Halevy Life

I really enjoyed working out at this gym and it is a shame I have to write this review.
First off, I would like to start off by saying the personal trainers were excellent, and knowledgeable. In addition, my nutrition eval from Joe was great as well. I even recommended my friend do the biometric test to test true body percent fat because of how satisfied I was with the service, and paid for a nutrition consult for my fiancé as well.
The reason I have chosen to write this review is due to the poor response when I cancelled my membership with the gym. This gym claims to be personalized and looks at every aspect of your health and nutrition. Upon cancelling, I sent the cancellation via certified mail as mentoned in the terms and conditions. In addition, I sent a personal email explaining why I had cancelled, and even offered medical documentation as to why I was cancelling. (As I had really enjoyed the trainers and nutrition assessment)
Financially, I invested a total of $ 3294.00 and in addition another $ 501.50 for the nutrition consults for my fiancé and me. I considered this a good investment due to the dedication and personalization of the gym, You would think I would receive a response from a colleague at Halevy Life upon cancelling…
No response from a single member. Instead, I received an email from a third party company stating that because I sent my certified mail cancellation within 10 days rather than 30, they will still charge me an additional month. I have now given this «personalized» «private gym» almost $ 4000 (3795.50 to be exact) from August-​January this past year. Furthermore, I even offered medical documentation to explain cancelling, and they would not even provide me with an email or phone call follow up?
While the trainers at Halevy Life and nutrtitionist Joe may differ from the corporate gyms, sadly the customer service I have experienced first hand was extremely disappointing. Claiming to be different from the generic corporate gyms and using a third party company to cancel without considering the client contradicts the «mission» of this private gym.
After spending $ 4000 in 6 months, I would consider this worse than New York Sports Club, Class Pass, Equinox, or Crunch where they don’t promise to be personalized or care about their clients. I wish I could say it was worth the investment. Unforunately, after spending that amount of money, and having a third party company respond to a personalized cancellation email, I will no longer be recommending this gym. Also, I encourage to use private trainers outside of Halevy Life, since their actions clearly do not match their mission.

This rating is only for the receptionist Preya. It took me twice saying Hello to get acknowledgement. When I was able to get her attention I gave her my name and she looked at me with a disdainful look. I explained that I was there to see (gave name) which got another disdainful look.
This person represents your business to the public.

I have scheduled for work out every Friday. This place helps me to it easily. By the help of their loving staff, I was able to achieve my ideal in just a couple of weeks. Our instructor disciplined us greatly. Now, I have been coming here for almost a year.

Back in January I purchased a 10 pack of classes and a 10 pack of yoga. I have worked out with trainers before, but never in a small group setting, however I went into Halvey Life with an open mind after the W & G article sang praise. I have worked out my entire life, and was an avid runner until last year when I had to stop running because of my knees. I took a hiatus for several months, and in January was ready to work out and build the muscles in my legs to support my knees (doctors advice).
The facility is very nice, and I loved the individual showers. The desk staff was not very helpful or particularly welcoming and seemed pointless, but all of the trainers were very nice. I liked the heart rate monitors, but never seemed to burn as many calories as others, despite my best efforts. Running on the treadmills in the beginning of the class was my favorite. But I am biased because I love running and this was the first time I was in running months.
Once we went into the session, I was underwhelmed. Not having a lot of experience with lifting heavy weights, we took lots of time learning proper form which was important, however when it came down to doing the movements, if the trainer was focused on someone else, I felt I could hurt myself. Also, some of the weights were so heavy, I couldn’t lift them. I also felt there was a lot of standing around and it was also difficult to modify for my level. I guess I was a bit out of my league there, however, I was only committed for 10 classes, so I made the best of it. I think they would do better with two instructors per class so that they can really focus on the form of people and ensure people are doing it right. I did feel like I had more muscle after the 10 pack… or at least felt a bit stronger!
The yoga, was not yoga, it was stretching with some yoga movements. I did one class and did not go back. I ended up joining Class Pass to try other types of classes, and I enjoy studios like Fhitting Room and Exceed where you’re using a lot of your own body weight and keeping your heart rate up.
I would say this is not for everyone, you just have to see if it is a good fit for you!

