This review of All in One Fitness and personal trainer Diane is very overdue - sorry Diane! My wife…read moreand I signed up for a series of "buddy" personal training sessions over 8 weeks starting in January 2025. It was an overwhelmingly positive experience. The Gym: the facility is small but clean, and the patrons range in age and fitness levels. Everyone is very welcoming and understanding of the sometimes tight quarters that can take place in a smaller place, and they do their best to keep out of the way or allow others to pass. It's a great place and I enjoyed it a lot. The Trainer: Diane is amazing!!! My wife and I wanted to learn how to safely carry out weight training with dumbbells and a variety of other equipment as we're getting to the age where it's important to maintain our muscle mass. Diane did a great job developing a program that we felt like we could tackle, and over the course of eight weeks we saw massive improvements in strength and balance. She's also very sweet and fun to hang out with as you sweat your way through your hour. We highly recommend her!!

I've been meaning to write this for a while, but life has been busy. I'm 74, and have never been as…read morefit as I should be, but I got into really bad condition during the pandemic, way too much sitting. I started having severe back pain and found that walking with hiking poles helped this. I thought it was due to my spinal curvature (but it turns out it was due to weakened muscles!). I used to be a member of the Berkeley YMCA, but didn't like it as much when I returned after the pandemic, with the women's fitness center gone. So I was mainly walking at the Marina. But last summer I had 2 falls there, both stupid things, tripping on my pole and on the edge of a raised surface. The second fall caused a fracture in my ring finger and I had to get my wedding rings cut off, as they quickly became tourniquets on my swollen finger. So I decided to look for another gym, where I could hold on to the handles on the treadmill. I asked my kids for recommendations. One of them mentioned All in One Fitness in Albany, a few blocks from his house, where he'd seen a sign welcoming people over 40. So I went and checked it out, and this is what I found: To start, it's easy to get to from my West Berkeley home, easy free parking, comfortable and friendly atmosphere, wonderful and friendly trainers, all the equipment one could need in a small space. My trainer, Diane, who is also the manager, is not only excellent as a trainer, but her enthusiasm and support has been really been encouraging. I feel comfortable there with everyone; I don't feel out of place at all. This place, and in particular Diane, my trainer, has truly changed my life! Diane said at the beginning that she wanted to make it fun for me to come to the gym. I thought, "Oh, right!" (in a skeptical, eyeball rolling way). But it happened - it is fun! And I feel so much better! And I can walk without my poles and carry grocery bags! I have personal training twice a week, which has been wonderful for learning new things and keeping up the variety and fun. I have so many things I can do now, not just the treadmill and bicycle, and I can do them on my own between training days. I think it's been 5 months now, and I'm getting stronger and feeling so much better! As I said, it's changed my life! I highly recommend this gym!

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 .

Nice people and knowledgeable trainers. Caters to older clients. Recently increased space and…read moreequipment makes for a very friendly environment.

Hanabi Judo has been a fantastic experience for our family. We moved from abroad and Hanabi…read morewelcomed us in with open arms, working with my son to feel comfortable and confident. Dan Sensie is accomodating, always available to give families and kids the individual support and attention they need, and runs a dojo that is warm and community-centric while still maintaining the highest level of discipline and professionalism. We have watched my son grow stronger and improve his skills and practice, while working hard and enjoying himself!

Great experience talking to the owner about conditioning my older body, safety and learning how to…read morefall. Obviously his focus on children is important for the future, but he has great wisdom for us older folks as well.and a special session Tuesday nights for the more mature.

Welp, this location is itty bitty. No parking. And limited equipment, but it'll get the job done…read more The staff was super nice. The lady answered all of my questions, and she was willing to show me around but I politely declined. The free weights go up to 60lb dumbbells. There's a dual cable machine near the 3 weight benches. There's a TRX band, sand bags, and twos sets of the small dumbbells. I just needed an hour bench workout, and I got it. The location is just off the main strip. A little walk around the area was nice. I found parking one street over in the residential area. The roads are tight and parking can be hard to find, but this place did good by me.

