Powerform

Been working with Dave for years now. It’s been great. Dave runs a tight ship and is a non-​nonsense trainer with decades of experience.

I hate gyms but I love Powerform. Nothing beats a one-​on-​one training session. It’s you and Dave and a whole lot of weights. Dave knows what he’s doing. I said I wanted to «get muscles» and we were off to the races. Knowledge is key here and everyone knows what they are doing, they listen, they help, they correct and they motivate. I have worked out with Dave, Jennifer, Alex and Stephanie and they are all excellent. I have been going here for almost 2 years and I have no intention of stopping. Come in, be honest about your goals and follow their lead. My 5 star review does not say enough about how much I love this place!

Today was my last day training regularly at Dave’s gym because I am leaving the East Bay to take a new job.
I started training with Dave a year ago. I was recovering from a broken ankle – two surgeries and months without being able to walk on my right leg. A few months ago, I deadlifted 300×8. I couldn’t believe how much my body has changed and the progress I’ve made on my lifts training with Dave.
Thanks to Dave, I’ve gained confidence, coordination, and overall fitness.
He’s a mentor, a coach, and a skilled trainer. Stephanie, one of the trainers who works for him, is also fantastic.
Make an investment in yourself and try Powerform. You won’t regret it.

«If you want to change the shape of your body free weights, along with expert assistance is the fastest and best way to do it. So if you’re tired of the chrome, silly machines and jerks at your gym you can’t do better than Dave and Jennifer at PowerForm. I hope to see you there. »

Both Dave and Michael are expert at formulating a weight training program that suits individual needs. I also found the atmosphere enjoyable, relaxed, and the attention to detail was important for avoiding injury. Great trainers who also are good human beings.
P. Black

Dave delivers awesome results for a reasonable price in amazingly short training sessions. I only see him 30 minutes *a week* but I’m as strong as I’ve ever been. He really knows how to make efficient use of your time. He’s also really good at pushing you enough to get constant improvement without completely exhausting you.
I highly recommend you go see him if you want great results without any BS.

I’ve been a member of fancy gyms, including the Bay Club in SF. In many ways, this is the opposite — no nonsense, high intensity, high information at very reasonable prices.
Dave, Michael and Jake are all serious athletes and filled with complementary knowledge on strength and aerobic training as well as stretching (Michael, in particular, has solved problems that sports medicine doctors couldn’t.)

OMG = I started training with Dave and Michael a couple of weeks ago and I have never had so much fun in going to the gym. I look forward to my twice a week 30mns sessions… They are really pushing you because they know you can. They listen to your body… be honest with them and they will be honest with you. Best money I have ever spent… Can’t wait for my next session.

$ 320 for 10 sessions, in a private gym with 1 on 1 attention. That right there should get you looking Daves way. He’s been state and world champion in the Deadlift many times, and has a wall packed with trophies to prove it.
Dave is a BIG guy with a funny soft manner about him. He knows how to get the most out of people, sometimes with gentle coaching and instructions to barking for you to knock out one more rep. He is nice, without being pretentious like the trainers you’ll pay a lot more for at 24 hour fitness or where ever else you may go.
I’m starting with third cycle with him now, which consists one 30 minute session twice a week. I used to be a body builder, where we would work out for an hour or more, until we totally killed ourselves. Dave believes in strength training, not body building, and yes there is a difference. You’ll work on your core a lot more, and you’ll never do the same exercise twice in a week, or even twice in 2 weeks. He constantly mixes it up, keeping your body guessing and forcing it at adapt. I’ve gone from deadlifting hardly 200lbs when I first walked in, to over 400lbs in the 3 months I’ve been working with him, and I’ve lost 12lbs to boot.
And the real trip is, most of Daves clients aren’t like me at all. Over ½ of his clients are over 50 and over ½ are female. You would think with a world class strength trainer you would see more, ummm, muscle heads in there, but that’s not the case. The person before me is a young lady, maybe 25 or so, who just moved here. I’m 38, and then the lady after is me 72 years old and is a life long Oakland resident.
Just when you think you got the scoop, nope, Daves not done. He’ll give you pointers and tips on everything from getting the right matres and the importance of sleep, to which supplements you can get that are worth the money (no he doesn’t sell anything in his gym). The gym is also open on Saturdays when Dave himself trains, and it’s open to anyone who wants to come in. I’ve done it a few times, and it’s been totally worth it.
Bottom line, I’d pay twice what he charges for what I get. Personal trainers at 24 Hour? Pfft!

I started working out with Dave when I was 50, well over ten years ago and long before he had his own place. I was a classic exercise failure– had joined many gyms with the best of intentions and never stuck with it. I figured if there was a person there waiting for me, I might actually show up and work out. He started me out on a program that was challenging enough to feel I’d done something but easy enough for me to feel like I could do this. All these many years later, I’m still showing up am stronger that I was at 50 and even have definition in places I didn’t even know could be defined. The strength and endurance I got from Dave made me feel I could take on other things I had wanted to do but that had always seemed like too much effort like hiking and biking. The big takeaway here is that IT’S NEVER TOO LATE! This is a no-​glam, no-​nonsense, no frills place, no one will try to sell you anything (nothing there to sell, anyway) and your body will thank you.

If you’re looking for a no nonsense trainer, look no further! Dave and Mike really know their stuff. For what you’d pay a trainer at the gym you could be spending half the time, get twice the workout and still save money at Powerform. No joke. Even though it’s at the top of College Avenue, typically an impossible place to find parking, I have never had to walk more than half a block. They are BIG dog lovers too so if you live close enough to add a little cardio before your session, walk over with your dog. I do!

Affordable and Fun!
Most other places are $ 60-​$ 100 for an hour, and in that hour is 15 min of warmup/​warmdown and 15min of stretching. I’m an adult and can do that on my own. Dave charges $ 30 for a half hour and you get every penny’s worth. Private gym to yourself, non-​stop work, no filler, and a great personality. Dave doesn’t charge enough really.
Dave is a fun personal trainer. Not intimidating, he’ll converse, joke, instruct, or be quiet, whatever seems to work for you! Dave really makes 6am workouts fun!
Finally, Dave gives you what you ask for. I went in asking for some specific help, and he didn’t try to sell me anything I wasn’t asking for. If you know what you want he’s great. Even if you don’t know what you want, he’s fun to talk to about what he can do.
Check out Powerform for a nice kickstart to fitness. Very affordable and loads of fun!

I used to train at 24-​hour fitness. I had a good trainer, but found 3 — 1 hour sessions per week to be expensive and time consuming. And I always felt like they were trying to up sell me and get me to spend more money all the time. Dave and Mike at Powerform are fantastic! I have 2 — 30 minute weight training sessions per week and it has been just as effective as when I was going 3 hours per week. Since the gym is basically open from early morning until the evening, they are very flexible with the hours. Dave loves dogs too, so you can bring your pooch to hang out while you train and it ain’t no thang. Prices are extremely reasonable also. Looking for an efficient and affordable weight training session to amp up your metabolism over the holidays and into the new year? Check out Powerform! Your muscles will thank you.