UrbanBody Gym in the News! 
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If Susana can do it, so can you! |
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Elizabeth Choa and David Lee, students at UCSD Film School, filmed "Man Sweat" with Frank and his team of Trainers at UrbanBody Gym for a sociology class project. The project received an A+. - December 2010 |
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UrbanBody Gym has teamed with local area businesses to challenge North Park to lose 1000 pounds in 2011! |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Frank Kole The North Park 1000 Pound Urban Challenge is here! Date: December 2, 2010 UrbanBody Gym, est. 2003, is a full-service health club located in the heart of North Park. ### |
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10News.com A-List promo filmed |
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Workout: "Cyborg Leg Training " photographed at UrbanBody Gym by Serg Studios. |
Men's Exercise Magazine, June 2010 Issue "Cyborg Leg Training" workout performed at UrbanBody Gym. Photography by Serg Studios, sergstudios.com |
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"Frank Kole's advice...stick with an exercise program for at least 12 months, so it becomes a part of everyday life." |
SAN DIEGO — Note to all you exercise newbies: Take a cue from Amber Headley. She promised herself on New Year’s Day 2009 that she would start working out. Yesterday morning, there she was, at what has become a regular hangout — Fitness West gym in Pacific Beach. Clearly, she didn’t get the memo that New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken. “I wanted to be here again on the 1st,” said Headley, 22. “New year, new start.” January is when many San Diegans push the reset button. Perhaps nowhere is it more obvious than at gyms and health clubs, which flood with newcomers who tell themselves that this year — really, truly — is going to be different. Two of the nation’s most popular New Year’s resolutions are “lose weight” and “get fit,” according to USA.gov, a federal government Web site. Gym operators say business picks up in the first few weeks of the year. January is the busiest month for membership sign-ups, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association says. Its research shows that 42 percent of gym members work out at the gym fewer than 50 days per year. Urban Body Gym in North Park gets about 5,000 visits a month. In January, that figure can swell to 5,800, owner Frank Kole said. “It gets pretty crazy, but that’s just the nature of the beast,” he said. Kole and his wife, Robin, opened the University Avenue business in 2003. They said many newcomers walk in with warped expectations. They treat exercise like a quickie diet that has to be endured before they can go back to their regular lives. People are always asking, ‘How long does it take?’ They don’t realize it’s a lifelong commitment,” Frank Kole said. He said some newcomers sign up in the fall but don’t start working out until January, pinning their health and hopes to a point on the calendar. Until the year starts, Kole said, “they just disappear.” His advice to the resolution-makers: Stick with an exercise program for at least 12 months, so it becomes a part of everyday life. Andrea “Jaxx” Paulis, an Urban Body regular, said it’s important to set clear exercise goals rather than just declaring you want to get in shape. “As soon as I had a plan, I got moving,” said Paulis, 65. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says adults need 30 minutes of physical activity five or more days a week to be healthy; children and teens need 60 minutes of activity a day. At Fitness West yesterday, Karen Bixler worked an elliptical machine for part of the morning. She became a gym regular several years ago after getting a job at a senior-care center and seeing the toll that age takes on the body. Bixler knows what to expect at the gym over the next few weeks — an influx of the well-intentioned, including those who will work out for a few weeks, then never show up again. Then there are the Amber Headleys. She now goes to the gym twice a week, whether it’s another day or the start of a new year. Headley said she had tried to make exercise a regular part of her life before. But, she said, “this is the first time I’ve really stuck with it.”
