Houston is a fitness-focused city with a wide range of gyms. Each gym offers something unique and specializes in different workout styles and techniques. The city has some world-class bodybuilding gyms to choose from, with personal training, fitness, and nutrition classes, alongside a place to socialize with fellow bodybuilders.
The Best Bodybuilding Gyms in Houston
We have highlighted some of our favorite bodybuilding gyms within Houston to help you plan where to try for your next workout session.
I have made a note of what makes these places different from the rest, including if they offer additional classes for a wider range of gym enthusiasts to enjoy.
Finally, a note on pricing: though the standard membership fees for the gyms have been included in this guide, it is worth checking out the individual gym’s websites for a breakdown of the different packages they may offer. It is also worth noting that many of these and other gyms in the Houston area offer a one-off complimentary taster session to newbies.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best gyms in Houston for bodybuilding!
1. Power House Gym Houston
| Address | 8404 Park Terrace, Houston, TX 77017 |
| Website | https://www.powerhousegymmemorialhouston.com |
| Membership Fee | $25.00 per month |
Power House Gym is not for the faint-hearted! This hard-core gym expects its members to train hard, grow strong, and take all aspects of fitness seriously. They have all the equipment you’ll need to create your desired physique, alongside a passionate team of coaches who can guide you as much or as little as you need.
The concept at Power House Gym is that you must be at least an armature bodybuilder to join. Once there, the team of professional trainers will help you work your way up to the IFBB standard, should that be your desired goal.
Power House Gym welcomes professional bodybuilding photoshoots to take place within its facility free of charge, and they even have a private room that can be used for posing pictures. The gym has a list of photographers they can recommend if you do not already have one in mind.
This is a really laid-back, old-school environment to enjoy socializing and working out. The gym is happy for you to bring in friends and family (including children) who want to watch you train. They will not be able to use the equipment, and Power House will not tolerate any destructive behavior or health and safety breaches.
Power House is in the peaceful Park Place superb of Houston. The area has some great places to relax following a workout, such as the Houston Botanic Gardens, Sims Bayou Greenway hike trail, and Charles H Milby Park. There is only parking at the gym for bikes; there are a handful of car parks nearby which offer free parking for up to two hours.
Bonus Read:- 7 Best Boxing Gyms for You to Join in Houston – Our Top Picks
2. Iron City Gym
| Address | 15922 Cypress North Houston Rd #200, Cypress, TX 77429 |
| Website | https://ironcitygymtx.com |
| Membership Fee | $43.30 per month |
Iron City Gym is located in the area of Cypress, approximately a twenty-five-minute drive from the center of Houston. The gym sits opposite the community of Stonegate, a magnificent place made up of beautiful homes, lush golf courses, and quaint playgrounds.
Now open twenty-four-seven, Iron City Gym lends itself as the premier bodybuilding gym for residents in the northern and western neighborhoods of Houston.
Iron City Gym has been in operation since 1996, and standards have been kept high throughout the years. What is great about this place is even though they have all the modern gear you would expect in a bodybuilding gym, they also have some cool vintage machines and retro equipment, which makes this hard-core environment a little more enticing.
There are seven trainers who are there to encourage and support your journey at Iron City, two of which are females. Each coach has an exceptionally high standard for both themselves and their clients, and they will be able to educate on nutrition alongside all the equipment available to use.
3. Steel Mill
| Address | 4721 N Main St u, Houston, TX 77009 |
| Website | https://www.steelmillgymtx.com |
| Membership Fee | $60.00 per month |
Steel Mill has been in operation since 1994, set up by a veteran bodybuilder with over thirty-five years of experience in the fitness industry. Though the gym has been designed with bodybuilding in mind, they also have the equipment necessary to help with weight loss and other fitness goals.
At Steel Mill, you will find Olympic standard weightlifting stations, power lift zones, free weights, and the usual gym equipment like treadmills and stair steppers. The gym also has personal trainers who can offer complete workout plans, including nutritional information, to help you with your desired results.
The gym is located in a really vibrant area of Houston on North Main Street. There is a lot of temptation surrounding the gym, with some incredible places to eat and drink after a session to replace those calories. A great place to head to for a protein-rich plate is Hughie’s N Main, a Vietnamese restaurant just around the corner from the gym; they also serve craft beer.
