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Solana Beach gym finds strength in machine-free alternatives 

By Linda Jones

Physical trainer Brian Knudsen has a solution for those tired of the same old gym routine, and for those with health problems or injuries that make workouts difficult or leave them unsure which activities actually improve their condition. “I offer something more creative than sitting at some machine. My programs are interactive to keep people motivated,” Knudsen said.

The former physical therapy assistant took over The Fitness Studio, 560 Stevens Ave. in Solana Beach, to create a machine-free workout program and environment for all age, health and fitness levels. “I target the whole body using the whole body,” he said. “My focus is to get the muscle groups to work together to prevent injuries rather than training one muscle at a time. I don’t think that is very functional.”

Among his customers are 63-year-old Jan Frieder and her 88-year-old mother, Marie Laeding. Knudsen has worked with Frieder for three times per week and her mother four times per week for more than three years. Workout sessions run one hour each “Brian really looks at the individual and tries to create a program that they will enjoy and that meets their body type,” Frieder said. Frieder, who has worked out regularly most of her life, referred her mother to Knudsen after realizing the benefits of working with a physical trainer. “After working out with Brian. my mother has a much higher energy level and more confidence,” Frieder said.

As part of her workouts, Knudsen works on Laeding’s balance and teaches her how to use her core to get up from the floor and other positions, He also takes Laeding on hikes down beach embankments and over rugged terrain, things she would be reluctant to do on her own. “It’s remarkable how her gait has improved,” Knudsen said. “People in her population see her as an amazing person because she can do this, but they can do this too. It is amazing the changes you can see in people who apply themselves.”

Knudsen worked as a physical therapy assistant for five years before becoming a physical trainer. He uses his experience to create complete, individualized training for each of his clients. “I want to separate myself from fitness centers,” Knudsen said. “I am really a free form type of facility that treats the body as a whole and concentrates on preventing injuries. A lot of people talk about the core but I take it to the next level. You want a tight core but you want to maintain strength in the entire body.”

Examples of exercises he includes in his sessions are throwing a ball to person standing on a balance beam or having a person work with weights while balancing on a ball or wobble board. Exercises such as sitting on a bench and performing bicep curls are of minimum benefit for practical application, he said. “There is really nothing in life that does that. We don’t need to just bend our elbow we need our muscles to work in a combination,” he said.  “Doing the same curls while working with balance pieces really makes you stay in good posture with the lower part of your body working and your core tight.”

Knudsen took over The Fitness Studio in September. “I kept the name because it encompassed everything I was going for,” he said. Though the name is the same, the studio has changed. Knudsen removed all of the weight lifting machines, opened up the space and added manual resistance equipment such as free weights, pulleys, bands, wobble boards, balance beams and balls.

To work one on one with clients. Knudsen hired a staff of six trainers including one certified in pre and postnatal exercise and others experienced in senior fitness. Training sessions cost $60 to $85 per hour for training. “If you are paying for training, you should really get something out of,” Knudsen said. “I want it to feel like I am providing much more of a service because I am such a part of every exercise.”

Carrie Greenstein works with Knudsen once a week. “He has been my personal trainer for four years, and I have never once repeated the same workout,” Greenstein said. “It amazes me how Brian keeps the exercises fresh each session and is creative in coming up with new ways to work the same muscle group.”

The workouts emphasis more than how much weight one can lift, they focus on lifestyle and thinking long term. “Brian emphasizes preventative medicine in that he talks about how to use correct posture not just while in the gym but in everyday life to prevent orthopedic injuries,” Greenstein said. He also incorporates nutritional counseling into his workouts, she said.

Reprinted from the Del Mar Times, February 3-9, 2006

Copyright © 2006 THE FITNESS STUDIO
Last modified: 05/11/06