DAVID BROOKS/ UNION-TRIBUNE Amber Headley promised herself on New Year's Day 2009 that she would start working out. On Friday morning, there she was, at what has become a regular hangout -- Fitness West gym in Pacific Beach
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"STATUS: … the area rests atop a geologic feature called a perched aquifer, giving underground runoff and rain nowhere to go but up." |
 THE SITE: University Avenue, North Park
THE PROBLEM: Months before this week’s rain, the water pooling every day at University Avenue and Iowa Street looked like either a leak or outright waste, which is how at least four people contacting Just Fix It since summer described it. Mike Manley, who has a home in the area, notices it every time he walks to his favorite North Park yogurt shop. “That intersection is always wet, always wet,” he said. A few nights before Thanksgiving “it was all flooded,” he said. Frank Kole, who owns the Urbanbody Gym on the corner, noticed Just Fix It taking pictures and came out. Kole said the problem goes back years, and that a condominium complex up Iowa Street regularly pumps water to the curb from just below street level to keep the lower units from flooding. “As soon as the water gets too high, the pump clicks on,” said Kole, who wrote to several city departments this year seeking help. Kole noted “all the trees on Iowa are quite lush” despite a lack of any artificial irrigation, and said speculation on the street is that an underground stream is causing the trouble. City officials however have an equally improbable explanation for the water, and we’ll warn you right now there’s no quick fix, because … STATUS: … the area rests atop a geologic feature called a perched aquifer, giving underground runoff and rain nowhere to go but up. It’s like a shallow clay bowl that collects normal urban runoff, said Bill Harris, supervising public information officer for the city’s Storm Water Department. It’s impermeable, so the water doesn’t seep into the lower water table. Excessive irrigation applied to lawns and other landscaping, draining to the aquifer from a wide area, exacerbates the trouble, Harris noted. The city has thoroughly investigated the perched aquifer but can’t alter it, Harris said. Properties affected by the feature are permitted to use sump pumps to divert the rising water. Which leads us to our next problem: After decades of resurfacing and erosion of a gutter, the contours of the intersection no longer convey all the water to drains. Hasan Yousef, deputy director of the Street Division, said the city plans to reconstruct the concrete gutter crossing Iowa along University to improve drainage. The work is tentatively scheduled sometime during the next three to six months. WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Hasan Yousef, who can be reached at (619) 527-7504 or hyousef@sandiego.gov. KUDOS: Has information in Just Fix It helped you get quick action from government on a problem in your neighborhood? Let us know for our annual kudos column, to appear early in 2010. Call (800) 820-8714 or send an e-mail to justfixit@uniontrib.com with details; that’s also the way to submit to us a problem that hasn’t been fixed. |
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"Little indie gem" |
Billed as "The Last Real Gym in America," this little indie gem (and that's not a typo: it's a play on words) has cardio and weight equipment. And the North Park locals laud its core-building classes (yoga, abs, boxing and such) and the sleekly designed, wheat grass-errific juice bar (try the Power Colada). Urban Body Gym & Juice Bar also scores high for not being a meat market: When you workout, the only dumbbells bothering you weigh less than 150 pounds. Check out their gear, online or in-store. And be warned: The music tends to lean toward House.
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Urbanbody Gym wins Top 5 for Best Gym in San Diego |
 UrbanBody Gym wins Top 5 for Best Gym in San Diego 2009! Thank you to all of our loyal members and supporters for voting for us!