I have been coming to this gym for a few weeks. And I must say I never looked forward to going to the gym this much. I also used to think that I worked out pretty hard. Not that hard, as it turned out! Semi-​private sessions (2 – 5 people in each session) are challenging with various types of activities mixed in so they do not feel monotonous. The program changes every few weeks. Trainers help to adjust each exercise to your individual fitness level. Can’t do a pull-​up? No problem! Here is an assortment of bands to do an assisted pull-​up. All trainers are very nice, encouraging and definitely push you to work hard. Everyone gets a heart rate monitor so trainers know if you don’t work hard enough. I also love the space, former art gallery, I hear. Everything is clean, nice and showers are stocked with Bliss products. Semi-​private sessions are definitely a great way to get that personal attention without paying an arm and a leg for private sessions.

This place is the real deal.
I was skeptical and cynical about personal training until I came here. I’ve been an active exerciser for about 8 years. I’d worked with multiple «Tier 3» trainers during my 6 years of membership at Equinox– those guys were amateurs compared to the level of professionalism, dedication, encouragement, and measurable fitness gains I experienced at Halevy Life.
Jeff Halevy personally oversaw my intake with my trainer, analyzing my movement patterns and sharing with me why we’d work on certain things in my program based on my Functional Movement Screening.
I have a long health history of injuries and arthritis, so I’m used to feeling incapable and like results take foreeeeeever. Not here. After 3 sessions, my squats are better than they’ve EVER been, and as a result my knees don’t scream the day after squats-​day. Ditto the other stuff we worked on, which I won’t bore you with.
Derek, my trainer, was professional all the way. He always had a plan, was ready to explain it, and gave me personal attention that really made it clear he was tracking my progress closely. Most importantly, he really took his time the first couple of sessions, to learn how I move so he could design the program that’d be most advantageous to me. Sounds obvious, right? Like something you’d expect every personal trainer to do? Well, I’ve never ever ever gotten this kind of personal attention before, and it’s such a relief. It’s no wonder these guys have a reputation for «injury-​proofing» people: they really pay attention to the little weaknesses that’d add up if you went on neglecting them.
If you’re looking for some PERSONAL training, where the trainers are on your team and showing you measurable results every session to keep you motivated, this is the place. (They also know a ton about nutrition, and won’t spew the same old «heart-​healthy-​grains and lowfat-​dairy» bull at you that everyone else tries to get away with).
These guys prove that not all trainers are callous meatheads or drill sergeants: some are really compassionate, educated meatheads, ready with the tough love when you need it.

I decided to try out Halevy Life when Crunch just wasn’t cutting it. I liked their spin classes, but felt like I wasn’t getting any stronger in the weight lifting classes. Spend 30 minutes in an abs class once a week and you expect to see some results after a month or two! I attribute this lack of results to not having any kind of personal attention in a class full of 30 people. I never knew if I was doing the exercise correctly, using the right weight, etc.
My first 8 sessions at Halevy have been great. Having done personal training in the past, I can say this is as good as it can get for the price. Classes are capped at 4 people, so there is always a lot of personal attention. I do like working out in a group. At first I was a little afraid that everyone would be really in shape, and I would be the weak, slow person in the group. Halevy’s clients are very diverse, so this has never been a problem. Also, the trainers promote working at your own level, so I’ve only felt motivated working with other clients, not like it was a competition.
The trainers are very knowledgeable and attentive. I really like that the stress proper form, rather than getting the most reps out or lifting the heaviest weight possible. I’ve always been very intimidated by free weights and bars because I don’t really know how to use them. The trainers have taught me all the best forms for lifting and I was so excited when I could do squats and lifts correctly. The variation on exercises is great, and I always feel like I got an awesome workout after class.
After only 8 sessions, I feel a lot stronger. I notice that I can do a lot of the activities more easily.
The facilities themselves are really clean. You have your own bathroom with a shower if you need to get to work in the morning. I like this a lot more than sharing a bathroom with 20 people, all trying to dry their hair and put on makeup at the same time.
Jeff and his staff are great — you won’t regret giving it a try!

