Max Results Fitness Training

I am extremely disappointed and disgusted with James. I have known James for a few years now and my husband and I met him by purchasing a groupon deal for his bootcamp classes that he offered in Oakland. His classes were awesome and so was he. He definitely motivated my husband and I to get back in shape. We took a long break from it because James wasn’t as consistent as he could have been in teaching the classes and we became busy ourselves so we stopped going. Though we currently have memberships to other fitness studios, we wanted to do more to get back in shape. I still had James’s contact information and decided to text him to see if he had any deals for personal training. He told me he did and it was a 2 for 1 deal for $ 149.00 2X a week for one month. After thinking it through, we decided to take the classes. Initially James was responsive via text and I told him we wanted to purchase the training sessions. We agreed to a schedule on Monday’s and Friday’s and the next step was the payment. He sent me a link to paypal and after making several attempts to purchase, I had trouble doing it. I communicated this to James and he agreed that I could write him a check. I asked him if I could just give him a check when we met him for our first training but was insistent that we meet beforehand to receive the payment. I did think this was a bit strange but I trusted enough to give him the check beforehand. I met him on a Saturday to give him the check and he confirmed that we would meet that Monday for our first training session. Keep in mind that we were supposed to meet at 11:00 AM at the stairs at the lake and he was 30 mins late coming. I told him I couldn’t wait any longer and for him to meet me at my house to pick up the check.
Anyhow, Monday came around and we had a appointment scheduled at 7:30AM. We arrived and James was no where to be found. I called him several times and texted him but received nothing until hours later in the afternoon. James claimed that he mixed up his schedule and that he was at a conference for work and would be able to reschedule the training. I don’t understand how as a business man you can «mix up» your schedule and not communicate a word to your clients about it. His lack of responsiveness really upset me. I had texted him later over and over again and never received anything until hours later. He also claimed that he wasn’t checking his phone but I believe that to be a complete lie because he had posted several pictures on instagram from the time I was texting him. After being so fed up with him, I told him that we did not want to move forward with his services and would like our money back and he didn’t seem to care. There was no apology and he made no effort to provide an explanation. He would always end his text messages with a smiley face and it was beyond infuriating. I later found out that James had already cashed the check and at this point I was besides myself. I had reached out to him over and over again demanding our money back and he told me he would mail it and has not followed through with it.
I don’t believe James is someone you can trust doing business with. I want people to be aware of how dirty he does business so I wouldn’t dare trust him with anything. I am shocked because James is someone I thought would never do that and we really did try giving him the benefit of the doubt. It’s really sad when you think you can trust people and unfortunately that is not the case with him.
I would definitely think twice about doing any business with him.

James had a good idea with an outdoor boot camp by the lake, but too many things just didn’t work. The main ones that turned me off are 1) in 4 months of going, he simply didn’t show up like 3 different times, nor did a sub of his. We ended up creating our own workouts, as a group, led by me and a few other ambitious types, but to me, when you’ve got 10 –12 ppl waiting on your instruction for a boot camp that they killed themselves to get out of bed early for, and you miss it yourself as the instructor, more than once in a year without a sub, it just looks bad, and is not acceptable professionalism. Also, James never gave me the promo for the deal I started with, with Living Social. He promised to refund my credit card like 3 times, but never did, and it became a drag to have to remind someone for the umpteenth time «so did you refund my card yet?» No, he didn’t. Finally he said he would just give me a month free, but the month I decided to use that free month, he *accidentally* charged my card! Then I took off from boot camp, needing a break, sent him like 5 emails asking for my long overdue refund, and nothing. Didn’t even respond to my emails. Seriously? I find that appalling, especially given I’d referred him a few friends. Does this count as theft? I just find behavior like that gross, and unacceptable. Then when I unsubscribed from his mailing list, he added me to 2 or 3 more, without my permission, and sent me text messages too. Kind of creepy, and stalker-​ish, and more behavior that resembled a jilted high schooler than a professional who’s service didn’t cut it and lost a client. Ick.

