“Do It All Kick Ass Doing It.” DIAKADI Fitness Performance Life takes personal training to a new level of personal. Owners Billy Polson and Mike Clausen empower local trainers with an 11,500 square foot “kick ass” training center where even the initial stretch assessment itself could be the most important hour you ever spend in a gym.

“We simply wanted to create a gym where we would be proud to train our clients each day—one with plenty of open space and natural light, where we had all of the tools we needed to help each client achieve maximum success in all of their work and goals," DIAKADI co-owner Billy Polson. "I didn't care about being a gym owner, I just wanted a 'Kick Ass' place to train every day."

Now celebrating their 11th year, as well as a new studio expansion later this month, DIAKADI has evolved to support the city’s top fitness entrepreneurs, providing a five-star home for over 70 Bay Area trainers. In addition to supporting his own clients, Billy’s priority is to nurture DIAKADI’s hand-picked trainers. He says, "We teach them how to develop their brand, run their business and market their practice for consistent growth and expansion."

While cultivating their growth, Billy sets the bar high for DIAKADI’s trainers. "Our role, education and responsibility should be taken very seriously. We often see clients 2-3 times a week, advising them on all areas of their life from exercise and stretching, to sleep, nutrition, and stress reduction. We offer advice and instruction to them that can greatly affect their lives and bodies."

Daly City resident, Michelle, has been training with Billy for 13 years, through several injuries and a significant 30-pound weight loss. “I am not an elite athlete,” Michelle shares, “but I am one strong woman due to my personal training with Billy. Every workout challenges me, leaves me feeling strong and doing things I didn't know I could.  Over the years his customized programs have helped me focus on the healthy life I want.”

While we can’t wait 13 years to write this review, we met up with Billy to experience the first step as a DIAKADI client. It’s hardly surprising that Billy excels both as a mentor and trainer, as his positivity, energy and trusting demeanor are infectious. As part of the first step of the training process, Billy has clients fill out an in-depth questionnaire, addressing everything from eating and sleeping habits to stress levels to blush-inducing details regarding bathroom breaks. Naturally, I would rather lie than check the correct box of weekly red wine consumption, but Billy was accepting and judgement-free. Sure, drinking less wine could improve weight loss, but when Billy learned my biggest fitness goal this year was to run my first half marathon, despite nagging knee pain, he tailored my assessment to support my love of red wine. Thank God.

Overall, I was impressed by the amount of homework Billy had done in terms of getting to know me before I even walked in the door. The questionnaire I had filled out days prior proved very beneficial.  

“DIAKADI represents a commitment to helping our clients and trainers find continued success, no matter what their goals are,” Billy explains his approach. “Whether it is weight loss, muscle building, snowboarding, running a marathon, having a baby, picking up your grand child or just living a pain free life, we are here to help you develop the plan for getting you where you want to go in your fitness performance and in your life.”

Over the course of the next hour and a half, Billy guided me through several flexibility and movement tests. I (let alone my fiance) didn’t question when he used a Sharpee to mark my pelvic alignment; I just let the master work! In all my years of working out, I never learned so much valuable information at once, from the potential causes of my knee pain to where toxins could be stored in hard boiled eggs. I left with not only an education about nutrition and a unique insight into my body’s strengths and weaknesses, but also with a customized stretching regime to improve my knee pain while logging miles.  His attention to detail and personal customization doesn’t end when you leave DIAKADI. He followed up with a detailed document outlining each corrective stretch as if he knew I had been avoiding the Cobra Holds and Quad Rollouts after returning home.

The physical facility is almost as impressive at Billy. This month DIAKADI’s new expansion opens, housing an Obstacle Course Training Center designed for clients training for such races as Tough Mudder. The new area will feature monkey bars, a 16 foot cargo climbing net, 16 foot climbing ropes, sand bags, a gymnastics peg board, a low crawl, a wall jump, and a tire flip. RSVP here to join Billy, Mike and the DIAKADI team Thursday, April 23 from 6:00 - 8:00pm for a happy hour celebration in their new space. A Tough Mudder may not be in your near future, but a playful round on the monkey bars could be!

DIAKADI is located at 290 Division. Individual rates for Trainers, Health Practitioners and Physical Therapists are arranged directly between the professional and client. Daily Access passes are $15 with discounts available for monthly programs.

GEAR

• Wear fitted clothing for your initial stretch assessment

• Water, towels and individual lockers are all provided