BEST MALE PERSONAL TRAINER
BEST GYM
BEST CYCLING STUDIO
For some, fitness is a way of life. For others, it’s simply a way to combat the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. For Christopher Lucas and his team at the Montrose SPENGA fitness studio, fitness is an all-encompassing full-body experience that engages clients of all skill levels.
Lucas was recognized as this year’s Best Male Personal Trainer by OutSmart readers, and his Montrose SPENGA studio won the Best Houston Gym and Best Cycling Studio awards. The facility was also a finalist for Best Yoga Studio.
“SPENGA is a completely unique, unrivaled fitness concept,” Lucas explains. The gym specializes in a one-hour full-body workout targeting aspects of fitness that other gyms do not typically focus on.
“There are three major components to fitness for a healthier life: cardiovascular endurance, physical strength, and the ability to move. [For the first 20 minutes] I’m going to give you engaged [spin] cardio, which is really going to open up your lungs and increase your endurance. Our spin is very specific. There’s not a lot of choreography or [intricate] motions on the handlebars,” Lucas notes. “It’s a resistance-based spin class, and it’s really ‘you versus you.’”
That spin aspect of SPENGA is unlike other studios that focus solely on that workout style. And the transitions throughout the one-hour workout keep clients from getting exhausted. “Just when you’re mentally done and don’t want to go on, [the 20 minutes is] over. Then we go to the strength floor. The strength routine changes every single day, and is choreographed by the [trainers] about a week ahead of time,” Lucas says.
“Those two 20-minute segments together have raised your cortisol levels through the roof, which can negatively impact your ability to recover. So then we do breathing techniques to lower your cortisol to a level lower than when you walked through the door. No one has ever walked out of my gym saying they didn’t like it. SPENGA gives you the full trifecta.”
Lucas, a retired Marine, prides himself on employing the best instructors that the fitness world has to offer. “Finding instructors that can teach all three modalities successfully is very challenging,” he says. “We really search relentlessly to find the right people. They need to have the personality and the character. It’s an inclusive and welcoming studio, so the staff here is handpicked and really dialed into the mission.”
Lucas’ work is his passion, and his clients are a huge part of that. “The most gratifying part is seeing members achieve their fitness goals—especially when it’s really personal to them,” he says. “Someone came in one time and gave me a hug with tears in their eyes and said I changed their life. I never thought I would hear that. It made me realize that this is what I want to do forever.”
Houstonians can sign up for classes at multiple SPENGA locations in the Houston area, but Lucas touts his Montrose studio as “a melting pot of every color, creed, and orientation you could possibly imagine—with a cool, fun vibe.”
Inclusivity is what SPENGA prides itself on at the end of the day. “The exposure [that these OutSmart awards provide] for SPENGA—what it is, and how it can help anybody at any fitness level—will be priceless,” Lucas says. “And knowing that my members believed in us and voted for us lets me know that I’m doing the right thing.”
For information, visit houstonmontrose.spenga.com.
BEST COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDER
Legacy Community Health
Finalists: AIDS Foundation Houston, Avenue 360, Ronald R. Buescher, Gordon E. Crofoot, The Montrose Center, Wellness Bar by Legacy
BEST MEN’S HEALTH CLINIC
Gordon E. Crofoot
Finalists: AHF Healthcare Center – Binz, Avenue 360 Health and Wellness – Heights, Ronald R. Buescher, Village Medical, Wellness Bar by Legacy
BEST WOMEN’S HEALTH CLINIC
Planned Parenthood
Finalists: Avenue 360, Legacy Community Health
BEST URGENT OR EMERGENCY CARE CENTER
Montrose 24 Hour ER (tie)
SignatureCare (tie)
Finalists: Concentra Urgent Care, Houston Methodist Emergency Care Center, Next Level Urgent Care
BEST PHARMACY
Legacy Community Health Pharmacy
Finalists: AHF Pharmacy, Avenue 360 Health and Wellness Pharmacy – Heights, Avita Pharmacy – Bellaire, H-E-B Pharmacy, Scott Read Pharmacy, Walgreens Pharmacy at CrofootMD
BEST FEMALE PHYSICIAN
Jeannie Banh
Finalists: Elizabeth Horvath, Julia Kovacs, Jessica Pearce, Patricia Salvato, M. Sandra Scurria, Natalie Vanek
BEST MALE PHYSICIAN
Gordon Crofoot
Finalists: Ronald Buescher, James Carroll, Terence Chang, Abel Flores, Ronald Lopez-Cepero
BEST FEMALE PHYSICIAN’S ASSISTANT (PA)/NURSE PRACTITIONER
Maggie White
Finalists: Michelle DeSalvo, Elizabeth Horvath, Kelli Krisp, Jessie Pawvelek, Mary Shepard
BEST MALE PHYSICIAN’S ASSISTANT (PA)/NURSE PRACTITIONER
Derek Smith
Finalists: Daniel Arellano, John Chapman, Kendrick Clack, Greg Cupit, Paul Simmons
