Members of the former Santa Maria Athletic Club are going to notice some changes in the next few weeks, as the club recently partnered with a worldwide chain, World Gym.
“It opens us up to all of their clubs for our members,” said manager Goreal Hudson. “If they ever travel, or anything of that nature, they have other locations they can go to without having to worry about paying.”
In addition, Hudson said, the changeover will bring in more equipment to the facility from its corporate headquarters, as the club recently removed a boxing ring to make room for more cardio machines and a personal training area.
“We’ve had a lot of people that have been asking for that, so that’s an added thing we’re looking to get in there,” Hudson said. “As we go into the New Year, you’ll see more and more things going in.”
The club currently serves about 3,000 members. Besides keeping all of its fitness programs intact, some of the gym’s mainstays will remain, including its octagon-style mixed martial arts/boxing training center, its large-screen Cardio Theater, and the in-house HCG Gold Wellness Center, which features both doctor-supervised weight loss and general nutrition programs.
“It’s for anyone that’s looking to lose a couple of pounds, lean up, or even to gain weight,” Hudson said. “It takes care of the person from head to toe rather than just saying, ‘We have weights. Good luck.’ We like to help people and give them the opportunity to take the guessing out of achieving their goal.”
World Gym recently added a hydro-massage bed to its list of amenities, and Hudson said club ownership is moving forward with a number of new ideas they’ll be looking to implement in the coming months.
“People can expect things to go up to another level,” he said. “We’ll be adding trainers and staff, so people see that and it sparks interest, and hopefully gets them to be helped out.”
With no long-term contracts to sign, World Gym memberships are month-to-month. The club is currently offering two specials: a $19.99 membership for general access, and $25.99 membership including access to classes and daycare for one child. For those curious about the HCG Wellness center, there will be a question-and-answer seminar on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. for gym members and non-members alike.
World Gym is at 1321 S. Bradley St. in Santa Maria and is open Monday to Thursday from 5 a.m. to midnight; Fridays from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and weekends from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information, visit smathletic.net or call 928-8596.
Highlights
• The Santa Maria Wine Country Association announced it would be kicking off 2012 with a new logo and branding campaign: “Vintage Santa Maria Valley.”
As part of the campaign, a new website design—with an integrated event calendar, destination marketing, and updated Bien Nacido Vineyards member promotional tools—will be launched soon.
The group also recognized Foxen 2010 Bien Nacido Vineyard-Block UU Chardonnay and Qupe 2006 Bien Nacido Vineyard 25th Anniversary X-Block Syrah as the top-rated wines of 2011 for the area. Four Santa Maria Valley wines are also featured in the recent Stephen Tanzer report on Central Coast Chardonnays: the Ojai Vineyard 2009 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay, Qupé 2009 Bien Nacido Reserve Eleven Chardonnay, Foxen 2010 Bien Nacido Vineyard Block UU Chardonnay, and the Au Bon Climat 2009 Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Barbara Historic Vineyards Collection Chardonnay.
For more information, visit santamariawinecountry.com.
Biz Spotlight/Highlights are written and compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Jan 5-12, 2012.