Look at this photograph
Rob Impastato came to Austin the way a lot of people do — following opportunity and hoping it would stick. What he found was a city full of people who wanted to train seriously but didn't have anywhere to do it properly.
Big Tex opened in 2010. By 2015, it was weeks from closing. Rob and Esther saw something worth saving — a real gym, real equipment, real community — and convinced the landlord to give them a shot.
They turned it around in six months. No contracts you can't escape. No enrollment fees that surprise you later. No corporate wellness committee deciding what "family-friendly" means. Just real equipment, real people, and the kind of atmosphere where showing up is enough to belong.
Pro athletes train here. So do people picking up their first barbell. The weights don't care what you did yesterday. Neither do we.
Unlike the big chains, everyone knows each other here. We give free advice and real knowledge because we actually are a family.
The main focus at Big Tex is freedom. Freedom to train how you want. Freedom to be yourself. The way gyms used to be.
Train Hard. Play Hard.
We put in the work year round and we bring the fun too.
We've hosted 40+ events, supported local high school powerlifting programs, and built partnerships with veteran organizations across Central Texas. The real proof is the people who show up every single day.
Come check us out. No pressure. No contracts.