I really wanted to love this gym since it's convenient and is a small business. However being a member has proved to be disappointing and I ultimately left this gym. Here are the main issues I had- -It's very cramped and can therefore get busy fast. -The cardio area in the front doesn't have enough air circulation or purification. However purification and circulation are a problem everywhere there. -Members regularly show up sneezing, coughing, and with runny noses. -The gym is unattended most of the time, and when staff are present they're glued to devices. The gym's own basic rules just go unenforced. -The equipment is regularly dirty and sweaty. The vast majority of members do not wipe off equipment after they have used it (much less before they use it.) And staff absolutely does not pick up the slack and clean off sweaty machines or provide even gentle reminders to members, in real time. Feels gross and makes it too easy to pick up colds, flu, Covid etc. -If you accidentally forget your water bottle you'll be totally out of luck! They only provide a bubbler- no cups. -There is not composting or recycling throughout the facility. Only the two cans by the entrance offer sustainable options. -Using their platform was difficult both from a cell phone and via the Safari browser. Like most other people in the Bay I'm an iPhone user so this proved to be inconvenient. -They milked me for another month when it was time to cancel. Their cancellation process is not straightforward and bought and you can be charged an entire month's membership, even if you cancel several days before the regular day your dues always deduct. It's a common feeling that if you cancel before your monthly renewal date, you should not be charged on the next renewal date. So to me it seems like their cancellation process is confusing and also is poor business practice, plain and simple. Really the only major perk here was that I could walk here. Ultimately this business might benefit from some local competition. I really don't recommend this gym and hope for Bernal's sake that they make some serious changes. read more

Terrible costumer service! I joined the gym because I thought it would be a closer alternative to my main gym. Every time I attempted to enter my fob did not work (when I picked it up I confirmed with the employee that it worked). I was so frustrated when this happened a second time I emailed the gym asking if someone could let me in. I was instructed that I needed to wait until staff hours by the founder. Since I don't work in the city I would not be able to meet them during those hours (11-12) This ended up causing some weird email and text argument with the founder who was so rude. I canceled my membership (considering I couldn't even use the gym I pay for) and was charged randomly 2X the expected charge. When I asked for an itemized receipt like any normal business can provide founder responded with the attached email. What a terrible way to do business. Avoid this gym. read more

Fit Bernal Fit - Founder's response to a customer asking for an itemized bill on a final charge 2X the expected cost. - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

They are a messed up company that take advantage of people who are not working through the pandemic and making me pay when they were closed because of covit-19 read more

Live life local, support your neighborhood businesses. That's what I try to do. I love my neighborhood and find myself exploring more closer to home. I've been checking out fit Bernal fit to see if it fits my workout needs. I need a gym with the basics and have been shopping around for a place to hang out and pump iron. It's not a mainstream 24 hour MEGA gym, but that's what I like about it. It's small, - but the equipment is new and it's super clean. I need to stick to my goals and get my mind off of stuff every now and then, so I work it out. The best cure for my stress is cardio, so it's important to me to have a good place to unwind. Super dog friendly. They have a little back area for your pup to socialize with other dogs while you workout. read more

Me Likey Lots... I'm here more than a few days a week burning calories so that I can eat at more yummy SF restaurants. Staff is friendly and they know you by name. Great Bernal Biz! read more

Fit Bernal Fit - One way to Bernal Fit - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

fitBernalfit is, for me, a perfect fit. What I'm looking for in a gym is a convenient location (ideally walking distance from my house), clean, good mix of equipment, no waiting for machines. I get all of that at fBf, and I appreciate their commitment to the environment (bringing my own water bottle to reduce waste is fine by me). It's always impeccably clean. The equipment is in good working order - if I see an out of order sign one day, that machine is nearly always up and running the next day. And everyone I've worked with from the day I signed up has been lovely and accommodating. If you're intrigued, I would say go and check it out and see if it's a good fit for you. read more

