It's been 8 weeks since I stated at Nu Fitness, but it's long enough to give Nick, his trainers and the facility a positive review. I spent a few days looking for a personal trainer close to work. After some searches on the Internet and Yelp reviews, I started reading reviews about Nu Fitness and Nick. After some positive reviews, I filled out the form and emailed him. I noted my fitness journey to this point in life and briefly explained what I wanted to accomplish going forward. I found myself in a terrible routine, work 12 hours, then heading to the local breweries for a few beers and dinner. Needless to say this didn't bode well for my wellbeing. Looking back over the years, I had gained control of health in my mid-30s, where I lost 40+ pound, gained strength and started running. Running led me to a period in my life that saw me conquer a few 50-mile races. An achievement I never thought I would attempt, hell I never thought I would run 5 miles. Life changed. Priorities changed and slowly I saw everything I had worked hard for slowly slip away. Now age 55, life wasn't getting any easier. I knew I was not very active. I also knew that my daily routine was not one for success. I decided I needed to help make a change in my life, but more importantly to make that change permanent. Previously I joined 24 Hour Fitness (never again) but found too many excuses NOT to go. Sound familiar? Searching Yelp for personal trainers, I ran down a local list in the Oakland/Alameda area. Reading profiles and reviews, checking website, I ran across a trainer, Nick Baltazar. It felt right. I emailed Nick with my story and filled out the form on the Nu Fitness website. It wasn't even a day and I had a response from Nick and we were talking about my fitness journey, where I had been and what I wanted to achieve. He was willing to work with my schedule to get three days of training. After a day of communication with Nick, he connected me with Wyatt. I met Wyatt at Nu Fitness, located at 2345 Broadway, parking in The Hive. Yes, they have easy parking and validation while you are at your session. This makes getting in and out quick and easy. I was highly impressed with the facility, the way Nick had spoke about it, I knew I would be. The work out areas were clean and profession, a small reception area, all Rogue power racks and weights, with room for everyone to work on their fitness goals. Wyatt Berreman, my personal trainer worked with me, after provided basic information from Nick on what I wanted to accomplish. He created a plan specifically for me, tracking my journey, weights and reps for each session. It's been just about 2 months, but its been reestablishing a workout routine. I have a sense of accomplishment, even through I don't see it in the mirror...yet. It will happen. Wyatt has been a wealth of knowledge and has helped create a plan for me to gain strength, balance and flexibility. But also work within my limitations due to previous surgeries on my knee and shoulder. I am very impressed with Nu Fitness, Nick, Wyatt and what they have to offer in the way of personal training. I would highly recommend giving Nick a chance to show you want they can do to help create a fitness plan for your to achieve your goals. read more

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Nick is so great! Very focused on my goals and I've made a ton of progress -- I started having never done any weightlifting and now I'm deadlifting much more than my own weight and feeling stronger than I've ever felt. Nick has worked with me through a bunch of different injuries I got (outside the gym!) to help my recovery as well. I couldn't ask for a better partner to help me with my fitness and strength! read more

Nick Baltazar - squat PR!! - Trainers Near Me - Oakland, California

Providing another update! Getting more lean muscle mass and losing fat getting stronger and getting my mobility back again. Feeling great after overcoming physical therapy challenges in my shoulder and foot. Thank you Nick and Nu Fitness read more

i'm coming back to write a rave review of Nick at Tru-Fit and the team. After a full calendar year of working with him, my life is improved on so many different levels not just all the personal gains I made physically but also emotionally, mentally and even spiritually. What a great partner for this chapter in life. Can't wait for year 2! read more

