Working with Parand was one of the best decisions I have ever made. She built my body back after…read morehaving 2 kids. I am now stronger than I have ever been in my life and I am grateful to her each time pick up my baby, or carry my toddler on my back. I am back to doing the activates I enjoy without worrying about getting hurt. She is very knowledgeable, her classes are always different and fun and she has a great energy. The expense was a lot for me, and I considered other options. But her expertise, the accountability, and the personalized sessions were 100% worth it. The North Bay has gained a treasure!

I highly recommend Parand as a fitness coach, if you are looking to become more active or find new…read moreways to be active. When I first started working out with Parand, I had exercised sporadically over the years but nothing really stuck. My scheduled work-outs with her helped me get into the best shape of my life and begin to incorporate fitness as a regular and ongoing habit. Over this time, I also lost about 20 pounds and significantly increased my overall strength and flexibility. In the beginning, I took private classes as honestly I felt too uncoordinated and out of shape to work out in front of other people. Over time, I then graduated to her group classes. Both formats I enjoyed and found helpful. Parand has a wide repertoire of workouts, and it's always interesting. Parand is also just a lovely human being. It was always great to catch up with her during my classes. If you are trying to find new ways to be active, I really recommend starting with Parand as a first step.

I am 76 years old and have been working out at this gym for over 30 years and have watched how the…read moregym has grown. It offers fantastic classes, great personal trainers, and really clean bathrooms. They now have a great looking pickle ball facility and hopefully soon more personal health guidance. And the additions of Layla Archer and Nicky Macaluso really add to the focus of how to get and stay healthy into our 70s and 80s. GREAT GYM!

I'm loving this gym. I've been a member for almost 6 months and I've had nothing but excellent…read moreexperiences. It's low key, quiet, people don't bug you, the equipment is top and well cared for. The classes are varied and there's a time for everyone. I've barely scratched the surface of possible workouts here- in 6 mos. They have Pilates for an additional fee to members but it's a deal in and of itself- there are weights in a semi private room as well as throughout the gym and I love the women's sauna in the very clean locker room. Super nice and helpful staff. I'm happy.

Anthony has been such a pleasure to work with! In only four sessions, he GREATLY improved my core…read morestrength and mobility which I have spent years trying to improve. I'm only 24 and this was the best investment in my body so far. My posture is so much better now too. Check him out, the other trainers and body workers I've been to don't compare to the immediate results from Anthony's 1:1 Pilates.

Anthony is amazing. His knowledge of the body and how to have it work in concert with itself is…read morefantastic. I have experienced rapid results and improvement in my core which has translated to whole body improvement. I would highly recommend Anthony to anyone!

Terrific gym with a wonderful atmosphere. Friendly staff, plenty of equipment and good energy. I…read moretalked to Xavier on the phone and in person and he was helpful and funny. Thanks for letting me drop in! Bram Wiley

Nadia is such a competent trainer, keeping my workouts varied and challenging in just the right…read moreway. I have injuries that she competently works around, keeping me training hard enough to strengthen me, but not hurt me. I like the facility, everything I need there, and centrally located for easy gym runs when the mood/time strikes. She mixes science based testing to help me gauge my progress. I am doing really well at this gym. I highly recommend her for all ages.

James is incredible and I'm so happy to sing his praises! I came to Marin Longevity with no…read morestrength training experience and some worry about how my hypermobility might impact my aging. James really took the time to understand my body, answer all my dumb questions, and design a workout program unique to me. His warmth, professionalism, playfulness, and excellent playlists made me actually enjoy working out?! Highly highly recommend this angel of a human.

James is very knowledgable, friendly, attentive to details, flexible, and dependable -- key…read moreingredients for a great coach. I reached out to James to help build strength to rehab an injury 2 months before a planned 6-day trail running stage race (transrockies run). James came well-prepared to every session, put together an effective game-plan and kept tuning it as I progressed, kindly adjusting to my schedule and adapting exercises based on what else was happening in my life at the time (e.g. travels). Ultimately, I was able to not only go on this running adventure but beat my previous year's time by a lot, and importantly felt good and had a lot of fun.

