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December 2023 by Sophie LaSala
I started training at Dakota Personal Training & Pilates 3 years ago and continue to have the most incredible experience. The warmth and professionalism of both trainers and clients alike is unmatched to any other experience I've had at a gym. Dakota's ability to provide one on one support for clients to achieve their goals is something that they do exceptionally well. I'm so grateful to have such an extraordinary environment to train in. Thank you!
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December 2023 by Jill Goldstein
My husband and I love Dakota Personal Training! The trainers are very experienced and know how to give you a great workout while taking any limitations into consideration. Safety is a priority. The gym is very clean and well maintained. Penny, the owner, is fantastic--so funny and welcoming. The other trainers we have met all seem very professional and knowledgable. We never get the same work out twice so it's always interesting! This is a hidden gem on the UWS!
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July 2023 by Sue Williams
Can’t recommend this gym and the personal trainers enough. I was so happy with my personal trainers when I lived in Australia and have struggled over the last 4 years to find anyone in NYC with similar experience and professionalism. I have knee and back issues and Katia (weights) & Eric (Pilates) have done a great job getting me strong without injury. The gym has a great vibe, music and equipment. Definitely worth checking out.
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May 2023 by Matt Z.
I have to say, after exhaustive research, and several alternative in terms of working with personal trainers, Dakota Personal Training is a fantastic way to go. The space is amazing, the personal knowledgeable and versatility in training welcome. The owner is well versed in accommodating clients and placing them with trainers who will give you your money's worth. Matching your fitness goals with any "special" needs you may have. I am very pleased with the results from working with the trainers and continue to work towards my fitness goals.
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March 2023 by Shark Whale
Best kept secret of the UWS - clean, spacious, and great equipment. Top tier trainers too - working with Penny has been really rewarding. I feel healthy, fit - and it’s all because of Dakota fitness.
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February 2023 by Sydney Lester
I have been training at Dakota Personal Training & Pilates for 7 months now and I absolutely love it. The owner, Penny, is warm, knowledgeable and hilarious. I look forward to my training sessions every week and have definitely seen a huge growth in my abilities. One of the best parts is that it's a personal training gym, so it's never crowded. I would highly recommend for anyone looking for a personal trainer.
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February 2023 by Jeffrey Sacks
I have trained with Penny for years and she is a total pro. Knows when to push and when to ease up. The gym is well run and people that work there as well as clients all seem like family and that always is a nice feeling to be around. Cant recommend it enough
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February 2023 by Anne E Colice
This is the first time I have really enjoyed the gym. I look forward to seeing my trainers and feel physically and mentally better after each session.
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February 2023 by Shannon Koger
Great space where I've worked out with my trainer for years. Great staff, clean space and convenient location.
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July 2022 by Jack Borde
Couldn’t imagine having a better gym experience than Dakota personal training. The new location with the huge windows makes the gym even better than what was already my favorite gym! Great selection of equipment, the best trainers and great prices - couldn’t recommend this gym enough.
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June 2022 by Carolyn Kirkland
I was in a workout rut - not really seeing results and feeling unmotivated - and decided to hire a personal trainer as an investment in myself. Dakota Personal Training is bringing me back to life! The workouts are challenging but extremely efficient, and I know I’m really being listened to by the trainer. I’m so glad I found them - a true local business that is worth every penny!
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June 2022 by Karn Santikul
Dakota Personal Training and Pilates is an amazing facility and has a very professional staff. It is a very motivational atmosphere, everyone is working hard and the trainers are always so helpful. They truly educate you about health and fitness.
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June 2022 by Maria L
Best personal trainer I have ever worked with. The gym is clean and not crowded. The workouts are varied so it is not boring and my results are more than I have ever had working on my own or trying other training services. Highly recommend !
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March 2022 by Sara S.
I had a terrible experience with Dakota Personal Training & Pilates, due almost entirely to my interactions with Penny Smart, the owner of this facility, who in my opinion does not understand how to run a client-driven business in NYC and failed to treat me with the basic courtesy that one would expect when paying good money for personal training sessions. I bought a 10-package session in January, 2022 and began training with Penny herself. At that time, the gym was sparsely populated; people were still avoiding gyms because of COVID. (The only other client I ever saw in the gym was an older gentleman who I later learned is Penny's father.) After my fourth session with Penny, I began experiencing lower back pain. This coincided with my being out of town for a few weeks. When I returned, there was more activity at the gym than before because COVID concerns had lessened. I found Penny unable to focus on training me because she was too distracted by other things going at her gym. She would wander away from me while I was doing sets to chat with other people in the facility. I also explained to her that I had had lower back pain after my last session with her and she seemed unable to devise an effective workout regimen that would also protect my back. After that session, I expressed my frustration both in real time and over text. Because of this, Penny set me up with another trainer, who I then saw for 3 sessions. During one of those sessions, the gym was uncomfortably overcrowded to the point where my new trainer and I could barely find space to work out. I ultimately attended 9 sessions at Penny's facility. With one session left in my package, Penny emailed me on March 4 to let me know that I had no sessions left and had to re-purchase. I told her that I still had one session left, according to my records. Only THEN did Penny inform me that she had deducted a session from my package six weeks prior because of a "late cancel" (i.e., I had failed to cancel my session with at least 24 hours notice). When I had texted Penny to cancel and reschedule that session back in January, she didn't say a word about charging me for the session. Nor did she say anything to me about it a few days later, when I apologized in person and explained that I had to cancel because my husband and I got our wires crossed on childcare (at the time, our daughter was less than 4 months old, and it was a miracle to make it to the gym, period). It was a unique circumstance, evidenced by the fact that I showed up promptly for every other session that I scheduled at Penny's facility. I also didn't take that time away from anyone else, as no one else was coming into that gym in January, especially not on Fridays at 11am. In charging me for the late cancel, Penny said that this policy was included in the terms and condition in her waiver, which I had signed prior to training with her. I reviewed the waiver I had signed, which: (i) is presented solely as a medical/injury waiver; (ii) is nearly impossible to read if signing on your phone; and (iii) as for the cancellation policy, says only that in signing the waiver, the user agrees to the current "Terms of Use," which "will always be available for your review at Term [sic] of Use." (There is no "Term[s] of Use" section on the website.) Penny and I could therefore agree to disagree on what I had agreed to in signing her waiver. (Interestingly, after I pointed out to Penny the deficiencies in her waiver policy, she updated the policy to specifically include her cancellation policy at the bottom.) But regardless of the waiver itself, it was completely disingenuous of Penny to say nothing about her policy at the time I cancelled, either over text or in person, especially because my communications with her made clear that I had no idea I was being charged for the session. I wrote Penny several emails laying out why it was inappropriate for her to charge me for the late session, and I outlined the other issues I had experienced with her and at her
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April 2021 by Matthew Zinetti
The space is well laid out, with plenty of room given the current environment to feel safe and comfortable. The equipment allows for a complete workout. A great location which is easy and convenient to get to no matter where you are located. Highly suggest checking out the new location. Staff is attentive to fitness needs and assisting in goal setting and physical fitness.
