerlifters hate cardio as you can only find 2 assault bikes and 1 assault runner (not a typical treadmill) that are permanently vacant. Everything about this gym is built around powerlifting as you can find over 6 benches, rows of squat racks (with attachment for you to do dips, pullups and some TRX stuff) and solid deadlift platforms. They use equipment from Rogue, Eleiko and Bench (for their strongman stuff). Most of the things you can find here are there to help their members prepare for competitions, so everything felt much better than the equipment from an average commercial gym.
For example, benches tend to be lower and narrower at commercial gyms with less flexibility in setting the rack height. But benches here can fully support my back for my arch, and it has more grip so I do not slide and fall.
They also have most things you would need for accessories. They have kettle balls, dumbbells (up to 50kg), resistance bands, a cable machine, belt squat machine, machine for row/lat pulldown. But you may not find as many isolation machines as your standard commercial gym.
As I gradually understand more about powerlifting, I would say CSA’s equipment is very much on point and I feel safe doing squat, bench and deadlift there! After a year and something, I still think CSA can help me grow and lift bigger. But that might not just be the equipment, as the charm of going to CSA is beyond pure equipment talk.
Another interesting thing is finding strongman equipment laying around the gym! I was able to do log presses, sled pushes (with human beings on it) and proper strongman style farmer walks. There is also some heavy sandbag from Rogue for you to toss, press or sit on. You can also find an axle bar if you want to do a strongman style deadlift. Sadly, I’ve heard that the strongman shield has been donated to Strength Culture. Anyway, if you are looking for some strongman training, you can do it at CSA!
Coaching at Classic Strength Academy
There are quite a few members at CSA hiring a coach, be it an (overseas or not) online coach or a physical one that is stations at CSA. Coaches at CSA usually provide services such as writing your program, fixing your form, and providing online feedback after you send them your workout videos.
I personally signed up for the 2:1 powerlifting initiative in 2021 July. CSA teamed me up with a girl that is around my strength level and assigned Dennis as our coach. Prior to this, I only had a Muay Thai coach and only received free PT sessions from coaches at Goji (RIP), California Fitness (RIP) and Fitness First (RIP).
With the free coaching sessions, I can feel the PT had very little knowledge about how to help clients build muscles but very knowledgeable about the packages and plans the gyms offer. Such predatory practices are non-existent at CSA (or any community gyms).
My experience with CSA coach
Dennis taught me how to do conventional and sumo deadlifts, high and low bar squats and gave me an infinite amount of wisdom on how to bench. As he competed (and won) in powerlifting competitions, he was very clear about the rules and regulations. He was always eager to help and share his techniques with his students and would even offer to help others out when he sees that they struggle with certain lifts. I managed to receive feedback on main lifts every week, weekly-updated program and a check up on my condition to make sure I was not overworked. (He did call me a sandbag once because I slacked off.) I believe what made him a great coach was his willingness to speak the truth, his fun-loving spirit that somehow also balanced with his seriousness in polishing us into better lifters.
I was very lucky to have a great coach but I know other coaches at CSA are as passionate and helpful. Loksee and Chapman occasionally jumped in to check my form and they gave me a lot of confidence to compete at the 2022 USAPL Winter Showdown. Other members at CSA mostly have a positive experience working with the coaches and I find it a major green flag for budding powerlifters. I highly recommend checking out their 2:1 powerlifting initiative or PT sessions!
Vibe
I was a complete beginner when I first entered CSA. I remember being a little bit intimidated as everyone was a lot stronger than your average gym-goer. But people were quick to help me navigate through the gym as people noticed that I did not know how to use certain clasps, set up some equipment or simply need a spot. CSA is friendly to everyone, and you can see some foreign faces. There are a lot of locals that went to English-speaking countries for universities and came back to Hong Kong so the vibe was quite international at times. I would say that sometimes people do play soft Cantopop and the vibe would turn very local. Some days you would have trolls playing orchestras and meditation music or see the trolls weaponize the slingshot (for bench) and get some David and Goliath vibes, and these trolls usually appear after 8pm.
So, I guess you should be mentally prepared to expect the unexpected.
Apart from the atmosphere, people are also quite serious about getting stronger. Some people do observe others and try to learn, or help others by offering feedback. It can be intimidating for some people when they know they are being observed. The gym also has more tripods set up than your average press conference, so there might be a need to overcome camera-shyness. But rest assured, members usually are only interested in their own lifting form and would not care about what is happening in the background.
Frank Factor
It is commonly known that a powerlifting gym is not complete without a gym dog. At CSA, the dog of the gym is Frank! He is very gentle and would not shy away from a few pets. Frank rarely barks unless barked or growled at, but even so, he is not aggressive at all. He always stays underneath some cool spots at the gym, but never disturbs people’s workouts. I deadlifted on a platform next to him and he was just casually taking a snooze (probably an indication I was not deadlifting heavy enough). He drools and sheds so be prepared to take home some of Frank’s fur!
How to join?
Address: 6A, Victorious Factory Building, 35-37 Tseuk Luk Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon
Hours: Mon-Fri: 8AM to 10:30PM, Sat-Sun: 8:30AM to 10PM
Their monthly fee is $650 HKD and you do not need to sign a contract!
- You put down your name, phone number and some other basic information like email.
- Choose your payment method (I did FPS, they accept payme, and master/visa/UnionPay credit cards).
- Get a key card!
If you are interested in getting a day pass, it is $150 per day. You just need to pay and no questions asked!
There is a payme code on the table and an octopus reader for those who prefer more convenient payment methods.
Contact information of Classics Strength Academy:
Website: https://www.classicsstrengthacademy.com/
They reply to Instagram DMs too! (Their account is @classics.csa)
Events
Classic Strength Academy signed on to be an affiliated gym of USA Powerlifting (a powerlifting federation). Very soon after the announcement, they organized the inaugural Hong Kong USAPL Winter Showdown in 2022 December. They will continue organizing meets around the USAPL schedule and have meets that follow USAPL regulations. Before joining USAPL, they hosted Denchapalooza and other competitions. They used to host workshops as well.
During competition dates, the gym converts itself into a meet venue. People are welcome to walk in and spectate (free of charge). Just press the doorbell and you will be swiftly let in.
They announce activities and events on their Instagram so make sure to follow them for the most updated news!
Overall thoughts on Classics Strength Academy
I personally owe a huge thank you to CSA for helping me regain my confidence and relearn my SBD form. To be as objective as possible, I think CSA is perfect for powerlifters that live in Kowloon. It’s not exactly in a convenient location or open 24/7, during holidays you need to watch their hours as well. For casual gym goers that need that convenience, CSA might not be the right gym for you. Cardio bunnies should also stay away as powerlifters value recovery and typically do not do a lot of cardio.
Price-wise, it is 650 per month with no contract, no need for leaving credit card details. Immediately, you get a key card which gives you access to the gym. I think it is a fairly good price as they cater to the needs of a powerlifter. As a consumer you don’t have to worry about paying upfront and receiving the news that the gym went bankrupt. Powerlifters typically have 2-hour long workouts 4 times a week, so if you think about it, it’s cheaper than latte! And, you get great equipment to help you prepare for competitions!
CSA fostered a huge sense of community and they have made powerlifting much more accessible. For people that wish to grow stronger in the community, CSA is worth your investment!