About
Maria Monet Cruz has been in the fitness industry since 1987. She has facilitated several fitness groups and athletic teams and has developed fitness programs for people of various ages and physical abilities. Ms. Cruz has expertise in tailoring exercise regimes for beginners, people with back, shoulder, knee, and hip injuries, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other illnesses. She has trained clients preparing for the California Aids Ride, their first bicycling century, competitions in bodybuilding, ice skating, professional baseball, Half Dome hikes, long-distance running, and other athletic endeavors.
Maria creates supportive and challenging training programs which foster growth in fitness, personal spirit, and the confidence that we can achieve our fitness dreams. Ms. Cruz’s philosophy is to integrate mind, body, and spirit in health and fitness.
Testimonials
"Maria is without a doubt the best fitness professional I have ever worked with. Her understanding of body mechanics, coupled with her positive feedback, has sent me to a new level of fitness. She is patient; she gets how our bodies change and how performance can vary day to day. She even has taught me the value of recovery time as well what "active recovery" means. She takes detailed notes during each workout, as well as photos, so I can track my progress and refer back to the photos if I need to recall a specific position for an exercise. Her use of workout data has been an incredible boon and has allowed me to gage my workouts based on solid information regarding my health and fitness. She is able to modify or challenge as necessary and adjust for injury or individual quirks. Because she is a top athlete, she knows what it takes to reach peak performance and how to maintain it. She is simply the best."
-ROBIN GAL
"Maria is a consummate fitness professional who takes a holistic approach to address the fitness needs of each individual. I have been her spin student for eight years or more and can't say enough positive things about her. Her high intensity interval training spin workouts vary all the time - we don't do the same thing over and over; she always has a plan behind her approach, be it endurance, speed, climbing or a combination. And the beat of the music she chooses matches perfectly the RPMs at which we should be working. As my personal trainer, she tailors her approach to my individual needs, be it recovery from an injury, preparation for a resumption of skiing, or addressing issues of body mechanics. She is unfailingly positive, upbeat, and supportive which I find very motivating. I don't like gung-ho coaches who yell, I respond better to the quiet approach, and Maria knows just what motivates me. She tailors each workout to my needs on any given day, and increases the challenge as I improve. Her observational skills and attention to detail are amazing - she can tell when a particular muscle isn't firing and helps me focus on improvement. The photos and videos she provides of my workouts are a wonderful reminder of proper form when I do my "homework" between training sessions. I honestly can't say enough good things about Maria; with her help I have become stronger, more fit, and more confident of my abilities."
-JANIS BARBOUR
"Maria is an outstanding trainer. She possesses an incredible knowledge of anatomy which she applies expertly in teaching strength and core exercises. She is perfect in her focus on my personal fitness goals, and as a result, I am gaining strength as well as confidence in my abilities. Maria’s observational skills are phenomenal, and she is able to identify whether specific muscles are working optimally during given exercises. Her spin classes are exceptional. She has challenging, well organized interval and endurance routines that build cardio stamina while allowing for appropriate rest periods. In addition to her highly professional demeanor, Maria is also very personable and kind. She demonstrates a positivity that inspires me to strive to continually improve my performance. Due to her expertise, I have recommended her to many of my fellow exercise enthusiasts. I am very grateful to have such a superb trainer."
-ELLEN SHIBATA
"Maria provides excellent workouts in her spin classes. She keeps us constantly challenged with ever-changing mixes that build our endurance and sprinting capabilities. Her classes keep both the hard core bicyclists and the new to spin students engaged and satisfied. She also is terrific at helping you modify the workout to nurse/heal an injury. She's excellent at communicating the goal of the day's workout so we understand why the combination she's created is important to our ongoing fitness/cycling goals. Excellent instructor!"
-DEBBIE MITCHELL
"Maria is a highly respected high intensity interval training spin instructor, a deeply engaged personal trainer, and a motivational force. Maria meets you “where you are” and through her understanding of biomechanics and your body… inspires confidence to build one’s physical capabilities without injury. Through Maria’s coaching I have been able to increase my respiratory capacity and muscle strength. With her laser focus on form and detail she is great at diagnosing issues that are barriers to higher performance. She is helping reach my goals, while instilling the development of lifelong practices for good health. Highest recommendations!"
-DONNA TERAZAWA
"Maria is without a doubt the best fitness professional I have ever worked with. Her understanding of body mechanics, coupled with her positive feedback, has sent me to a new level of fitness. She is patient; she gets how our bodies change and how performance can vary day to day. She even has taught me the value of recovery time as well what "active recovery" means. She takes detailed notes during each workout, as well as photos, so I can track my progress and refer back to the photos if I need to recall a specific position for an exercise. Her use of workout data has been an incredible boon and has allowed me to gage my workouts based on solid information regarding my health and fitness. She is able to modify or challenge as necessary and adjust for injury or individual quirks. Because she is a top athlete, she knows what it takes to reach peak performance and how to maintain it. She is simply the best."