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Nick at NuFitness was my trainer for 5 months and I had a great experience, 5 stars, I highly recommend. As things opened up from the pandemic it was hard for me to get back into an active lifestyle but Nick put together a program that set me up for success. I would say Nick's training style is best suited for people who want to achieve greater performance and wellness that is sustainable, versus aggressive lift goals, though I'm sure he can do that too. His philosophies are more about building a mind-muscle connection and ensuring the right muscles are properly engaged before lifting heavy. Perfect for me in my fitness journey. Nick trains most of his clients at Truve in Oakland. It's a small gym that provides TRX, free weights, squat racks, stationary bikes, benches, etc. The locker rooms provide towels and showers, and you get free secure parking behind with your sessions. If you're looking for highly specialized equipment, there are bigger gyms with more variety but at Truve all of the basics for a great workout are covered. Nick has done an amazing job building a fitness community amongst his clients, which further reinforced adopting an active lifestyle. Nick plans bike rides, hikes, slack lining, Spartan races, etc. for all of the NuFitness clients so you get the chance to meet new people and participate in weekend activities rather than defaulting to couch potato activity. I found this reinforced my fitness progress and helped me see my results in the real world. In summary, I was able to achieve my goals to do pull ups, hand stands, and squat my body weight in 5 months through Nick's program and training philosophies. I highly recommend NuFitness for other people who have wellness goals and want to achieve a more active lifestyle to supplement work from home or post pandemic habits. read more

Nick Baltazar - Bike ride to Tiburon - Trainers Near Me - Oakland, California

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Nick has been an amazing trainer to me. He was able to meet me at where I'm at and support me in my goals (training for a half, becoming stronger). I've worked with him for about a month or so now and have noticed that my runs are stronger, actually sustainable, and energizing. I've also learned how to do pushups and am now tapping into pull-ups with Nick. I highly recommend him! He also provides a program to incorporate into your routine and can give you nutritional advice. read more

Nick Baltazar infuses every ounce of passion, energy, and drive for personal training into all facets of his business. His mission is to help you exceed your personal fitness goals and be the best version of yourself. Nu Fitness was founded on the principles of positivity, supportiveness, inclusiveness, and personal well-being - and he remains true to that vision every single day. I was originally connected with Nick and Nu Fitness through my wife, who has been training with Nick for many years with outstanding results. Personally, I have never worked with a personal trainer before, but I'm an avid tennis player and all-around athlete. When an ankle injury sidelined me from tennis for several months, it was the perfect opportunity to incorporate a fitness routine into my daily life. Enter Nick and Nu Fitness...what an amazing gift for my recovery and strength training! Nick is a great listener and is extremely attentive to my fitness needs. He thinks strategically and has crafted the perfect plan to get me back on the court safely. With my newfound balance, strength, and mobility, afforded from our training sessions, I'm now playing some of the best tennis of my life. I'm certainly planning to train with Nick well beyond the scope of my injury. I've already learned so much about fitness. And, at the end of the day, I feel stronger, faster, and more agile than I've ever felt before. I would highly recommend Nick, in addition to, any of the Nu Fitness programs. The training is holistic, methodical, science-based, and most of all...fun! read more

Passionate, knowledgable and thoughtful best describe Nick's approach to personal training. I've been working with Nick for over a year, and have really enjoyed my physical and mental gains. Nick listens to the goals you'd like to achieve, takes great pride in helping you accomplish those goals, and then (respectfully) pushes for the next thing you'd like to achieve. He's helped me work around a major injury, strengthen the core, improve posture, increase overall strength and smash Peloton PRs. Nick also builds plans for non-training days, to help make sure you stay on course to achieve goals. Really a great all-around experience, and I would highly recommend Nick and his team of trainers. read more

Nick Baltazar - Hitting my first hand stand thanks to Nick - Trainers Near Me - Oakland, California

Nick is an amazing trainer with an uncanny ability to make approaches to fitness sustainable, fun, and positive. In the span of six months, I have been more consistent in my showing up for myself through workouts than I ever have in my life. The longest span I've gone consistently was 4 months. I'm so glad to have Nick as a trainer. My health and wellness has never been better and my mindset has also made gains! read more

Nick has been so supportive with helping me reach my fitness goals. He is very kind, compassionate, and dedicated to supporting everyone he works with. He never hesitates to answer any questions I have and checks in with me for support. I highly recommend Nick as a personal trainer and coach to those wanting to teach their fitness goals! read more

Nick Baltazar - Feeling strong after a workout!! - Trainers Near Me - Oakland, California