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| "Frank has designed a program (Iron Camp) for the person who can benefit from group training, and he took it many steps further. If you are looking for a challenging workout and have tried other group training programs with no success, Iron Camp may be your salvation." - Rage Monthly; August 2009 |
"Iron Camp" Style In the pursuit of health and fitness, people seek out many different roads to help them reach their personal goals. Whether it is to lower their handicap, become a more efficient runner, have bigger biceps or possess the ability to hold their own children without paralyzing back pains. In my private practice, I have seen many different clientèle with many different goals and needs. Over the years and over the course of running my own business, I have studied traditional methods and non-traditional (holistic) methods. Both contain very valid information that I have successfully applied on my clients to better their lives. Educating on both sides, traditional and non-traditional, has enabled me to broaden my outlook on health and exercise which has allowed me to help a more diverse client. I have also learned that one-size-does-not-fit-all and that there is always an "exception to the rule". What works for me may or may not work for anyone else and vice versa. So variety is the spice of life, so to speak, and is no exception to health and fitness. Some clients need a very specific dietary and exercise protocol while others do not. I recently spoke to Frank Kole, owner of Urban Body Gym in San Diego. Frank has developed a unique group training program called "Iron Camp". Frank explained to me that his Iron Camp is not your typical "Boot Camp" style workout program. Iron Camp is a six-week intensive program that applies The Urban Body motto on fitness, nutrition and goal setting skills for their "campers" to reach their personal fitness goals. Frank explains that during the six-week intensive, the campers receive a highly motivational environment, personal counseling on goal-setting, nutritional support and high energy trainers to motivate their campers into success. Frank also told me that Iron Camp is very group-oriented and the campers not only train together but also have weekly meetings to go over their program progress and future goals. He shared that many campers have seen great success from this style of workout and have developed a better quality of life through a better looking body. After talking to Frank, it was easy to feel his passion for his gym and his Iron Campers. Iron Camp sounds like a great way for people who like group training to reach their fitness goals. As I mentioned before one-size-does-not-fit-all and every person has different goals with different requirements. As a personal trainer/exercise coach and holistic lifestyle coach, I have learned that it is invaluable to consider all aspects of your clients' lifestyles in designing a program that will give each of them individual success. Frank has designed a program for the person who can benefit from group training, and he took it many steps further. If you are looking for a challenging workout and have tried other group training programs with no success, Iron Camp may be your salvation. For more information on Frank and Iron Camp go to urbanbodygym.com. Frank has been in the business for over two decades and would love to give you the workout on fitness. Click here for the full article
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| "Through our signature fitness classes, we educate our members with practical tools that they can take home," Frank Kole said. - Gay & Lesbian Times, April 23, 2009 |
UrbanBody Gym & Juice Bar
"UrbanBody has some of the best trainers in San Diego," Frank Kole said. The gym's personal trainers focus on classical training techniques combined with cutting-edge technologies. "We have developed programs to start our members off right and help keep the positive change in their life, for life," Kole said. In addition to its personal training, UrbanBody offers signature group fitness classes at all levels, from high intensity to core muscle group classes. "Through our signature fitness groups, we educate our members with practical tools that they can take home," Kole said.