Whenever a new business is about to open in downtown Bernal, the locals get restless. We case the place constantly as it's being remodeled, peeking into the papered-over windows and trying to guess what will go in. We marvel at the possibilities before us, speculating to one another about the life-changing potential of this new storefront in our remote outpost. "Wouldn't it be cool if it was a record store?" "Oooh, what if it's a Greek restaurant?" And then the business opens. And we unfailingly complain. As in: "An insurance office? This ain't Mission Street!" Or: "Oh, great. Another place to buy a $6 croissant." (OK, all those quotes are from me...) But I want to go on record as saying Fit Bernal Fit is the single-most useful/exciting/kaBAM business to join our funky promenade in a very long time. Aside from being so brutally convenient that even a slackass like me can get there, it's reasonably priced, squeaky clean, and run by a really cool couple. And they''ll even watch your dog. It's so... Bernalized. Topper isn't a good candidate for the doggie daycare because: a) he's going blind, b) he doesn't see the value in cultivating friendships with dogs and c) other dog owners will get insanely jealous because of his extreme cuteness and envy us relentlessly. But the Mr. and I are excellent candidates for the gym because: a) we drink like we're in a "Thin Man" movie, b) we're getting old and c) we're too broke to keep buying new clothes. Fit Bernal Fit, you're welcome addition to the neighborhood. read more

This gym works for me. It's got what i need, plus they are adding more fun stuff like spin and yoga in their Glen Park franchise. Have you BEEN inside? It is so charming. You can tell Jeanne used to be in design. Such cute touches. The machines all work, and I've never even seen a hair on the floor. Frankie and I like to hit it Monday and Wednesday after work. He's adored by either Jeanne or Cait while I make it happen on the weights. You can't deny it's good for both of us. read more

fit Bernal fit is my kind of gym. Flexible hours, clean, not too crowded and affordable! If you go to the gym solely to use exercise machines, this is the gym for you. If you're looking to Zumba, sauna, steam or stock up on muscle milk look elsewhere. i used to live in Bernal Heights and this gym was a 10 minute jog from me. It was freaking awesome. I signed up for a year membership which meant a fee of $40/month. When you sign up you get a card that lets you in and out of the gym (which is usually locked) from 5am to 11pm. It was never too crowded when I was there, and I usually went at the peak workout hour of 6pm. I probably waited for a machine 3 times in a year. Besides the basic amenities that I needed, they also have a trainer that comes every Monday and will help you with the weight machines and such. From what I understand you keep a log and each week go over your progress etc.. ALSO they cater to your pooches with doggy-socials and such. Despite the high-doggy-traffic the gym does not smell like dog nor have dog hair floating everywhere. If it wasn't for the name/dog pictures hanging all over you wouldn't even know they were there. fit Bernal fit is awesome. There's no other gym like it in the city... read more

Gym options are relatively limited in Bernal, and FitBernal is a small business which provides an economic option, however, it is certainly a case of "you get what you pay for," so best be aware of that. The main pros - a) Relatively low price b) Decent selection of cardio and universal weight machines to cover most standard workout needs The main cons - a) NO WATER FOUNTAIN OR CUPS PROVIDED FOR WATER. While ownership described this as a "green" initiative to cut down on paper cup waste, I simply can't understand how a gym can require you to bring your own container to get water from the water jug. b) Initiation fees + end of use fees (i.e., 30 day period beyond your termination notification regardless of when your normal billing period ends). This seemed a bit unnecessary for a gym and just an easy way to get members to pay additional fees. c) Not enough room / weight selection if you have a more advanced weight regimen given you are mostly relegated to using universal machines. d) Lack of full time on-site staff. FitBernal keeps costs down by only having part-time staff. As a result, if you forget your key fob, a machine is broken, etc., and no one is there, you are out of luck. read more

I cancelled my membership in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, while gyms were closed. They promptly charged me for one more month saying that was the cancellation policy. I get that that may be the policy, but it hardly seems right to enforce it while we are unable to even use the gym. I know that it is a family business, but I think they have lost sight of the fact that while their business may be struggling, their customers may also be struggling. It all left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

One follow up. This wasn't the perfect gym for me. The machines are geared for medium weight, so I would leg press the entire stack with just one leg! But the reason why I left the gym was because a dispute over the summer months. They say they told me I could not suspend my membership, I believe when signed up I heard otherwise. Frankly, I might have heard wrong, but I don't think so. But when I tried to work something out, I was told these are the rules and there was no budging, no negotiation, no nothing. And I was dealing with the owners, not a flunky. I want to support my local businesses and I would have stayed a member, but loyalty works both ways. The owners felt that working something out with a good member wasn't worth it. So I joined the UCSF gym for a lot cheaper but 10x times the machines and services. I said when I joined, I didn't want to deal with the big gym contracts. That's what I got. read more

