I want to increase muscle SAFELY. My core strength is very important after a car accident changed my 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! read more

I have always wanted to try pilates. When I moved to San Diego, I used to work out in a gym with the 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!!! read more

I am a regular customer of The Knot Stop who also shares a space with Body Alchemist. I have always been curious about reformer based Pilates but never enough to really invest because it can be very pricey. I had some extra moola come my way and I decided to invest it in a package of sessions. A semi-private class is anywhere between 2-4 people and even then you get a lot of attention from the trainer. Your hour goes by and you don't even feel like you had a crazy workout but man do you feel it the next day! I have taken classes with Caitlin and Paula who are both very good. I hear wonders about Jennifer and Bruno as well so there really is no bad trainer there, it's all a matter of whose personality jives more with yours. Truth is everyone in there works as a team and are all REALLY nice and easy to work with. You're not committed to working with any trainer exclusively which is awesome. Money well spent. There is a reason it is costly, because this method actually works. I have gone maybe a 6 times? and I really feel the strength coming back to my muscles. The methods are low impact, resistance based and incredibly stretching and lengthening to the body. For people like me who have a history of injuries, the low impact is key. I really like this studio, its staff and their teaching methods. Pilates really agrees with my constitution and as long as I can afford to keep going, I definitely plan on continuing training there. read more

After years of being too intimidated by the cost of private pilates classes my husband convinced me to sign up for some classes as a gift to myself for my birthday. I should mention for the record that I am not athletic and find it pretty difficult to motivate myself to get to a gym. I am not someone who does well with the boot camp style of fitness. If I think I'm going to die during the workout I'll stop, or even worse I wont go because I'm intimidated and don't want someone to yell at me while I embarrass myself. The Body Alchemist is completely perfect. The staff and trainers are all incredibly friendly and do an incredible job at motivating you throughout the entire workout. The atmosphere is very serene and I feel at peace when I leave. The workout itself is very interesting to me because the entire time, I felt empowered and like I could continue throughout the entire hour and when I left I felt like I could stand taller, and I was refreshed to the point that my bike ride home was lovely. The following night or day though, you can feel your muscles, but not in the OMG I'll never walk again manner. More like, "hey lazy lady, you used us and we are so thankful to be alive!" I also noticed that due to the focus on proper posture and technique, my back problems I'd suffered seemed to stop completely. I guess I'd give my muscles the ability to better hold the structure (bones) of my body in place. All in all, the place is amazing. The only complaint I have is that it is a little pricey but I'm a full-time nursing student so spending money at Forever 21 is a luxury right now. That said, as soon as I am working, I've promised myself that being a regular at The Body Alchemist is a MUST. My mind and body deserve it. Trust me, every time I go to Trader Joe's I'm reminded of how much I miss that place. read more

I don't want to waste people's time with a huge 5 paragraph review. I'm a direct and 'to the point' kind of guy. The Body Alchemist in my opinion is one of the best Pilates studio in San Diego. The trainers and instructors are what make this studio great: caring, intelligent, sincere. Whether you are an expert or a beginner, you will feel completely challenged and inspired. ROBERT HANSON is the Pilates instructor to contact. His knowledge and extensive fitness experience are impressive. He offers private and small group classes, and designs the best workout plan given your physical readiness. I would describe him as motivating and very compassionate. When you are ready to make that call, contact ROBERT at the studio at (619) 542-1321, and if he is not there call him on his cell at (415) 606-1139. You'll be glad you did. read more

Body Alchemist has a group of motivated and well-trained instructors: Bruno, Robert, & Paula to name a few. Plus the new studio is spacious and bright! I have had great workouts with both Robert Hanson and Bruno Bosardi. Robert is the new instructor at this well-equipped pilates studio. They both have a lot of experience and understand the movement of the human body. Great Place! read more