Awesomesauces:
aglio e olio: Light and tasty, the classes have no more than 4 people in them so you get plenty of attention.
ragu: one hour of intense training 3x a week gives you a lot of bang for your buck/​time. You will be sweating, you will feel like parts of your body don’t work right some days, but it’s worth it.
carbonara: there’s plentiful ac which is deliciously luscious on a hot summer’s day even if you know you’ll be sweating through it.
primavera: They’re always adding new things like earlier (and later) times when the classes fill up so you get your sweat on when you want to.
vodka: the trainers are all personable and funny. Get more than one of them in a room and they play off each other like comedians.
your nanna’s slow cooked, 12 hour, red sauce: Jeff Halevy is really dedicated and enthusiastic about his program, being there for you and pushing you to achieve more but not in a crazy shaun t insanity i-​just-​broke-​my-​lamp-​doing-​that way.
puttanesca: which leads me to those times when he gets into the action on the interval training and makes you go 3x harder, better, faster, daft punk than you’ve ever done before. Bonus points when he lets you punch him through the sparring pad with boxing gloves.
Feeblesauce:
My bank account reels, but for as-​close-​to-​personal-​training-​as-​you-​can-​get-​without-​forking-​over-​100-​a-​session this blows lots of stuff out of the water. This in’t a minus to them, though.
Started off with one of their coupon site deals (wasn’t groupon or Unilocal,but it was a month for $ 89). Loved it and the times worked for me during the evening.
Then summer graduate classes started up and I plunged off the wagon into a ravine (complete with freak heart rate monitor scarring of an area I lovingly refer to as underboob (like underdog but without a snazzy cape or theme song). There’s no need to fear, underboob is here and whatnot…
we will not discuss this further but if you see me at a Unilocal event and ask I might just put those boxing intervals to test. :P
Anyway… back on the saddle, ready to workout, still not quite feeling like one of those people that –do– work out, but I’ll get there.
The space is evolving in a good way. They put all your info online so you don’t have to carry anything around and they’re like 5 blocks away from me… what more could you ask for?

I’ve always been athletic, but it’s been a long time since I felt and looked like a real athlete. I played soccer in college, however I’ve always dreaded working out (especially running) and even though I no longer liked the way I looked or felt, I just couldn’t seem to motivate myself to start working out again.
This past year I got engaged to be married and even then it took a long time for me to realize that I needed to change my lifestyle if I wanted to feel and look good on my wedding day. After all, those pictures last for forever, right? I decided to try to get in shape. I worked out with a couple of trainers at other gyms before finding Jeff and his team at Halevy Life through a deal on GiltCity. I explained my time restraint (only 2 months until the wedding!) to Jeff during the first assessment. I knew Jeff usually just did the first session with everyone and I fully expected to be placed with one of the other trainers for my remaining private sessions. Amazingly, the next day I received a phone call from Jeff himself and because his client base had recently grown exponentially and it takes him (as owner and head trainer) a long time to find and train members of his staff to the level that he deems acceptable, he therefore didn’t have enough staff members available to train me several times a week so I could see a difference before my big day. He took full responsibility for this issue and then offered to train me himself! This just proved to me how much Jeff cares about his clients, his company, and his great reputation.
Others have commented on how great the training is at Halevy Life and while I fully agree that the training is amazing, I can honestly say I’ve also been extremely impressed with the people. The trainers are personable and put their full effort into each session, not only making sure my weight lifting form is correct so I don’t get hurt but also pushing me to do my best no matter the circumstances. There are days I walk in feeling exhausted or sick and at the end, I always walk out feeling like I accomplished something. One of the best parts is that as hard as I work, I never wake up so sore that I can’t walk/​move the next day… which has definitely happened to me with some trainers elsewhere.
Of course I’m also thrilled with the results (lost about 13 pounds and 2 dress sizes in 2 months just from working out 2 – 3 times a week and eating a little healthier). The seamstress had to take in my wedding dress 4 times and even then, it was a little too big on my wedding day (I guess if you’re going to have a problem that day then that’s probably the best type). With the results I saw from a little cardio and a lot of weight training, my only regret is that I didn’t start sooner. Who knows what kind of results I would have seen in 6 months versus 2! Plus, I can get great results by training 2 – 3 times a week instead of having to spend spend time at the gym every day, so I still have a nice balance in my life. I can’t say that I’ve experienced the SP sessions, but there is always one going on when I have my private sessions and I have to say that from the first time I saw one, I thought it was the most impressive semi-​private session I’d ever seen.
Training with Jeff and his team at Halevy Life, I feel like an athlete again. The wedding is over but the hard part of maintaining and getting into even better shape is just beginning. I have no doubt Jeff and his team will get me the results I desire as long as I’m willing to put in the work.

