What Type of Personal Training Do I Offer?

This question never fails to trip me up. It’s fair to ask because people have been programmed to believe that personal trainers specialize in one or two things (e.g, fat loss, boxing, bodybuilding, rehab, Pilates, kettlebells, etc.). Many trainers only do one thing and that’s what their profiles say on notice boards of gyms, providing the same sessions and the same program over and over to multiple clients. But there’s nothing personal about that. The type of personal training I provide depends entirely on the specific needs, personality type, goals, preferences and physical capabilities of each individual client. I adapt my training style and methods to best suit the coaching needs of the individual in front of me.

Elevator Pitch

I’m a real-world strength trainer. I help people restore youthful movement, become stronger versions of themselves and upgrade their engine. I train people to handle anything that life throws at them. I have a keen interest in biomechanics, neurology, functional strength training and cardiorespiratory performance. I teach people how to move and lift in a way that doesn’t hurt them. This tends to be with unconventional training tools such as kettlebells, sandbags, ViPRs, Bulgarian bags, bodyweight and Persian clubs.

I have many certifications to teach various training modalities and I’ll use whichever suits my client best. With that said, most clients become so skilled in kettlebell technique that seeing other fitness professionals teaching kettlebells actually hurts their eyes. I use movement and strength assessments as a way to set baselines and targets, but which assessments I use depends entirely on the capability of the client and their subjective goals.

Who Do I Train?

I like to keep a highly varied group of clients in terms of ability and age because this means more intellectual stimulation and variability — I’ve been doing this a long time! My current group of wonderful clients includes an elite snow sports athlete; a national level endurance athlete; a pregnant person (the 7th I’ve trained through pre to post natal); a Berkeley professor with a complex rehabilitation goal; several people in their 30s and 40s whose primary objective is increasing the size of their glutes (fun biomechanics challenge); several people in their 50s and 60s who want to become strong everyday athletes; and five highly inspiring and fun septuagenarian badasses.

Despite each client having their individual short-term goals, all clients have one common long-term goal: to become more physically capable and resilient from one year to the next, turning the aging process on its head. I don’t care how people look or how much they weigh. If the main source of your motivation requires a weighing scale or a mirror, I’m not for you. Generally, happiness with image/weight is a byproduct of consistently training toward a life performance goal and adopting longevity-promoting lifestyle and nutrition habits. Ultimately, I want my clients to reach the stage where they don’t need me anymore. Sometimes, when clients reach this stage, I’ll either try to move them on, making space for others, or step into more of a workout-partner role.

Do’s and Don’ts

• I do thoroughly enjoy programming and creating innovative and highly varied workouts

• I do plan a general 12-month overview for clients’ programs to offer a macro-structure for short-term success

• I do write bespoke 6- to 8-week homework programs for clients who have regular weekly sessions. Homework programs are otherwise available for the cost of one session.

• I do continuously reassess, when needed

• I do keep training records of every session

• I do sometimes use manual therapy techniques, if they’re called for

• I do charge clients the full rate if they cancel their session within 24 hours

• I do value your time and my own. I’ll never ask you to do anything that doesn’t enhance longevity and bring you closer toward your goal

• I do especially love creating periodized triathlon/endurance programs for high-performance 6 to 12 months out

• I do deeply appreciate the healthy lifestyle this work offers and the amazing humans who put their trust in me

• I don’t do diet plans but I can offer guidance and hold you accountable to nutrition or life-habit goals that you commit to

• I don’t cancel booked sessions and I’m never late

• I don’t work with people who are regularly late and/or regularly reschedule sessions

• I don’t do maintenance training — I’m here to help you make a difference

• I don’t talk about religion or politics. There’s no room for such matters in a professional training space. In fact, I’d rather keep all chit chat to a minimum, allowing attention to be on movement and breath. (But I get that some people are just really talkative or need to vent.)

• I don’t care what your weighing scales say or how many of your abs are visible

• I don’t take myself or my job too seriously — I’m not saving babies

Background

I’ve been in the game since leaving the Royal Marines Commandos in 2011, when I was also a competitive triathlete. Thankfully, the military resettlement scheme set me up with a great deal of education above and beyond that of your average personal trainer, including the highest qualification in sports massage therapy that was available in the U.K. This set me apart from my competition when I started out in a large corporate gym, in central London, while also working as a clinical remedial massage therapist in a sports injury center. I continued to feed my thirst for knowledge over the next few years, while also building a strong referral network and client base.

In 2016 we moved to San Diego where I continued personal training, but also transitioned to education, working as the director of athletic performance for a strength education company. During this period I also created several certifications for NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), wrote articles for major publications, authored several strength training manuals, provided in-house training to Equinox trainers in NYC and London, presented at fitness summits and taught functional strength certifications to medical and fitness professionals at various global locations. I also set up a remote coaching system, which involved assessing and training hundreds of clients around the globe.

In 2020 we moved to Marin County, where I continued personal training, but also transitioned from education to corporate wellness. In 2021 this led to taking the position of wellness director for a San Francisco-based tech start-up, where I built a framework for helping  roughly450 employees. Sadly, the tech company went bust after I’d been there for a year (as so many tech companies do), and I reverted back to personal training in 2022.

Nowadays, I’m mostly personal training but enjoy providing occasional corporate wellness services at off-sites or keynote speaking gigs. I’ve also been casually attending the College of Marin since 2023, collecting the credits I need to begin a Doctorate of Chiropractic. DC seems like a natural progression to deepen my knowledge of functional biomechanics, further empower me to help people without drugs and feed my hunger for a challenge.

For fun, I lift kettlebells, swing clubs, ride my bike and read WWII, spy and fantasy novels. I love to hang out, picnic, hike, bike and day drink with my bestie, who is also my wife, and with my French bulldog, Henry of Cambridge. I love my clients. Helping them make permanent, long-term change provides a strong sense of life purpose. If you’d like to become one, please fill out this initial inquiry form and let’s meet for a consultation.

Phil