I actually got in touch with Mandi who in turn helped me book a session with Ryan. Both of them are super nice and genuine. I went through basics of cross fit and Ryan was very attentive and observed every movement. He is extremely detailed and ensures you understand what he is teaching. Really love the place too. Its very organized and people are super friendly.

Highly recommend! I never did any weightlifting before joining Shockoe Bottom but heard that CrossFit was fun so I gave it a shot. It’s been over a year and it’s been an amazing experience. Everyone at the gym is very supportive regardless on how much weight you can lift or how fast you can do the workout. They do a great job in helping you tailor the work for whatever level you need. Every class is different so it’s impossible to get bored.

I highly recommend this gym to anyone looking for a fitness community. The owners have so much passion for their gym and go above and beyond to make their members happy and healthy. It is a welcoming environment for people of all skill/fitness levels and has been so supportive of me through the various ups and downs of my fitness journey. The programming, coaching, and community are the best I’ve ever experienced at a gym.

This is the best Gym i have ever been to. Everyone is super friendly and it feels like a family more than just a gym. I would recommend this place to anyone whos looking to better themselves and their health. Just absolutely amazing.

What a great gym and community! The owners hearts are completely in running this place, and it shows. They promote welcome, wellness, and mutual support and I feel so lucky to have found SBP. Ive gotten so much stronger, so much fitter, and so many friends and great experiences since I joined. Highly recommend!

I have always been somewhat intimidated by CrossFit. I come from an athletic background, but most of the things you do here are pretty foreign if you havent learned them before. All the coaches take the time to give you one-on-one instruction if you need it (like me), and the people there are encouraging and kind. Even though Im new to the gym, I can tell the results will be worth it. Highly recommend this gym, especially if youve been nervous about trying CF before. Wish I had started earlier!

I love this place! They are very welcoming, caring, and well educated in the ways of proper form for lifting as well as substitutions for all complex moves that you are trying to work up to. I would recommend this place to everyone and anyone!

Awesome gym! Great coaches, legit programming. Dropped in from out of town and everyone made me feel like it was my gym. Owners run the gym like it is their pride and joy. Definitely coming back every time I’m in town!Tim

What a great gym. Classes are well run, the programing is challenging, and the community is welcoming and accepting to all levels of fitness.

I had never done crossfit in the past and was skeptical on getting started. However, Ryan and the rest of the coaches were extremely welcoming, helpful and coach as if they truly care. I can not say enough great things about the community and my transition to SBCF

One of best experiences I’ve had as a business traveler who frequents crossfit gyms. Ryan and Mandi could not have been more welcoming (as was every member I met). Excellent programming with thoughtful balance to warm up, strength and conditioning. 5 stars across the board.

I just moved to the area and this box is exactly what I was looking for. Amazing gym and community!!! The owners Mandi and Ryan are always welcoming and are very very nice. The coaches are very knowledgeable, and will help you improve in every way possible. I like the programming it is very systematic and well thought of!If you are in the area and looking for a gym, check this place out!

Very welcoming and friendly towards me as a beginner

Great drop-in spot if you are in Richmond. Friendly coaches and members. Solid programming and good pacing to the classes every time I have been.Will be back soon :)

My boyfriend and I completed the 6 week challenge at this gym. The owner accepted our final weigh ins as a successful completion and congratulated us on our accomplishment. We parted ways after he agreed to issue a full refund as successful participants are entitled. A week later after reaching out to Ryan, he informs us that we will not be getting our refund and we failed the challenge despite his stating otherwise one week prior. His lies cost us $1000 collectively. We are extremely disappointed with the character of the owner and shady business practices.

Best gym Ive ever been to. The owner is extremely knowledgeable, and patient when teaching someone new to the fitness routines. Every member has been welcoming and willing to help anyone who needs it. Encouraging each other during workouts isnt the exception, but the rule. Join this gym.

I’ve dropped in to this box many times. A few times before and after a change in ownership. Everyone has been very welcoming and the programming has been consistently good. They’ve made some improvements inside as well since the last time I came. Only nitpick is I wish they had shirts for sale as the times I’ve been in there were none available.

