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I will start with the oldest gym on the list—a very special place that because I remained in the orange and red areas for the majority
most Vallejoans know—Olympic Health Club on 939 Tennessee of the time, I triggered my body to burn more fat, an effect that
Street. Established in 1980, Olympic is “old school” in the best way, will last even hours afterward. The longer you are in those zones,
proudly preserving the ‘80s. It has machines that you will not find the longer your body will burn fat cells. Hence, their logo, which
elsewhere and iron weights to literally pump iron like the 1977 movie resembles a fat cell splatting.
Pumping Iron that features Arnold Schwarzenegger. In fact, on the
walls are posing frames of the famous bodybuilder, among others, to The theory in OTC comes from this very idea of burning fat by
serve as great inspiration and nostalgia for some. entering these higher heart rate zones for certain amounts of time,
which has been researched with science. The orange refers to one of the
Not only is Olympic the oldest-running gym, but also it is a family- five heart rate zones that represent when one begins to burn fat. The
run business of over 30 years that Dennis Brinson inherited and zones are color-coded (grey, blue, green, orange, and red) and based
whose son, Matthew, now manages. “We strive to maintain a facility on an individual’s heart rate (they put a monitor on your arm). Their
that allows both serious weightlifters and those less experienced to website explains that OTF is, “strategically designed so you spend
get the most out of their workouts without contending with issues at least 12 minutes or more in the Orange Zone to get your heart
that are common in chain gyms,” states its Yelp (yelp.com/biz/ rate between 84-91% of your unique heart rate maximum. When
olympic-health-club-vallejo). your heart rate is elevated, you’ll start to see and feel real changes in
Vallejo HealtH I have trained at Olympic Health Club and found that it is an many splat points (the sound of a fat cell exploding, according to
your body.” (orangetheoryfitness.com/science). Depending on how
affordable way to enjoy a positive, open-gym setting without the their website) you earn each workout, these changes can last longer.
crowds. “There are no crowds at our gym,” its Yelp page continues,
and Fitness “which allows members to train in ways that are not possible at Fit4U could be the fit you are looking for (as the name implies).
other gyms, such as incorporating supersets. We have also created a Specializing in boot camps and circuit training, Fit4U will
comfortable atmosphere where everyone respects each other, which undoubtedly get you fit, and a lot of it has to do with the motivation
by its owner, Coach Derrick Clark, a professional personal trainer
has been possible because of our positive members and management.”
with a longtime background in coaching that influences his style.
Another viable option for a positive, team-setting environment is
Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) Vallejo. “We care about our members. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Coach Clark, who gladly
A Look Inside Vallejo’s We build relationships with them outside of just fitness,” Studio welcomed me in his gym and told me about how he is involved with
the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce
Manager Felisa Wiseser said. “We are
into building a sense of community,
and community. “I patronize local
Featured Gyms and that’s why a lot of our members feel businesses and build relationships. I try
to connect with people,” Coach Clark
comfortable,” Franchise Owner Tanya
Brown added.
said. Fit4U offers both individual and
small-class personal training programs
OTF is centered on highly researched (boot camps and circuits) at different
By James Quinn cardio-based workouts that are an hour time slots that start as early as 5 a.m. and
long, while utilizing their state-of-the-art run throughout the day, so you can go
Whether it be hiking (e.g. Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, Glen Cove hills by the Carquinez Bridge and Alfred Zampa Memorial, water rowers and treadmills in addition first thing in the morning. Coach Clark
Blue Rock Springs, etc.) or exercising at the Vallejo Waterfront Park (e.g. biking, running, walking, doing yoga, playing with the dog, to weights and TRX ropes. Unlike other challenges people so that they transform
etc.) Vallejo offers many active options to choose from. Specifically, the city also has many gyms to choose from, which is reflective of a gyms, however, you need to know that their lives to extend past the gym. What
strong health and fitness community that is on the rise. it is not an open gym; each class is led is more, he personalizes the experience
by one of their certified trainers who have different schedules and by connecting to each person, learning their needs through assessment
I would say now is as good a time as ever to join a gym in Vallejo, ELEV8 Training, and CrossFit Redux. While they have their follow a workout plan directly from OTF headquarters that people and consultation, and modifying exercises for different athletic levels.
if you have not already, no matter your fitness level. On top of differences, they also have great similarities, as they are all highly follow all around the world—yes, it is an international brand, and a The great Yelp reviews speak for themselves here, coming from genuine
maintaining a healthy body, good exercise does wonders for your rated and promote significant lifestyle changes—beyond physically membership can allow you to seamlessly continue training at another people who are more than satisfied.
self-confidence and mental health; study after study has shown and emotionally—as community-focused places that make Vallejo location that can be in another state or even country.
that even a little bit of weight training and exercising can cut better. With so many options in Vallejo, it can be difficult to know Voted “Best Gym” by the Vallejo Times-Herald in both 2017 and
cardiovascular risk and improve people’s longevity. the right gym(s) for you and your body; whether you are a seasoned Giving me a real experience of one of their structured workouts, 2018, ELEV8 Training on Mare Island is the main gym that I train
“gym rat,” go once in a while, yearning for change, or a newcomer Brown and Wiseser put me in a free trial class. They let me choose at because of their coaches, new equipment that they continue to
To learn more about Vallejo’s industry and the people behind it, with little to no experience, I am happy to inform you of Vallejo’s one that fit my schedule, which happened to be with the amazing add, and multiple options for cardio, weight training, and circuit
I recently had the great privilege of experiencing the following diverse gyms that reflect the city’s overall diversity. Coach John, who showed me around each exercise before class. One training—all conveniently at one place. ELEV8 is a team of
featured gyms: Olympic Health Club, Orangetheory, Fit4U, of the biggest takeaways that I learned after my workout is that professional coaches, led by good friends of mine: Personal Trainers