I'm giving Jeanne and Deane 5 stars because it is the perfect gym for me. Is it the cheapest? No. Does it have fancy amenities like a hot tub, pool, spinning class, juice bar, towel service or even a shower? No. (Although a shower would be a nice addition and no, I can' t for the life of my figure out where you'd put it unless you got rid of the dog lounge which I know ain't gonna happen) It is a 6-minute walk from my house, has all the weights and cardio equipment I need, is locally owned and not some big corporation. The members and staff are friendly, it's never too crowded. The machines and weights are new (well, slightly used by now) in good condition, things break occasionally but get fixed pretty quickly. I don't have a dog, so I don't use the dog lounge but it's fun to see some of them walk in and out. I appreciate the classes and free training; I've only gone to 2 but props to Jeanne for trying to squeeze more amenities into a small space. Also, it's always clean, really clean and never smells like a sweaty gym. read more

I've been a member for a few months and I love it. It literally has everything you need for a gym in the city - reasonable prices, great staff, super clean (smells fresh all the time), variety of high-end equipment, and it's dog-friendly! The dog lounge is adorable. What a fresh concept! If you're in Bernal Heights, definitely join. You and your furry family member(s) will love it. Best of all, you will never see a big, sweaty muscle head leave behind his sweat track on the incline bench and his 6-45lb plates on the Smith machine. read more

This is a great gym. The owners, Jeanne and Dean go out of their way to be accommodating and helpful which is a stark contrast to many of those other impersonal, corporate-type gyms. fBf is clean, bright and welcoming. The machines (aerobic and weights) are comprehensive and efficient. fBf also offers an introductory Free personal training session with Jim Wolff as an added bonus. This small group class is known as "The Circuit" and allows members the opportunity to work with Jim, become familiar with the fBf equipment and set up their own personal workouts for the future. All in all, this is my new favorite workout place. I've done Pilates and Yoga in Bernal, which are fine too, but you just can't beat the convenience of working out when you want to as opposed to waiting for a class. You also can't beat the $60 month price. Fun and affordable, what a great deal! read more

These 5 stars are for the FBF personal trainer Jim whom I've been going to for a few months now. He's great at getting me to try new things and push myself in ways that I NEVER would on my own. He's also super friendly and knowledgable. Even though personal training can be expensive, I called around to lots of folks in the Noe/GlenPark/Mission/Bernal area before going with Jim and his prices are the best around. The sessions have been more than worth it. I highly recommend working with Jim. read more

I wish I'd done this sooner... Bernal Fit is a great place! I enrolled last week... everything about it is wonderful.... no crowds, nice people, very clean... NO waiting for the equipment.... read more

Not only is fitlocalfit (at both locations) two great neighborhood gyms, it's a great place for small group training classes. I've been taking classes for nearly 2 years now and I've honestly enjoyed every instructor and class, which is saying a lot in san francisco's trendy workout scene. I keep coming back to Eric Escobar's TRX classes because they're structured for all levels, whether I'm working through a recurring hip injury or REEEALLY trying to push myself to the next kettle bell weight (I'll get there someday!). I really appreciate the attention given the small class size and Eric's approach to TRX because he keeps it fun and doesn't take it too seriously! read more

This place is fantastic, straight down to the colors on the walls. The machines are new and clean, and the owners are very friendly. I love the fact that it's no frills, and no meatheads.. just swipe your member card & work out when you want. Great neighborhood to boot, and the fact that they are centering a service around dogs is perfect. Almost every gym these days does the childcare thing, so if that's what you need you can find it elsewhere, but who offers dog care and walks while you work out?! Such a great idea! I'll always be stopping in when I travel to the area. The fact that they offer such great membership packages is awesome. Weekend memberships are perfect for the out of town traveler. Now i just need to get my hand on one of their cool t-shirts. Go fBf! read more

More like ShitBernalShit for how they treat their customers! If it were possible to give zero or negative stars I would. I've been trying to cancel my membership since April (yes, 2 months!) and have had nothing from Jeanne and Dean but bad info (Call us, no - email, no - wait for our email, no-make an appointment, email us again we lost the first one, etc.). Dean is especially dickish. I fully understand and accept the need for 30-days notice, BUT jerking me around for an extra 6 weeks - and insisting on my paying the entire time - is unacceptable. Dean disrespected me with rude and threatening emails, then when I mentioned the motivation to write bad review Jeanne hopped in with whining replies to my attempts to make an appointment on their random, goofy schedule with "Well, we're not as bad as other gyms" , "Gosh, please don't tell people what we're doing to you, we're just a poor ole small business" is piss-poor PR and customer service. I am completely supportive of my local businesses; Bernal Bucks, credit unions, local produce, etc. but I can not in good conscience tell ANYONE in Bernal (and I've lived here a very long time) to give any time or money to Jeanne and Dean. They already have too much of mine. AND, they still have not replied with a appointment time for me to come by and give them the keycard and "extortion" money. Forget their staff hours - for those of us who work real jobs, it's impossible to be there at those times. Save yourself a lot of money and hassle and just take walks around Bernal Hill - forget this place and let it rot. read more

