Daniel Mercer
Head coach · owner
Service · ChoiceUpliftLane, Hamilton
Open gym access
on a real floor
Full floor, all staffed hours, no class bookings needed. Open gym at ChoiceUpliftLane is for lifters who have their own program — or want a quiet place to follow the one we gave them.
01 / The offer
Your program, our steel
You bring the plan — from your own coach, an app, or your head — we provide the floor where it's actually possible to run it. Six platforms, calibrated plates, a sled strip and enough racks that waiting is rare.
- All staffed hours — 5:30am to 9pm weekdays, 7 to 7 weekends.
- Competition bars, calibrated plates, chalk allowed everywhere.
- Sauna and mobility zone included.
- Coach on the floor every hour — spots and questions are free.
Start this week
Visiting Hamilton for a week? The $55 visitor pass covers seven days of full access — cheaper than four day passes and easier than smuggling your barbell on the plane.
- Free trial session to test the fit
- No joining fee, no lock-in contract
- Cancel or switch with a week's notice
02 / In detail
Why lifters pick this floor
Most commercial gyms buy machines because they're safe to ignore. We bought platforms, racks and bumpers because members actually use them — the floor layout is designed for barbell work first, everything else fills the gaps.
Quiet hours are real here: 9:30 to 3:30 weekdays you can have a platform to yourself and hear your own music. Evenings get loud — that's the trade-off for a floor where people actually train.
Our promise
First visit free if you're considering a membership — lift a full session, judge the floor, decide after. If the equipment isn't what we say it is, tell us and we'll buy your post-session coffee.
0
lifting platforms
0
m² of floor
0
racks and stations
0
% uptime — floor never closes early
Floor stats current October 2026. Quietest hours verified by our entry logs.
03 / Pricing
What open gym costs
All prices NZD with GST already in. Memberships and packs sit side by side so you can compare like for like — the full club price list is on the prices page.
Day pass
Full floor for a day — visiting lifters and try-before-you-join people start here.
$15/day
Weekly Open Floor
Unlimited access every staffed hour, sauna included. Billed monthly, cancel weekly notice.
$29/week · ~$126/month
Off-peak Open Floor
9:30–15:30 weekdays plus all weekend. The cheapest way onto the floor.
$22/week
Visitor week
Seven consecutive days of full access for out-of-towners.
$55/week
Open Floor is the base tier — upgrading to All Access adds unlimited classes for $20/week more.
04 / The process
How open gym works
Five steps from walking in to lifting. The tour takes ten minutes — after that it's just you and the bar.
Sign in at the desk
Day pass, week pass or membership — two minutes of paperwork, none of it scary.
Quick floor tour
Platforms, racks, sled strip, sauna, the quiet corner, where the good bars live. Ten minutes, worth it.
Lift your own way
Your program, your music, your pace. Platform etiquette is chalk up, strip your bar, rerack the plates.
Ask when you need it
A coach is on the floor every hour. Spots, form checks and 'is this supposed to click?' questions are free.
Sauna out
Finish with the sauna or the mobility corner — included in every pass, and honestly the best way to leave.
05 / Combine it
Pairs well with
Most members mix two or three services in a week. These are the combos we see working best.
Personal training
Group classes
Strength & conditioning
Nutrition coaching
Recovery & mobility
Open gym access
Open gym + a weekly class — solo volume plus coached intensity. All Access bundles both.
Open gym + a monthly PT check-in — self-directed but not alone; one session a month keeps form honest.
06 / On the floor
The floor, as it is
No staging — just what the floor looks like on a normal week at different hours.
07 / Your coach
Who runs open gym
The floor team: Daniel and Aroha set the training culture, Sophie runs the desk and keeps the place operational. Whoever's on shift is your spotter for the hour — ask, that's what they're there for.
Meet the full crew
Aroha Ngata
Strength lead
Sophie Nguyen
Floor manager
08 / Compare
All six services side by side
Where open gym sits in the lineup. Casual entry price vs. what members pay weekly.
| Service | Casual price | Best for | Session length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal training | from $79/session | Specific goals, fast feedback | 45–60 min |
| Group classes | from $22/class | Motivation, routine, people | 50–60 min |
| Strength & conditioning | $39/week per block | Progressive barbell work | 3 × 75 min/wk |
| Nutrition coaching | from $149/month | Food habits that stick | Weekly check-ins |
| Recovery & mobility | from $18/session | Stiff joints, sore bodies | 30–45 min |
| Open gym access | from $15/day | Self-programmed lifters | All staffed hours |
09 / Questions
Open gym questions
More questions? Call +64 7 839 5612 or send a message on the contacts page.
Some, yes — open gym assumes you can train safely solo. Total beginners do a few PT sessions or the intro month first, then graduate to the floor.
9:30 to 3:30 weekdays is near-empty — you'll pick your platform. The 4:55am shift-worker slot is quiet too. Avoid 5–7pm if crowds bother you.
Encouraged, even. Liquid chalk keeps the platforms tidy but block chalk lives in the bowls — just brush the bar when you're done.
That's the point of the service. Remote-coached lifters make up about a third of open gym members — bring the spreadsheet, use the floor.
The classics: rerack plates, strip your bar, wipe the bench, don't curl in the squat rack during rush hour. Standard lifting-gym etiquette, enforced with a smile.
Book open gym
Claim a platform this week
First session is free for potential members — come judge the floor for yourself. Day passes work too if you're just passing through Hamilton.