Your bench press isn't worth the same everywhere.
GymCred™ is a sourced index of the best iron in Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin, Barcelona and Zurich: 55 gyms serious lifters rate, 32 benchmark chains, one published rubric. Each gets an Authenticity Multiplier that converts your lift into what it's really worth there.
NEW LISTINGRune, Paris, lists at 0.58× →Its house rules ban chalk, powder and liquid. A 120 kg bench there converts to 21.6 kg. At Physical Culture, the top of the index, the same bench is worth 170.4 kg.
Six cities, 55 gems
Federation weightlifting clubs, powerlifting gyms with calibrated plates, golden-era bodybuilding floors, and the chains they get compared to. Pick a city.
The map
Every gem on the index, pinned from its published address and coloured by tier. Chains aren't pinned; they're everywhere.
What's your lift actually worth?
Pick where you train, what you lifted and how much. The gym multiplier comes from the rubric; the lift factor is pure opinion. We'll do the humbling, then you can share the damage.
Chalk is banned in the house rules, powder and liquid. Your grip was never the problem; the policy was.
The official tier list
Every listing sorted into six tiers of credibility. Dashed chips are benchmark chains. Tap any of them for the full dossier.
The leaderboard
All 87 listings, ranked by how much a personal record there is worth. Filter by city, tier, or gems versus chains.
| # | Gym | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical CulturePHYS Putney · London |
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| 2 | Outcast Strength SystemOUTC Ottenbach · Zurich |
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| 3 | Bethnal Green Weightlifting ClubBGWL Bethnal Green · London |
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| 4 | Société Athlétique MontmartroiseSAM Paris 18e |
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| 5 | VGA Saint-Maur HaltérophilieVGA Saint-Maur-des-Fossés · Paris |
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| 6 | AC Heros BerlinHERO Wilmersdorf · Berlin |
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| 7 | Fitness-Club SpandauFCSP Spandau · Berlin |
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| 8 | SV Empor Berlin GewichthebenEMPR Prenzlauer Berg · Berlin |
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| 9 | Brussels BarbellBXBB Ixelles · Brussels |
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| 10 | CEM Bac de Roda Power HubBDRH Sant Martí · Barcelona |
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| 11 | One Rep1REP Clichy · Paris |
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| 12 | Powerlifting BarcelonaPLBC Sants-Montjuïc · Barcelona |
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| 13 | Berliner TSC GewichthebenBTSC Schöneberg · Berlin |
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| 14 | The Commando TempleCMDO Deptford · London |
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| 15 | Across the LimitsATL Altstetten · Zurich |
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| 16 | Barcelona Barbell ClubBBC Gràcia · Barcelona |
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| 17 | Halterofilia BarcelonaHALT Sant Martí · Barcelona |
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| 18 | ACK-BerlinACK Köpenick · Berlin |
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| 19 | Cachan Haltérophilie-MusculationCHM Cachan · Paris |
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| 20 | British BarbellBRBB Peckham · London |
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| 21 | Brussels Weightlifting SchoolBWS Watermael-Boitsfort · Brussels |
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| 22 | Classical BarbellCLSB Hoxton · London |
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| 23 | Ealing Weightlifting ClubEWLC Ealing · London |
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| 24 | Bunker BerlinBNKR Friedrichshain · Berlin |
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| 25 | Strength AmbassadorsSTRA West Ham · London |
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| 26 | One Rep Strength1RPS Fällanden · Zurich |
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| 27 | CrossFit ZürichXZRH Kreis 4 · Zurich |
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| 28 | Die KörperschmiederKRPR Lichtenberg · Berlin |
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| 29 | Powerhouse BerlinPWRH Siemensstadt · Berlin |
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| 30 | Puro ImpactoPURO Sant Andreu · Barcelona |
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| 31 | CrossFit AortaAORT Tempelhof · Berlin |
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| 32 | Berlin StrengthBSTR Friedrichshain · Berlin |
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| 33 | Klub der SportfreundeKDS Altstetten · Zurich |
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| 34 | Center GymCNTR Etterbeek · Brussels |
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| 35 | Dansaert AthleticsDNST City of Brussels |