Ryan and Mandi were extremely welcoming for being a drop in. Great raw gym with a Rocky Balboa style feel that suits my Philly needs. Thanks for an amazing workout and all your help with my technique.

This is the second year I’ve dropped in during a conference. I loved it the last to but this year they have remodeled and the place is even more legit! I really like this box and I think you will to!

Dropped in while visiting Richmond. Super knowledgeable coaches, that made you feel welcomed. Thanks for the experience Shockoe Bottom! Much enjoyed

My girlfriend and I completed the 6 week challenge and all it called for was a workout and diet plan. Our goal was to lose 5% body fat. Come final weigh in day, according to their body fat machine we both fell short .4%. When we were both past 5% completion on a body fat machine when we weighed in at another gym the day before. The owner accepted this reading as a successful completion and congratulated us on our accomplishment. Our exit interview was positive and we parted ways after he agreed to issue a full refund as successful participants are entitled when being told they have been successful with the challenge. A week later after reaching out to Ryan due to us not seeing the $500 a piece returned to our accounts, he informs us that we will not be getting our refund and we failed the challenge despite him stating otherwise. The 6-week challenge is a scam at @shockoebottomcrossfit and I do not recommend it to anyone.

I dropped in for the Saturday team workout, and I was welcomed with friendly gym members, a knowledgeable coach, and great owners. I will definitely stop by this gym in the future if I am in the area.

I was dropping in from out of town as a hurricane refuge. The people I worked with were very welcoming. They seem to have solid programming and a nice facility.

Dropped in and it really is a nice place to be.The EMOM today killed me a bit, because I am not used to the humid area here 😁But it was anyway a very nice atmosphere

SBCF is a great environment to challenge yourself and reach your goals, whatever they may be. There is an amazingly supportive environment and the coaches are extremely encouraging. The workouts are very fun and I look forward to sweat and improve every day with people I can now call friends. Give it a try and you wont regret it!

Dropped in during a business trip. Great space. Ryan was friendly and welcoming.

Me and my friend bought a week pass and attended classes while in town. I was already impressed after quick email responses but was even more impressed when we attended classes. From the moment we walked into the door we were greeted by the owner, along with at least 3 different members. After a great class I was suprised to see a personal follow up email again welcoming us to the gym and actually an apology since one of the owners couldnt chat with us after class. Every class we attended was just as welcoming. Ryans programming and coaching are excellent, and he (unknowingly) taught me a few coaching tricks to take back with me to my gym. This isnt one of those gyms that just focuses on one type of athlete either; I saw him cater to all levels from a beginner to competitor and still was able to leave everyone feeling inclusive to the community. Definitely going to drop in again when Im back in town

SBCF is a special place. I moved to Richmond in December 2018 and joined SBCF shortly after.I loved all of the coaches and quickly become friends with the other members. It was a great way for me to get fit and meet people in a new city at the same time.Through the combination of expert coaching and encouragement from other members I was able to reach goal after goal after goal.I could go on and on but TL;DR, whether youre new to Crossfit or have been doing it for 5+ years - go to SBCF.

I completed their challenge successfully and was initially told I would receive my refund. Though I did eventually receive my refund, that process did not go very smoothly due to lack of communication from the owners.

Shockoe Bottom Crossfit is a great atmosphere for beginners, immediate, and advance levels of CrossFit. Whatever your personal goals are, this gym can accomplish them. I have been a member for three months and I have really enjoyed my time working out and learning about CrossFit. The people are great and motivate each other to push each other to your limit. If you do not try then you will never know.The coaches are knowledgeable and will ensure you know the proper form. They are very approachable and want you to ask questions.If you aspire to achieve a healthier lifestyle and increase your personal fitness then Shockoe Bottom Crossfit is the gym for you.

I came here to get better at crossfit and realized pretty quickly that theres really no coaching. I dont think the coaches know how to actually coach. They give a long-winded demo when explaining the WOD and then just sit back and let people do well/okay/poorly. Its just not really a good environment for learning crossfit and if you come here, dont plan to get better unless you really really know what youre doing.

