Inside gyms across the country, millions of Americans exercise amid crowded rooms, clanking iron, workout machines and the smell of sweat. While many accept the rhythms of commercial gyms shared by men and women, some men are looking for alternatives they consider less distracting.

One of those alternatives is Proverbs 27:17, a Christian gym in Oklahoma City that is open only to men. Owner Jeff Hambrecht says the facility is designed to remove temptation while giving its members a community centered on faith.

Hambrecht says lust represents only a small part of the gym’s broader purpose. He rejects the idea that its members are simply men who cannot control themselves and therefore need to remain separated from women.

Instead, Hambrecht compares the decision to avoiding settings connected to other personal struggles. He argues that someone trying to escape a cycle involving alcohol or drugs would probably avoid those substances, and that a person struggling with pornography, lust and women may similarly choose another workout environment.

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For Hambrecht, removing that environment was a deliberate choice. Rather than repeatedly entering a place where he believes someone could encounter trouble, he created a gym where men can concentrate on exercise and the goals that brought them there.

His approach is also rooted in his personal history. Hambrecht is an addict who recovered from battles involving drugs, alcohol and pornography by repairing his relationship with Christ, and he describes the gym as an effort to help other men facing their own struggles.

He says he saw a gap for men who wanted a place where they could be vulnerable while becoming closer to God alongside others pursuing the same goal. The gym also seeks to remove stigmas and encourage conversations about mental health and other challenges confronting modern men.

Hambrecht says the men who enter Proverbs 27:17 can focus on what needs their attention, regardless of whether they are single or married. He acknowledges that members will encounter women outside the gym, but wants them to reconsider relationships, women and life through a more biblical perspective.

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That mission has drawn both criticism and support, placing the Oklahoma City facility within a wider dispute over fitness spaces separated by gender. Even some people who question Hambrecht’s particular model recognize why certain gym members might prefer an environment limited to one gender.

Kim Abt, owner of PWRGRLS gym in Sherman Oaks, California, considers the desire among men for such a space fair. Her gym, which is only for women, features a neon pink color scheme and palm trees reminiscent of the 80s.

Abt says she had not previously considered the issue from the perspective of men. However, she frequently hears men complain about being distracted by women wearing particular kinds of workout clothing, and she says she respects their concerns.

Fitness influencer Brad Jensen, known online as thesoberbodybuilder, has decades of experience in the fitness industry and has also entered the discussion. He has observed both the backlash against Proverbs 27:17 and the praise it has received.

Jensen says he has greater understanding and empathy for why women would want gyms reserved for women. When considering a Christian workout facility, however, he suggests that another structure could make more sense than excluding women entirely.

His alternative would be a Christian gym with a dress code where men and women could come together around shared values. Under that model, women who also wanted to exercise among like minded people would still be able to participate.

At the same time, Jensen acknowledges that workout clothing can sometimes go too far. He has also noticed an increase in people using public gyms to promote Only Fans in ways that he considers clearly inappropriate.

For Jensen, the issue becomes more serious when someone’s conduct makes other gym members uncomfortable. The competing perspectives leave Proverbs 27:17 at the center of a sharp debate about temptation, clothing, faith, community and who should share a workout floor.