The Strength Fortress - Maidstone (VIC)

5 /5 Lisa Tran: Before joining TSF, I trained on and off at commercial gyms, mostly following programs I made up myself. I was constantly changing things around, which meant I never really stuck to one plan or saw consistent progress. Walking into TSF for the first time was definitely intimidating. Everyone looked so strong and experienced, and I wasn’t sure if I’d fit in or be able to keep up. I started Barbell Club in June 2024, and that’s really where everything changed. Over the eight weeks, I learned how to lift with proper form, how different variations target different muscle groups, and how exercises can be adapted for different body types. One of the biggest lessons was realising that strength isn’t just about muscle size or appearances — it’s about technique, consistency, and progression. Since then, training at TSF has had a huge impact on my confidence. First, confidence in my body’s ability to keep pushing and achieving new goals. And second, confidence in knowing that consistent hard work, dedication, and effort really do pay off — something that has carried over into my work, social life, and family life. The coaches are fantastic. They’re genuinely invested in my success, always taking the time to help me improve, and their excitement and energy are contagious. The sense of community at TSF is something really special. I quickly noticed that no matter how experienced you are or how much weight you’re lifting, if someone’s going for a PB or celebrating a win, the whole gym gets behind them with encouragement and support. Another unexpected benefit was being convinced (thanks Minh Duong and Pam Alcantara!) to join the Tuesday run nights. I never planned to run more than a 5km fun run, but with their encouragement I now run 5km every week and have even completed my first 10km. The environment also makes it easy to connect with people from all walks of life — friendships I wouldn’t normally have had the chance to build. TSF has become so much more than just a gym for me. It’s a place where I’ve grown stronger, built confidence, found community, and been pushed beyond what I thought I was capable of.

5 /5 Sara Freda: TSF is one of the best lifting community ever! I was looking to improve my lifting technique and strength due to a couple of injuries I had in my past training and decided to sign up for the “barbell club” for 8 weeks in March and continued training after that with a tailored program. I felt a bit intimidated at first walking into a powerlifting gym but on my intro day Billie and her smile and infectious positive energy made me feel super welcomed! It was the best decision I’ve ever made, every single one of the coaches at TSF are absolute legends, shout out to all of them Billie, JP, Josh and Jeremy, thank you for all the support and excellent coaching! These guys have a great depth of knowledge in powerlifting which shows in the way they teach and tailor feedback, since my first day at TSF my strength and technique has improved and I am finally lifting weights pain free thanks to their guidance. So big shout out to these legends and big shout out to the community too, everyone is super supportive, welcoming and cheers each other on regardless of the weight on the bar, it’s a true community that pushes you to be your best! And I could keep going but yeah long story short whether you are looking to improve your lifting technique, gain confidence in training in a gym, increase your strength, help with injury management or all of the above in a welcoming community I highly recommend training here at TSF!

5 /5 Bridie: I remember when I had my first ever intro session at TSF for Barbell Club, I was nervous, seriously intimidated and feeling way out of my comfort zone. I had only ever gone to classic 24hr gyms with no guidance and it always left me with a really alienated feeling. My biggest fear was looking silly and right from the start Billie made me feel so calm and relaxed and like even though I had never done strength training that I could do anything! Barbell Club being only 8 weeks is truly a crime. The structure of the program was super easy to understand and I learned so much about form, spotting and not to mention I was lifting weights that I had never even thought about lifting before. It also came with some really lovely people and getting to see the same people every week and catch up was definitely the highlight for me. All of the trainers were so passionate and knowledgeable about powerlifting that even when I felt like I wasnt doing something right they reassured me and helped me change my form and instantly the next set, my lifts were 10/10. Lots of people noticed the change in my confidence after joining TSF and Ive noticed myself taking up more space, especially at the gym. It was instilled in me that I deserve to be there, get strong and have fun while doing it.

5 /5 Nam Tonthat: What a facility and coaches to go with it. Josh, Molly and Jeremy are all amazing coaches and if you ever wanted to compete in powerlifting, they are amazing at handling you. I really have enjoyed my time training here and couldn’t have asked for more supportive leaders. Gym is fully equipped with Eleiko racks and dumbbells for any different movements. Gym doesn’t get too busy either so training in the evenings is no sweat.