If you want a great workout with a great bunch of people sweating as much as you are then Shockoe Bottom Crossfit is a place you should visit.

Although I live on the Far West End, I work downtown and have been coming to SBCF for a little over 2 years. As a 48 year old guy with no prior experience with sports or athletics -- and who hadnt seen the inside of a gym of any kind in over 15 years -- I was a little nervous showing up at a CrossFit place. But I felt welcomed, and have stayed and I love it. Owner/head coach Ryan Reeves (who took over in July 2017) provides excellent technical instruction, and motivates you to set short and long-term personal goals. With my job, I can never quite predict my schedule from day to day, so the variety of morning, mid-day and evening classes SBCF offers is perfect for me. I’m far from the strongest, or the fastest, or the most agile member of SBCF, but the coaches are great about making sure every workout can be scaled appropriately and that everybody stays injury-free, and the other members at SBCF are all super-supportive as well. And I can tell without a doubt that I am WAY stronger and can do things now that I absolutely couldn’t do before joining SBCF two years ago. I never in my life thought I’d ever have personal fitness goals, or say to myself “I’m really looking forward to working out today”, but now thanks to SBCF, I do.

Great space & staff. Felt welcome from the start!

After checking in the night before, I dropped in last friday for a 5:40 AM WOD. Greg, not Drake, the co-owner was helpful and informative. When on the road in Richmond, Ill drop in here again. Great Crossfit experience. Be cheered on! (Alex, thanks for putting up with me.)

Came to SBCF out of sheer curiosity. At this point, I had been running every other day and doing free weights at my gym for two years. The monotony (and the mirrors) was starting to get to me.At my first class, I finished my burpees pouring sweat, breathing hard, and thinking what the hell just happened to me? I also finished it to the cheers of my classmates + coaches. People who I didnt know were shouting my name and encouraging me. Despite thinking I was in shape from all the running and free weights, I was the last one to finish. However, with all the support I received I felt invigorated and challenged. I started to come to classes regularly, first doing scaled workouts then slowly progressing.Surprisingly, where I noticed the most gains in my daily life was my spring dodgeball league. Before, I would throw balls and they were lucky to make it half away across the court (not to mention hit another person). After CF, my aim and speed are much better and the balls are actually going where theyre supposed to go (take that invisible air resistance!)It hasnt always been easy (the workouts are always challenging), but it has always been fun. The SBCF box has a great group of members and coaches who are friendly and encouraging no matter what your fitness level. I could not recommend it enough!

They will not pay on challenge, beware. Not responsive or helpful

It’s certainly hard to be able to fit all the positives SBCF has blessed me with in the last 6 months I have been training there into a short review. I came from a popular chain gym where I had lost 50lbs. through traditional methods and then hit a plateau not knowing where to focus my new found love of fitness. I had admired CrossFit from afar for so long wondering if it was something that was even possible for me. Then I decided to stop thinking about it and just do it! It was seriously one of the best decisions I have made for myself and my health in my entire life.With the help of my coaches at SBCF I have met so many personal goals. Through the growth of my physical strength I’ve become a stronger person in my day to day life. I’ve made friends with people from all walks of life that I may have never gotten the opportunity to otherwise. I feel a sense of community I haven’t found in many other places – filled with positive, up-lifting people who genuinely seem to care about helping to better each other through training. I’ve learned that if I can push myself through my challenges there each day the days challenges start to seem less difficult. It’s become a huge passion of mine & I would invite & encourage anyone who is considering CrossFit to come WOD with us and get to share in the same enjoyment!- I wrote this review over a year ago when I first began at SBCF, and my praises of this place still ring true today - if not louder b/c our new location and larger space make the experience there even greater. Because of this place I have made so many strides in my physical health its hard to remember lifting only a 45# bar the first few weeks, or running out of breath after only a block. Im ready to enter the last year in my 20s in the best shape of my life and I have this place to whole-heartedly thank for that!COME WOD WITH US!