I am normally not the kind of reviewer who says a lot in my review, but Halevy life is a different story. I am also not the kind of people who endorse a business without first truly believe in it, so I hope that by the length of this review my viewers can truly understand how much I appreciate Halevy Life!
I have been trying to lose weight back since God knows when. I was a very active person, even when I was at my peak weight of 350 lbs., but I feel that I really need to lose weight for long term health benefits. About a year ago, I started to be more careful of what I eat and exercise even more. I was successful in shaking off a few pounds and dropped to about 320 lbs., but for whatever reason I cannot reduce my weight further. At this time, my girlfriend saw the promotional package online for Halevy Life’s semi-​private workout session and encouraged me to give it a try.
Honestly I was a bit skeptical at first, since I was never a true believe of personal trainers. But I figured with a great deal they offer, it didn’t hurt to give it a try. I met with the staff for the orientation session and was instantly intrigued by their workout routine and philosophy. During my first workout session, I was so exhausted by the routine to a degree that I almost puked, but it is a feeling of physical accomplishment that I have not felt for a long time. Miraculously, I felt very energetic and happy even though I was exhausted from their workout. The morning sessions are especially great because the energy level you achieved after workout stays with you for the whole day. The afternoon sessions are great as well. You go and give it your all after work, and in return you will have a very nice sleep at night.
I appreciate the honesty from their staff. Jeff and everyone at Halevy are very friendly and encouraging, but they don’t give you BS feedbacks. They tell you what you need to hear and that is exact what a good trainer should do. I also appreciate that they putt a lot of time and effort into create new routines to do on a regular basis, so the workouts are never boring. They also take customer feedbacks really seriously and they will do everything they can to make their workout worth the money you spent (which honestly is not expensive comparing to other trainers in the city). SP sessions are also great because you get to know some of the people you workout with, and the encouragement and camaraderie from everyone make you push even further.
I have been a loyal member and a true believer to their system since I first joined them back in March 2012. Since then, I have dropped from 320 lbs to my current weight of 240 lbs. Though their programs are designed solely to improve your physical fitness and not to prepare you for any specific sports or weight loss, I am happy with this «side effect». I have become more healthy and fit from my workouts with them. This past June, I completed rugged maniac, a 5 km obstacle race. This is something that I do not think I can accomplished without having worked out at Halevy life. I honestly believe that I will remain with them for as long as I live in NYC I will recommend them to anyone who wants to become more fit. Thank you Jeff and everyone at Halevy!

Halevy Life is AMAZING!!! Love the trainers, love the facility. It has totally changed the way I work out and the way I feel. Love the SP classes because I do still like to be a little competitive in a class setting, but love the small group and attention provided. I’ve been going to Halevy Life for about 8 weeks and have definition in my arms that I have never seen before. Highly recommend for anyone of any fitness level. Jeff’s attention to each client, enthusiasm and creativity are unprecedented.