Best place to work out in Ross Valley, IMHO. I've been going here for about a year, after trying…read moreseveral other places in the area. It's a small boutique gym run by a really nice couple. It has everything you need for a great workout. Super clean. All kinds of great machines. Free weights all over the place. A couple of high end Peloton treadmills and bicycles. Red light stretching room. Sauna. Cold plunge. Never too crowded. Open all the time. Easy parking. Chris, the owner, is the nicest guy, and is a top trainer in the area. They have won a bunch of local awards. Highly recommend this place.

We found Vitality Code after a friend recommended the gym to us. After meeting with the owner…read moreChris, we loved the feel of a small boutique gym that had all the equipment we needed in addition to the Red-Light Therapy and an Infrared Sauna. We then decided to use him as our personal trainer, and we couldn't be happier with our decision. His in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and how each muscle works and is connected to another part has allowed us to progress in a way not to over strain our body yet push us to the limit every time we train with him. Since joining the gym over a year ago, he has added a cold plunge and a regular sauna. Chris is hands-on and is proud of the gym facility he has created. We have referred many friends to him, and everybody loves Chris.

I love the experience of a smaller, independent gym. The owner, David, & trainers are experts and…read morewelcoming. The classes are challenging and fun and I know that if I show up, I'll get a great workout. I have noticed a difference in my body and I'm excited to keep it up. Outside of the gym I'm noticing that my running is improving. I've shaved almost a minute off my mile since I started training with David, even though that wasn't something I was specifically training for. When I broke my arm, I was so bummed that I wouldn't be able to work out. But David encouraged me to go to class and modified my workouts. My Ortho Dr. & Physical therapist were amazed how quickly I healed. The Dr told me that being active promotes blood flow and speeds up healing. It worked, I only missed a week from the gym and could put weight on my arm after 4 months! David's mission is to bring together a community of healthy and happy people through fitness. He and his team train in a personalized way that allows every person to be in their best shape because they believe that everyone can be an athlete. I personally believe that the owner of a gym is a huge reflection on the gym and its direction. With David's friendly demeanor, knowledge of physical fitness, and ambition to take the gym to the next level to further the quality of lives through diet and physical movement.

Been to few bootcamp sin SF , but this was my first time going to one in Marin, and I'm glad that I…read morechose Insane Athlete. I went there with a friend around 11:20 am on a Sunday, and David was already there with few people , getting ready to start the session at 11:30. He charged me only $10, and gave us a small discount for my friend, and charged him only $8. In the past , I had minor IT-band syndrome , and after mentioning that to David, he showed extreme knowledge of the human body, and explained to me exactly what exercise I should, and shouldn't do. The workout was intense and my body felt sore then next day , which logically is I great result from the hour long workout we had ;) Thank you David, and keep doing what you do, because you are really good at it !

Great 24x7 gym that's well equipped for weightlifting, powerlifting, CrossFit, etc. The gym has…read moreplenty of barbells and weights, 5 squat racks, a dedicated competition bench, dumbbell area, etc. Members get a code that allows entry any time, which is great! The lifting area is also separate from where the CrossFit classes take place so you don't have to worry about the class schedule if you're just there to lift on your own.

From the owner: San Rafael Barbell is San Rafael's premier strength and weightlifting gym. We offer a clean…read morestate-of-the-art strength training facility outfitted with all the equipment needed to build strength and fitness. Memberships are limited to give members plenty of space to train safely. All memberships come with 24 hour access so you can train on YOUR time. San Rafael Barbell is the boutique gym you have been looking for!

