Opening June 2026. Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
Strength training that makes the rest of life easier to carry.
A personal training gym in Vestavia Hills, offering 1-1 and semi-private training to Birmingham men and women who want knowledgeable coaching, programs written for them, and strength that shows up in weeks and compounds for years.
Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Opening June 2026.
Philosophy
When everything is flattened from fire and storm, Sequoias stand tall. Sequoias have a secret: their roots graft together underground, quietly sharing water, nutrients, and strength between trees. Our sessions are small enough to know every person by name, and the people training beside you become part of why you keep showing up.
We are not a bootcamp. We are not a CrossFit box. We are not a commercial gym with trainers upsold at the desk. We run small-group and private coaching sessions with a handcrafted and proven methodology behind them.
Real strength shows up sooner than most people think. Most members see and feel change in their first two months, and it just keeps compounding for years after that. We take measurements, provide general nutrition guidance, and make sure a new workout is ready to greet you every time.
Methodology
No guessing. Every session you walk into is part of a plan written for your body, your goals, and the life around them.
Every program is hand-written for the person it belongs to. Your goals, your history, what your body does well, and what it is working through. Whether it is gaining strength, losing fat, or improving your health through exercise, we're here for you.
Many of our members arrive with no lifting background. Some have not been in a gym in a decade. We take real pride in meeting you exactly where you are, without judgment, and coaching every movement from there.
A short warmup, a main block built around the lifts that matter for you that day, and targeted work to shore up what needs it. No filler, no wasted time.
Every member has a training log with workout and measurement history. You will watch your strength climb week after week, not just feel it in the moment. Progress you can see is progress you can trust.
About the coach
SEQUOIA is owned and operated by Kalvin Frelich, NASM Certified Personal Trainer.
Kalvin coached thousands of personal training sessions in Birmingham before SEQUOIA and came away frustrated by how much gyms limited what he could deliver to the people in front of him. If he wanted to deliver his best, he needed a solution.
In 2026 he decided to follow a dream he had been carrying: open a gym of his own, one aimed solely at improving the quality of life of the people who train inside it. No shortcuts. No compromises on what members get. Just the best he can offer, every session.
SEQUOIA is the result.
Membership
Two ways to train.
Standard
Built around showing up. Set days and set times that become part of your week.
Plus
Built for travel, shift work, and weeks that never look the same twice.
All memberships run in 3-month terms billed via ACH. No annual lock-in.
PROGRESS THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY
ATTENDANCE 8-hour notice. 2 reschedules + 1 late cancel per term.
THE IDEA The times you set are the times you train.
PROGRESS THROUGH MOMENTUM
ATTENDANCE 2-hour notice. Unlimited reschedules. 3 late cancels per term.
THE IDEA Move training with your week, not against it.
PROGRESS THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY
ATTENDANCE 8-hour notice. 2 reschedules + 1 late cancel per term.
THE IDEA The times you set are the times you train.
PROGRESS THROUGH MOMENTUM
ATTENDANCE 2-hour notice. Unlimited reschedules. 3 late cancels per term.
THE IDEA Move training with your week, not against it.
New semi-private members begin with 4 private sessions before joining the Grove format. A one-time $200 adjustment, built into the first term.
Want to train more? Add a third weekly session at a member rate, held for the length of your term to protect your slot.
Household partners can share a 1:1 slot at Roots or Roots+ rates. Fixed recurring times, capped availability.
Location
Address
3244 Cahaba Heights RdGetting here
In the heart of Vestavia Hills, just off US-280. Serving Mountain Brook, Hoover, and the greater Birmingham area. Ample parking on site.
Opening
June 2026.
FAQ
Not at all. No exercise knowledge is necessary. We take real pride in meeting people wherever they are, and a large share of our members have never seriously lifted before or have been away from the gym for years. We coach every movement from the very first session. If you have been nervous to walk into a gym, this is the right room.
You are a very big part of who SEQUOIA is built for. Strength training during and after menopause is one of the most effective things you can do for bone density, maintaining lean muscle, mood, sleep, and energy. Many of our members today are women navigating this stage of life, and the programming is written with that in mind. No lifting background is needed, and nothing about the environment is built to intimidate.
45 minutes, warmup included.
1-on-1 training gives you one coach for the full 45 minutes, focused entirely on you. Every cue and correction is yours. At SEQUOIA, this is the Roots and Roots+ tiers. Semi-private training means up to three other members train alongside you with the same coach, each following their own individualized program. You still get knowledgeable coaching on every lift, at a significantly lower cost. At SEQUOIA, this is the Grove and Grove+ tiers. Neither format is a group class. Both are individualized programs, just different ratios of coach to member.
Grove is semi-private: up to three other members training alongside you with one coach. Roots is fully private, one coach per member, the full 45 minutes focused entirely on you. Grove+ is Grove with flexible scheduling and a monthly coach check-in. Roots+ is Roots with flexible scheduling and a weekly remote touchpoint. The Plus tiers exist so your training does not fall apart the first week something changes.
Yes, and you have options. Most couples take two Grove memberships and train in the same small-group session, which gives you the accountability of training side by side at a lower total cost. If you want fully private time together, you can share a Roots or Roots+ slot at the tier rate. We will walk through which fits your situation best.
Memberships run in 3-month terms billed via ACH. No long-term lock-in beyond the term.
Things come up. Every membership has room for that. If your weeks are already unpredictable, Grove+ and Roots+ are built for it: flexible scheduling, makeup sessions, and personalized workouts you can do on the road. The Plus memberships are designed to take as much friction out of the way as possible, so you stay in rhythm even when your week does not.
Grove and Roots (Standard memberships)
Grove+ and Roots+ (Plus memberships)
June 2026.
Fill out the form below. Kalvin will reach out, see if we are a good fit, and walk you through what your time at SEQUOIA could look like.
Contact
Fill this out and Kalvin will reach out by phone within one business day.
Kalvin will call you within one business day. In the meantime, keep an eye on your phone.