Bay Strength is not a gym. It is not a bunch of trainers. It is not a set of equipment. Bay…read moreStrength is a source of inspiration and perspiration. It is a reason for people to bond while they bend. It is a place where people come to lift their spirits as much as lifting weights. I highly recommend Bay Strength to anyone looking for a way to get started on strength training without being intimidated by it! The trainers are great at providing the right mix of support, guidance and independence to let each person navigate their own journey. They go above and beyond to provide an open, accepting, and fun environment which makes the whole experience so much better! I've only been training here for a few months and I can already feel myself getting stronger every week. Big shoutout to Kelly and Katherine for being amazing trainers and for helping me get started on my strength training journey!

I love this place so much! As someone who has always been intimidated by weight rooms at most gyms,…read moreI immediately felt at ease and welcome at Bay Strength. The coaches teach you and correct your form in a positive way that is so encouraging, you never feel self conscious. They'll help you with alternative exercises or modifications if you ever need it. It's also so nice to not have to plan out your workouts, since the coaches lay everything out for you. They make it easy so that you can just go in and have fun while working at your own pace. The absolute best part of this gym is the people. I've made so many friends and we're always laughing and chatting and being silly. We cheer each other on, celebrate PRs, and crack jokes between sets. It's a true community, and I always feel so uplifted every time I'm here. Joining Bay Strength was the best decision I've made in a really long time, and I'm so grateful to be a part of this beautiful place.

Strong Island Fitness is a great gym. The equipment is up to date. The staff and members are…read morefriendly and serious about fitness. The trainers are excellent. I highly recommend this place.

Had to travel to Berkeley for a week. Strong Island has great day and week pass options. Was able…read moreto use one of their 3 Peloton machines. Friendly and engaged staff. Great community gym!

Go here!! The staff are welcoming, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about fitness and…read morepreventative healthcare. The rates are super reasonable and the gym itself is clean, in a central location, and equipped with everything you might need. There's also a nice outdoor space in the back for mat work or to get some fresh air.

I trained at Berkeley Barbell Club for about six months and really loved it. The monthly price is…read moreso good, definitely the lowest in East Bay, especially for 24-hour access. You even get a free guest pass once a week. The space is clean and has an air conditioner for hot days. Plenty of racks, and when it's busy, working in with others is easy. The owners are genuinely nice and welcoming. They host a bunch of optional WhatsApp groups for things like hiking and running. If you're shy, they'll go out of their way to make sure you know about these groups, but not in a pushy way. I would have kept my membership if I hadn't moved!

I've been training with Bita at Anabody for three months now and she has been incredible. Bita…read morehas a PhD in Sport Physiology and it shows! I pulled my back a few weeks in (not related to my workout) and Bita helped me find ways to continue training while stretching and healing my muscles. Her workouts are thoughtful, she takes the time to understand your needs and capabilities, and she injects fun along the way. I've gained 6 lbs of muscle in just 3 months. I've also had a hard time staying consistent in my workouts in the past, but I so enjoy my sessions with Bita that I don't want to miss a single class. High recommend.

Was really happy to see a locally owned gym opening in the neighborhood and eager to try it out. I…read morejoined recently and I've taken a few small group classes now with both Ana and Juan. The classes have challenged me in a very good way and I appreciate the attention, enthusiasm and energy the trainers bring. I'm looking forward to more classes and building up my strength. Highly recommend trying this new local gym out!

I am an avid runner who attended over 10 sessions of PT with Dr. Lin at The Technique to address a…read morechronic foot tendinopathy, which was preventing me from running. I hate to be the first reviewer leaving less than 5 stars, but given that PT is a major investment, I felt I should be honest about what worked and what didn't work for me during my treatment. What worked: -Dr. Lin has excellent bedside manner and generally makes his patients feel at ease during treatment. I can tell he is also a well-trained massage therapist with expertise in various techniques. -Dr. Lin takes a holistic approach, isolating not just the symptom but root causes that may stem from various parts of the body. -The practice was well administered and Dr. Lin's assistant Milly is fantastic. What didn't work: -The holistic approach felt like a double-edged sword, as it caused my treatment plan to lose focus. At its peak, my plan had over 20 PT exercises. When I expressed to Dr. Lin that this felt unmanageable, he suggested alternating 10 each day. But this still felt unwieldy and I couldn't do all of them while really focusing on form and progression. I later switched to a PT with a different approach, identifying a highly specific biomechanical chain of events that contributed to my condition. He prescribed just ~3-5 exercises a week with a keen attention to detail. Ultimately this led to a much better outcome for me and I'm now back to running at pre-injury levels. Of course, for other conditions, Dr. Lin's approach may work better than it did for me. -I felt that, at times, my feedback wasn't fully considered. After about 8 sessions with Dr. Lin, my condition re-flared and it was bad enough that it was inhibiting my sleep multiple nights a week (to be clear, this was unrelated to our work together and unfortunately is just a part of my injury). When I expressed concern about my progress at that point with the hope of adjusting my program, Dr. Lin focused his explanation largely on anxiety, leaving me feeling that my concern itself was unaddressed. Also, after about 10 sessions, I noticed that his massage approach felt too aggressive for my injury and wasn't really helping, rather it led to more next-day soreness. When I expressed this, he did reduce the massage intensity that particular session but unfortunately returned to the previous intensity the next session.