I am not the exercise type, however as I get older, the need to be more active and health conscious has been more in the forefront of my mind. A friend suggested Pilates as a sprig board into my fitness regimen so I started researching places to go. When I found Body Alchemist I was surprised at the friendly non-judgmental feel of the instructors and staff. A relief for sure. I have been working with Robert Hanson for about 6 weeks now and I have to admit, I never thought I would I love going, but if I have t miss a class, I kinda get bummed!! Robert is an amazing teacher and is mindful of my body and it's limitations and strengths. I am seeing great improvements in a short period of time. I highly recommend to anyone wanting to start feeling better about themselves and working on their body for the better to give Body Alchemist a try. Great Place! read more

I really loved this place. Bruno is very personable and knowledge. I like the fact that he makes you feel welcomed. Even if you are a newcomer, you feel like you are a regular. He has a keen eye for form. He always makes sure you are doing each exercise correctly. I wish more instructors were like him. I only wish my work schedule had not changed so that I could have continued to attend his classes. read more

After 4 years in the USMC I started having a lot of lower back pain from carry so much weight in our packs. I couldn't sleep or run or sit up at my computer. I tried many forms of yoga and stretching, which helped a little. One day at a friends birthday I was having casual conversation with a gentleman named Bruno, and told him about my back pain. He told me that he ran a local Pilate Studio named The Body Alchemist and I to come in that week. I had heard about Pilate workouts before but never tried it. Let me just say this, I'm in good shape, and work out a lot, but Bruno rocked me, with out even trying. Bruno had me start by lying on my back and perform a few simple exercises . Immediately he could see and tell me exactly where I hold my stress, which muscles where weak, unbalanced and tight. Bruno's understanding of anatomy was very educational and helped me to understand why I was doing the exercises, and what was going on in my body while I was doing them. I never realized how many muscles I was ignoring in my workouts, and how often I was cheating, or using other muscles to compensate for my weak ones. After my first session I started feeling relief in my lower back, and soreness in muscles I didn't even know existed. After 3 sessions my back pain was gone completely. I sleep well, can run stronger and longer, and see changes in my posture and physique. I've now gone for about 4 months once a week and I love it. I highly recommend The Body Alchemist for anyone with any physical, muscle or joint pain. The entire staff is amazing and you'll feel stronger, younger and just all around awesome. read more

This place should be known as "Bodies by Bruno". This guy is amazing. As is the entire staff. These are highly trained professionals and bring this knowledge to tuning your body to its maximum potential. The studio is well appointed with top notch equipment. The instruction is personal and appropriate to what you need. You want to stretch out and push your limits to get the best body you can, this is the place. There is lots of personal hands-on correction. I swear they all have eyes in the back of their heads. You get a little sloppy in doing something and somebody is right there getting you back on track for the maximum benefit. Paula definitely doesn't allow any slacking off and her stretch session is a massage you'll long remember for finding tight muscles and tendons and working out kinks you didn't know you had. The first session is free so you've only got your time invested. I can't recommend enough to give them a try. Wish I could give them more stars. read more

So I got an amazon voucher to this place. I was visiting family and was coping here in SD with a very bad back. After it settled a bit, I resolved to try this place to improve my back. I'd done Pilates before, but when I had an equipment session with Bruno, it was practically one on one and he was awesome. Completely focused on my body's positioning and making sure I was doing the work in a way that would neither re-injure anything and that would ensure I received the right benefits. Bruno is very knowledgeable and made me feel quite at ease. Probably the best Pilates experience ever. Cannot say enough wonderful things. Just awesome. read more

I actually worked with Bruno as part of my Senior Experience project prior to graduating college. Bruno was kind enough to offer my team and I an entire semester of free Pilates classes, and I have to say I loved it. I have never done Pilates before and by the end of the semester I felt much stronger and I learned a lot about my own body. Bruno really knows his stuff and I highly recommend him! read more