FAVORITE FEMALE NURSE
Christina Wells
Finalists: Tamra Bradley, Kimberly Hase, Priscilla Presson, Christine R. Raby, Nina Saltzman
FAVORITE MALE NURSE
Adam Sirico
Finalists: Ryan Balbas, Buddy Bell, Carlos Contreras, Robert Couchman, Morgan Guillory
BEST MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE
Ajana Therapy & Clinical Services
Finalists: The Montrose Center, Pinkerton Psychotherapy, Southwest Psychotherapy Associates
BEST MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST/PSYCHIATRIST
Chad Lemaire (tie)
Dan Garza (tie)
Finalists: Michael Barber, Robert Scott, Daryl Shorter
BEST FEMALE MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST/PSYCHOLOGIST
Leah Singer
Finalists: Megan Mooney, Betsy Vasquez
BEST MALE MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST/PSYCHOLOGIST
Denis “Woodja” Flanigan
Finalist: Hiram Rivera Mercado
BEST FEMALE MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST
Jessica Eiseman
Finalists: Tara Bates, Candice Holloway, Denise O’Doherty, Andrea Washington
BEST MALE MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST
Ty David Lerman
Finalists: Shane Hennesey, Robert Snellgrove, Andrew Tessmer
BEST NONBINARY MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST
Thomas Owsley
Finalists: Nakita Bowman, Noel Gonzalez, ks Stanley
BEST MALE DENTIST
Marcus De Guzman (tie)
Sam Carrell (tie)
Finalists: Alex Barrera, John Dioquino, Austin Faulk, Randy Mitchmore
BEST FEMALE DENTIST
Cynthia Corral
Finalists: Daniella Farias, Melicia Tjoa
FAVORITE FEMALE DENTAL HYGIENIST
Hifa Taha/Montrose DDS
Chriszelda/Bayou City Smiles, Karla/Bayou City Smiles, Kate/Bayou City Smiles, Magda/Bayou City Smiles, Jennifer McCrary/Avenue 360 Health & Wellness
FAVORITE MALE DENTAL HYGIENIST
Tu ___/Bayou City Smiles
BEST FEMALE EYE DOCTOR
Nancy Lo
Finalists: Juliet Farmer, Rosa Kim, April Oliver/Today’s Vision
BEST MALE EYE DOCTOR
Paul Lovero
Finalists: Bimal Patel, Marc Sanders,
Scott Sawyer, Stewart Zuckerbrod
BEST CHIROPRACTOR
Alexia McClerkin
Finalists: Matt Arnold/Airrosti – Heights, Fernando Franco, NuSpine Chiropractic
BEST FOOT DOCTOR
Vanessa Barrow
Finalists: Paul Gee, Gian Steinhauser/Caring Foot and Ankle Specialists
BEST YOGA STUDIO
Black Swan Yoga Houston (tie)
BIG Power Yoga – Montrose (tie)
Finalists: SPENGA Houston Montrose, STRETCH Studio of Houston, Tamika’s Ranch
BEST FERTILITY CLINIC/SURROGACY SERVICES
Aspire Houston Fertility Institute
Finalists: CCRM Fertility of Houston, The Family Fertility Center at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, SGF Houston – Texas Medical Center
BEST PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Roy Rivera
Finalists: Jon Koborsi, Huzefa Tayabali-Wilson
BEST FEMALE MASSAGE THERAPIST
Afton Macione/Cruz Family Chiropractic
Finalists: Tamia Anderson, Kim Stacy/Integrated Massage Services
BEST MALE MASSAGE THERAPIST
Ryan Fugate
Finalists: Chris Tognetti/Life Time Fitness, John Aaron Villarreal, Tom Zeppelin
BEST NONBINARY MASSAGE THERAPIST
Robin Mack
BEST FEMALE PERSONAL TRAINER
Monique Freeman
Finalists: Melanie Jackson, Felicia Lee-Sexton, Kimberly Marler, Danielle Sampey
BEST MALE PERSONAL TRAINER
Christopher Lucas
Finalists: Layn Chess, Oscar Gutierrez, Andrew Hayes, Eliot Perez, Gian Quiteno, John Aaron Villarreal
BEST NONBINARY PERSONAL TRAINER
Bree Turner
BEST GYM
SPENGA Houston Montrose
Finalists: Body3 Personal Fitness, Facet Seven, FIT Athletic Club, Houston Gym, TC Jester Fitness, Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA, Life Time Fitness
BEST CYCLING STUDIO
SPENGA Houston Montrose
Finalists: Cyclebar – Sawyer Heights, For The People, RYDE Montrose, Soul Cycle
BEST FEMALE HAIR STYLIST
Isabel Ferry
Finalists: Lana Blake, Celina Carcamo, Elizabeth Carlile/Studio A Salon, Jacky Madrid, Sylvia Perez
BEST MALE HAIR STYLIST
Adrian Santos
Finalists: JT Heath, Raven Montano, Reza Nouri, David Ramirez, Kenny Slack
BEST NONBINARY HAIR STYLIST
J. Bookie
Finalist: Shannon Moore
BEST MAKEUP ARTIST
Shoshuna Akerman
Finalists: Lana Blake, Sylvia Perez, Edward Sanchez
BEST NAIL SALON
Hollywood Hair & Nails Salon
Finalists: Aura Nails, Mason’s Nails
BEST NAIL TECHNICIAN
Adam Gutierrez
Finalists: Liz Brooks, Roxsann Lavan,
William Medrano
BEST TATTOO ARTIST
Stephanie Purnell
Finalists: Dan Martin, Megan Medina, Nadia Munoz
BEST TATTOO PARLOR
The Electric Chair Tattoo & Body Piercing
Finalists: Corazones Tattoo+Beauty Studio, Scorpion Studios Tattoo, Shaw’s Tattoo Studio
BEST COSMETIC SKIN CARE CENTER
SkinCeuticals Skinlab at West Ave.
Finalists: Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center Houston – River Oaks, Heights Dermatology & Aesthetic Center, The Skin Renewal Center
BEST COSMETIC SURGEON
Forrest S. Roth
Finalists: Bonnie Baldwin, Regina Rodman, Angela Sturm
BEST AESTHETIC PHYSICIAN
Patrick McNamara
Finalist: Octavio Barrios
For a full list of winners, go here.
This article appears in the October 2022 edition of OutSmart magazine.