CrossFit

The Backyard Gym

4.616 reviewsBayan Lepas

About The Backyard Gym

The Backyard Gym sits in the Bayana Hub development in Bayan Lepas, on the industrial side of Penang island, and positions itself less as a classic CrossFit box and more as a strength and conditioning studio built around personal coaching. Its own site frames the offer around "real-life strength" and "long-term health" for people with limited time, especially busy professionals, and states plainly that no prior experience is needed, a beginner-friendly framing rather than one aimed squarely at competitive athletes. The core programs are personal and buddy small-group training, described as structured and supported with tailored strength and performance coaching, alongside a scheduled small-group option called the After Work Strength Club, which the site lists as running Monday to Friday from 6 to 7pm, a slot clearly built around people coming straight from the office.

The facility itself is compact. Google's listing shows a restroom on site, and the gym's own site lists an infrared sauna, which its booking system prices separately as a recovery add-on, with member rates running roughly RM15 to RM20 for a 30-minute session and non-member rates RM30 to RM45. Parking around the Bayana Hub building is paid street parking rather than a dedicated free lot, worth factoring in before driving over. The gym is not open 24 hours, running on a coached-session schedule rather than free-access hours.

Pricing is unusually transparent for this category once you get past the homepage. The gym's online booking portal lists a RM79 introductory session, credited toward membership if you sign up, personal training at RM180 per one-on-one session with package discounts for bulk bookings, buddy-training rates around RM99 to RM120 per person per session, and small-group class passes starting at RM59 for a single class and running up to RM900 for a 20-class pass valid over six months. For straight gym access, the site lists a "Monthly" open-access rate of RM220, alongside a higher "Backyard Club" tier at RM499 a month, plus a RM35 day pass and longer 3, 6, and 12-month options. Because the site publishes a genuine, specific range rather than one ambiguous figure, a price tier can be assigned here based on the RM220 per month standard access rate, which sits within the RM200 to RM349 bracket, though anyone specifically after the more inclusive Backyard Club tier should expect to pay closer to RM499 a month, one bracket higher.

With a 4.6 rating from 16 Google reviews, The Backyard Gym has a modest but reasonably consistent public track record: enough feedback to indicate the experience is generally well received, without being a large enough sample to call it a dominant name in the area. For current class timetables, coach availability, or to confirm which membership tier suits a particular goal, the gym's own booking portal linked from thebackyardgym.club is the most reliable source, since rates and session formats appear to be actively maintained there rather than left static on the marketing pages.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need CrossFit experience to join?

No — most boxes scale every WOD (workout of the day) to your level, and many run a foundations or intro program for new members.

What should I bring?

Athletic clothes and a water bottle. Once you’re training regularly you’ll likely want your own gear (like lifting shoes), but most boxes have loaner equipment for your first few sessions.

Is it more expensive than a regular gym?

Coached CrossFit typically costs more than a standard gym membership, since every session is programmed and supervised — confirm current rates with The Backyard Gym directly.

Can I use open gym hours without joining a class?

Some boxes offer open-gym hours outside of coached WODs — ask The Backyard Gym whether that’s available and how it’s priced.

Is there a community aspect?

Yes — this is one of the biggest draws of a CrossFit box over a regular gym floor. Expect a tighter-knit member community than a typical commercial gym.