I have taken Pilates courses a couple of different places and I really enjoy going to the sessions here. Melinda is a very skilled and FUN instructor. Her classes are small, so you get a lot of one-on-one attention for the price of a full mat class. She always knows exactly how to help me adjust positions for injuries from running, tennis, dance, you name it. She's on it. The studio is easy to find, clean, and there's always parking out front. read more

I bought packages for Pilates classes on Amazon local. Let me tell you so far, it has definitely been worth it. I take Pilates to increase my range of motion. There are those that take it to help recover their fitness after an injury. Either way, this is a good way to workout. There is a lot of focus on position and core strength allowing for a full body workout. My classes were with Bruno and Claire. They are excellent instructors. As a person who studied kinesiology for my undergraduate, I could truly appreciate the knowledge of their exercises. My suggestion is to try this gem of a workout studio/gym. Take my advice it is worth it. read more

I raced professional motocross for 20 years and have broken, sprained and tore just about every bone muscle and tendon in my body. As I get older everything was getting tighter and more sore from previous injuries. A friend told me about this place and Paula, one of the practitioners. I have never felt so good as when I leave a session, I even have my wife and a good friend going now. A bunch of my old surf buddies are going to come in as well. Paula really listens to you and doesn't just go to work on you with asking questions. The atmosphere is great in the large open studio they have, her and Bruno have great personalities and even the other clients are funny. I highly recommend this place for the body work and the overall great atmosphere. I do not recommend this place if you're a jerk. I think one of the things that makes this place so unique is they are great at what they do and have great chemistry with their clients. read more

I loved the place... However, no one is returning my e-mails or calls for the past 2 weeks!! Is anyone out there ?! I still have credit with you that I would like to use or have it refund it to me! I feel like I'm chasing a ghost. This is not the way to do business or treat your customers! read more

THis is a GREAT studio. I have tried other Pilates studios and they were just not as friendly and helpful. These people really care about helping you with your body goals and aches if you have any. I have trained with both Paula and Robert at this studio and found both of them to be OUTSTANDING! Robert is such a true professioinal and always works me to the bone, but is so kind and caring while he gently pushes me to do more. Paula, has strecthced every ache out of this tired old body and trained me at the same time to the strongest abs I have had in my entire life!! Anyway, give this place a try. Prices are GREAT and the trainers and owner are outstanding people and professionals. read more

I've known Bruno for perhaps 20 years. I'm 67 and suffered from back pain (due to scoliosis) since my 20s. Pilates & Gyrotonic have made an ENORMOUS difference in my ability to function, particularly as the scoliosis has worsened with age. Bruno does indeed "have eyes in the back of his head". He notices very crucial body patterns and is very generous with his attention to detail, based on his extensive personal experience with professional dance, athletics & gymnastics. read more

This pilates studio is warm and inviting. There are currently 5 amazing trainers who cater lessons to all body types. They offer a free first visit to help people decide if this kind of exercise is good for them. They have very flexible hours from 6 a.m. until around 7 p.m. They also just started Zumba classes that are really fun and very inexpensive. This studio has changed my life. read more

I found the Body Alchemist on Yelp, after having a less than thrilling experience with another company through Livingsocial - ANYWAYS... I love this studio. The venue is fresh and full of light, the instructors are professional and attentive, and I always leave feeling wonderful - most importantly, I leave feeling stronger yet more flexible. The instructors at Body Alchemist do a great job at making me feel comfortable in the studio. Highly recommended. The only thing I would suggest is adding an option for unlimited monthly classes. read more

I had never been to The Body Alchemist studio but I had been working out with Robert Hanson when he was in San Francisco and loved it. His knowledge and understanding of how the body works is great! After almost 2 years of exercising with other trainers, Robert was the one who helped me to understand where my core muscles are and how to use them. Those of us, who exercised with Robert in San Francisco, really miss him. Some of my friends are still looking for a trainer who is like Robert but so far are not having any luck. If you have a chance to try working out with Robert Hanson, do so and you will not be sorry. You will learn to understand and work with your body and mind. read more