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| 36 | Genesis GymGNSS Wembley · London |
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| 37 | Gigagym Paris 13GIGA Paris 13e |
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| 38 | Metroflex LondonMFLX Bellingham, Lewisham · London |
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| 39 | Muscleworks GymMSCL Bethnal Green · London |
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| 40 | Zone GymZONE Wood Green, Haringey · London |
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| 41 | CrossFit LouvreXLVR Paris 1er |
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| 42 | David GymDAVD Albisrieden · Zurich |
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| 43 | Reebok CrossFit BCNXBCN Eixample · Barcelona |
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| 44 | The Iron ClubIRON Vauxhall · London |
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| 45 | Ultimate Power GymUPG Boulogne-Billancourt · Paris |
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| 46 | Rem-GymREMG Paris 19e/20e border |
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| 47 | RuneRUNE Paris 10e |
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| 48 | Yorky's GymYRKY Tooting · London |
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| 49 | Zürich Gym Hurt LockerHURT Kreis 4 · Zurich |
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| 50 | Fitness Park Paris MontmartreFPMM Paris 18e |
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| 51 | ON AIR Paris FlandreONAR Paris 19e |
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| 52 | Workshop Fitness ClubWKSP Poblenou · Barcelona |
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| 53 | Third Space Canary Wharf3SPC Canary Wharf · London |
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| 54 | EquinoxEQNX Chain London |
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| 55 | GymboxGYMB Chain London |
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| 56 | John ReedREED Chain Berlin |
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| 57 | Nuffield HealthNUFF Chain London |
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| 58 | Virgin ActiveVACT Chain London |
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| 59 | Fitness FirstFFRS Chain London · Berlin |
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| 60 | clever fitCLVR Chain Berlin |
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| 61 | Holmes PlaceHPLC Chain Berlin |
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| 62 | MetropolitanMETR Chain Barcelona |
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| 63 | PureGymPURE Chain London · Zurich |
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| 64 | AspriaASPR Chain Brussels |
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| 65 | David LloydDLLY Chain London · Brussels |
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| 66 | Inner Flow StudioFLOW Barceloneta · Barcelona |
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| 67 | KlayKLAY Chain Paris |
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| 68 | Activ FitnessACTV Chain Zurich |
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| 69 | CMG Sports ClubCMG Chain Paris |
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| 70 | DiRDIR Chain Barcelona |
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| 71 | L'Usine Sport Club BrusselsUSIN Saint-Gilles · Brussels |
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| 72 | Anytime FitnessANYT Chain Barcelona |
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| 73 | FitXFITX Chain Berlin |
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| 74 | Jims FitnessJIMS Chain Brussels |
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| 75 | L'Orange BleueORBL Chain Paris |
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| 76 | McFitMCFT Chain Berlin |
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| 77 | NeonessNEON Chain Paris |
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| 78 | SUPERFITSUPR Chain Berlin |
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| 79 | The Gym GroupTGG Chain London |
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| 80 | update FitnessUPDT Chain Zurich |
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| 81 | VivaGymVIVA Chain Barcelona |
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| 82 | Basic-FitBSFT Chain Paris · Brussels · Barcelona |
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| 83 | Fitness ParkFPRK Chain Paris · Barcelona |
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| 84 | Kieser TrainingKSER Chain Zurich |
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| 85 | 1Rebel1RBL Chain London |
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| 86 | Barry'sBRRY Chain London |
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| 87 | F45 TrainingF45 Chain London |
No gyms match. Touch grass (or iron).
87 of 87 listings shown. Every row opens its dossier.
Read the dossiers
Every listing has its own page: photo, address and map, the facts with their sources, the score broken down pillar by pillar, and what your lifts are worth there.
