Co-owner Alex Anderson stands in the Pilates room of the The Club at Los Gatos and California Strength. The 24,000-square-foot club near Los Gatos High School recently reopened after shutting down two years ago for a complete remodel. (Photo by Laura Ness)
If Alex Anderson, co-owner of The Club at Los Gatos and California Strength, has a mascot, it must be an eagle—always vigilant, ever surveying his domain next to Los Gatos High School. Anderson’s domain is open for workouts once more after a complete remodel by Toenisketter Construction that began two years ago.
The ground floor workout area is filled with natural light and the requisite mirrors, and was gleaming with brand-new weight machines, recumbent bikes and treadmills on a recent tour.
Besides stacks of chairs for the dining room and pool area, tons more workout equipment, several styles of slick stationary bikes and piles of workout mats, a storage area held a wooden crate, cracked open to reveal a bald eagle sculpted of wrought iron, suspended in midflight. Crafted by sculptor Doug Smith of Alberta, Canada, it will be perched in one of the redwood trees that were topped in front of The Club.
Anderson has kept an eagle eye on the remodel, and the results are impressive, including the sleek rock and marble balustrade leading to the new well-lit lobby.
“We wanted to give the reception area more of a high-end spa type feel,” Anderson said, pointing out the granite and ceramic tile of the counter.
Beyond reception are post-workout massage and recovery rooms, and the women’s locker room has been completely rebuilt with a Sunlighten infrared sauna and steam room, and a special dryer for quick-drying wet bathing suits. The showers feature dispensers for soap, shampoo and conditioner custom-designed by a third party designed to meet The Club’s standards for products free of parabens and other harmful chemicals.
As to the sauna, according to The Club’s website, infrared therapy offers many natural health benefits, including reduced inflammation and pain relief, fitness gains, muscle recovery and improved sleep.
“Infrared is a totally different experience as compared to typical dry saunas,” Anderson said. “The ambient temperature is lower, but infrared can penetrate our skin and benefits us at a cellular level. The longer a user is in the sauna, they’ll notice their body heating up from within.”
The 24,000-square-foot club features separate yoga and cycling studios, a fitness floor, a second-story heated studio for hot yoga and Pilates, an outdoor fitness turf, and a naturally lit gorgeous Pilates reformer studio suspended over the main floor, its walls covered by murals of the Santa Cruz Mountains painted by Morgan Mural Studios.
There’s a separate training area, plus an outdoor pool with co-ed whirlpool and cold plunge, which Anderson swears by.
“Just try it!” he urges. “The first time can be rough, but it’s addicting. It really boosts your conditioning. Combined with sessions in the sauna or steam room, there is nothing like it to improve your stamina.”
The Club hosts more than 50 group fitness classes weekly, including spin classes that can accommodate 25 cyclers per session, aqua classes and swim lessons. There’s a kids’ club, a shared workspace for those who need to keep up check in with the office during workouts and, most impressive, a café on the upper floor, managed by Los Gatos resident and musician Kevan Smedt, who created and runs Café Dio.
The Club at Los Gatos is located at 285 E. Main St. For information about new memberships, email info@theclublg.com. Members who did not receive an email regarding future membership rates and amenities can email support@theclublg.com or call 408-354-5808.