I was in Albany to do some shopping and needed to use the restroom on a rather emergancy basis. I…read morewalked into the YMCA that is on a side street and I'm pretty sure doesn't get much random traffic. Being older (72)... when these things need to happen, they need to happen quickly. The man at the desk flat turned me down saying restrooms are just for members. I told him I was very embarrassed about having to ask and asked if he could make an exception and he still refused. A lady at the desk said she would be happy to vouch for me since she was a member and he still refused. A totally avoidable very embarrassing situation. Hey...I thought the YMCA stood for YOUNG MAN'S CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION. I guess not.

Amazing gym. Really clean, staff is friendly and most importantly PRIVACY! It is small but every…read moretime I go there is 5 people max (even for rush hour).

Practically every year I have come to Berkeley to visit my daughter and grandchildren. In Brazil I…read morehave regularly attended a bodybuilding gym. So when we arrived here we looked for a gym near our temporary home in North Berkeley. We did some research and found Strong Island. Where we were received with great attention and promptness by Rick. Accepted, for two months we practiced our individual training that we brought from Brazil. In a pleasant and well-equipped space we spent quality time with friendly people. Next year, we will be back.

Adi is a coach I would recommend to everyone. I've taken several lessons and he's good at both…read morelistening to anything you specifically want to work on and giving additional insights on aspects I didn't consider. He's also very good at giving advice tailored to each player, rather than simply trying to apply the same idea to each person. While there are certain fundamental principles of tennis, there are many adjustments you can make to your technique. Adi does an amazing job of teaching within your style to help you improve - an important skill for every good coach. I highly recommend him as I believe he can add to any player's game.

Adi is an incredible coach! My 10-year-old son saw improvements starting from his very first…read morelesson. We are now on lesson four, and the progress has been huge. My son absolutely loves the sessions and always looks forward to them. Adi has a real gift for making tennis fun while keeping the learning process very productive. Highly recommend!

I only went for a couple classes while I was in class, but my experience was positive all around! I…read morewould definitely go back!

Great workouts and knowledgeable coaches. I've been going to…read morethe boxing boot camp and it's a great balance of workout and techniques. Highly recommend!

Wow, coming back to Albany Aquatics Center for kiddo swim lessons is full circle. Back in the day I…read moreswam here for swim meets in high school and now coming back, such a cool moment to be with the family. They offer Tot Swim (including on Sundays) which is honestly such a fun addition. We called ahead of time with a bunch of questions as newbies and inquired about walk-ins. We received answers to everything we needed to be set up with success for our first swim. There's also a super cool vending machine by the bathrooms/showers/changing areas that offers nutritious pre and post snacks, goggles, sunscreen, and I think swim caps too. The indoor pool is super spacious and everyone was respectful (of lanes, hehe). You're able to utilize pool accessories during the swim hours and there's lifeguards on duty with a stop watch to let you know when Tot time is over. We had around an hour and 15 or so. There's an awesome grass area and epic park next door. Parking is accessible in front of center. Can't wait to return! Definitely check the swim calendar online before heading over.

My son is currently enrolled in swim classes here. The instructions & expectations are clear. At…read morethe end of each session we had to be a bit persistent in obtaining a report card, but upon receipt, it's very detailed on what he needs to work on and what he did well. We will continue to enroll him here, especially since they also have an indoor pool for Fall & Winter sessions.

Thanks for responding to my request but your services are no longer needed at this timeread more

I went to the Bayview Eagles performance space, adjacent to the bar for a fabulous Cajun/Zydeco…read moreperformance by a new friend of mine, Andrew Carriere and his group of extremely talented musicians. He comes from a storied Louisiana family of Cajun and Zydeco musicians. He is versatile, sings, plays the triangle, the harmonica and the washboard. and in my little experience of watching him play with various groups, he lets everyone shine. His band's music was made for dancing and I have two left or right feet. The regular fans know what they are coming for - to dance. One of these days I'll earn without upsetting a partner. But then someone has to pay the price for teaching a newbie. A great place to visit for affordable beer and some wine. If Andre performs there, I'll be prepped to dance :)