I want to increase muscle SAFELY. My core strength is very important after a car accident changed…read moremy life. Previous well-meaning trainers actually had a negative effect on my fitness. Bruno Basardi turned that all around. I'm getting stronger everyday and Bruno is the reason!

I have always wanted to try pilates. When I moved to San Diego, I used to work out in a gym with…read morethe traditional weights and machines. I hated it though. Then a friend of mine, told me, oh, my uncle teaches pilates and has a studio in Hillcrest, you should call him. I made the call to "Uncle Bruno" and from then on was hooked. Bruno has a way of understanding me like no one. He is the uncle I always wanted. He knows what I need to work on and will tell me whether I want to or not. And that is just my mental state. With my body, he works me out, stretches me, gets me to try new things and calms the noise in my head. Since doing pilates, not only did I lose weight, tone up, and get better posture, but I also grew taller at the ripe age of 22. (I'm now 30.) When I started at the Body Alchemist, I was 5 feet and 1/2 an inch. I am now proud to say that I stand at 5 and 3/4 an inch. Yes I know that part of the pilates experience is the fact that it lengthens you out by making your posture and spine stand stronger, which in fact makes you stand at your full potential but in layman's terms and to everyone else I just plain grew taller!!! Now if I could only hit 5"1".............................. Seriously though, everyone that works at the studio, whether it's Bruno, Paula, Portia or Gayner is incredible. They all not only work out your mind, but provide a sort of mini-condensed therapy session. I can honestly say that if I didn't have the constant reinforcement and support of Bruno and the gang (and Elaine when she worked there) I may not have survived my first few years in San Diego. They always made my body feel better with the workout and my mind feel more calm and at peace. Oh, and on a technical side, they are cheaper than any studio I have ever called in San Diego. And a semi private is 2 people!! When I was going it was $30 a semi private lesson...............A semi private anywhere else starts at $50 at LEAST!!!

Love the Glute Lab! I'm incredibly grateful to Bret for his expertise and how detailed he gets with…read moremy workouts. I've seen significant improvement.

I have been going to Glute Lab lower body classes 3x a week for about 6 months. Everything about…read moreGlute Lab is amazing, especially Dominique the trainer for the 9 a.m. class. Dom has the best vibe, and her class will challenge you in the most fun way. She has a great way about her that pushes you to do more but celebrates where you are. She is making San Diego better, one booty at a time! Each lower body class starts with hip thrusts on literally the best thrust set up I've ever seen. No more awkward bench or Smith machine thrust -- Bret Contreras has the gym equipped with several different thruster options so you can pick the set up that is most comfortable. You end up doing 1-2 sets to warm-up then they prescribe 4 specific working sets (technique, reps). The thrusts take 20 min. Then, you do rotating stations which are mostly lower-body but 1-2 upper body to even you out. If it is a full class, you partner up but if it is a small class then everyone does each station on their own. After the stations segment, you end with a band burnout using a glute band. That is about 2-3 minutes of banded abductions, kickbacks, glute bridges -- it varies every time. From the programming at Glute Lab to the amazing vibe, I love everything about this place. You can sign up for classes using their website, class pass or even get a monthly membership (which I did!). Best decision ever!

My favorite Pilates studio in San Diego so far, and I've tried three others! The classes are…read moredefinitely challenging but so rewarding. I actually feel sore in my abs the next day, which rarely happens for me at other studios. The instructors are also very nice and welcoming, which I sometimes didn't experience elsewhere.

Super nice and welcoming community! I tried BE Fit with ClassPass, and honestly, this is one of the…read moreonly Pilates studios that I'd recommend. Everyone is so welcoming, and they made plenty of adjustments if needed. It was definitely a push, and my abs were burning the whole day and the day after. Our instructor was Aaron, and he taught a good all-level Pilates workout with positive reinforcement and easy-to-follow directions.

I started training with Ericka twice a week and found myself actually looking forward to going to…read morethe gym! Ericka makes workouts enjoyable but thoroughly effective. I learned exercises to do on my own and with her help, I had a more consistent work out schedule. Ericka was always perfectly prepared for each training session and I felt that I was receiving the most out of each session. She also advised me on diet, which made a huge difference. Ericka is not only an amazing trainer, she's incredibly kind and passionate about what she does. She's the best!

