Exercising Your Options Downtown Springfield Fitness Studio Puts A Heavy Emphasis On Flexibility

Peter Samberg says one attorney working in downtown Springfield makes frequent visits to his personal training and fitness studio — at 2 in the morning.

That’s a story Samberg, owner of One on One Fitness, likes to tell when giving prospective members a tour of his facility, tucked into a corner of downtown’s Marketplace building between Main and Harrison streets. Such 2 a.m. workouts are a measure of originality that few health clubs can offer, he says, and it’s just one example of the personalized attention Samberg is trying to cultivate at One on One in order to stand apart in the increasingly competitive health and wellness industry.
Samberg opened One on One in May of 2004, and completed an expansion of the business one year later. Today, the fitness studio welcomes clients from across the Pioneer Valley, drawing strong interest from those working in downtown Springfield.

There is a particular emphasis on flexibility and privacy at the studio, as the story of that anonymous lawyer proves. Clients are given 24-hour access, thanks to a security system that allows members to punch in a code, enter the studio, and work out safely behind locked doors and opaque curtains, under the watchful eye of internal security cameras in every room of the facility.

Members can take advantage of an array of cardio and strength training equipment and work out at their own pace literally any time, or they can also sign up for personal training sessions with Samberg. He said he places importance on well-rounded workouts that include cardio, strength, and core training, as well as an educational component designed to provide clients with the information they need to safely, effectively work out as their own lives allow.

Getting Personal

Samberg said one of his main objectives in creating One on One was to underscore the fact that fitness can be greatly enhanced with personal attention and plans tailored to each individual, and that theory touches every aspect of the business.

“One-on-one interaction and personal attention during a workout are invaluable,” he said, noting that as many gyms and health clubs become larger in order to meet demand while keeping costs down, the first amenities to fall by the wayside are usually personal interaction with staff, and privacy. “The larger the gym, the more unlikely it is that you’ll have any kind of relationship with a staff member. And in the fitness clubs that do have personal trainers, it’s done in front of everyone, and that can be uncomfortable for a lot of people.”

To solve that problem, training sessions at One on One reflect the name of the business – appointments are scheduled so not to overlap with those of other clients and are held in a room at the studio reserved for private, personal training.

In addition, training packages vary from those that meet very frequently – three or four visits a week – to infrequently, just once a month. According to Samberg, it’s a myth that personal training must be reserved for those with disposable time or income; instead, he stressed that training packages can be created to fit into nearly any schedule or budget.

“I have clients that come in once a month, and some who visit three or four times a week,” he said. “There’s a package for anyone.”

The flexibility that is central to the One on One business model has been attractive to the many people working in the downtown office towers, and those clients represent Samberg’s largest faction of members.

And busy professionals are clients that Samberg is familiar with – he comes from a background in corporate fitness and training, the career he first entered after earning a degree in fitness management from Fitchburg State College (he’s also a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a certified personal trainer). He chose to strike out on his own, he said, in part to fill a void he saw in the national fitness landscape – that of private, focused fitness centers offering accessible, affordable personal training.

Employee Orientation

But he has also hit a very timely nerve with his services, which are strengthened by One on One’s central location and by Samberg’s background. Across the country, health and wellness are becoming rising concerns within companies of all sizes, as research continues to prove that preventative measures keep employees healthier and, in the long run, save employers money.

With that in mind, Samberg offers employee-wellness packages to local businesses, providing discounts to employee groups who join the studio.

“The program aims at keeping a company’s employees within healthy ranges in terms of blood pressure, body fat, weight, cholesterol, and stress levels,” Samberg explained, adding that he also offers training sessions tailored to fit into an hour-long lunch break, or immediately before or after the work day.

He also conducts small classes for those members who enjoy the exercise class climate, called boot camp, and designs those classes to benefit students at varying fitness levels.

“It’s much less intimidating than the name suggests,” he said, noting that ‘boot camp’ refers more to the variety of the exercises than the level of difficulty. He’ll also be adding a yoga class to his schedule this month.

Samberg said he’ll even design abbreviated cardio and strength training plans – just a half-hour or so – for people to follow during the week, if their schedules prohibit more lengthy workouts.

“What I always stress is something is better than nothing,” he said. “People are busy, and it’s a misconception that you can’t get some benefit out of a quick 30-minute workout … you just need to be educated on how to do it right.”

The education component of health and fitness is another area that can be neglected in larger gyms and health clubs, Samberg added, and one he tries to focus on during training sessions with clients.

“There are a million myths out there and people are constantly being bombarded with them, when they talk to their friends, their coworkers, and their families,” he said. “Most people just need somewhere they can go where they can take the time to learn the facts, then fit it into their lives on their own.”

Night Moves

And through Samberg, many of One on One’s clients are getting just that kind of attention – education, coupled with the ability to apply that new knowledge in any way they see fit.

That could be during an exercise class at the end of the day … or at 2 a.m., during a quick cardio session that places an attorney in Springfield one step closer to physical fitness while the city sleeps.

Fast Facts:Business: One on One Fitness Studio Address: 1341 Marketplace Main St., Springfield, MA 01103 Phone: (413) 330-3597 Web site: www.oneononefitstudio.com Services: 24-hour fitness facility, personal training, exercise classes

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at stevenson@healthcarenews.com