What the new Iron Gym by Caro and Andreas Robens looks like in Arenal

A studio that suddenly feels completely different

If you drop by the Iron Gym in the late afternoon on Playa de Palma, you rub your eyes briefly. Not only because the air still smells of fresh paint, but because almost every corner features something newer, bigger, or louder. I was there at 18:30, when a treadmill was humming and rock music was blasting in the background — just as you would expect from a real training bunker.

From a small repair to a complete overhaul

Actually, the couple only wanted to paint one wall. Then one thing led to another: the counter moved, the lighting was redesigned, and old equipment was either painted or replaced with modern models. In the end there were five additional training stations, four new treadmills, and significantly more space between the stations. The change happened gradually, over weeks, not overnight — you hear this a lot here when entrepreneurs put their hearts into their work.

Upon entering the gym, the small "Hall of Fame" immediately catches the eye: posters, autographs, photos of well-known bodybuilders and a few movie posters — Jason Statham and several wrestlers gaze from the wall. It all feels a bit like a spectator seat at the Muscle Beach bodybuilding finals. No frills, but with character.

For real trainees — and those who want to become

The audience is mixed: people who come four to five times a week, but also tourists working on their beach figure. I heard of members aged between 12 and 84 years. Caro and Andreas themselves train regularly — five to six times per week, supplemented by cardio, a staff member told me while polishing a freshly painted piece of equipment.

Inspiration came in 2023 from Los Angeles: Gold's Gym and Muscle Beach offered a few ideas. A special pull-over machine reportedly landed on the shopping list — a small detail that here has long been seen as a homage to old bodybuilding days.

And yes: the two are thinking ahead. An outdoor project named "Muscle Beach" on Playa de Palma is still on the wish list. The permit is still missing, they say. Until then the freshly renovated Iron Gym remains the place where you can be loud, sweat is okay, and you see results with like-minded people.

For the curious: At the entrance there is usually a list of trial workouts. Not a VIP reservation, but an open studio with TV charm — and with the feeling that there is still a lot to come here. Oh yes: don't forget your water bottle. And a little earplugs for the rock music if you just want to run at your own pace in peace.