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Opening June 2026. Cahaba Heights, Alabama.

Everyday Strength
for Everyday People.

Strength training that makes the rest of life easier to carry.

A personal training gym in Cahaba Heights, 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.

Cahaba Heights, Alabama. Opening June 2026.

Philosophy

We build strength the same way sequoias do. Together.

Why SEQUOIA?

SEQUOIAs are the strongest and most robust trees. When everything around them is flattened from fire and storm, they stand tall. It is not growing roots down that strengthens them, it is growing out. SEQUOIA 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. A SEQUOIA grove is a symbol of growing together to mutually increase each one's quality of life.

Who we are not.

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.

What to expect.

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

Coaching built around you.

No guessing. Every session you walk into is part of a plan written for your body, your goals, and the life around them.

01

Written for you.

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.

02

Meeting you where you're at.

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.

03

45-minute sessions.

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.

04

Progress you can see.

Every member has a training log. 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.

Kalvin Frelich, NASM Certified Personal Trainer and founder of SEQUOIA Strength Training in Cahaba Heights, Alabama, with his family

About the coach

Meet Kalvin.

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.

People who want to start but do not know how

Who we built this for.

Who this is for

  • Those who feel lost, intimidated, or self-conscious in a gym and want to be met where they are.
  • Adults who want to lose fat, build muscle, and change how their body moves day by day.
  • Women navigating perimenopause and the years after, who want to protect bone density, maintain muscle, and feel strong through a season of real change.
  • Busy professionals who want an efficient workout they can trust.
  • Anyone after better energy, better sleep, and the mental-health lift that steady training provides.
  • Golfers, hikers, pickleball players, weekend athletes who want to be better at the things they love.
  • Couples, friends, and neighbors who want to train together.

Who this is not for

  • Anyone looking for bootcamp energy or a leaderboard culture.
  • Anyone who wants to drop in a few times a month and figure it out alone.
  • CrossFit athletes.
  • Anyone seeking sport-specific performance coaching.
  • Those who enjoy working out in a loud, chaotic environment.

Membership

Membership tiers.

Two ways to train. Standard memberships are built around showing up, set days and set times that become part of your week. Plus memberships are built for travel, shift work, and weeks that never look the same twice. All memberships run in 3-month terms billed via ACH. Monthly billing available on request. No annual lock-in.

Grove

Semi-private
$1,650 per 3 months

Best for: People who want steady accountability at a fixed time every week.

Training alongside up to three other members in a group coached by one coach. Recurring set times mean you know when you train, and your coach knows when to expect you. The accountability is built in.

  • Up to 4 members per session, 1 coach
  • Fixed, recurring session times
  • Hand-written program for you, progressed weekly
  • Same small group each week builds the community

Grove+

Semi-private, flexible
$1,950 per 3 months

Best for: People with unpredictable schedules who still want the small-group experience.

Everything Grove gives you, built to flex around the weeks when life gets chaotic. If you travel, switch shifts, or just need to move things around, Grove+ is designed so you do not fall off.

  • Everything included in Grove
  • Flexible scheduling within weekly capacity
  • Makeup sessions when life interferes
  • Monthly check-in with your coach
  • Personalized workouts written for you to do while traveling

Roots

Private 1:1
$4,950 per 3 months

Best for: People who want a coach's full focus every minute of every session.

One coach, one member, 45 minutes entirely for you. Every cue, every correction, every progression is yours. The deepest level of personalization we offer.

  • 1 coach, 1 member, 45 full minutes
  • Fixed recurring times
  • The most tailored program we write
  • Great fit if you are working around an injury, chasing a specific performance target, or want undivided attention in every session

Roots+

Private 1:1, flexible
$5,850 per 3 months

Best for: Private training that bends around your life instead of the other way around.

Private coaching for the weeks when nothing about your calendar is normal. Plus, an additional remote touchpoint from your coach between sessions.

  • Everything included in Roots
  • Flexible scheduling
  • Remote sessions when travel or work takes over
  • Weekly remote coaching touchpoint between sessions
Training with a spouse or partner? Most couples take two Grove memberships and train in the same group session. You get accountability 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. Ask us which fits you better.

Location

Find us.

Address

3244 Cahaba Heights Rd
Vestavia, AL 35243

Getting here

In the heart of Cahaba Heights, just off US-280. Serving Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and the greater Birmingham area. Ample parking on site.

Opening

June 2026.

FAQ

Questions we get asked.

Do I need to be experienced to train here?

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.

I am in perimenopause or post-menopause. Is this a good fit?

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. Most 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.

How long are sessions?

45 minutes, warmup included.

What's the difference between Grove and Roots?

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.

Can my spouse and I train together?

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.

Is there a contract?

Memberships run in 3-month terms billed via ACH. No long-term lock-in beyond the term. Monthly billing is available on request.

What if I travel or get sick?

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.

Attendance guidelines

Grove and Roots (Standard memberships)

  • Membership freeze available for planned travel (declared before your term begins) and for sickness or extreme circumstances.
  • 2 cancellations per 3-month term.
  • 1 late cancellation (less than 8 hours' notice) or no-show per term.

Grove+ and Roots+ (Plus memberships)

  • Travel: sessions continue remotely. Declare planned travel before your term begins.
  • Unlimited rescheduling with at least 2 hours' notice.
  • Up to 4 late reschedules or no-shows per term.
When do you open?

June 2026.

How do I get started?

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

Let's talk.

Fill this out and Kalvin will reach out by phone within one business day.

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