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Training Workout: "Ripped Shoulders & Arms" photographed at UrbanBody Gym by Serg Studios. |
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Exercise For Men Only Magazine, "Ripped Shoulders & Arms" workout performed at UrbanBody Gym. Photographed by Serg Studios, sergstudios.com |
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Urbanbody Gym wins Top 5 for Best Gym in San Diego
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 UrbanBody Gym wins Top 5 for Best Gym in San Diego 2008! Thank you to all of our loyal members and supporters for voting for us!
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UrbanBody Gym wins four Notables in the GLT Best of Gay San Diego 2008! |
UrbanBody Gym wins Notable for UrbanBody Gym wins Notable for Carl Mullen wins Notable for Alden Perando wins Notable for
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| "You'll get fit alongside locals who come for a no-nonsense workout, and muscle-bound regulars who live to pump iron." - DiscoverSD.com, January 4, 2008 |
My resolution for 2008 is to be comfortable with who I am and not to succumb to the constant barrage of television commercials telling me that what I really need to do is lose weight and get in shape to mark the beginning of the new year. But when even my January issue of Vanity Fair arrived at my door half its usual size, I felt the need to return to my annual resolution: invigorate my exercise routine and make this the year that my stomach turns toned. While most gyms in San Diego have some sort of personal training or nutritional counseling available to help their members navigate their way through a fitness routine, many of the bigger chains can feel pre-packaged - as my resolution for 2008 is to be comfortable with who I am and not to succumb to the constant barrage of television commercials telling me that what I really need to do is lose weight and get in shape to mark the beginning of the new year. But when even my January issue of Vanity Fair arrived at my door half its usual size, I felt the need to return to my annual resolution: invigorate my exercise routine and make this the year that my stomach turns toned. While most gyms in San Diego have some sort of personal training or nutritional counseling available to help their members navigate their way through a fitness routine, many of the bigger chains can feel pre-packaged - as though their training advice is one-size-fits-all, as opposed to custom and tailored to the individual needs of each client. Because not every person responds in physically or mentally identical ways to exercise, finding a smaller gym that takes the time to individually assess each of their members may mean the difference between simply acting on your fitness resolution and sticking to it. You might not be able use gym facilities at midnight, but the personal care and attention you receive will be more motivating than the promise of a pre-dawn workout. ...For those whose New Year's resolutions run less towards starting fitness and more towards kicking their current workout up a notch, the following gyms will provide you with higher energy workouts to transform your current stale fitness regime. UrbanBody Gym & Juice Bar bills itself as "the last real gym in America" and provides group classes that target abs or work you out with yoga or boxing in a sparse, no frills environment. Personal trainers are available for those who want one-on-one motivation, and one personal training session is included in the new member welcome package as well as coupons for their juice bar. You'll get fit alongside locals who come for a no-nonsense workout, and muscle-bound regulars who live to pump iron. UrbanBody Gym & Juice Bar in North Park |
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"With UrbanBody, service is the strongest sales point of all." |
By Gene Hetzel, BUZZ Magazine, April 27 2007 Most people's gym experiences are solitary affairs. In an industry that has become just as corporatized as every other in America, people go in, do their time and then go home. Many people enjoy this lonely experience because it lets them zone out, displace themselves from the tensions of work and home life and attend to the physique that is often neglected in the modern sedentary lifestyle. However, some are looking for a more personal experience that can only be offered by a gym run by local owners who know their area and know what locals like. UrbanBody Gym is just such an enterprise, full of locals who know what they want come to experience a different kind of workout. UrbanBody Gym had its start in New York City as a personal training service ten years ago under the supervision of industry veteran Frank Kole. Kole had been a gym owner and a personal trainer for 25 yrs, opening his first small gym in upstate New York at the tender age of 18. The business proved so successful that three years later Kole was able to move the gym to a larger facility. Two years after that, Kole was able to sell the business at a healthy profit. Kole relates that his gyms were a lot like a health conscious version of Cheers. "My gyms were neighborhood niche gyms where you would see the same people every day. You got to know their names and what they were like. I am sad to say that these kinds of gyms are a dying breed now because of the big fitness chains." Still, Kole says he found he could keep some of that spirit alive in the personal training service he started in New York's Greenwich Village. "It really took off, to the point where I was hiring two or three others to work for me. I started to land accounts like the cast of Rent and Smokey Joe's Cafe at the time, so I had established a significant reputation in one of the largest fitness markets in the world. Still, my partner and I didn't like the New York atmosphere, so we decided to come to California, landing in San Francisco in 1999. I found that neither that city, nor neighboring Oakland, had a workable space for the neighborhood gym I wanted to build. We soon became big fans of San Diego, coming again and again until we decided to move here in 2001. I began to look for a gym location soon after arriving, a process that took two years. It took ten months to build the gym itself with some help from friends and a few contractors. I found that I needed to build this space myself, a permanent fixture and testament to what I wanted in a gym and I knew was missing in the corporate facilities. Thus, this became a gym by family for family, from the start." A large part of that family is the San Diego LGBT community, according to Kole. "The LGBT community is the largest it has ever been in San Diego. UrbanBody Gym has become a home for the many LGBT individuals who want the personal experience with others whom they feel kinship with. We have our straight customers as well. I like to joke that we are straight-friendly." Kole says UrbanBody Gym and Juice Bar represents the culmination of his experience in the business and in fitness in general. "The tag line for our business is that we are 'The Last Real Gym in America!' We stand against a tough market of big gyms where - and you will have to forgive the pun - only the strong survive. What I believe sets my gym apart from the megalithic gyms is that I work out there, unlike some of the other owners. Furthermore, I train all of my employees to be fitness-ready. We train together in the gym two times a week, a practice that helps me keep in touch with my trainers and keep them sharp on their skills. Most gyms let independent trainers onto the floor with managerial supervision. We train with our trainers personally and we are able to offer the best classes in town because I make sure they know the latest sets and styles down pat. They are instructed by our trainers. We offer Abs by Alden, Jonny Pilates, SuperClass, BodyBlast, yoga and boxing training among other classes. We are always adding new fun, high energy routines to our repertoire, as well." Among the gym's other features is a unique juice bar and the latest in high-end exercise equipment. Our juice bar, Shake Shake Shake, uses real fruit and proteins in our own original, no sugar recipes, " says Kole. "Also, when it comes to equipping the gym, I always felt you should put in the best, so we did. Finally, I would like to stress that we are here for the long run. We own the building we are in. This gym will always be a center point in the community and a safe place for everyone seeking to work out."
