Willspace — Local services in New York

Short version: It's great, you'll learn a lot here. Go for it, you won't regret it.

I considered getting a personal trainer in Equinox but I'm so glad I had the lucidity to chose Willspace instead. I've never once felt like cattle or detached, as you do in a corporate multinational fitness centre. Willspace is a personal training only gym with exactly everything you need. There's no salespeople pushing you to do this and that. There's no lazy bum laying on a utility bench scrolling through Tinder for 30mins and working out for 10 (lol! what a buzzkill). There's no stinky equipment because the lovely and hardworking Tito is always keeping things spick and span. Even the bathrooms smell great! Things are always tidy because they're always put back where it was before. What you WILL find here are people who genuinely care about your progress, familiar faces and a sense of solidarity.

Willspace was founded by Will, who coached me on my first day. His passion for training was evident and so was his eagerness to share his wealth of knowledge. He's meticulous in every way, including his pick of coaches. He introduced me to Lauren, and we've been thick as thieves ever since!

What I've gained from Willspace is tailored training that speaks to my pace and personal goals. They ensure that I get a balance of strength, endurance and flexibility. They certainly push me to be better but I've never felt unsafe or been injured. You'll get access to the variety of specialized knowledge from its coaches. There's Will of course, Olympic Lifter Chaz, MMA Robbie, Gymnast Jorge, Muay Thai Cesar and Yoga Lauren. Each coach I've noticed, are all determined and always learning something new from each other. They have a genuine sense of camaraderie and I would get helpful tips from a coach I'm not even training with.

In the past 8 months my health and wellbeing has improved by leaps and bounds, and Willspace is a big part of that. They have a machine called the InBody which I love getting on each month to get a complete analysis of what's happening in your body. Recently, I've plucked up the courage to take up Kickboxing with Cesar. It's so much fun!

I love my Willspace family and I'm convinced you will be too! If you made it this far in my super long review, you probably have the desire and determination to change your life so...best of...

Willspace has totally changed my relationship to exercise. I am someone who historically could not lift a heavy suitcase. In elementary school, I convinced my mom to send a fake doctor’s note to my PE teacher to get me out of class, and it was all downhill from there. Every few years, I would get inspired to try to finally get in shape and would join a gym or hire a trainer, only to end up skipping sessions and give up a month in. I was a total lost cause.

Enter Kim, my now beloved trainer at Willspace. From day one, I could tell it was a different approach to fitness than I had experienced before. She listens to my goals and is meticulous in observing my form and ensuring safety, taking time to explain every nuance of an exercise and the muscles we are working. She intuits when to push me but critically also knows when to ease up to make sure I don’t get overwhelmed. I came in unable to do one pushup, but I never felt judged and the focus here really is on a “marathon, not sprint” mentality that makes me feel my body is being taken care of. I’ve learned that it is way more important to be consistent even at a slower pace (sure I’d heard that before, but nowhere else ever nailed the pace for me before Willspace, always pushing me too fast or making me feel bad for needing to go so slow - Kim always gets it just right). Despite going “slower,” I’m shocked by how quickly I’ve made so much progress. Yes, I can do pushups now, but I’m even learning things like chin ups and can deadlift 100 pounds. That’s crazy for me to think about!

Most importantly, for the first time in my life I actually enjoy (!!) working out. The trainers here are universally lovely people who really care, and it feels like hanging out with encouraging friends every time I come. I NEVER thought I would be someone who would willingly wake up an hour early multiple times a week to work out, for months on end, but Willspace made me that person, and I am much stronger and happier in my body because of it. If you feel like a lost cause, Willspace is the place that can finally make exercising click - joining here was the best investment in myself I...

I am a 63 yr old man who has never seriously ever worked out until I started here. My doctor gave me an option 6 months ago - do nothing and expect knee surgery in a couple years ago or start working out with very specific core body and leg exercises.

I had had spoken to Will a month before this ultimatum while walking my dog. I had asked about WillSpace and what it does. I must say in retrospect, he actually undersold this amazing “Space.” It is like nothing I have ever heard about or seen. My sister-in-law runs large hospital based physical therapy program. I have told her about WillSpace and she said it sounds like the perfect place for me and my needs!

For the last 6 months I have been there (both in person and also Virtually - yes Virtually so I do not miss sessions as I travel extensively) twice a week. When I showed up, my frozen shoulder of 10 years ago still bothered me and I could not even do a single pushup. That has ALL changed.

My first session was both with Will (the genius behind this space) and Marcel (my trainer). They did a long series of exercises to determine where I was. Then the two of them designed a long-term exercise goals with a focus on my core body and my building up my legs to prevent knee surgery.

This has been such an amazing journey I am on. When I first started could not do more than a couple squats. Today, I did squats using a 30 pound weight. Their focus on detail is astonishing.

The best part is how totally supportive the full staff is. Not only does Marcel find a way to get me to find that one extra (whatever I am doing), it is always done in such a positive way. And it is not just Marcel. I continue to look around and see every trainer doing the same thing.

In summary, I have a single recommendation - make an appointment to meet Will and get started. I am sure it will make a big change in your life and...