Bonus Read:- 6 Best CrossFit Gyms in Houston, TX
4. Texas Elite
| Address | 6421 McGrew St, Houston, TX 77087 |
| Website | https://www.texaselitepowerlifting.com |
| Membership Fee | $29.99 per month |
Texas Elite is a strongman’s paradise. They specialize in powerlifting and strength building and are also able to accommodate those wanting to bodybuild. The members and staff here are very welcoming, and everyone truly encourages each other here with support offered as soon as newcomers walk through the door.
You will not find a huge amount of standard gym equipment at Texas Elite. The fairly small gym is packed with top-tier powerlifting gear, with their main focus being muscle building rather than weight loss or everyday fitness.
There is a tiny car park at the gym, with street parking available nearby. If you are looking for somewhere to let off steam after a session, Cullinan Park is within walking distance and has a beautiful trail to hike around. There are a handful of Mexican and Soul Food restaurants nearby, too. Taquería San José is a fab place to head to for a calorie-fuelled post-workout burrito.
Bonus Read:- 7 Women Only Gyms in Houston Near Me – Our Top Picks (2022)
5. Metroflex Houston
| Address | 1411 Northpark Dr, Humble, TX 77339 |
| Website | https://metroflexhouston.com |
| Membership Fee | $49.95 per month |
Metroflex is a world-class power lift and bodybuild gym in Houston owned by world-renowned strength nutritionist Nathan Payton. The gym has helped seven of its members reach the World’s Strongest Man title.
This is a serious facility that can seem intimidating at first glance. They want to train winners here who have a set goal in mind and won’t tolerate anyone who isn’t up for a challenge and hard work. The team is always on hand to offer advice and guidance to members during their time in the gym, as opposed to offering private personal training sessions at an additional cost.
There is ample parking at Metroflex, and the gym is surrounded by a few other fitness centers which may be of interest, including Burn Boot Camp. Burn Boot Camp is an excellent option for beginners or people who are looking for quick workouts during the day who may want to build themselves up before heading into a facility such as Metroflex.
6. IllumiNATE Fitness
| Address | 8570 Katy Fwy #116, Houston, TX 77024 |
| Website | https://www.illuminate-fitness.com |
| Membership Fee | $149.99 per month |
IllumiNATE Fitness is a fantastic gym that offers something for everyone. They have some incredible equipment for bodybuilders to train on, alongside boot camp facilities, general gym gear, and one-to-one personal training sessions.
This is a relatively new gym in Houston after being created in 2015; therefore, the equipment is modern and of a high standard with little wear and tear. The facility is extremely clean and has a great atmosphere, with plenty of space to train and work out without getting in anyone else’s way. The gym also offers physical therapy, with trained staff offering sports massages and nutritional advice.
There is a large car park here that is shared with two other gyms, Prestige Strength Fitness and Fairchild Sports Performance. Fairchild Sports Performance is a superb facility for the next generation to learn about fitness before moving on to a gym like IllumiNATE once they come of age. It is not just important for kids to learn about fitness and nutrition at an early age to keep them healthy; it’s a great source of fun and good for the brain too.
7. Iron Den Fitness
| Address | 211 FM646, Dickinson, TX 77539 |
| Website | https://irondenfit.com |
| Membership Fee | $140.00 per month |
Iron Den Fitness is an amazing family-owned gym in Houston. This facility has a great outdoor space alongside its incredible indoor gym area. The team here uses techniques for sculpting that perfect bodybuilder physique, with a low chance of injury and muscle strain. These unusual methods have taken ten years in the making to perfect by this dedicated, passionate fitness family.
What we love most about Iron Den is they have created the word ‘Gymtimidation’; they aim to abolish any feelings of newcomers not feeling welcome or feeling intimidated by the gym atmosphere. This is a super friendly and fairly intimate place, with just three coaches to help and guide you on your fitness journey.
Iron Den Fitness is located in a quiet corner of Houston, next to Beacon Lakes Golf Club. There is ample parking here and a few small parks where you can enjoy a leisurely post-workout stroll.
Summary…
So, where will you head to for your next bodybuilding workout?
We hope that we have helped you to create a shortlist of the best bodybuilding gyms to consider in Houston.
If you would like to see where else in Houston you can enjoy a good workout, you might want to check out our guide to The Best Boxing Gyms in Houston.