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I trained with Nick after going through a COVID rut having not stepped in a gym for almost 2 years. I am not new to fitness, but had been experiencing pain while running longer distances and had been working up to running a 10k race. Nick helped give a lot of pointers for my running to reduce hip pain, and he also came up with a day by day running plan. Come race day, I ran a sub 55min 10k which surpassed my goals. Nick is also a really well rounded and fun trainer! Though my main goal was to run faster, I ended up continuing our sessions to increase my overall fitness and started learning handstands and spinning roundhouse kicks. We also did a good combination of body weight and weighted work from assisted pull-ups, dips, box jumps, Nordic curls to hex bar deadlifts, bench presses, etc- and Nick put together a comprehensive weekly workout plan for me, in addition to being available over text for any questions that I had. I really loved training with Nick and would recommend him to anyone at any point in their fitness journey, whether you're just starting out or have been working out for a while. read more

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I've been training with Nick for more than a year now and it's been such an amazing experience. He's an incredible personal trainer who cares about so much more than just giving me exercises to do. He's an expert and he helps with not just strength, but also food and nutrition, injury prevention, and more. I have come very far and gotten a lot stronger, but the best part is that the workouts always lift up my day no matter how tired I am beforehand. Truve is an incredible spot in Oakland, go train with Nick!!! read more

Nick's a great trainer who helped me get fit after recovering from a serious surgery. He's very knowledgeable and encouraging. Great guy who knows his stuff. read more

Nick is truly a superlative trainer and human being. I trained with him on a weekly basis for about 4-5 months this year. He really supercharged my physical fitness practice. My initial goal was to reach a dead hang pull--which I did after about only 6 weeks of his guidance. Nick has a intuitive ability to combine his technical know-how with his unique, authentic way of motivating clients. I've never felt like I was "athletic"--Nick was able to really empower and awake that inner athlete in all of us. read more

If you're reading this, chances are you're probably on the hunt for a PT. I'm currently on hiatus from the gym, which gives me time to finally sit down and hash out this review for y'all about Nick, so leggo. Would I recommend Nick? Absolutely. Should you hire him as your PT? It depends. So, why should you trust my review? For starters, I'm an actual client, meaning I've paid my dues and got the full client experience, unlike the other reviews on his page from other PTs at Truve that barely give you any insight into the specifics of his approach as a PT. I'm about 20 one-on-one and 5 HIIT sessions deep with Nick, and best believe I take notes every session. We've done enough sessions together to the point where we've seen each other at our best and worst. Nick did ask me to write a review after my first session with him, but I'm dead ass serious when it comes to my reviews. I'm all about being honest, thoughtful, and objective, especially if it means you spending your hard-earned cash. I came to know Nick as one of the other PTs at Truve when I was with another PT. Long story short, I dropped my old PT and took on Nick. He's a relatively new PT having started at Truve in May 2021. Let's start with his fitness philosophy. He's BIG on the idea of "better together" when it comes to personal fitness, which I absolutely love and endorse. He'll also beat you over the head with the whole "mind-muscle connection" (in the best way, of course) and emphasize it every chance he gets, which actually does help in the moment with activating the muscle groups you're trying to engage. Finally, he believes that "your body doesn't know the weight" when it comes to strength training, which I disagree with from a physiological standpoint, but I get the essence of it nonetheless. This is where I grapple with Nick as my PT. I give some weight (no pun intended) to numbers as a measure of my growth. Whether or not I should is a whole 'nother question, but I'm trying to make these gainz, meaning I'm trying to go up in weight. That said, if numbers are your primary motivator, Nick probably isn't the best PT for you. There's a lot to love about Nick. For starters, Nick is a chill ass dude that just brightens up your day the second you see him. He isn't mean, aggressive, or douchey like most meathead PTs. Nick is all about positive reinforcement and meets you where you're at. In terms of his knowledge of strength training, he knows his shit where it's important. In addition to refining my form, he's taught me some new exercises and helped me establish a workout routine to do on my own. That said, he doesn't know everything, nor does he act like he does, which I respect. In addition to my sessions with Nick, I work out on my own time, and Nick has done an incredible job at planning/adjusting our sessions accordingly. In terms of scheduling, not ONCE has he cancelled a session on me. Matter of fact, I've been the one constantly cancelling or rescheduling sessions, but I let him know well in advance of his 24-hour cancellation policy because I know how the hustle goes for PTs. That said, there's always areas for improvement, and any PT that says otherwise is full of BS. Nick isn't the most attentive at times during our sessions. He'd forget how many sets we've done, put the wrong amount of weight on the bar for my bench presses and wouldn't realize it until after the fact, or have me do an exercise that we already scrapped previously. I've called him out on it when it happened, but it should really be on him to keep track of everything so I can just focus on the workout. I'd also have to remind him what weight I was lifting, but he should be keeping note of that as my PT. He's also inconsistent with his approach, alternating between timed sets versus number of reps for a set. He's told me that timed sets are better, but then forgets to time me, so I just default to ~10 reps for a set. He also created a workout plan for me on Google Docs, but kinda just forgot about it and hasn't updated or referred back to it in a while. In terms of communication, Nick was awesome to start. He would check in on me consistently between sessions, but this slowly died out as he started ramping up his business. Our sessions started feeling more transactional ever since, which is fine, but it's definitely a sharp contrast from before he started focusing his efforts on his LLC. That said, you need to consider his capacity before taking him on since he's still in the early stages of starting up his business while still managing his caseload of clients. I believe he brought on another PT to help alleviate some of his caseload, but even then he's stretched thin as it is, which has shown up during our sessions. TL;DR: Nick is a great PT for someone starting out looking to build a solid foundation for physical fitness or has short-term fitness goals. I'd think twice about taking him on if numbers are important to you! read more