I'd love to highlight a few of my favorite instructors at the Bay Club--each one brings something…read moretruly special to the fitness experience: --Violet is an absolute gem! Her classes are high-energy, fun, and always a fantastic workout. What sets her apart is her contagious positivity--she's genuinely happy to be there with us, and it shows. Every workout with Violet leaves you in a great mood. I only wish she taught more than just Ignite--I'd follow her to any class! --Helen is exceptional. She's not only an amazing instructor, but also a standout leader and role model. She teaches a variety of classes and every single one is top-notch. Her glutes class in particular literally kicks ass--in the best way! --Meg is one of the best TRX instructors I've ever had. Her instruction is clear, her class structure is thoughtful, and the challenge level increases over time, which I truly appreciate. She also provides great options for those wanting to push further. Bay Club is incredibly lucky to have these phenomenal teachers. I hope they are recognized and supported--because they absolutely deserve it!

I did a tour here and was not impressed. My impression was all the annoyances that make people…read moredislike gyms happens here. On my tour, the employee was so nice, but the facility itself was a big turn off. Bay Club is a catch all gym, from kids and teens running in the halls, to older ladies that never sweat but wear their teeny outfits while they hit on young guys, to rude people sweating all over equipment and not wiping it down after. The vibe gave me the icks. The women's locker room was dirty, with wet towels and trash scattered about. The members don't keep the area clean, and the staff isn't quick enough to clean up these gross items left strewn about. Needless to say, I didn't join Bay Club.

I love the Y and appreciate the amenities available to the community. I have only one concern and…read moreit is that lifeguards do not enforce their basic rules for lap swim. In the last month alone, I have experienced 3 incidents where someone just suddenly appeared in my lane, in front of me while I was swimming. When swimming freestyle, you generally are looking down and if someone is suddenly in front of you, it is difficult to stop in time to avoid a collision. On each occasion, I questioned the person to ask, "where did you come from, how are you in this lane?" All of these swimmers seemed oblivious to the rules, 1: You enter at the deep end only, not in the middle of a lane from an adjoining lane. 2: You make visual or verbal contact with other swimmers when entering their lane and communicate if you're circle swimming or parallel swimming. 3: You never enter in the middle of a lane. I live in fear of a collision because I have 4 small plates holding my cervical spine in place. But the concerning thing to me, is where are the lifeguards. They are literally sitting and watching and never instruct these scofflaws. What are they doing? Another example was the woman doing a backstroke in the "Walking" lanes, literally colliding with bathers and continued even when she was asked to move over to a swim lane by others. I'm just going to say, an accident is bound to happen unless they clean this up, soon. Perhaps it isn't a responsibility of the lifeguards to monitor for these incidents, but I got scolded once for being "too fast," for a slower lane. Made me laugh because I hadn't swam in 5 years and felt it was appropriate for me to start there. So, I know the guards are monitoring something. Let's just hope nothing bad happens, I guess.

I'm extremely disappointed with how the Marin YMCA handled an issue with my paid locker rental…read more I have been paying for both my YMCA membership and a locker, even while I was on maternity leave and had not been able to go to the gym since January. I never froze or canceled my account, and I even recently upgraded my membership so my son could participate in Y Kids. When I returned, I found out that my belongings were gone from the locker I had been paying for. I was never given any notice, warning, email, or phone call that my locker would be emptied or that my items were at risk of being removed. This is especially upsetting because this is not the first time something like this has happened. When I followed up, I was told they looked for my items but could not find them. They offered to cover two months of membership dues as a "gesture of goodwill," but then later said they did not believe staff emptied my locker because no locker audits were conducted. That explanation does not make sense to me. The locker was locked, and access should have been limited to myself and YMCA staff. Since I was not at the gym and did not remove my belongings, there was no clear explanation for how my items disappeared. I paid for a locker with the expectation that my belongings would be secure. Instead, my belongings are gone, and the response I received felt dismissive and lacked accountability. I have since requested to cancel my locker rental. I've supported this YMCA through my paid membership, even during a period when I was not using the gym, so this experience has been incredibly disappointing. Members who pay for lockers should be able to trust that their belongings are safe and that they will receive proper notice and communication before anything is removed. I finally cancelled my membership!