Am I at a nightclub or a gym? At first glance, the bar-like reception area, with white leather couches and cool blue uplighting, makes TrainerSpace look more like a swanky lounge than a state-of-the-art fitness facility. 
The newly opened gym in Boca Raton is the first of its kind, focusing exclusively on personal training and providing a luxury experience for both the client and the trainer. In lieu of traditional memberships, which co-owner and founder Cary Reichbach says often shortchange personal trainers, the glamorous facility offers packages of 12, 24, or 36 sessions. Trainers enjoy a high-tech lounge, complete with a full kitchen, fitness library, and sleeping pods, so they can bring their A game to clients.
Whether that client is a 20-year-old professional athlete in need of off-season guidance, a 60-year-old patient seeking post-rehab training, an expert lifter interested in becoming a body builder, or a fitness novice wanting to look and feel good, TrainerSpace matches them with a fitness expert who will ensure they reach that goal. The gym’s 3-D body scanner, Styku, tracks progress along the way, calculating body fat, muscle, and 20 other key measurements.
As for me? Like any 20-something woman, I’d love to look like the Victoria’s Secret models I follow on Instagram. But, as someone who maintains a rigorous workout routine on my own, I’ve always seen personal training as a superfluous amenity.
“Every professional athlete has a personal trainer,” Reichbach points out. “Scientifically, having one is not only the most effective way to work out, but it’s also the safest method.” Given the time I spend on my phone while at the gym, he’s probably right.
My trainer, Gus Hernandez, a super-buff former Marine, whisks me to the TrainerSpace gym, where I immediately notice the lack of televisions and other distractions. A towering staircase anchors the massive room, and underneath an illuminated tool wall likens to something out of a spy movie. There’s padded stretching tables, slacklines, monkey bars à la American Ninja Warrior, and machines so beautiful they almost deserve their own art exhibit.
“We have the most functional, cutting-edge equipment available on the market,” Gus says, illustrating how many of the machines move with the body versus remaining stationary, so as not to risk further stress or injury. I’ll admit, doing a leg press without straining my lower back feels great. Even jump squats are comfortable on the cushy floors.
Unlike a nightclub, the gym is hushed. All of the weights are coated in rubber so they don’t make a peep when dropped. Reichbach explains the space is acoustically designed to create a one-on-one bubble. So no one else can hear my huffing, puffing, and whining? Perfect.
Gus leads me through the program he’s devised for today, dynamic functional training, where we isolate specific muscle groups and then take them to their full range of motion. He demonstrates and watches with unparalleled focused, catching me when I try to cheat by resting a sandbag on my head at the top of the staircase (I’m sorry, Gus!). Yet, he’s the furthest thing from a drill sergeant, encouraging me the whole way through.
The experience concludes with a full-body, deep-tissue Swedish massage (TrainerSpace provides customized massages on-site). This is the life. Even the locker rooms resemble a five-star hotel spa. I leave feeling like a new person—completely relaxed and also proud of the hard work I put in.
“TrainerSpace is designed by and for people who are passionate about health and wellness,” Reichbach says. “You want to work out when you walk in. It’s a magic environment.” So magical, in fact, that I didn’t want to leave.
Facebook Comments