Nick is a fantastic personal trainer! Whatever your fitness goals are, Nick will help you make progress. He has a deep knowledge of exercise physiology, and a customized approach to training. I used to dread exercise from a history of sports injuries and I was looking for someone to help me train pain free. Nick tested my strength and mobility to customize my exercise program allowing me to workout pain free for the first time in years. In two months I've gotten stronger than I ever expected, I can workout pain free, and I'm back to loving physical activity. read more

It has been an almost a year training with Nick and I cannot say much more other than how amazing he is. My progress physically and mentally has transformed with Nick's help. I am pretty much in the best shape I have ever been in my entire life thanks to Nick. I went from not having any knowledge about exercise or strength training to a fully solid work out plan everytime I go to the gym by myself. Originally, Nick was to help me transition into getting strong enough for my dream career in public safety, but he did more than that for me. Some of the milestones I've hit with Nick is being able to bench press 100 lbs, solid barbell squats over 100 lbs, body weight dips and much, much more. I am grateful for all of Nick's help as he's been monumental to my progress. I highly recommend Nick for any physical goals you have whether they are big or small. Thank you Nick! read more

If you're looking for a personal trainer, This is the way to go! Nick was super helpful in helping me get in contact with my personal trainer Doug who I worked with for some months, whom was super supportive throughout the entire process. I appreciated how he payed so much attention to details, and had great critiques of my form (things I never would have noticed or payed attention to on my own). You can tell Nick and his team really care about what they are doing and are passionate about supporting individuals on their journey of workng out (wherever they are). I'm very grateful for such a wonderful experience! I highly reccomend read more

I can't recommend Nick enough! My fitness isn't something that comes easy to me. I wasn't the kid who was picking up a football and tossing it around with my dad. As I grow in my body I have always struggled with fitness, movement, and growth. I started working out with Nick about 6 months ago and my attitude towards training and fitness has been transformed. Nick has been such an amazing inspiration for me to achieve my fitness goals as well as my life goals. He's helped me realize the connection between my personal and professional life. I look forward to each and every training session together regardless of how hard the work is. In fact I look forward to the hard work now - where I haven't before. His excitement and energy is contagious. I've worked out with other trainers and what I like about his approach is that we're always doing something new. He's finding different ways for me to achieve my fitness goals rather than repeating the same exercises. Whether I'm maxing out my pushups with someone on my back or pulling someone around the gym on a sled it's always different - and often times fun! I'm stronger than I've been before, and definitely seeing the physical results. Looking forward to what I can achieve next! read more

Nick Baltazar - Just finished our Spartan race in November 2021! - Trainers Near Me - Oakland, California

Nick is super knowledgeable and encouraging- helping me to get stronger while ensuring I'm keeping my joints safe with good technique and multiple options to keep me motivated. I'm getting better and approaching goals I didn't know were possible for me because I didn't understand how to break them into workable components. It makes all the difference and saves time when you work with a pro. Bonus, he's super kind and easy going too. read more

