When Chris Pinto was the head women’s volleyball coach at New York University in 2010, a recruit from California took him to a Beverly Hills gym that changed the course of his career.
“I remember looking around and thinking, this is the kind of place I want to open back home,” the Village of Flower Hill resident said from his office at One on One personal training in Roslyn, which he’s owned since 2013.
Pinto, who has been a personal trainer and volleyball coach for more than 14 years, moved to the North Shore two years ago from Huntington, where prior to landing the job at NYU had a successful run with Walt Whitman High School.
He turned to training full-time after leaving the Violets program in 2011, first in Huntington and then in Roslyn.
One on One, located at 25 Red Ground Road, features 14 full-time trainers with a variety of certifications and specialties.
“I like to surround myself with people who could only make us shine,” said Pinto. “Each brings something different to the table.”
Sessions range from $90 to $125, but Pinto said clients do not pay membership dues typical of big-box fitness centers.
The training itself?
It’s just like the facility’s name, Pinto said – one-on-one and custom-tailored to a client’s fitness goals.
Prior to lifting weights or taking cardiovascular machines out for a spin, potential clients meet with Pinto and trainers personally, who craft personal workout plans and training schedules.
“I pride myself in trying to get to know every client, so it becomes a familiar place once they come through the door,” Pinto said. “Everyone is welcome.”
One on One is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Training specialties range from physical therapy and general fitness to sport-specific drills and weight loss strategies.
“We have kids, serious athletes, who come out from the city to train with some of our trainers,” Pinto said.
“We see the housewives too,” he added, chuckling. “Housewives and businessmen and athletes. We get them from all over.”