I was just told «You look fabulous, by the way» by the Lake Temescal Park Ranger, who I’ve been seeing on my lake runs for years. And that was after just 3 months with James’ Max Results Boot Camp. I haven’t lost any weight — not my goal — but my body is more toned now and I feel great.
James and Max run a fun class. The classes are a great size — from just a couple of people to about eight — and exercises are varied. I’m one of the older members (52) and my hips and knees are stronger. My upper body strength is much improved, too.
I just signed up for more classes. Thanks James and Max!

Max and James are GREAT instructors, love working out with them! Hard but gentle instructors! Come out and join the group! You will love the results. I see a difference in myself, I have been going for 2 months and will continue!

I grow bored of hourlong classes, and when I go to the gym, I definitely don’t push myself as much as I could. So James’ bootcamp is exactly what I need: an intense workout that switches up the exercises, so I get a full-​body workout in just 30 minutes. It’s definitely for all levels — I’m one of the slowest people, but the faster folks just end up completing more reps, so in the end, we’ve all worked out hard. There are people of all genders, sizes and ages, so need to feel intimidated. James and his staff are great coaches: They’ll push you but won’t scare you. It’s a great balance.

MRBC is great, and so is James. I’ve tried every method of getting in some exercise possible over the past few years, and this setting, with an excellent trainer who knows what he’s doing and a supportive, friendly people in the classes, works best for me. Some mornings I have to really convince myself to get out of bed to come to bootcamp (because it is a challenging workout, and I am somewhat out of shape) but I never regret going. There are often Groupons, LivingSocial or Unilocal deals going around, so it’s easy to try it out and see if it’s for you, and the regular rates are plenty reasonable as well. I’m very happy with the way that I see and feel my body changing and becoming stronger right now after a tough year dealing with an injury that pushed me to couch potato status for months, and I owe most of that to early morning bootcamp.
I feel that the negative Unilocal reviewers here need to give it a second chance, and make sure to use the correct contact info (which can be found:
) James clearly works hard to put a personal and professional touch on his business and deserves more than a 3.5 star rating on Unilocal

I’ve been working out with James for over a year. I look forward to our early morning workouts by the lake, watching the sun come up.
It’s a perfect workout for me. James is kind but don’t get it twisted, he will push you. It works for all levels… if you are more advanced you end up doing more sets than the less advanced folks.
I have definitely firmed up a lot since starting with Max Results. I need someone to push me and James is that guy.
I recommend giving him a try with one of his many specials or Groupons. That’s how I started. Not to mention, the price is right even after your Groupon expires.

How is this company still in business? Seriously, this place is ridiculous and cannot be legit.
A friend and I bought a Living Social deal for Max Results. We went to the website, filled out their consultation form, and waited for them to confirm our appointment. Two days went by and… nothing. We called them a bunch of times and… nothing.
So we decided to show up to one of their scheduled classes after work at 6pm. We got there about 5 minutes late and nobody was there, so we figured that we probably missed it and maybe the class already went running around the lake or something. We went again the next week and even got there 15 minutes early. We ended up catching one of the trainers wrapping up his last session. He told us there are no 6pm classes, that the schedule on the website is completely outdated, and James, the owner, is unresponsive and doesn’t even live around here. So… how are we supposed to work out if there is no way to communicate with anyone here? And now I’m seeing that other Unilocal reviewers have actually worked out with James, who supposedly doesn’t even live here, so I don’t even know what to believe anymore. All I know is that they are just very unprofessional, unorganized and not client-​focused at all.
I want a refund, dammit.

One star is for not being able to attend a class, let alone reach an instructor. I see a few reviews of people who used their livingsocial deals, but I haven’t been able to use it. The website says that new customers need to make an appointment for a consultation before attending their first class. I filled out an online form and called them… No response. My coworker and I decided to just show up to a 6pm class and couldn’t find anyone. we tried again a second time, and ran into one of the instructors (not James). He told us that there were no 6pm classes, even though the website and Unilocal hours list it.
I can’t review the actual class itself, but max results boot camp is unprofessional and horrible at communication. Definitely going to get my money back from livingsocial.

Since receiving a few comments about things that need to improve James has really stepped up his game! The workouts are challenging and he continues to add new exercises. He is also more conscious of correcting form and does his best to meet the needs of a broad range of clients.

I am a fan! I bought 2 living social deals and now into the 3^rd week of boot camp. I can definitely see results from both my weight and shape. James is awesome at pushing everyone to get their reps in but still maintain his gentle side and not push too hard like a drill sergeant.
I would definitely recommend this to everyone who love to exercise, or get in shape.

Why I love James and my 6am Oakland boot camp:
*James: Firm but gentle. He has a presence that is not mean or condescending, but also doesn’t let you off the hook. He’s got one of those mellow-but-you-don’t-want-to-dissapoint-him things going.
*No whining: It’s early and mostly dark, so people aren’t really awake enough t to complain about the amount of physical exertion required. (I’ve been to the 7am class; turns out, even I whine less at 6am.)
*30 minutes: How brilliant is that? I’ve done hour-​long boot camps before, but I haven’t stuck with them. (I’ve been with Max Results since late September.) I can fit it in and I can get it done. And really, I can do anything for 30 minutes.
*Multiple Classes: I can come to another class if I’m taking a friend to the airport early or sleeping an extra hour on a holiday.
*He’s still pushing me after all these months even without me knowing it. A lot of the intervals are timed so if you are in better shape, you do more sets or reps in same period of time. There’s always room to grow.
*AND, I still have room to grow. My push-​ups are much improved, but still crappy, and when we have major core days, I know I still need more boot camp.
*We do core on an incline and rarely on the ground. My fussy back really appreciates this.
*It’s always different.
*We are hard core and get to feel superior to the other boot camps by Lake Merritt when they aren’t there over the holidays.
*Rarely canceled. I think his wife had to pull serious birthday rank to get him to take a day off.
*Nice pals who encourage one another.
*Now I can catch a BART train at the last second, no problem.
*Have you seen my shoulders?

I got a deal on living social, so the price was right. These classes are ok, but lacking in a few keys areas. One, he never corrects your form, so if you don’t know what you’re doing, or if you’re out of alignment you may get hurt. Two, he sends WAY toooooo many emails that lack substance. Also, the classes are super lower body and cardio focused. I can do the stairs by lakeshore on my own, I don’t need you to have me do that and some lunges. The only upper body work we have ever done is pushups… Not too creative. Do yourself a favor — don’t pay full price, wait until there’s another groupon or living social deal.

This is for the San Francisco class — When I started, we had Judith who was a really great instructor. I was always working and she always told me how good I was doing, as well as doing weekly benchmarks so we could see our improvement. But a month in, we got a new instructor, Joseph, who obviously had worked out a lot, but obviously had not taught a lot. He expected us to go just as fast as him, even though I was obviously not built like him. He always cheered the fastest and best people, even though I was trying my hardest. The only good thing was the location and time, and the deal price I paid. If you need a short, 30 minute workout and are already pretty buff, then go for it. But if you don’t know what you are doing you probably won’t like it.
He also brought politics in a lot — for instance he would say how crazy baseball fans were… while the Giants were in the World Series. Sad. Not a great way to start the morning.

I enjoy his classes. They are ½ hr long. I prefer to exercise an hour but right now, I am busy and this works for me. I was wary at first because of other reviews from people that purchased Living Social coupons (how I discovered Max Results), etc said some negative things. But i have had nothing but a great experience. He not only encourages you during class but sends emails to you that are inspirational and informative thru out the week. I also know that when you offer a coupon for a service to the public, you are inviting some of the cheapest and dumbest of the surrounding counties. So, that’s why I decided to give it a go anyway. I advise anyone that is looking to start working out and are curious about Boot Camps in the Bay Area, this is a great place to start.

⁹⁄₂₂ (Update)
shortly after my email to James I got a reply (looked to be a mass email that thanked us for our patience) to that the Berkeley Class was starting ⁹⁄₂₂. The trainer’s name is Shantrell S. My wife and I liked the class. I would say the class is geared to more low to mid fitness levels but you can always do your sets quicker and get in a few extra to up your fitness and work out. Since we have only taken one class I can’t speak for the whole program but I will give the «camp» a better rating after interacting with Shantrell.
⁹⁄₂₀ (1 star)
I purchased this package because they clearly stated they had a Berkeley class. After purchasing I found out they do not have Berkeley class, they had «planned» on having one. This is very misleading and I would have not of prepurchased the class if I would have known this. I am unable to take the Oakland or other classes because they are full or the time conflicts with work. I have asked for my money back on ⁹⁄₁₅. There has not been any response from this company. I feel mislead and ripped off. I have paid this guy and have received nothing. All I want is my money back and to forget this company ever existed.
⁹⁄₀₈ (2 stars)
I have had a very similar experience as t.f. (Hayward)
I purchased a deal from one of the local coupon sites. I though hey this looks like a good way to jump start my work out. If I would have known it would have been this much trouble I would have not bothered in PRE-​PURCHASING the class. I do not feel the owner of the company advertised truthfully in their coupon. On the coupon it says to show up, on their website it says not everyone is accepted… What is up with that, why do you take our money and then possibly not accept us into your program.
I have not actually taken the class because they are full or not currently available. Why do you offer classes in cities you do not service? Why do you sell coupons that expire when you have a wait list on classes?
I am giving them the benefit of the doubt, that all this confusion is just growing pains. I am still looking forward to experiencing the class and seeing what they actually have to offer.
I will change my review once I experience the class to more of a review about the boot camp program rather than their current customer experience.

The only reason this is getting 2 stars is because I have yet to actually experience the class. I purchased a living social deals coupon and have had nothing but confusion on how to sign up for classes. When I received the coupon it said to make an appointment for class.
First, I called the business which sent me directly to voice mail that instructed me to leave an email at an address that came back as a delivery failure. Could be a fluke? So, I went to the website and emailed the address listed there. What I received was a FAQ email, that didn’t directly address my questions about scheduling. Boo. So I figured I would simply stop by the shop and find out what I had to do to make the appointment to begin classes. James, the guy running the place wasn’t there but another man was and he was nice enough to call him for me. When I spoke with James I got a bit of an attitude (as though I was wasting his time) about how had had already sent me an email of FAQs and that should be sufficient. I asked if I had to make the appointment like he said on his coupon. He said to just show up… Today I get an email saying that all of the 7 am classes are full (doesn’t specify to when) and that I can be put on a waiting list. the waiting list doesn’t say anything about when classes will become available, etc.
I am going to use the coupon if I can figure out when to show up for class but if I had to do it all over again I would have passed on this deal. Even if the classes are amazing I can’t see myself becoming a regular due to the confusion and lack of customer care.
To be fair, I will update this when I have actually taken the classes.

James is an excellent instructor – gentle yet encouraging. He has been able to create a routine which allows for some physical limitations I have and still produce excellent results – lost pounds, lost inches, greater strength and stamina. All in ½ hour three times a week!

GREAT RESULTS!
I have been working with James for about 6 weeks. In that time I have decreased my body fat by an incredible 10%! James continues to challenge me in my workouts, but never pushes me beyond my capabilities. Without his expertise and commitment to my health goals, I would never be experiencing the success I am. I still have a long way to go; however, I’m confident that James’ nutrition and workout plans will get me to my goals. I highly recommend him to anyone, regardless of current physical condition.