FNS Training Center — Local services in Santa Clara

After being here for a month, I realized I didn't actually know what F.N.S. stands for. I sheepishly asked one of the coaches at the front desk, who told me that it means Fitness Never Sleeps. So there, now you know! Speaking of the front desk, everyone is super nice and remembers my name whenever I come in, which is not even that often!

I play pickup basketball pretty regularly. I enjoy it because it's a good workout and it's fun to play with a group of people to work toward an objective. I can't bring myself to run regularly or do home exercises habitually. It turns out when you put your dumbbells next to the couch, you still just want to sit in your couch all the time. Anyway, I figured I should do something other than hoops to round out my overall fitness and avoid injury on the court.

I've been coming out to FNS for about 4-5 weeks now, about once or twice a week. I'm not exactly a weightlifting enthusiast, and my left knee and I aren't on great terms right now, but I look forward to coming in for classes when my schedule allows (pro-tip: just carve the time out in Outlook as "busy"). Classes are fun, with motivational coaches who are attentive and inspire a spirit of camaraderie. The workouts have a bunch of variety to keep things interesting and well-rounded, and -- more importantly -- the equipment is all set up for you when you come in, so you can get going right away. It's way better than working out at home on your own by several orders of magnitude. Lastly, I like the classes for the same reasons I enjoy basketball -- great workouts that aren't boring, with a group of people who are working toward an objective.

As far as results go, well, it's probably going to take more than just a month of dilly-dallying 1-2x a week to have anything to show for it. But I definitely feel good, and that's what matters at the end of the day! Also, last week I was able to carry my sleeping 7 year old through an airport terminal with one arm while rolling our bag with the other; that counts for...

*7 month update!!! I’m down 20 lbs wooooo!!!!! I’ve lost 20 lbs since I started, dropped 7% body fat and kept my muscle at 69lbs!! In these past 7 months I haven’t even been going to 3 or 4 classes per week consistently or really even been watching my nutrition and still saw those results so… Cannot wait to see more progress… still loving the experience that FNS offers every week!

I honestly cannot recommend this gym more highly. I am absolutely in love with this gym and the coaches who make it what it is. I have been weight training for a long time, about 12 years in my life, and recently took about a year off/gained a bunch of weight/wasn’t focused on my health. I moved up to the bay area from OC for work and tried one or two other gyms before finally finding the gem that is FNS. They have a wide range of class times ranging from 5am-630pm and there are plenty of them. The classes are challenging, stations organized for you, and they move at just a quick enough pace that doesn’t allow you to stop and think about cheating yourself out of a great workout! Lol. You gotta move! Every single coach I’ve had at a different class time has been enthusiastic, supportive, so kind, friendly, and most importantly long term goals/health/safety focused. It’s just a place you WANT to be, not somewhere you feel you HAVE to go. Shout out to everybody I’ve met there so far or who has coached me: Coaches Mark, Andrew, Matt, Michael, Pam, Eurees, Brendan, Emily, and of course owner and coach Brian whom I just met today. They’re all seriously amazing. I’m sure there are more great people I just haven’t met yet. I look forward to living my next fitness chapter and rebuilding myself as an FNS member! I can’t wait to be here for a very long time. Thank you FNS for making me excited to be my fittest and...

I have been a member of FNS for just about a year and it was the most fun I've had in a while. It's more than a gym, it's a community and I especially love all the energy the coaches bring to the experience. I loved interacting with each and every coach! Here's some more about them outside of their already good form, physique and knowledge of good nutrition and fitness:

Coach Andrew for his kindness, compassion and music choices, and teaching me bench press. Coach Brenden's socks, competitive spirit, drive, and very intentional appreciation of good form. Coach Eurees for her flexibility targeted warm up sessions, sheer passion and discipline for the job, and teaching me to use core strength for deadlift and squats. Coach Halley for fixing my push up form and doing handstands with me. Coach Kiara for her upbeat energy and intoxicating positivity. Coach Mary for encouragement and hallway chitchats. Coach Sara for her amazing boxing skills and lessons, and teaching me the correct form for inclined shoulder press and helping me with push press and deadlifts. Coach Vanessa for setting the best example for women's fitness and her cute bows.

Here's some learnings from the past year: How to pace myself during strenuous HIIT. The importance of a balanced diet and how to use protein to help me workout alongside my full time job. Best practices to breath to get the most out of a run. Asking for help to face my fears, especially when starting out new with weights. Setting boundaries and also pushing them to reach new heights. Basic boxing techniques. Jumping up on a box as tall as me with no support. Good sleep and period health as a result of regular exercise.

Extremely sad to leave, and grateful to have been a part of...