I trained with Nick at Truve from Sept-Dec 2021. I highly recommend Nick as a personal trainer. After rock climbing for 6+ years, I had overdeveloped certain muscle groups, which led to chronic injuries. My physical therapist recommended training antagonist muscle groups to prevent further injury, so I asked Nick to specifically train any muscles I did NOT get from climbing. In the first two sessions, we found that I didn't have a good mind-muscle connection with my glutes, so Nick came up with a glute-activation exercise. When I wasn't feeling the benefit, Nick suggested another. However, when the second exercise didn't work either, Nick was patient and suggested another, which ended up being the best exercise for me. We went on from glute-activation to chest-activation to weighted squats and bench presses. For each exercise, Nick made certain to educate me on proper form to ensure I'm getting the maximum benefit. To me, it was important I was not just going through the motion of the exercise, but that I actually understood exactly how the exercise should feel in each muscle group. Nick's patient and willingness to try different exercises is what led to a successful program for me, and learning how to better control my body and exercise on my own made it well worth the investment. read more

Had my first session with Nick yesterday and am hooked. I went into it very anxious, and worried about not having been active for a while, but Nick made the experience feel fun and not like a workout. Before I knew it I was sweaty, smiling and an hour flew by. I look forward to working out again. read more

As an owner of a physical therapy practice, my team of Physical Therapists has been able to witness the great work that Nick provides for his clients. We would trust sending Nick patients of ours once they have completed their work with us to ensure that they continue to remain pain and injury free! Highly recommend Nick! read more

Nick's personal training is informed by his medical background and vast knowledge of the human body. I learned how to use my transverse abdominal to lengthen my body and stabilize my core. In just a short time (two weeks) of mindful activation of this muscle is see amazing improvement in my low back. Less pain and more mobility. His HIIT class was spot on as well. Accessible and challenging while balancing cardio with strength and mobility. I can tell he really enjoys helping people. read more

I've been training with Nick for about 6 weeks now. And it has been an amazing journey with his 5 day per week weight training program. I'm making progress every week. I've have gotten so much stronger since the first day I started. I am very happy with the progress towards my goal right now and will stick around training with him until I get to where I want. So if you want to loose some weight and build some muscle at the same time, Nick is who I definitely recommend. He's a very easy going and very passionate person. He's non judgmental, and he'll work his schedules to fit to yours. He'll satisfy all your needs with his program. He'll always makes the session the most fun and exciting so you won't get bored or tired of the training. read more

Nick is super knowledgeable and fun to work with. It's clear he loves what he does and he's all for getting creative to focus on what you want to improve on. Highly recommend working with him! read more

I honestly just love Nick! His ability to be contradict the terrible things that I say about my body and progress is so healing. I look forward to not only our physical workouts but also I look forward to how I will feel when I leave his presence. I've never had this experience before and for this alone, I will be a forever client. :) Just recently I added my son to his clientele because I believe wholeheartedly that he will not only take care of your physical health goals... but you will walk away feeling like the world isn't such a bad place. :) read more

The thing that makes Nick stand out is that he is very passionate, encouraging and takes his clients to the next level. He's always putting in 100% for all of his clients and makes each and every one feel amazing and strong. Thank you for all you do Nick!! read more

Nick is the best personal trainer I could ever asked for! My husband and I met Nick around August 2021 and he made us feel so comfortable from our very first session. Nick took time to learn about our fitness goals, taught us many different exercises, and even sent us work-out videos to do at home (on days when we don't meet.) At that time, we hadn't worked out in a long time thus we were a bit nervous to start; but Nick made sure to customize a program for us to follow and built ourselves up over time. Also, Be Ready to have a lot of fun! His positive energy and smiles are really contagious. read more

