This would need to be your first time visiting Moi Contre La Vie to be unaware that I’m a bit of a fitness nut. To put it nicely. I love Barry’s Bootcamp, Soulcycle, OrangeTheory, WheelHouse, and have really enjoyed trying out a host of local pilates and barre studios in San Francisco. I also like to do bodyweight and weight training sessions, and look forward to my weekends in part because that’s when I get a chance to run. All that being said, everyone plateaus. When The Bay Club reached out to ask if I was interested in a short-term partnership, I jumped at the chance!
Why?
First, the Bay Club is a well-known and respected institution in San Francisco. They have a handful of facilities, including ones with tennis courts and pools, and I’d had the chance to visit a few of their locations over the years.
Second, I was in the midst of a lull in my fitness routine. I was bored. I had hit a plateau and wasn’t making any progress, which was leaving me increasingly frustrated. When you use working out as your stress reliever, among other things, it’s not a good feeling when you don’t look forward to your gym sessions!
While there are two gyms near my office in the Financial District, I found myself venturing to the main San Francisco location on Greenwich, and the tennis club in SOMA, the most often. Both facilities are large, with lots of space and equipment, and amazing locker rooms. The Greenwich location, simply called the Bay Club San Francisco, is the largest. It has an indoor pool, massive gym and cardio centers, a gift shop, basketball courts, a gorgeous spa, a café, and tons of classes throughout the week. Oh, and happy hour.
It’s basically a small town.
And while all of those facilities are great, the primary reason that I kept coming back for more was my personal trainer Kristina. I worked with a personal trainer the first time that I ventured into the gym after my back injury, but otherwise I’ve worked out alone. My new Bay Club membership included a free training session so I promptly set one up. When asked what I’d like to work on, I suggested using some of the machines, as I hadn’t had much exposure to them over the years. I left the first session sweating profusely, but smiling. And was still sore three days later. I like to be sore. I like to know that my workouts are, you know, working. When I got back from my trip, I emailed her about training packages, and now I’m on my second pack of 10 sessions.
A trainer teaches you, pushes you, and engages you. It’s really the last one that I’ve found most appealing. As I mentioned above, I was feeling frustrated and stagnant. I need to remember what I loved about training and change my perspective, which is what Kristina has done.
