Get Your Fit On at a Recent Addition to Albany's Exercise Scene

One of Albany's newest gyms offers a wide range of options, and personal trainers that will hold you to your workout goals. Some complain that the cost of admission will put a dent in your wallet, but others say the fees are comparable to other private gyms, that the facilities are stellar and that the trainers are top-notch.

 is Albany's third personal training facility, and its second gym, along with the . Kara Collier and Jasmine Buczek, both seasoned personal trainers who have been in the business since the early 90s, had run a personal training space on Solano Avenue since 2005. They moved and expanded their operations in October. (There's also a .)

At All in One Fitness, which spans 6,500 square feet, traditional treadmill and virtual indoor bicycling machines offer differing ways to build stamina. Machine-assisted weight training devices of many configurations allow users to work virtually any part of the body.

Boxing enthusiasts have a dedicated corner with multiple power bags, speed bags and mats. And, for the courageous, suspension equipment allows the unconventional exercise-goer to defy gravity and use it as a resisting force to develop strength.

I met up with Collier and Buczek in March to chat about the gym. Of the 300 or so members, they said, the youngest was a 12-year-old girl, and the oldest a 93-year-old man. The span is a testament, the two said, to the neighborhood environment they are trying to create.

"They can work together and feel comfortable," Buczek said, "and not feel overshadowed."

The gym has partnered with to bring on to provide them with real-world experience and a healthy after-school physical education class.

The gym hosts weekly classes on suspension training, boxing, body sculpting and general fitness. Armed with a free pass from the gym, to entice potential clients with a taste of what it offers (anyone can get one), I decided to give the boxing class a try.

Mind you, the last time I stepped into a gym was high school weight training class some 10 years ago. But I ride my bike like most people drive a car, so I'm pretty fit. Or so I thought. Let me tell you, the one-hour class tested my resolve and worked my stamina and upper body in ways I haven't felt in a long time. 

There were eight people (including myself) in the boxing group when I attended. Collier, who teaches the class, worked each of us to the core. We started with a regimen of a minute on the jump rope, then 20 push-ups. Rope and push-ups. Repeat.

The blitz was the basics, and Collier made it clear that, if you can't pass this simple test of stamina, boxing wasn't for you. At first I was skeptical of my body's ability to keep up, but I managed to keep up. The remainder of the class was an inspiring array of shadow boxing, learning to jab and maneuver, footwork and bag blasting training. I was sore for days, but satisfied.

Mark Bowman, who signed up with the gym in February, said Buczek and Collier are fantastic. There's no waiting around for machines when he goes, and the equipment is beautiful.

"I have nothing bad to say," Bowman said. "I've been to a lot of gyms."

According to Yelp, the gym garnered four-and-a-half stars from 13 reviews, though the vast majority of those reviews were five stars, and included the Walnut Creek location. Yelp user Azzia Z., of Berkeley, recently praised the gym's state-of-the-art facility and one of its personal trainers.

Another Yelp user, who gave the gym two stars, Gabby B. of Richmond, criticized its expensive start-up fee, which she quoted at $200, and the lack of any deals for the new location.

Collier said the owners hope potential clients will come in to view what the gym has to offer before receiving a quote.

But she added, after the story was originally posted, that there are one-year prepaid memberships, several month-to-month options and monthly punch cards for daily visits. Membership rates start as low as $49 a month. There are also specials from time to time.

For those who do sign up, the owners say the gym offers a holistic approach to training: muscle mass building with stamina training topped off with nutritional instruction.

And if you start breaking your routine, which Buczek said involves coming to the gym two to three times a week, don't expect to slide below the radar.

"If you aren't creating an environment where you are (establishing routine)," Buczek said, "we will call you."

CORRECTION: This article originally mis-stated the size of this gym, where the company launched, the gender of its oldest member and the length of time the owners have been in the business. It has been corrected to remove these errors. Membership information was added to the story on April 26.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, give editor Emilie Raguso a ring at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.