Rune
Paris' new hybrid-training club: racks, free weights and four sled tracks under natural light. Then a sauna, a cold plunge, a restaurant and a coworking space, so your PR is legally sandwiched between a matcha and a Slack notification.
Read the Rune dossier →Blue chips
The top of the index. A PR here is worth more than the plates.
Penny stocks
The bottom of the index. A PR here is mostly a feeling.
Gym vs gym
Two gyms enter, one PR leaves. Pick a matchup, a lift and a weight, and find out whose iron actually counts.
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The same lift, everywhere
A genuine 140 kg bench press claimed at each city's top gem and at a few chains. Watch it evaporate.
| Gym | Adjusted bench | Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Culture London |
Certified beast | |
| Outcast Strength System Zurich |
Certified beast | |
| Société Athlétique Montmartroise Paris |
The real deal | |
| AC Heros Berlin Berlin |
The real deal | |
| Brussels Barbell Brussels |
The real deal | |
| CEM Bac de Roda Power Hub Barcelona |
The real deal | |
| Third Space Canary Wharf London |
Respectable-ish | |
| PureGym Chain |
...we'll allow it | |
| McFit Chain |
...we'll allow it | |
| Basic-Fit Chain |
...we'll allow it | |
| Kieser Training Chain |
Participation trophy | |
| Barry's Chain |
Participation trophy |
The ratios are linear. The despair is not.
Not all exercises are honest
On top of the gym multiplier, each movement carries an Ego Inflation Factor. This part is entirely our opinion. The leg press did not earn its number.
Zercher Squat
1.15×Bar crushing your elbow pits with zero ego payoff. Nobody does this to look good; the number is brutally honest.
Atlas Stone Load
1.12×An awkward concrete sphere does not care about your form selfies. Honesty by sheer misery.
Weighted Pull-up
1.10×Bodyweight plus iron. Honesty bonus.
Overhead Squat
1.10×If you can't actually do it, the bar tells everyone immediately. Pure mobility-and-stability tax, no faking.
Pendlay Row
1.08×Dead-stop from the floor every rep means no cheating with bounce or hips. The honest cousin of the barbell row.
Overhead Press
1.05×Strictest lift in the building.
Power Clean
1.05×Technical & unforgiving. Bonus applied.
Strict Pull-up
1.05×No kip, no swing, no momentum. Just you versus gravity, paying full retail price.
Farmer's Carry
1.05×Pick up heavy, walk, don't die. The least riggable lift in the building.
Bench Press (free bar)
1.00×The gold standard. No rails, no excuses.
Back Squat (full depth)
1.00×To depth or it didn't happen.
Deadlift
1.00×You either picked it up or you didn't.
Front Squat
1.00×Quads and integrity required.
Dips (weighted)
1.00×Full lockout, no kip.
Incline Bench Press
1.00×Honest upper-chest builder.
Barbell Row
0.95×Minor body-english tax.
Dumbbell Bench Press
0.95×Stabilizers vs. ego, slight deduction.
Romanian Deadlift
0.95×Range-of-motion dependent.
Bicep Curl
0.90×Swing tax. We saw the hips.
Cable Fly
0.85×Pump, not power.
Seated Cable Row
0.85×The lean-back adds phantom weight.
Lat Pulldown
0.80×It's not a pull-up and the stack knows.
Pec Deck
0.75×Machine-guided, ego-friendly.
Hip Thrust
0.70×Six plates, two-inch range. We've seen it.
Kettlebell Swing
0.70×A hinge that becomes a 'deadlift' once it's posted online. Real exercise, inflated mythology.
Smith Machine Bench
0.60×The rails are spotting you.
Hack Squat
0.45×The sled does half the thinking.
Preacher Curl Machine
0.45×The pad does the stabilizing so your biceps can feel important. Numbers go up, honesty goes down.
Calf Raise
0.40×Bounce is not contraction.