I have really enjoyed working out with the Semi-​Private training programs with Halevy Life. They are personalized, interesting (as opposed to the same old boring gym routines) and effective. I noticed improvements in strength and endurance pretty quickly. The staff are very knowledgeable and attentive as well. I have tried many different types of gym classes and routines but this one keeps me coming back. I feel good when I’m headed to one of their sessions and I usually feel even better afterwards.

Halevy Life is amazing. Going to the gym on my own just doesn’t cut it for me. I like to supplement my workouts with semi-​private personal training. Let’s be honest — before trying out semi-​private personal training, I had no idea what I was doing when it came to weight lifting, squats, or any of that business. I was one of those girls who would huff it on the treadmill or the elliptical for 45 minutes and call it a day. I’m sure you can imagine how well that worked.
The trainers here are super attentive, nice, and knowledgeable. I’ve learned so much and I’ve seen great results. I also dig the idea of small training classes — I don’t want all of the attention on me. It also gives a healthy dose of competition. Though, on the bright side, I’ve gotten a few private sessions inadvertently when other class members cancelled last minute! I’m definitely a regular now and I’m even the mayor on foursquare.
In short:
— Great trainers.
— Multiple class sessions.
— Real results — you’ll feel sore the next day! It’s a real workout.
— Great location right by the 4÷5÷6 train on 59^th.
— New & nice facilities.

As someone who never worked out with a trainer before, Halevy Life has been a great first experience. Because you train in groups, the sessions are so much more affordable than one-​on-​one (the 10/​mo package works out to only $ 29 a session — kind of unreal in NYC??)… and because the groups are small, you get super-​personalized attention. There was a negative review on here about customer service but I’ve only ever had extremely positive interactions. All of my emails and phone calls to the studio have been answered quickly — generally within 30 minutes or less — and all of the trainers have great energy that really keeps you motivated. I’ve noticed improvements after only a month and a half — the mix of sprints and weights is a little killer but definitely not something I’d motivate to do on my own so it’s great to have the HL team pushing you and getting those results.

I lost 25 pounds with ³⁰⁄₃₀ at Halevy Life for my wedding and I look awesome! My fiancé has been a private client of Halevy Life’s for five years and his body is now ROCKIN! I plan to continue with Halevy Life after my wedding!

I am a big fan of the Halevy Life’s ³⁰⁄₃₀ fitness program. I heard about it through a Living Social deal, checked it out, loved it, and bought a package. Basically, you split the cost of a personal training session among 3 – 4 people, which is a great way to stay fit for those who typically don’t push themselves too hard when working out on their own and don’t want to pay a full price for a one-​on-​one training session. I find ³⁰⁄₃₀ sessions to be intense, effective, fun, and affordable. Each workout is one hour long and consists of interval training variations, strength, core movement rotations, and stretches. Workout sequences are rotated day to day and every few weeks, thus you don’t get bored doing the same thing. Matt K, the trainer I’ve had from the beginning, is very knowledgeable, personable, and nice (not to mention good looking). I strongly recommend Halevy Life’s ³⁰⁄₃₀ program to anyone who is looking to get back in shape or maintain their fitness level.

Had The Time of my Life!!!
Halevy Life is the «real deal» if you’re looking for staff who take fitness seriously and have the knowledge and resources to help you meet your fitness goals. Owner, Jeff Halevy, has put together a great program called ³⁰⁄₃₀ which offers no-​nonsense, mini-​group training that yields results. I strongly suggest looking into this program, as I did, whether you’re a couch-​potato, fitness buff, or somewhere in the middle! Personally, I’m always most impressed with people who show that they love this business, are not necessarily in it for the money, and has a true knowledge of the body. Jeff and his staff proves to be just that. My experience here has been AWEsome! Aside from seeing the results physically, I’ve learned so much, really challenged myself and gotten way MORE than my money’s worth. I highly recommend checking out this program and getting to know Jeff and his staff. They’re great people and I’ll definitely be returning simply because I enjoyed it!