When most fitness places specialize in one workout mode or another, Addie’s Personal Training Studio in Pacific Beach is making a name for itself going against the tide. “We’re old school in our approach to fitness,” said Junior Leoso, owner-operator of Addie’s, at 4440 Ingraham St. “It’s better to have old-school techniques with new-school gear.” The gym owner-trainer noted that “It’s hard to sustain a business when you’re only serving one item.”
He likened single-mode fitness studios to “a restaurant that just has shrimp. You could go once a month. But you’re not going to eat there twice a day, every day.” Leoso has been the proprietor of Addie’s in its present location, formerly a credit union, since 2005. He noted that, though they don’t specialize in anything in particular, Addie’s carries all the tools – kettle bells and medicine balls, Pilates machines, treadmills, speed bikes, et cetera – that anyone would need to accomplish their fitness goals. An Addie’s workout was described by Leoso as a “full body experience.” “We provide the gear and all that is necessary to do that,” he said. “The goal is to provide all the tools necessary to do that.” Addie’s has done, or is about to do, a number of progressive things in the industry. The studio offers small group classes and one-on-one instruction with a trainer as well as a “mobile” gym. “We call it the power lunch program,” Leoso said. “Myself and two of my trainers show up to their place of business: We bring our gym to them. About 40 percent of our training is mobile, going everywhere from UTC to Chula Vista and everywhere in between.” Another interesting aspect of Addie’s is that most of its clients, men and women, are age 50 and beyond. Asked if it’s any different training older clients, Leoso said it is. “Older clients aren’t trying to squat 1,000 pounds or get their beach bodies; they just don’t want to run out of breath when they run up the stairs,” he said, adding his studio works with them to customize a fitness program just right for their needs. “You come in and say, ‘My goal is to run a 5K,'” Leoso said. “We do a fitness assessment of their current strength, flexibility, cardio training and range of motion. That gives us a baseline.” Addie’s also has another goal. “We try to make this as interesting – and as fun – as possible,” said Leoso. Another major tenet of Addie’s is that the studio doesn’t push the envelope on its client’s training. Leoso explained why. “If you went to a world-class running coach and you said ‘I’m going on a two-mile run and I’ve never run in my life,’ he wouldn’t say ‘Let’s run two miles today and see where you’re at.'” Leoso said Addie’s would take that same client and carefully assess his current capabilities before developing a fitness program that would help him gradually work toward his ultimate fitness goal. Addie’s hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or by appointment. Leoso said the studio is working on a way of getting members “cell phone access to the gym so they can come and go as they please. “All of our clients, by June, will be connected (online) to get updates on their fitness and nutrition programs,” Leoso said. “The web will give somebody all the help they need.” Leoso said one of the big downfalls of personal training is the cost. “If everybody could afford it, they would have a trainer,” he pointed out. “We don’t want anybody to fail in their fitness goals due to finances. And the answer (for us) was to use cell phones or emails to help them with their programs. We’re really pumped about this online aspect.” Addie’s Personal Training Studio
Where: 4440 Ingraham St., Pacific Beach
Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and by appointment
Info: (858) 483-2711, addiesstudio.com