-ROBIN GAL
"Maria is a consummate fitness professional who takes a holistic approach to address the fitness needs of each individual. I have been her spin student for eight years or more and can't say enough positive things about her. Her high intensity interval training spin workouts vary all the time - we don't do the same thing over and over; she always has a plan behind her approach, be it endurance, speed, climbing or a combination. And the beat of the music she chooses matches perfectly the RPMs at which we should be working. As my personal trainer, she tailors her approach to my individual needs, be it recovery from an injury, preparation for a resumption of skiing, or addressing issues of body mechanics. She is unfailingly positive, upbeat, and supportive which I find very motivating. I don't like gung-ho coaches who yell, I respond better to the quiet approach, and Maria knows just what motivates me. She tailors each workout to my needs on any given day, and increases the challenge as I improve. Her observational skills and attention to detail are amazing - she can tell when a particular muscle isn't firing and helps me focus on improvement. The photos and videos she provides of my workouts are a wonderful reminder of proper form when I do my "homework" between training sessions. I honestly can't say enough good things about Maria; with her help I have become stronger, more fit, and more confident of my abilities."
-JANIS BARBOUR
"Maria is an outstanding trainer. She possesses an incredible knowledge of anatomy which she applies expertly in teaching strength and core exercises. She is perfect in her focus on my personal fitness goals, and as a result, I am gaining strength as well as confidence in my abilities. Maria’s observational skills are phenomenal, and she is able to identify whether specific muscles are working optimally during given exercises. Her spin classes are exceptional. She has challenging, well organized interval and endurance routines that build cardio stamina while allowing for appropriate rest periods. In addition to her highly professional demeanor, Maria is also very personable and kind. She demonstrates a positivity that inspires me to strive to continually improve my performance. Due to her expertise, I have recommended her to many of my fellow exercise enthusiasts. I am very grateful to have such a superb trainer."
-ELLEN SHIBATA
"Maria provides excellent workouts in her spin classes. She keeps us constantly challenged with ever-changing mixes that build our endurance and sprinting capabilities. Her classes keep both the hard core bicyclists and the new to spin students engaged and satisfied. She also is terrific at helping you modify the workout to nurse/heal an injury. She's excellent at communicating the goal of the day's workout so we understand why the combination she's created is important to our ongoing fitness/cycling goals. Excellent instructor!"
-DEBBIE MITCHELL
"Maria is a highly respected high intensity interval training spin instructor, a deeply engaged personal trainer, and a motivational force. Maria meets you “where you are” and through her understanding of biomechanics and your body… inspires confidence to build one’s physical capabilities without injury. Through Maria’s coaching I have been able to increase my respiratory capacity and muscle strength. With her laser focus on form and detail she is great at diagnosing issues that are barriers to higher performance. She is helping reach my goals, while instilling the development of lifelong practices for good health. Highest recommendations!"
-DONNA TERAZAWA
"Maria is without a doubt the best fitness professional I have ever worked with. Her understanding of body mechanics, coupled with her positive feedback, has sent me to a new level of fitness. She is patient; she gets how our bodies change and how performance can vary day to day. She even has taught me the value of recovery time as well what "active recovery" means. She takes detailed notes during each workout, as well as photos, so I can track my progress and refer back to the photos if I need to recall a specific position for an exercise. Her use of workout data has been an incredible boon and has allowed me to gage my workouts based on solid information regarding my health and fitness. She is able to modify or challenge as necessary and adjust for injury or individual quirks. Because she is a top athlete, she knows what it takes to reach peak performance and how to maintain it. She is simply the best."
-ROBIN GAL
"Maria is a consummate fitness professional who takes a holistic approach to address the fitness needs of each individual. I have been her spin student for eight years or more and can't say enough positive things about her. Her high intensity interval training spin workouts vary all the time - we don't do the same thing over and over; she always has a plan behind her approach, be it endurance, speed, climbing or a combination. And the beat of the music she chooses matches perfectly the RPMs at which we should be working. As my personal trainer, she tailors her approach to my individual needs, be it recovery from an injury, preparation for a resumption of skiing, or addressing issues of body mechanics. She is unfailingly positive, upbeat, and supportive which I find very motivating. I don't like gung-ho coaches who yell, I respond better to the quiet approach, and Maria knows just what motivates me. She tailors each workout to my needs on any given day, and increases the challenge as I improve. Her observational skills and attention to detail are amazing - she can tell when a particular muscle isn't firing and helps me focus on improvement. The photos and videos she provides of my workouts are a wonderful reminder of proper form when I do my "homework" between training sessions. I honestly can't say enough good things about Maria; with her help I have become stronger, more fit, and more confident of my abilities."
-JANIS BARBOUR
"Maria is an outstanding trainer. She possesses an incredible knowledge of anatomy which she applies expertly in teaching strength and core exercises. She is perfect in her focus on my personal fitness goals, and as a result, I am gaining strength as well as confidence in my abilities. Maria’s observational skills are phenomenal, and she is able to identify whether specific muscles are working optimally during given exercises. Her spin classes are exceptional. She has challenging, well organized interval and endurance routines that build cardio stamina while allowing for appropriate rest periods. In addition to her highly professional demeanor, Maria is also very personable and kind. She demonstrates a positivity that inspires me to strive to continually improve my performance. Due to her expertise, I have recommended her to many of my fellow exercise enthusiasts. I am very grateful to have such a superb trainer."
-ELLEN SHIBATA
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