As a loyal member and supporter of this gym I feel very sorry to say that this gym has definitely gone downhill since it first started. First off, there is never any staff at this gym who are able to help with any questions or concerns of mine. It is very rare when I do see someone at the desk. And for that I can honestly say this place has the worst customer service provided out of any gym I have been to. Emailing the owners is not convenient to me when there should be staff at the gym to direct my questions to. The incident that made me decide to want to cancel my membership is how a trainer was at the gym and I happened to misplace my gym card and went in with my mother who had hers. Of course I understand company policy and rules however as a member who comes to this gym mostly everyday and always pays membership on time , I should not be told that I am not allowed at this gym unless I have a key. This was rude and not something I would hear at any other gym since most gyms value their members I realize that with this experience I felt more like I was just someone who is overpaying for being disrespected and told to not come back. Now the question is how am I suppose to even ask for a membership key if there is no one there? The trainer who told me this said he could not help me since he was "off the clock" but obviously training someone the whole duration of my workout. I understand he is just a trainer but it would have been helpful if there was someone there who would help me and atleast handle the situation in a respectful manner. There are many other gyms who have great customer service, more equipment, and costs less monthly, there is definitely nothing of Fit Bernal Fit that are making them stand out other than the fact that this gym is convenient for people who live in the neighborhood. read more

Went here with a buddy to get a quick workout. Odd surprise - they have a dog sitting area! The equipment was nice, clean and no out-of order signs unlike the 24xx... that I'm a member of. We also met with the owner - very pleasant lady. I wish they had a location in my neck of the woods. read more

A DOG FRIENDLY GYM! Omg. Im so excited and I dont even LIVE in Bernal! haha or have a dog for that matter but since I am a dog freak, just being around dogs makes me happy! The gym has absolutely everything you could ever need and has fantastic design sense to boot! The owners are super cool too. ESPECIALLY if you live in Bernal, this is an awesome addition to Cortland Ave! read more

This is a gym. The owners, Jeanne and Dean go out of their way to be helpful, in stark contrast to many of those other cozy boutique impersonal gyms. fBf is clean, bright and welcoming to passer-bys. I've had many great conversations with the fine folks of Cortland street while exercising on a stationary bike. The machine selection is vastly efficient. fBf also offers one introductory "free" personal training session. fBf also offers free paper cups for water or whatever! fBf has one bathroom which doubles as a changing area. There is a lost and found area where extra storage used to be. The machines have unique character, each with its own sound or tick. When the front door is open the rich aromas of sidewalk waft into the charming fitness space. This is my new favorite workout place, I can do a lot of reps here. read more

This is a local gym in Bernal. I find it super convenient to walk two blocks and workout nearly any time during the day. The equipment is in great shape and they manage to fit quite a bit of it into a small space. The prices are reasonable, and the dog care concept is very clever. Overall I recommend it to folks living nearby. read more

Around the corner from our house - delightful! Jeanne is super friendly and remembered my name immediately (cool!). I've been a member almost since they opened and am very happy. It's true that the machines are pretty close together - in fact, if I were any bigger around the middle, I might not be able to squeeze between the ellipticals to get on one! Still, I appreciate that they're trying to use the space efficiently. I echo the comments of another reviewer that it's nice to work out with regular people, most of whom can only lift 25 lbs. on the chest press, like me. Go, health! read more

this is a small, clean, friendly, well-maintained, bare-bones-kind-of-gym that has incorporated a "dog-lounge" into its business plan. which in my opinion is revolutionary! an act of love and bravery! it's such a well put together space, with all the essentials and the owners seem like good people, clearly excited about their new venture - and that sort of positive energy is contagious. keep in mind that this gym that doesn't have a place to shower nor does it have certain other amenities (like a sauna, hot tub, etc.). i prefer this sort of gym, because i prefer to wear my gear to the gym, have my workout, then shower and change at home. and i prefer supporting small, local business owners as well - whenever i can. in all fairness i should mention that i've only worked out there twice since i became a member two months ago, but that's because i'm busy and tired. i'll be updating this review once i've started my disciplined, regular work-outs and made use of the dog lounge service. i'm sure that will be soon. ahem. like later today hopefully. read more

It's been a long long time since I joined a gym. Prefer the great outdoors - running by the beach, playing outdoor games. BUT...I now do both! Thanks to Bernal Fit, the truly fabulous owners, clean & sunlit space, plenty-o machines and nice clientele....always feel at home. It's really a great place...highly recommend. read more

small, cheap, friendly, close to home, pleasant. Very happy to have this in our neighborhood.

