Maine Warrior Gym in Westbrook

Maine Warrior Gym really is like a jungle gym for grownups. The monkey bars, warped walls, ropes and salmon ladder give that away as soon as you step inside the 5,000-square-foot warehouse space off Spring Street in Westbrook (and yes, you’ll immediately want to climb on everything).

But that’s only part of what Maine Warrior Gym is about.

This gives you an idea of what the space looks like when you walk in. Climbable things EVERYWHERE! (Worth noting, this photo was taken during Maine Warrior Gym's open house, with lots of kids and adults there checking things out.) — This gives you an idea of what the space looks like when you walk in. Climbable things EVERYWHERE! (Worth noting, this photo was taken during Maine Warrior Gym’s open house, with lots of kids and adults there checking things out.)

First and foremost, it’s an indoor obstacle course. The course includes elements you’ve likely seen on the popular TV show American Ninja Warrior (like the salmon ladder, quad steps and warped wall). So if you’re a ninja warrior in training, Maine Warrior Gym is for you. (And it’s the only gym like this in the entire state.)

But even if you have no inclination to be a ninja or to compete in an obstacle-course-based television program, you can still have a ton of ninja-like fun here. The obstacle course is open to anyone – kids, adults, people with incredible upper body strength and people like me who can only move one bar on the monkey bars before dropping off (those bars are tougher than the 8-year-old me remembers). The course is scalable to any level, whether you’re just trying things out for the first time or you’re a warrior to the core and need constant challenge to keep your ninja reflexes agile.

The course will be constantly changing, too, with new elements being added and moved around (unlike the jungle gyms of your youth, which just sat there until, inevitably, you exceeded the weight limit and weren’t welcome back). And while it certainly looks like a whole world of fun to play on, you can get one hell of a workout here. (I know, I know. We’re used to fitness that’s painfully dull most of the time, but it is possible to work out AND have a good time in the process. Really!)

There’s a host of ways to engage with the course, too. You can take a obstacle fitness class (a “unique circuit-training program designed to deliver an aggressive full-body, full-mind workout”) or take advantage of open gym hours to create your own circuit or focus on a particular obstacle. And if you’re into Parkour (or you’d like to be into Parkour), there are Parkour classes for all ages, too. Check out all the options: www.mainewarriorgym.com/classes

Maine Warrior Gym, located on Spring Street in the Portland Glass Building. Look for the big sign over the door!

There’s also a separate studio in the building where you can take a range of other fitness classes, like Tae Kwon Do, yoga, Piyo, nutrition, boot camp, Warrior Moms and more. More on that: www.mainewarriorgym.com/classes/studio-fitness-classes/

Monthly and yearly memberships are available or you can do a one-day drop-in for $25