Gym profile: LaLanne Fitness

Think you’re in shape? If you’re a typical gym member accustomed to the fancy, high-tech machines with all the bells and whistles, you should probably think again. LaLanne Fitness, powered by CrossFit, will kick your butt!

Located in a non-descript storefront at 590 Howard Street in downtown San Francisco, LaLanne Fitness is a bare-bones, back-to-the-basics, no-nonsense workout facility emphasizing functional training that “closely parallels real life and sport movements…that challenge your mind and body.” In other words, be prepared for the workout of your life.

It’s not very big – in fact, the whole place isn’t more than 2,500 square feet – but there are no tell-tale mirrors, no pretty pictures on the walls, no background music, no carpeting, and no chrome anywhere. Instead, there are multiple climbing ropes, gymnastics rings, chinning bars, kettlebells, and assorted barbells and dumbbells. The only things resembling high-tech machines might be the row of Concept 2 Rowing Machines standing against the wall ready for action.

According to CrossFit founder Greg Glassman, the equipment and space is deliberately Spartan in approach – the most important aspect of your workout is not how much chrome and fancy machines fill the gym. The most important aspect of your workout is how well the exercises develop the kind of strength, power and endurance needed for meeting the demands of day to day life.

The walls at LaLanne Fitness are brick, the ceilings are high, and the floors are covered with thick, black rubberized matting. You get the immediate impression that this is a place for people who are truly serious about fitness. Wimps need not apply.

This is not to say that beginners are not welcome but, rather, they should be prepared for a non-traditional exercise regimen preceded by a required one-on-one consultation with a certified CrossFit trainer to determine your current fitness goals and physical readiness. Prospective members have a choice of classes, private skill lessons, nutritional education, workout journaling, challenges, and seminars at the club’s School of Elite Fitness. Workouts are timed to and never the same from one day to the next, so your mind and body never have a chance to acclimate to anything resembling a “routine.” Random physical challenge that creates breadth of physical adaptations is the constant variable in CrossFit, according to Glassman. Boredom is not an option.

It is not unusual to see LaLanne Fitness members jogging through the streets of San Francisco hoisting medicine balls overhead, playing “Hoover Ball” at Baker Beach, participating in a fitness challenge at Kezar Stadium, or swimming at Aquatic Park. It is a gym without walls and without limits under the leadership of gym owner Chris LaLanne, grand-nephew of the legendary Jack LaLanne.

“Opening LALANNE FITNESS, powered by CrossFit has really been a thrill for me. I have several hundred students on the road to elite fitness. We are all working together to reach individual athletic and health goals. It is empowering to experience real, measurable, observable results. Finishing workouts faster and seeing body fat disappear is awesome. I am very motivated to help people help themselves. It’s a two-way street… you still have to make it happen!”

“The CrossFit method of physical training at LaLanne Fitness can have a dramatic impact on your life if you’re willing to work for it! It is safe, effective and efficient,” adds LaLanne. “Our program is about 50/50, men and women! This is fantastic for the dynamic and collective energy of our classes. Men and women alike often experience an increase in self-confidence as they become stronger and more capable in life. Our students range in age from 16 to 65. This gym is a playground for adults. Everyone should be able to run, jump, swing, push, pull, and just play.”

“I am blessed to follow in the footsteps of a man that has truly made a difference in our world,” says LaLanne in reference to his great uncle. Pride and discipline are very important to Jack. His commitment to health and fitness is inspiring. He puts himself and his fitness first and I believe that we should all take pride in who we are by taking care of ourselves. Have discipline, be consistent, and show up. A healthy lifestyle begins with regular physical activity. We have to keep moving or we’ll die.”

As Jack says…"Anything in life is possible, if you make it happen.”

Chris LaLanne is making it happen at LaLanne Fitness.