If I could select a rating higher than 5 stars I would! Nick is an AMAZING trainer that I couldn't recommend highly enough. I first started training with Nick about 6 months ago, as I was looking to get back in shape after some challenging life transitions had led me to not have time and energy for working out. At first I thought, I'll try this for one to two months to help me get on track, but here we are all these months later going strong! When I first was looking for a trainer, I was a bit hesitant because I have old Basketball and Martial Arts injuries that had caused me to have setbacks when I tried to get back in shape in the past. I chose to work with Nick because in the initial consult he asked detailed questions about my previous injuries and made it very clear how much he cared about designing a program that would work with my body to help me meet my goals and to increase my overall strength and flexibility. Working with him made clear that not only did he care, but that he also has the expertise, coaching skills, and a team of support to make that a reality. Now 6 months later of working with Nick, I'm the strongest I've been in my life and able to participate fully in activities I had struggled with prior. I can honestly say I'm not only "back on track" in my fitness goals, but Nick I've exceed where I even thought I could be and am currently in the best shape of my life... Additional to that, working with Nick has given me the tools to be able to build my workouts into my life sustainably, and in a healthy way. And I've also noticed how his philosophies on training have also seeped into other areas of my life and helped me level up in all areas. Nick is a great trainer. And I can't hype him up enough... If you're asking the question, "should I choose Nick Baltazar as my personal trainer?" the answer from me is a resounding "Yes! Dooo it!" haha read more

I found Nick on Yelp with the goal of toning up through strength training workouts. I am so glad I did! He is incredibly kind and humble, listens to your goals and is always encouraging with a positive attitude. He built out a custom workout plan for me and helped me set new goals when we crushed the old ones (hello plyo-push-ups)! While looks aren't everything, I do have his training to thank for my newly visible six pack. If you need someone to motivate you, guide you, and cheer you on every step of the way, Nick is the perfect trainer! read more

I have been training with Nick for the last couple of months, and I wish I had started training with him sooner. Life changing! I've made so many gains not just physically but also mentally. Not only has my BF% been steadily decreasing and hitting lifetime PRs, but more importantly, I am addicted to working hard and having fun at the same time. What's more, I get structured coaching, focused attention on form, personalized programming, precise feedback, answers to my many questions, and a heck of a lot of support. I'll be bummed that I can't continue training with Nick when I move back to the East Coast, but it was always our goal that I build a solid foundation so that I can continue on my fitness journey beyond my training with him. I am deeply indebted to him and hope I can find a trainer with a similar background, philosophy, and training style. I highly recommend Nick and his team for personal training. It's truly an investment in yourself, and future you will thank you. read more

After a lock-down fitness lull, Nick has helped me get in shape again. Thanks to Nick I'm I've got the fitness level of a 40 year old, though I'm pushing 60. He's the best. read more

I highly recommend Nu fitness! Joining a 3-month training program turned out to be the best decision for 2022. During this training, I grew leaps and bounds in terms of my fitness level and also gained a detailed understanding of different exercise modalities to achieve strength and endurance. I can't thank Nick enough for helping me achieve my fitness goals and for the constant positive reinforcement during my training. read more

I've been working with Nick for a few weeks and it's been great. I can feel myself getting stronger, and I feel like I'll actually be able to stick with his regime/training -- making it great for my long term health. He also has a great attitude that makes sessions fun and encouraging. read more

Nick is transforming my teenage son's life. My son is athletic but uninterested in competition, so he has disliked the experience of school and extracurricular sports programs. Even solo sports that he used to enjoy, like rock climbing, seem to eventually gravitate towards competition. While working out with my own trainer I watched Nick coach and train clients for nearly a year and was always impressed by him: his focus as well as warmth, his attention to form, his own modeling of well-balanced musculature (whole body! core strength!), and another important one to me...the absence of a big ego. : ) I finally got my son to come in and try a session and watched Nick connect with him in the first minute of conversation! So smart. My son son soon asked to work with him twice a week. He continues to look forward to every session and come home smiling and energized. Miraculous to us, from one who used to argue with us to avoid exercise!! He speaks highly of Nick and has enjoyed the way Nick teaches him about anatomy and biomechanics. In fact, out of their work he has even discovered a passion for drawing the human body! (He's an artist but never had an interest in drawing real people.) His mood has become consistently upbeat, his appetite has grown and his body has quickly developed incredible tone. Most importantly, he seems to feel great about himself! He stands taller and has a new bounce to his step! Nick is dear to us and I am eager to recommend him to any adult or teenager of any gender. Why learn from anyone less than awesome? And he is awesome in so many ways! Thank you with all my heart, Nick! You deserve every success and will thrive! We love you! read more