By Barbara McMurray, Special to the Independent
Venice has Muscle Beach, where the ultra-fit gather to pump and preen. Now, Laguna Beach has its own, more inclusive version of physical prowess on display in the form of B-Fit, a biweekly calisthenics exercise gathering devised by a trio of personal trainers led by Christian Gallo.
Gallo, with his physically fit friends Jeremy Jackson and Blake Bilder, encourage passersby to join their free outdoor class every other Saturday from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m. on the grass at Main Beach.
Using a few workout station props and loads of enthusiasm, each B-Fit workout is intense, but the attitude is decidedly casual. A dozen or more fellow fitness buffs from the Southland drop by to share in the good vibes of sunshine and properly executed HIIT (high-intensity interval training) exercise regimens. By increasing the heart rate and building a sweat, Gallo maintains, the body efficiently burns fat and builds lean muscle.
B-Fit training began with a weekly routine in August.
“It was just Jeremy, Blake, and me wanting to exercise on the beach in the fresh ocean air,” Gallo said. “It has since grown significantly. We’ve had people who were passing by jump in. We are open to everyone and anyone who wants to grow both physically and mentally.
“We place the workout stations at least 10 feet apart,” Gallo said. “With the pandemic going on, it’s important that people remember that they can do anything they set their minds to, and that they are capable of staying healthy.”
The trainers post videos of the workouts to their social media accounts. Gallo commented. The three men have 58,000 Instagram followers between them.
Co-instructor Jackson is an accomplished Brazilian jiu jitsu competitor and surfer. He began his acting career at six years old and is best remembered for his longtime role as Hobie Buchannon, the son of David Hasselhoff’s character Mitch on the ‘90s TV series “Baywatch.”
Completing the threesome is Bilder, a champion boxer with 39-2 record and a black belt in jiu jitsu. He is a personal trainer and MMA fighter preparing to enter the UFC arena.
A Laguna Beach High alumnus, Gallo is in his sixth year of studies for a Ph.D. in naturopathic medicine. He recently started a business, Life Force Liquids, making and delivering green drinks and cold-pressed juices. For each drink, he uses more than a pound of organic produce and adds superfoods like chlorella, spirulina, bee pollen, chlorophyll, and more.
“I am what I call a liquitarian,” he explained. “I consume primarily liquid foods – blends and juices – and drink more than a gallon of water daily. I like bringing juices, the healing elixir of nature, to people, rather than them having to source it themselves. My goal is to help the community—while saving up money to pay for school.”
“We love Laguna Beach and want to give back to it! We want to see everyone balanced, healthy and, most importantly, happy. We hope that anyone who wants to get their body moving joins us!”
Find Gallo at mindexpansive.com.
Barbara is a writing, communications, and marketing professional in Laguna Beach. Find her at mcmurraymarketing.com.
