Fitness Classes in Redwood City

Lauded by Prevention magazine as "easier to keep aloft than a kid's version," HoopGirl's oversize fitness hoops whittle midsections and evoke a cheerful sense of nostalgia. Founded by academic-turned-athlete Christabel Zamor in 2001, the activity-based exercise has spread to thousands of studios while building the core strength and flexibility of students in North America, Europe, Australia, and Middle-earth. Available either in-studio or on DVD, beginner classes increase body awareness, and intermediate workouts further develop strength and endurance. During advanced sessions, students twirl the loops around their waists, honing precision and poise while gaining total mastery of their Saturneqsue rings.

Adventurous Sports schedules one lesson per visit to maximize muscle-memory and skill acquisition.

The Polk Street Gym is a boxing gym. It telegraphs its pugilistic philosophy to fitness by center-staging a large, full-size boxing ring just inside the sidewalk storefront windows that stretch from matted floor to lofted ceiling. Both aspiring sparers and everyday Joes, who only have thrown punches at dollar stealing vending machines, train like boxers. Members jump rope, run hills, hit bags, and shadowbox. These drills and exercises firm not just boxing skills, but also general cardio and strength capacity. With 29 classes to choose from, men and women, kids and adults find a fighter's heart in circuit training or boxing classes.

Dublin-bred, former Golden Gloves champion Simon Redmond leads a roster of trainers who are all current or past Golden Gloves champs, whose knuckles turn food, jaws, parking meters, and all they touch to gold. After immigrating to San Francisco in the mid-90s, Simon trained and fought for several years before opening a gym with a partner. At the start of 2010, Simon broke off on his own to open Polk Street Gym. He strives to whip people into shape through boxing, affirming his mission and his passion by writing that despite broken ribs, a broken nose, burst eardrums, and spilt blood, he has loved every minute of his boxing lifestyle.

After 17 years as a professional fighter and nine titles, kickboxing and karate champion Brian Schwartz stepped out of retirement to try his fists at the MMA. A broken hand and, subsequently, the first professional loss of his career slowed him down, but not for long—the next year, he returned to face and beat that opponent. Naturally enough for a man who can’t let a new challenge go untested, Schwartz then turned his focus to a new endeavor: the creation of Undisputed Boxing Gym, where he would share the secrets of the fight with a new generation.

Schwartz has assembled a dynamic staff of fighters with backgrounds in jujitsu, boxing, tae kwon do, and kickboxing to train both aspiring fighters and average fitness enthusiasts. Students can tone up and learn self-defense techniques or even chase a spot in the gym's amateur competitive program. The sweat flows in expansive training facilities that include a tae kwon do dojo, an MMA room with partial octagon, and a set of 40 Everlast heavy bags. An in-house chiropractor helps align muscles and massages away any knots from learning an especially brutal tickle submission.

Workout on the Hill's owner Elaine Williams called upon mental and physical determination to overcome a back injury she sustained during her college basketball career. Today, her team of nationally certified trainers encourage men and women of all ages to muster similar conviction during friendly but rigorous group workouts and personal training sessions set against sweeping views of Bernal Heights. Each morning come rain, shine, or dust storm from the 1930s, coaches utilize the landscape of Holly Park to create extra challenges for their ever-shifting routines of core conditioning, endurance cardio, yoga poses, weight training, and agility drills. Phone consultations, online health tips, and plentiful one-on-one attention form a lattice of support for anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle.

Since 1978, Brenda Athletic Clubs has stood out from other gyms for its staff’s focus on offering all the amenities of a modern fitness facility while still fostering an inviting atmosphere. Its founder, Al Brenda, believed in fitness programs for all age groups, a mantra that the club continues today with youth fitness programs, including basketball clinics and yoga lessons, as well as a SilverSneakers fitness program for seniors. In addition to tennis, swimming, and standard strength and cardio equipment, the fitness centers supply its members with an ample amount of group classes including cycling, Zumba, and kickboxing.