What’s different about classes at Clay?

  • No membership fees
  • High quality training that is safe and appropriately challenging for all levels
  • Accountability
  • Highly-individualized, custom programming to fit your goals and abilities
  • Evidence-based practice, not just hopping on the newest fad
  • Movement assessments offered before beginning training to determine movement dysfunctions and muscular imbalances that can precipitate injury or decrease performance
  • Optional benchmarking sessions to help you see your progress in concrete, non-scale-focused ways
  • Patient, supportive, kind, encouraging community and trainers

We want to help everyone pursue their goals and improve their health and strength. We don’t promote a “correct” way to look or a perfect sport to practice – we just want to see you move well, be healthy, and find joy in movement. You can come to us feeling de-conditioned, returning to training after an injury, having just finished an ironman race, or wanting to maintain your current fitness level. – we all have different goals. Whether you have a specific goal or are just looking to keep up or improve your health, we can adjust your training to help you on your individual journey. There is no pre-set, one-size-fits-all programming handed down from some head trainer in another state who has never met you. Whether in personal training or group classes, you will work hand-in-hand with your trainer to pursue your unique goals in ways that are appropriate and challenging for you at this time in your life. We keep our classes small enough that even in a class setting, your trainer will get to know you and your goals, and will be able to modify during classes so you are doing the work you need to do to achieve them. That is what makes Clay different.

It has been proven, time and time again, that a finite timeline in which to focus on results helps promote motivation. At Clay Fitness we believe that popping in and out of random classes in a traditional gym setting doesn’t give people the support to be accountable and never allows for a strong relationship between trainer and client/athlete. We use the term “program” to describe that someone has committed to a class or classes for an entire 12-16 week session. When you enroll in a program, your trainer learns about your goals and limitations, and, if desired, can provide homework helping you to support the training you do while you are at Clay. The group serves as a further motivator and a sense of community. Your trainer knows you, what you are capable of, and what your goals are. Programs are a good way to get some of the benefits of personal training without the higher cost.

Classes at Clay change seasonally, creating four multi-week sessions per year. These programs combine all of the pieces of an effective training program in one place – mobility/stretching, core-strengthening, balance/stability, aerobic/cardiovascular fitness, plyometrics/explosive power generation, and muscular strength. The sessions are designed to provide progressive overload for steady improvement over time. We incorporate periodization – cycles of gradually increasing intensity of work with planned “de-load” periods to allow for proper recovery and so your body can incorporate the progress made from the previous training stimuli and you can reach higher heights on the next cycle. (Think of it as 3 steps forward, 1 step back.) To allow for continued motivation and a sense of progress and accountability, we offer optional benchmarking of mobility, strength and cardiovascular fitness in the form of Fitness Assessments one to four times a year, as you and your trainer see fit. These allow you to measure progress, set new goals and sign up for the next challenge in a future program!

Make-up Policy
If you must miss a class, you will be able to make it up with our online scheduling system (not available for punch card holders). With a couple of clicks, you can pull yourself out of a class, and enroll in another. Your online account will keep track of your schedule for you.

Punch cards
For clients who have schedules that change, we offer a punch card system which allows people to buy a series of credits towards classes. Each time you want to attend a class, you can notify us, by emailing Amy, requesting a spot in a class. Within a couple of hours you will receive a confirmation that you have a spot or a note letting you know the class is full. When you use up your punch card, you can buy another, but you must use your remaining class credits within the current session.

Trial classes
We strongly encourage people to drop in to a class that they are interested in before signing up for a series of classes/program. Please contact Amy to reserve a spot, as well as go over necessary paperwork. In order to participate in classes or personal training, you must print, sign and return this waiver.

Cancellation Policy
Our 24-hour policy for classes requires clients to cancel themselves using their MindBody account at least 24 hours ahead of class time to receive credit toward a make-up class. Classes canceled within less than 24 hrs of class time are considered a ‘late cancel’ and will not be eligible for a corresponding make-up class.

Check our faq’s page to get answers to your questions.

Looking for the class schedule? Go to the class schedule page.

Small group training sessions are a cross between personal training and classes. They involve much more individualized attention and cost more per session than a class but less than PT. The rate for the session is determined by the number of participants. If you would like to attend a small group training session, please contact Amy (amy@clayfitness.net) 24-hours in advance.
Current clients can connect to our Mindbody payment and scheduling system with this link:
https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=18402

Address

3000 Berkmar Drive Charlottesville, VA 22901
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