Have you ever wondered who might have sweated on the treadmill right before you jumped on for your workout? Or…did they wipe off the equipment? Or…whether or not your self-devised training program was really ideal?
If any of that has crossed your mind, or if you are interested in a personalized approach for improving your fitness in time for that beach vacation this summer, you might want to consider the program that Gary Bush and his personal trainers have put together at Flex Personal Training and Pilates, at Bush’s 5,000 square foot studio near Crow Canyon and Camino Tassajara in Danville.
Fitness has been a part of Bush’s entire life. He was a good enough athlete to play football, basketball and baseball in high school and football in college for Cal State Hayward.
Unfortunately, he injured his knee during his freshman football season which prevented him from playing baseball, “which was always my best sport.”
Injury rehabilitation and orthopedic techniques in the early 1970s were not what they are today. Bush wound up having to rehab his knee himself, and also rehab his shoulder and neck on his own following subsequent injuries. This led to a deeper interest in fitness and training, which he combined with a career as a real estate broker that began in 1976.
Originally a self-made trainer, Bush eventually earned AAFA certification and taught fitness classes at Club Sport, 24 Hour Fitness, and Bally’s. During that time he devised a group fitness camp for Bally’s that in 2003 became a nationwide offering. While working for those other companies, Bush learned what he did and did not want to do in his own shop.
“I grew to understand that individualized is different in reference to fat burning and muscle gain,” Bush said. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be effective for everyone.”
As a result Bush emphasizes personal training and Tandem Training Fit Camps at Flex, which he opened in February of 2009. Classes start at $25 per session. “We’re looking to improve our clients’ fitness, their happiness, and their effectiveness in everything they do,” Bush said. “Fitness levels have a direct correlation to physical stamina and mental well being. Even though we opened at just about the worst possible time to start a new business, we’ve survived and even thrived. We’ve done well because we care and they respond with their loyalty and their referrals.” Bush says that he and his team of 14 certified trainers and instructors follow up whenever a client misses a class or cancels an appointment. “We want to make sure that they are staying with the program, and if they’re not we want
to find out why.” Bush and his team help their clients devise healthy lifestyles for the 265 hours each week that they are away from the gym.
Today Flex completes about 300 sessions per week for clients with room for about three times that many. Bush offers a full range of cardio equipment, free weights, medicine balls, kettle bells, TRX machines and dumbbells for trainers to incorporate into each fitness session. It also offers 15 Pilates classes that can serve up to 90 people, along with Taekwondo, Belly Dancing and Latin Dance instruction. Future plans include Yoga classes and massage.
“While there is no such thing as a one-size-fits all approach, it is possible to offer one-stop shopping for people interested in improving their fitness and enhancing their lives. That is our goal at Flex,” Bush said.
For more information on Flex Personal Training & Pilates you can visit www.flexptp.com or call 925-964-9800.