Fit Bernal Fit is a nice, convenient gym. It's never crowded, the equipment is good, it's clean and it's dog friendly! I wish it had showers, otherwise I'd have given it five stars. read more

This place is perfect for our cozy bernalhood. The owners are amazingly kind and really passionate about keeping their members happy, and their members DOGS. now you don't find that everywhere! love love love read more

Worked out twice and love the place. An experienced (and nice) fitness trainer showed me how to use the machines - spent an hour with a small group of us at no charge. Yes, it's small but never seems crowded and has everything I need. Didn't make sense to pay for the pool, showers and basketball courts at my old gym when I rarely used them. It's perfect place to get in a good overall workout in a short amount of time. My husband and teen signed up, too, and they gave us a break on the initiation fee. read more

Great local gym. Convenient, clean, and uncrowded. Great hours. Though it is small, it has all the equipment you need to work out. The machines are new and in good shape. It is, as others have noted, not a mega-gym. There aren't showers or duplicates of the weight machines. No hot tub or steam room. However, if you live nearby, it is a great choice that provides everything you need at a reasonable cost. read more

Not sure about this place; can't figure out the whole dog business, but the vibe seems to be a bit alternative, if you know what I mean. They have one of those bogus initiation fees; do the dogs have to be initiated to? no Bernal no. read more

The 9am TRX on Saturday's with Eric is amazing! So worth getting up early on the weekend. Great workout/strength building and very attentive and knowledgeable instructor (knows everyone by name, provides corrections and modifications for each student all while keeping the steady pace of the class). 100% recommend. read more

Great equipment! Friendly owners. You can't beat the convenience and my dog loves to go there for some playtime... allowing me to get my workout without feeling guilty about leaving him at home! read more

When we moved to Bernal Heights in 2008, there was no gym in the neighborhood. While we noticed the lack of gyms and wished that we had one, we had no idea how truly awesome and transformative it would be when fBf opened up. Dean and Jeanne are involved, high-integrity community members, and the gym is exactly what Bernal Heights needed. It's small but complete, and the hours and pricing make it a great value. It's clean, well-maintained, and convenient. My only recommendation to them would be that it's getting close to time to replace the ellipticals with newer models, but you can always go over to the lovely Fit Glen Fit if you want a change of pace or newer equipment. Both gyms are great, and the discounted classes at Fit Glen Fit are a nice addition to the membership package. read more

this is a neighborhood gym so don't be fooled. no shower, lockers, or place to change besides a bathroom. -equipment is cramped -all used and older equipment -no tv's on treadmills and only ability to listen to TV is to turn the one up on the wall really loud. found myself fighting with others to pick a decent channel to watch. -no music in the gym -no place to do any stretching unless you want to be in the middle of the weights section -sign above water cooler says bring your own cup in an effort to be green. (aka. "we too cheap to give you real cups") -whole dog thing is just marketing. owners love being in the media as i recently saw them on some silly house hunter cable show buying a house. IMO seemed expensive for what you get. unless you live in walking distance and don't have room for a gym in your house then it 's probably not worth it. otherwise, you're better off going to a bigger gym. doubt this place it doing very well financially either as it's never crowded, so if you are inclined to join (which i don't recommend) then do month-to-month in case they go out of business. read more

Anyone with a shred of intelligence and some capacity for objective thinking can see Dana B's review below for exactly what it is; the incoherent rantings of a deeply disturbed and discontent individual. Sorry to hear that life has gone so poorly for you Dana, but there's no reason to take out all your personal frustrations and bitterness on a small local business that is simply trying to adhere to some common and perfectly reasonable business practices. Your characterization of the fine people who run Fit Bernal Fit couldn't be further from reality, but then I strongly suspect that reality is not your strong suit. And by the way, "dickish" is not a word. Grow up. read more

As a Bernal resident, I'm so excited that someone has finally transformed the old law office at 701 Cortland into a gym. It's called Fit Bernal Fit and they plan to open Labor Day weekend. You can even bring your dog! While you're working out, you can leave your dog in the play room or have one of their certified dog handlers take your dog on a long walk! The owners are super friendly and the facility looks very nice. The owners are really making an effort to create a safe, diverse, community friendly business. They are offering a special introductory membership rate (I just signed up today) too. Bernal rocks! read more