AIM Fitness — Attraction in Costa Mesa

Nine months at AIM and I can't stop gushing about it! AIM stands for "All in Mentality," but I've experienced the acronym in a few other ways:

"Athletic Improvement Monthly" The programming is extremely well designed and targeted to improve certain metrics over the course of each month. Plus, they’ve 'gamified' strength-building. Your main lifting stats are listed on a community whiteboard, and you watch it grow over time. They do 'testing' on three moves each month, which inspires you to do your BEST, whether you’re motivated by friendly competition or just seeing your own achievements. To top it off, the member community is SO supportive -- from people beginning their fitness journeys to seasoned pros, everyone is encouraging of each other.

"Awesome & Intelligent Mentors" The AIM coaches are true professionals. They know the physical science behind training and how to maximize what you get out of it. They place a HUGE emphasis on form and make sure everyone is doing movements safely.

They also take the time to get to know each member. They listen to your goals and give you individualized advice on how to achieve them; they learn your schedule and nudge you when you don't show up; they observe your injuries and adapt your workouts accordingly; they see what you're good at and push you to excel. A few highlights of each coach:

SAM: if you're intimidated in a gym environment, go to one of Sam's classes. She helped me quickly get comfortable with new moves by being her chill, patient, non-judgmental self. She listens well, laughs easily, and is the kind of fun, easygoing person you want to grab a beer with. She low-key helps you get stronger, silently observing and subtly inspiring you to lift more weight. I live for a fist bump and a "let's gooo" from Sam.

AARON: a dose of Aaron's BIG energy is what you need when you show up not feeling your best. He'll blast some tunes, make some groan-worthy dad jokes, and suddenly you're vibing right again. He suggests helpful tweaks to form, but doesn't overwhelm you with too many tips at once. Sometimes I go hard, in part because I might get an impressed reaction from Aaron -- he's stronger than most folks, so I adore how he seems genuinely impressed by each member when he sees them challenging themselves.

JAKE: spend one minute with Jake and you'll know he works hard, but a life of fitness comes so naturally to him that it seeps out of him and washes over you. He doesn't have to goad you into doing more, he just casually suggests that you're strong enough to do it, and he's so freakin' authentic and positive that you're convinced you can do it too. Then you try it, and it's hard and it sucks but you succeed, so you kinda hate him but also you can't help but love him.

MARLA: fitness goddess, badass business owner, mother of (more than I can count!), strong and inspiring as hell, and yet somehow also warm and approachable?? Strangely, I want to be Marla when I grow up, but also maybe I just want her to take care of me because I firmly believe she can handle anything, and way better than I could.

"Arms In Mirror" I never used to enjoy looking at my reflection while working out, but I am feeling SUPER toned after several months, and now I don't mind sneaking peaks (okay, blatantly staring) at myself while curling or pressing dumbbells.

WARNING: If you're worried that lifting weights will make you too big... well, there's risk of that at AIM. My arms honestly are only slightly bigger than before I joined, but I am starting to get compliments on them, so my head is getting HUGE.

"At last, I'm Motivated!" I've dabbled in various forms of fitness over the past two decades. I work full time and have a young kid, so it's hard to be consistent about exercising unless the workouts are extremely motivating and efficient. AIM is EXACTLY what I need. I find myself adjusting my schedule to make sure I can get to the gym instead of making excuses not to go. The membership cost is worth...

So definitely thought I would share just my overall experience with AIM fitness. So before I met coach jake and his wife and team I was literally just a mess. Was going through one of the toughest times in my life with work, personal life stuff and just confidence issues. I used to train at a place in LA and it was super cool but when I moved back to OC I had no other means of training unless I went to you normal”planet fitness gyms” (which by the way is no bueno). So with just trying to find a way to escape out of my depression I was looking up local gyms near my area and came across AIM fitness. Now when it comes to gyms I always make sure to do my research before I decide to take on a commitment anywhere! So when I researched the background on the gym and staff I saw the coach Jake was from usc and did a lot of strength and performance base training with high end athletes so me being a kendo swordsman/athlete decided well why not give it a try. Let me tell you THE BEST FREAKIN DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE! Not only does coach Jake and his team provide you with elite workouts that get you sore as heck( and I mean sore were you like heck yeah bout to get these gains but there set up is super dope and it’s a family base gym where he incorporates proper form, accountability, and he is a Kinesiologist/ pero man e athlete who knows how to get younger results you need and the atmosphere is fun ohh and there playlist be off the chain too haha! If you want rap you’ll get rap if you want country you’ll get country if you want turn up where we bout to do work then you’ll get that too! All in all I was in my lowest times and Jake gave me a home to feel like family him and all the athletes there. Please guys GO GO GO!! Check them out and I promise you are gonna love this place bet that!!! Appreciate Jake and the AIM...

Good news...if you have been searching for the perfect gym then you just found it! After my previous gym closed I did a free trial at various gyms all over OC and AIM came out the winner. Trust me, I'm picky so that right there says something. I've now been at AIM for just over two months and they are just as amazing as I hoped. The owners, Jake and Marla, are kind, caring, professional and knowledgeable. The programming is excellent with workouts divided into lower, upper, conditioning, push and pull days. I've already improved so much in just a few months and everyone is encouraging and kind. There is definitely a sense of community and their PR parties have everyone cheering you on. The other coaches there Aaron and Sam are incredible as well so you can't go wrong at any time slot. They obviously do private training, but I've been happy with the classes. They keep them small so you get plenty of help and you can get everything done in about an hour. There are lots of times and I've always been able to take the class that works best for me. The gym is clean and they have all the equipment you need. Plus with an unlimited membership you get open gym which is an extra benefit. I often get there early to use the treadmill for example or you can do the workout independently. You probably won't want to because everyone in the classes are so kind and supportive though! The positive environment is important to me because I'm relatively new to strength training (started at age 47 a year ago) and I'm still learning everything. They do a free trial so you have nothing to lose and plenty to gain! If I could give them more than 5 stars I definitely would. Thank you AIM...you guys...