Chest Press Machine
0.40×Fixed track, padded seat, comforting handles. A bench press with the difficulty surgically removed.
Assisted Pull-up Machine
0.30×A kneeling pad lifts most of you, then you claim the pull-up. Negative honesty, technically.
Leg Press
0.25×The most lied-about number in fitness.
Ab Crunch Machine
0.20×Loads a plate stack to do a movement gravity already offers for free. Ego per rep is staggering.
Leg Extension
0.15×Sit down, kick a padded bar, watch a huge number. The single most flattering plate-to-effort ratio in the gym.
How the index works
The gyms are real, the facts are sourced, the arithmetic is public. Only the jokes are made up.
Find and verify
In each city we looked for the gyms serious lifters rate: federation clubs, powerlifting and weightlifting gyms, old-school bodybuilding floors and the odd premium club with real kit. Each listing needs at least two independent sources and must be open today. Closed, unverifiable or out-of-town gyms were dropped.
Score the facts
Five pillars are computed from what the sources say. When a gym doesn't publish something, such as its chalk policy, the pillar falls back to a default for its type and is flagged est. on its page.
Convert
The pillars blend into one Authenticity Multiplier. Your lift × the gym's multiplier × the lift's Ego Inflation Factor = your real PR. Par, 1.00×, is an honest free-bar lift in an honest gym.
| Pillar | How it's scored (0–10) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Iron quality | Competition-grade kit in the sourced equipment list: calibrated plates, platforms, specialty bars, strongman implements, premium machine lines. | 30% |
| Chalk policy | From the gym's published rules: allowed 10, liquid only 5, banned 0. | 20% |
| Strength focus | What the gym is built for: strength clubs 10, bodybuilding 8, hybrid 7 … HIIT studios 1. | 30% |
| Pedigree | Federation affiliation, notable athletes and history, and how long it has been going. | 20% |
| Comfort | Saunas, spas, pools, lounges, cafés. Counts against the multiplier. | −0.015 per point |
87 listings · 174 sources · 36 photos from the gyms' own sites · last checked 25 September 2026.
Questions you didn't ask
Are these real gyms?
Yes. Every listing is a real gym or chain operating in one of the six cities, with its address, website and sources linked on its page. The multipliers are opinion, computed from those facts by the rubric above. The lift factors in the calculator are a joke.
Why is Basic-Fit so low?
Its house rules, in Paris and in Brussels, ban magnesium powder and any grip-improving product, liquid included. That's a zero on chalk, and a budget floor scores low on iron and focus. It's a perfectly decent place to train; the index just can't give it credit for grip. See the sources.
How can a multiplier be above 1.0?
A gym built entirely for strength sport, with competition kit, a federation behind it and decades of history, scores high enough that a PR there is worth more than par. Physical Culture tops the index at 1.42×.
What does "est." mean on a score?
The gym doesn't publish that fact (usually its chalk policy or a full equipment list), so the pillar uses a default for its type. If you know better, tell us: one sourced fact beats any estimate.
Where do the photos come from?
From each gym's own website, shown with a credit and a link back. Gyms without a usable photo (just a logo, say) get the map instead. If you run a gym and want a different photo or none at all, ask and it's gone.
Why these six cities?
Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin, Barcelona and Zurich are where this starts. More cities, and more gems in these ones, are coming. Brussels and Zurich have fewer entries simply because fewer gyms survived verification.
What are the tickers and "vs par" numbers?
Every listing trades on the GymCred Exchange (GCX) with a ticker symbol. Par is 1.00×. "▼ −82%" means a PR there is worth 82% less than par. The market is, you'll notice, mostly red at the chains.
My gym is missing, or something's wrong.
Get in touch with a link to a source and we'll add or fix it. Gyms that aren't listed aren't bad gyms; we just couldn't verify enough about them yet.
Get humbled today
Run your numbers through the index, find out what your PR is worth at the best gyms in Europe, then inflict it on your group chat.
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