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"We are a gym for the community by locals and a place where you can see the owners working out next to you. I encourage everyone that comes into our gym to introduce themselves, and people are always free to discuss any issues with me." With UrbanBody, service is the strongest sales point of all.|
UrbanBody Gym wins 2005 Nicky Award for Outstanding Gym |
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| "UrbanBody received more votes than all other businesses combined." - The North Park Way, March 2005 |
 UrbanBody Gym Named North Park Main Street's Business of the Year March 2005 - Its that time of year again to recognize the outstanding business in North Park. Last year, San Diego Art Department was elected North Park Business of the Year. This year's winner is UrbanBody Gym. Congratulations to gym owners Robin and Frank Kole! UrbanBody received more votes than all other businesses combined. Other businesses nominated were Lumberjack Grille and Stern's Gym. UrbanBody Gym will now compete against 17 other businesses from the 17 other Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to become the 2005 BID Business of the Year. At an awards banquet on May 19, 2005, all 18 of the individual BID Business of the Year awardees will be recognized and the overall winner will be called up to the stage to receive an award for BID Business of the Year. Best of luck to UrbanBody Gym! Click here for the original article
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| "The atmosphere is decidedly urban friendly ." - North Park News February 2004 |
Fitness Resolutions Made Easy at UrbanBody The New Year may ring in fitness resolutions, but it is a mission of Urbanbody to help make sure these promises are kept long after the year is old. Urbanbody opened in North Park last year after owners Frank and Robin Kole extensively remodeled what old-timers may recognize as the Waldorf Building. Housed in a light gray building with brick red accents and black awnings, the two-story gym offers the expected selection of treadmills, weight machines, barbells and stationary bikes. But the atmosphere is decidedly urban friendly. Originally built in 1917, the structure was completely gutted. The new owners discovered the original redwood, which had been milled at North Park's sawmill, was in excellent condition. After seismic retrofitting, the gym was designed to be a pleasant but serious workout place. Instead of long views that allow everyone to watch each other, the lines of sight have been deliberately interrupted with equipment and walls to create a sense of privacy. Mark Jeffers, gym manager and personal trainer, is often at the reception desk greeting members by name. Happy to give tours or help someone understand exactly how to use a particular machine, he points out the top of the line exercise equipment, and the juice bar, which features natural juices, protein drinks, wheat grass shots and coffee. The juice bar also serves as a gathering place with steel bistro tables gathered on the street for an almost coffee-shop ambiance. "Time here should be enjoyable, not drudgery," Jeffers says. Classes are an important part of UrbanBody's program. Upstairs is a large, well-lighted room with a wood floor. Yoga, aerobics, cycling and sculpting are available. The Koles say they chose the North Park location after sensing the need for a new gym in the area. Good intuition. Nearly 400 people joined before opening day. Robin says 95% of the members come from North Park's 92104 ZIP code. "We wanted to create a neighborhood gym because you shouldn't have to drive 30 minutes to work out.," she says. This sentiment is echoed by at least one member who says "I traded a 20 minute drive for a 20 minute walk to work out." The membership at UrbanBody reflects the diversity of North Park. Older couples exercise together while younger men and women workout solo. The Five Dollar Daily program is proving popular. "Anyone can use the gym for $5 a day on a drop-in basis," Robin says...."We had a surprising number of people on Christmas and New Year's Day and many of them were using our Five Dollar Daily program," Robin says. "We've seen an increase of use in the first couple of weeks in the new year. My sense is that most of these folks are going to stick; they aren't here just because of a new year's resolution."
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| "UrbanBody is an excellent example of the kind of 'hands-on' assistance the City provides to small business owners." - Lynette Jones, City of San Diego Press Release, September 15, 2003 |
The Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services program has been critical in keeping their project moving expeditiously through the start-up process. The Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services program is designed to communicate concerns and assist small businesses with challenging zoning, permit and regulatory matters. Small businesses constitute approximately 92% of all businesses in San Diego, and many face complex zoning and regulatory issues that could arise during the start-up or expansion process. The Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services Manager works for the City, but serves as an advocate for small business owners, ensuring they have a spokesperson representing their interests when dealing with government agencies and regulations. The program is an integral part of the City’s Office of Small Business, one of only a few of its kind throughout the country. “The City has been incredible in its support for our business,” said Robin Kole, owner of UrbanBody. “The one-on-one interaction with City staff and guidance through each step of the permitting and planning process has alleviated a lot of our concerns. With the City’s continued support, we’re confident we’ll open our doors and enjoy a successful business in North Park.” The Economic Development Division’s Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) Team began working closely with Kole and her husband, Frank in the early stages of UrbanBody’s site selection. A preliminary review meeting was coordinated with representatives from each area of the Development Services Department to review plans and documents before they were submitted to the City in order to streamline the permitting process. Once the permitting process began, representatives served as advocates for the Kole’s, ensuring issues were resolved quickly. The Office of Small Business devoted a great deal of time in overseeing the UrbanBody project. The 8,000 square foot facility is designed to be a true ‘neighborhood gym’ in North Park, offering state-of-the-art weight training areas and cardio machines, yoga, cycling and boxing classes as well a pro-shop and a juice bar. The facility is expecting to open in September. “UrbanBody is an excellent example of the kind of ‘hands-on’ assistance the City provides to small business owners to help them through the various stages of starting a business,” said Lynette Jones, Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services Manager with the City of San Diego. “It’s very gratifying to be able to help people realize their dream of creating and implementing their own business.” For more information on Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services, or other Business Assistance programs, visit the City’s Web site at www.sandiego.gov and type “business development” in the search field or contact the Community and Economic Development Department at (619) 533-4233. Click here for the original press release
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