Ripped! - Ten top trainers who will get you there

- Louise Rafkin
Sunday, December 31, 2006

The task of choosing the best personal trainers in the Bay Area is not for the faint of heart -- or for those who easily faint. First of all there's the question: What is a personal trainer? A whip master for weight loss? A cheerleader for the ubiquitous song of "health and wellness"? The guy or gal who gets you back on the horse -- or bicycle as it may be -- after an injury or surgery? A wizard of kinesiology who can concoct exercise brews of mind-boggling effectiveness, yet keep them curiously compelling? Someone who believes the notion of running a marathon, swimming to Alcatraz or hiking Kilimanjaro is not far-fetched but not that far in your future?

We've found good personal trainers who are all that. Some even give great massage.

There are dozens of great trainers in the Bay Area; these are only a handful. Recommended by their peers, or by anonymous e-mails, or by famous fitness aficionados, we (that's the queen's we) checked them out personally to make sure they really did rate. As with choosing a mate, it's buyer beware. We don't all value the same qualities in our trainers . But generally you can't go wrong with any of these -- and who knows, they might just change your life.

The New Age Gym Guru Da'Mon Vann, 37

Career path: Trained in top gyms in New York City and Miami. Opened Power-Plus Fitness in 2005 in the upstairs of his sweet Victorian on the Berkeley/Oakland border. Studies metaphysics and has a license in spiritual counseling. www.PowerPlusFitness. com; (510) 932-4353.

On combining physical and spiritual training: "Fitness is from the inside out; there is a great source of power and potential within."

Client demographics: 40 and up, especially seniors.

Worst clients: Those that head to In-N-Out afterward.

Other passions: Acting -- has been in an off-Broadway show.

Motto: It's possible -- everything begins in the mind.

The Tryout: Da'Mon's studio, the stylish front room of his upstairs duplex, is breezy, bright and stocked with the tools of the trade: medicine balls, weights, steps, BOSU and physio balls. He begins with a centering meditation, urging me to focus on the present and push back the tide of my busy mind. I'm asked to set a (private) intention for the session, which I'm told, "Will be." (Can I really lose 5 pounds in an hour?) A cardio warm-up of jumping jacks and burpees leads into strength training with free weights, on a ball and then on a step. Ab work follows.

The package: Da'mon's gig is more New-Agey and gentle than many, plus there's no stress around any of the social concerns of being in a fitness center. The spiritual component absolutely offers something to those in the "I can't" or "I haven't" traps.

Bottom line: $55 to $90 per session, plus free parking.