Better Bodybuilding
Personal Training takes off on Huntington Ave.

By Stephanie Scott
Staff Writer

What's worse than dragging yourself to the gym in the unbearable heat? Arriving there only to find the place packed, each treadmill taken and every weight bench full.

The gym "scene," whether brimming with hard-bodied athletes showing off while they sweat, or too many people grinding through the same routine you are, can leave much to be desired. And for those longing to lock-in a little QT with a personal trainer, securing space and available equipment is as unlikely as asking your love handles to "please leave."

Enter Rob Shapiro and Alan Smith, two fitness guys who get it. They understand the club conundrum - that crowds aren't conducive to crunches and cardio - and that's why they opened BodyScapes at One Huntington Avenue. It's an upscale personal training center that's always about you.

But before you quit your gym, sprint over to Back Bay, and bang down their door, BodyScapes is not an all-out antidote to your current health club. It's a special supplement. Think of it as the protein boost in you Jamba Juice.

Here's how it works: each one-on-one personal training session is by appointment only. By using this system, BodyScapes staff can guarantee that the club doesn't get too crowded, that you are showered with attention during your one-hour session and that you are apt to actually make it to the gym, because, let's face it. Who wants to be an appointment-breaker?

Just setting foot into the relaxed, luxurious ambiance makes you feel like you're doing something wonderful. The staff is so friendly and attentive, it's like walking into your own birthday party.

Toffee colored hard wood floors line the airy, brightly lit, 2,500-foot gym. To the right is a carpeted stretching area with immaculately stacked weights, medicine balls (a.k.a. power balls) of all different sizes and colors, and a pastel assortment of inflatable fitness/stability balls. To the left is an impressive array of Cybex and other state-of-the-art cardio and weight training machines.

The gym also includes gorgeously clean and well-appointed locker rooms with showers and spacious primping areas. And over by the entrance are two modern, comfy chairs and a coffee table strewn with the latest mags.
"I worked in a health club as a general manager prior to this and clients would always say to me, 'It's too busy in here' or, 'There are too many distractions,'" said Shapiro, sporting a navy BodyScapes shirt and sipping Starbucks in one of the chairs. "The personal training business was really suffering, so the idea to open a small, intimate, high-end facility that was just for personal training made sense. It's a classy [place] for people who don't like the health club scene."

Shapiro's scheme to create a niche in the fitness world, employing the best-educated athletic trainers, exercise physiologists and licensed physical therapists, came to fruition after he had been laid off. Instead of moping about, he did some research, wrote a business plan, secured a loan from the Small Business Administration, and launched the first BodyScapes in his hometown of Newton.

That was in the spring of 1997. Two years later, the business was doing so well, he opened a second location in Wellesley. And now, true to his original aspiration to open three gyms, and to attract the tony, demanding Boston crowd, BodyScapes Back Bay revved up its ellipticals in April.

Shapiro and Smith have been best friends since seventh grade. When the time was right to expand into Boston, Shapiro knew he needed a partner he could trust. "I always thought the concept and the idea was great," said Smith, while balancing on a pink stability ball, and also wearing a blue BodyScapes shirt.

"I've never been a 'gym rat,' the scene wasn't for me. But, at BodyScapes, the trainers set up a program specifically for me. I'm proof of product," he said.

The concept makes sense. With a personal trainer, you're guaranteed a great workout. There's no thinking or planning involved and you don't need to keep track of pounds or reps. Exercises can be as simple as placing your back against the wall and squatting until your thighs feel like they'll burst into flames, or as complex as a rapidly-choreographed weightlifting routine. Workouts are as complicated as your tolerance, strength and stamina dictate. And you're sure to stretch muscles you never knew you had.

"Most people never push themselves on their own as hard as they would if someone else was pushing them," said Mitch Shechtman, director of fitness operations.
"If someone says they can't do it, they usually can. And a great trainer is really good at reading body language."

"When you are by yourself, you have to be disciplined to know what you're going to do next," said Shapiro. "In a crowded gym, your program gets deviated. But here, your trainer is your coach."

Of course, cheerleaders don't come cheap. Although both Smith and Shapiro insist their sessions are priced right in the middle of what other gyms charge for personal training time, BodyScapes is definitely for those with disposable income. A single session is $75. A package of six is $419, 12 is $799 and 22 is $1,399.
Clients range in age from early 20s (high schoolers frequent Newton and Wellesley) to those in their 70s and 80s, and encompass everyone from professional athletes to people who have never exercised before to women who just had their third baby and want their figures back. "There's no one else like us in the city," explained Smith. And the one-two punch of capitalizing on a unique experience, and working in conjunction with monster health clubs, guarantees success like yoga improves posture.

"We're ahead of projections as far as number go," said Shapiro. "It's going better than expected, and we're growing every week." So far, the Huntington Ave. BodyScapes has around 75 clients.

And for those who rant that they hate to sweat, BodyScapes is about "wellness of life," a broad based goal that's hard to defeat. "This is about well-being" said Shapiro. "It's about improving the quality of your life."