I will never forget the picture that began the biggest change of my life. It wasn't a particularly…read morebad picture of me, but I knew the size of the dress I was wearing in it and I could see that I had posed with my typical half-smile, which nobody but me knew signified a life that was just OK. I wasn't unhappy, but I definitely wasn't happy with the way I looked or felt about my body. I had never been a regular gym goer; I dreaded the thought of exercise and hoped that a healthy diet would be enough, but of course, it wasn't. The day after that photo was taken, something inside me snapped and I knew I had to change my way of living. I signed up at Total Woman Gym and was set up with Ericka for my initial fitness assessment. As we went through my measurements, my numbers weren't good, which were fuel for my new fire. I knew I needed help to learn how to be fit, so I began training with Ericka and then things really changed. Every week I looked forward to our training sessions. She made challenging exercises fun, and I was filled to the brim with pride that now not only was I exercising regularly, but I loved it. The pounds and inches melted off and my BMI dropped, but more than just weight loss, I had muscle, I was strong for the first time in my life, and I felt and looked fitter than I ever thought possible. Even better, I found myself answering "exercise" when asked about things I enjoy. Ericka transformed my body and my life by helping me discover joy in health and fitness. She's an incredible trainer who is an expert in her craft - she always came to our sessions with exercises that worked new muscles and blasted calories. She also had amazing advice for healthy eating, which continues to be a struggle for me like it is for so many. She helped me find healthy snacks that would keep me fuller longer and educated me on food mistakes I was making. Even when I'm on my own, I remember the things I've learned from her, which have helped me maintain my weight loss and continue to progress in my strength training. Now, I smile big, huge, genuinely happy smiles in photos. Ericka is not only an incredible personal trainer, but also a friend and an one-of-a-kind source of support. There was a difficult day where the fact that I had been slipping with my diet slapped me in the face - that day, my eyes were filled with tears of disappointment throughout our session, and Ericka was there to comfort me (but rest assured she didn't go easy on me!). I am grateful to her for this and so many other reasons.

This body work should be called the fountain of youth. I went 15 years not being able to run or…read moreplay sports. Just after a few sessions I got my physical body back. I'm forever grateful

I'm so happy that my La Jolla Sports club trainer referred me to Jacob at Performance Biomechanics…read more For years I have been dealing with chronic back/pelvis tilt issues and nothing seems to fit. First visit, he figured out my problem wasn't my back/hips, but my feet! New concept I never thought could be the case, but after 3 visits I'm extremely pleased with how I'm feeling and would recommend him to anyone. If you're in pain, go see Jacob!

Shaz is the epitome of a scam artist. He asked me multiple times if I would do a complimentary…read moresession with him so he could use the video to promote his biz. I finally did it- he was my neighbor and it seemed like a good idea. He unloaded a lot of personal relationship drama in my sessions (he had me come twice) and it was really draining. The stretching was decent though. He coerced me into purchasing a package. I didn't really want it- there are far better options out there for the body- but I did it to help out Then he abruptly shuttered and did not give me a refund. He knew he was moving to Dubai when he sold them to me, too. Super unfair and terrible not only as a business but also as a person. There's a reason his former best friend doesn't engage with him anymore, and that his ex gf stays far away. I am going to report him to the Better Business Bureau in June if this money is not sent to me by May 15. I see there are multiple other people with similar experiences so I'll be happy to combine a strong case. This scum does not belong in our community. Changing his business name to start fresh won't work, pal. Do the right thing and refund the people you conned or your reputation will follow you- I'll ensure it.

Experienced better results at other stretch clinics. Unfortunately wasn't what I expectedread more

I hate exercising. I am lazy and not very strong. My husband started personal training sessions…read morewith Jeff and Elizabeth and I started noticing good results. He bought me 8 semi-private sessions for Christmas so I was forced to start going. I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I liked it. Both Elizabeth and Jeff are such professionals, so knowledgeable and super nice people to boot. It's amazing to see Elizabeth in her 3rd hour in a row of training and barely break a sweat while I grunt, moan and struggle through. The classes focus on mobility, strength, function and movement not "working out." If they can get a lazy ass couch potato like me to enjoy fitness, then those two truly are miracle workers.

I started taking Elizabeth's classes around two months ago and cannot believe the HUGE improvement…read moreI've seen. Elizabeth is really knowledgeable about women's health, post-natal exercises and nutrition which has really helped my overall health. So, I'm not really into exercising and can't stand gyms. But these classes are really great. I'm forced to concentrate on perfecting each single motion, which takes my mind off everything else & makes the sessions just fly by. I should also note that Elizabeth really likes to work the "pelvic floor" - so if you want to feel true "CORE" strength, you need to sign up.

Go see Dave - even if you don't have any problems. He's that good…read more He's working on my disc issue and has been a fantastic instructor!

My initial introduction to SDSM Pilates was through the physical therapy I was undergoing to…read moreaddress a degenerative hip condition. While undergoing PT, I mentioned my ongoing back discomfort to the therapist and she mentioned I should talk to Dave hall who runs the Pilates classes. He has a specific back Pilates class that focuses on individual;s that have back issues. I started the back Pilates classes and can honestly say, I have not woken up in the morning with a stiff back or with lower back pain in over nine months. The approach used is not simply "do the exercises" but also focuses on lifestyle changes and making you aware of what you do during everyday life that is detrimental to your overall back health. The exercises are one focus as it help me strengthen my core. Couple that with the knowledge gained in proper posture, correct way of doing things like lifting, etc. are all part of the "education". As you can read in his bioi, Dave has a tremendous depth of knowledge not just in Pilates but in skeletal and muscle structures which all fits together into a wellness program. I have "graduated" to a few of the more advanced classes now and honestly see myself doing this for a long time. Dave and his staff are just great.