If your idea of a strenuous workout is 15 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes in the tanning booth, One 2 One Brian's Fitness isn't the place for you. If you split your time at the gym between doing crunches and inspecting your abs in the mirror, keep walking.
Brian Silfies opened One 2 One eight years ago with an eye on fitness enthusiasts looking to take their training to the next level. It must be summer somewhere, so to maintain our Adonis beach body The Insider laced up our sneakers, choked down a glass of raw eggs and headed to 2 Pillsbury St. to find out what the fitness center had to offer.
They've got just about every kind of personal training covered, with nine certified trainers on staff. New clients reveal their goals and are matched up with the trainer who most closely meets their needs.
“We don't have cookie-cutter programs,” Silfies said. “We can do pretty much everything – we have some trainers who are great at corrective exercise, some that are great at just kicking your butt, some that are great at getting you in good shape if you are going to do a triathlon or a marathon. Really we can do everything, because we have so many great people on staff and we share [all the information].”
The studio first opened on Main Street before moving into the Pillsbury Street building almost six years ago. It features the One 2 One fitness portion as well as the Concord Athlete Training Center, the latter of which caters to inpidual athletes or teams with a focus on sports-related training such as speed and agility.
Silfies said his specialty is working with those athletes interested in upping the intensity.
“I really enjoy working with the athletes in the high-intensity boot camps, people in really good shape that want to take it to the next level,” Silfies said.
The boot camps are no joke. A recent session featured five rounds of exercises that totaled 50 power cleans, 50 pull-ups, 100 pushups, five laps around the neighborhood, 1.5 miles on the stationary bike and 60 18-inch hurdles, all of which was completed in 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the person's level of “hardcore intensity,” Silfies said.
Those who prefer sessions at One 2 One can tailor the intensity to their specific needs. New clients receive a free assessment that includes a meeting with a potential trainer to ensure compatibility and a discussion about goals and health history.
“We try to have a realistic conversation about where you are and where you want to be,” Silfies said.
Most clients attend at least twice a week, Silfies said, though some come as many as five times. Each inpidual session is about $45, with group rates available as well.
Silfies said he prides himself on staying ahead of the curve in terms of equipment, attending several conferences around the country each year in order to keep up with current trends and to find new machines or gear.
That education is constant for the entire staff, as well, which is something Silfies believes sets One 2 One apart from other outlets.
“Fitness is a billion-dollar industry, and there's a lot of education,” he said. “If you work hard at getting educated, which we do, others have to catch up. We're experts at what we do.”
And where they do it has become something of a home to the fitness center.
“I'm thrilled. Concord has been good to me,” he said.