Rob Lin is an exceptional physical therapist. Rob and his entire team are patient and welcoming,…read moreand his 1-on-1 work is phenomenal. If you have the option, I cannot recommend The Technique enough. I knew when I signed up that working with him would be an investment, and it is one I am so glad I made. I came in with an injury that I have been struggling with for 4 months. I had been seeing another PT but I had repeated setbacks during my recovery. I was in consistent pain and I wasn't improving. In 3 weeks or so, Rob has gotten me to a place where I can function again and even push my physical limits. He is kind, reassuring, and his hands-on work has consistently made an obvious impact. Immediately after getting off the table, I feel less pain and improved stability that last. His work on me has allowed me to push further during session and during at-home exercises, which he's tailored based on my feedback. TLDR: I've already recommended Rob and The Technique PT to friends struggling with injuries and would urge anyone to book a free in-person consultation. Rob is amazing and I look forward to every session. I can't thank him and his team enough. -Raya (she/they)

Classes are hard, I always come away from classes sore for like a week. But I like that they target…read moremuscles not normally targeted in my gym routine. The class male instructor as it was a lot of upper body and I noticed many of us struggled more to keep it.

I've gone to BOLD for over a year now and it is the best fitness class experience I've ever had…read more The owners are so accommodating, they run their business ethically, and lead with compassion. I needed to freeze my membership due to a surgery and the owner did not hesitate, even wishing me well on my recovery. At any other studio, I would be charged for such a last minute change. This workout has changed my body more than bodyrok, hot pilates, or any other reformer class has. I even went to a different lagree studio regularly when I moved for a summer and my body changed for the worse only after 3 months-- it really shows you how effective and unique BOLD is. I guess I can never move haha.

Javier is a beast! Can a workout also be cathartic soul cleansing? It can here, seriously though…read morehe's very good, nice calisthenics group class.

Over 10 years now! Still training at HHF x 5 classes each week ranging from Core, Bosu to Spin…read more I used to be at a self-training studio that had timed circuits with a repetitive bell to move you to the next machine, or person waiting at your machine - that studio was not be a good fit for me. The high energy intense workouts that challenge me physically and mentally are at HHF. Over the past decade, we know each other's names, support one another in/out of class, and encourage one another to be at the next class. No class is the same!

Great self service gym in nice area of Berkeley. Open 24 hours. Looks like they have a few group…read moreclasses and nice staff here. Clean and nice crowd that works out here .

Cramped space, horrible layout. Quality of equipment is poor, minus the machines stuffed in the…read morecenter of the room... I haven't used them but they appear to be in better condition than the rest of strength training equipment. Street parking only. This location really needs some serious thought and consideration on how to arrange the space to make it useable and convenient for standard gym users vs. personal trainers + their clients.

I highly recommend Anne. Full disclosure, I have not worked with her as a personal trainer, but was…read morea regular at her HIIT fitness classes at the YMCA in downtown Berkeley. I looked forward to her classes every week because of her excitement for helping everyone, not matter their starting fitness level, find a way to be active, engage with the class with a variety of modifications to choose from, her sense of fun, playfulness, and creativity, and the thoughtfulness she put into planning each class. She thought of fun themes for exercises-- like creating a set of exercises that involves going to the beach, surfing, and doing burpees and starfish jumps. I don't know if the story made sense-- but it did make the exercises more fun. Anne has a spark for creativity and making activity and exercise fun. I looked forward to Anne's class every week and can only imagine that her training work is even better!

I'm been working with Anne for a few months and she is absolutely incredible. I was a complete…read morebeginner and very nervous to start working out at first and she made me feel super comfortable and excited for my work out journey. I have seen progress and it's only been about three months. She is always on time and very professional. She's also very flexible on finding a schedule that works for you. I would highly recommend Anne and I'm excited to keep working with her! I wake up every morning that I work out with her excited compared to in the past I would dread having to work out. This has definitely helped my confidence and mental health in addition to getting stronger and more fit physically.

Lift and Sprint has changed my life. Literally…read more No matter your fitness level (seriously!!!), Amy and Nic will make you feel comfortable with working out. When I started, I don't think I could run a half mile without dying. Now, I have several 5k races under my belt, and I'm hoping to do a 10k before the year is up. I still remember my first workout - my arms were so dead that I could barely turn the steering wheel while driving home. It was hard to imagine continuing to do it, but everyone was incredibly nice and welcoming. I was tired of feeling weak and tired, so I made myself go back. And back again and again, and now it's not so hard to make myself go. Once, I forgot to bring my workout clothes to work with me, so I went in what I was wearing (knee high rain boots, leggings, and a short-sleeved shirt). This is the kind of person Lift & Sprint turns you into, even if you thought it would never happen. The workouts won't be easy. But they are only 45 minutes. If Amy has had too much coffee on a Monday, you may find yourself thinking "omg, what have I done? Make it stop." But it's only 45 minutes, and trust me, you can survive 45 minutes.

I have been training with Amy and Nic at Lift and Sprint for about 4 years now and so far it's the…read moreonly group workout that I've LOVED enough to stick with. And I've tried a lot of different types of workouts.... Things I love about Lift and Sprint: - you get to workout outdoors (watching the sunrise from the track is way better than a dark smelly gym) - every workout is different, which keeps things fun and interesting - they accommodate all ages, levels, and abilities (they trained me through two pregnancies) - great community vibe (no egos or BS) - close attention to form and technique (almost feels like personal training but in a group setting) Lift and Sprint has given me more than just a place to workout, but has helped me to develop healthy habits at home in a way that has permeated my life and overall well-being!