It finally happened: We visited our first Ninja Warrior Gym this weekend.
We took a daytrip to Omaha, NE — just your typical family getaway. Did some shopping, explored a little bit, and spent an hour and a half on an obstacle course. If you want to check out FitNest for yourself, their website is here.
FitNest Omaha in Review
It’s perfect for kids and beginners with plenty of challenges for skilled ninjas, and covers all of the classic obstacles.
A Family Ninja Gym
Befitting its niche as a destination gym, FitNest is tucked away in a corporate industrial park in LaVista, on the south side of Omaha. I was a little uncertain as I approached because there’s no large or highly visible sign, but Google Maps steered me true.
Though not as advanced as what you might see at some of the country’s major ninja facilities, the gym has a varied and well-constructed course. It’s perfect for kids and beginners with plenty of challenges for skilled ninjas, and covers all of the classic obstacles.
The staff is friendly and competent, and were very helpful when it came to figuring out how to do some of the obstacles. They clearly get plenty of practice in, too — they made some of those obstacle look much easier than they are.
Technical Difficulties
My only criticism as a consumer was the difficulty of determining available hours. They seem to do a brisk business in birthday parties (understandably so), and as a result weekend Open Play is only added to the schedule the night before.
If you live in the area, or have free time during the day Monday — Friday, this probably isn’t a big deal. As visitors from an hour away, it was inconvenient and a bit perplexing, but not a deal-breaker.
My only criticism as a consumer was the difficulty of determining available hours.
Do note that you can only access the schedule through MindBody, which isn’t a big deal but does add a few clicks and an extra layer of complexity. You should also know that you will need to fill out an online waiver on their website, separate from MindBody. You can do this at home or on your phone when you arrive.
The Details
- $12/person for Open or Reserved Group Play.
- Location is easy to access and has plenty of parking.
- Registration requires both signing up through the MindBody app and filling out an online waiver. Check-in was easy aside from that.
- The gym was open, spacious, and well-lit, with high quality obstacles built all around the walls.
- Obstacles present: Warped Wall (9', 11', 13'), Climbing Walls / Cliffhanger / Cargo Net, Cheese Boards, Jumping Spider, Unstable Bridge, Rings on a Rope (didn’t catch the fancy name for that one), Rope Swing / Climbing Ropes, Rings and Ropes, Sea of Ropes, 6ft Wall, Peg Traverse, Devil’s Steps, Rumbling Dice, Salmon Ladder, Quintuple Steps
I failed at least 8 obstacles by even a generous measure.
The course has seen updating since the pictures on their website so the list there isn’t accurate any more. My list is accurate as of February 2018, and I’ll update it again if I notice changes on a future visit.
Difficulty Rating
- Elements: Obviously this is an indoor gym, and the temperature was comfortable for shorts and t-shirt.
Rating: 2 - Terrain: Again, indoor gym. The floor was level and there were no steps or other inaccessible areas (aside from obstacles).
Rating: 2 - Obstacles: The obstacles ranged from kid-friendly to classic Ninja Warrior obstacles that require considerable strength and technique, and I was unable to complete most of them. Of 21 obstacle challenges (you can do some more than one way), I would consider 12 difficult even for a fit person, and I failed at least 8 obstacles by even a generous measure.
Rating: 41 - Distance: As an indoor gym, there was no track or meaningful running involved. Just including this for consistency’ sake.
Rating: 0
Total Difficulty Rating: 45/50 (Challenging)
As a Ninja Warrior style gym, FitNest’s challenge comes entirely from the variety of obstacles — and it doesn’t disappoint. Unless you’re already a high performing athlete, don’t show up and expect to complete the whole course on your first try. Even then…
As with American Ninja Warrior the show, there’s a strong focus on upper body strength, with core and lower body playing smaller roles. I would have liked a bit more in the way of balance and lower body challenges (as that plays to my strengths), but absolutely cannot complain about what was present.
If you’re anywhere near Omaha, NE (or will be passing through), I highly recommend checking FitNest out.
Disclaimer: I wrote this review of my own volition, and received neither compensation nor product as a result. These are my personal opinions only. Caveat emptor.
Have you been to FitNest? Let me know what you thought, or give me a heads up if anything changes!
Check out this gym and more places to train on our handy map:
