Open Gym SF—a new weight-lifting gym tucked below Taqueria Cancun and the long-vacant Layne's Jewelers at 1005 Market St.—feels like a dungeon, says owner Linda Chungchootairong. And that's a good thing.
"You come in and think, "I'm gonna do some work," she explains.
Chungchootairong coaching a member on her form.
Chungchootairong, a competitive Olympic weight lifter, launched Open Gym SF six months ago. Since then, it's grown to 35 members and counting.
While a windowless basement full of barbells and heavy weights may sound intimidating to some, Chungchootairong says she started the gym to build a safer environment for lifting than commercial gyms provide, especially for women.
At Open Gym SF, Chungchootairong offers group classes for all levels, personal training sessions, member clinics and open gym periods for members to practice on their own. For group classes, clients pick a track and pay a $200 monthly fee; they can switch programs or end their membership at any time. In addition to building strength, the programming works on conditioning, flexibility and mobility. Chungchootairong devises and shares the training plans for each track a week or two early, which helps athletes participating in other sports, often Crossfit, plan ahead.
To give each of her clients plenty of attention, group classes are capped at 10. And while her degree is specialized in health and fitness, she will provide general guidance on proper nutrition for lifting.
Landing in Mid-Market was by chance, thanks to Craigslist, but Chungchootairong is happy to be here. The neighborhood is only going to improve further, she noted, and she's quite comfortable on the border of her old stomping grounds. Her mother opened Sai Jai Thai in Little Saigon in 1997, when she was 13 years-old. From then on, she spent most of her time in the neighborhood.
Open Gym SF is tucked below Taqueria Cancun and the former Layne's Jewelers shop.
While Chungchootairong was overweight as a child, that all changed at 17 when she joined the military. With constant physical activity through basic training, her body changed immensely in a short period of time, Chungchootairong said. And once she returned for her senior year of high school, she was serious about keeping in shape. To do so, she took up martial arts and weight training. Over time, she transitioned to competitive body building, then power-lifting and now olympic lifting, which she has been competing in for the past four to five years.
Chungchootairong estimates that about 75 percent of her clients are women. Whether they're picking up weights for the first time or preparing for an upcoming competition, it's common for women in the gym to surprise themselves by their own strength, and get excited to lift more and more.
Competing seriously is like a full-time job, Chungchootairong said, and all of her clients already have one. Even so, she encourages it, and roughly 10 percent are training for competitions, even if it's just as a hobby.
Overall, Chungchootairong said she couldn't be happier with the way Open Gym SF is growing into a "chill weight-lifting family." She's coached at many different gyms in the city, but is now building her permanent home.
For Chungchootairong, the most gratifying thing about running her own gym is "being able to have an impact on the community," she said. Before, while working at commercial gyms, she was only able to work with one client at a time. Now, she's able to build the type of environment she's always craved—one where people push each other and improve together.
Over the next six months, Chungchootairong plans to add even more equipment, find and hire a second coach who's the right fit, and continue growing the community.
And for those who are thinking about dropping in, "Come in, lift weights, have fun, learn to use your body in a different way, and leave feeling accomplished," she says.
