A Few Words on What We Do from the Owner

Bill Barba, owner of Silhouette urban mind~body fitness has a long history in the fitness industry. He started working out in gyms when he was only 13. It became an obsession for him to find the right way to do things, which meant extensive reading and trying every exercise he could find.

"People need to know that the human body is the most complicated thing in the world," Barba explains, "People think they can just alter it without the knowledge of how it works." He believes that is the reason people fail to reach their fitness goals. They do not have the knowledge of how to do it and they don't know how to get that information. "Come into Silhouette and get an education," he implores.

Eventually Bill worked his way up from floor trainer to managing and owning local gyms here in Brooklyn. However, he was not satisfied with the culture in these gyms. He would watch the way people were treated and the way they experienced the gym. In particular he would notice women fall into what he calls, "the 30 day trap."

"They didn't have a shot. Most gyms are completely male dominated. Women need weights to stave off osteoporosis but the weight room can be very intimidating to women." He explains they would show up a few times in that first 30 days, get discouraged and then you would never see them again.

Bill felt it was really horrific the way women were being treated in gyms so he decided to create an environment that catered to them. After visiting existing female-only gyms in the area he became even more outraged. He recounts, "The women's health clubs are more prejudiced towards women than the co ed ones!" The equipment was bottom of the line, the locker rooms were dirty and they didn't offer everything needed for a complete fitness experience. Bill saw it as an act of disrespect toward women.

When developing the idea Bill went into and studied every gym he could find. In his travels he managed to see gyms around the country as well. "Gyms in L.A. are fantastic, they have everything." This guided his vision toward using equipment that was top of the line which meant shipping the Freemotion machines in from California.

Overall, the gym is catered toward to women with a great aesthetic, great equipment and great training. When asked why put a women's only health club in Bay Ridge he responds, "Gyms like this are needed everywhere. This is where I'm from so it's a blessing for me to bring it to my neighborhood."

As a final thought Bill proudly states, "Not only is this the best gym for women, it's the best gym in town period."