I was always overweight as a child, always had a terrible diet, and didnt put my health first. I never knew that easily was the best decision of my life to train with Tom, put in my best effort, and listen to his guidance. I struggled with self esteem issues and knew my eating habits were detrimental to my life. By prioritizing my health, I lost 40 pound (in High School) and gained life skills many kids need in today age: resilience, ambition, and discipline. I was able to utilize my skills gained outside the gym in my personal life and academics. I am currently 19 years old and Tom offers something that goes beyond just a person making you workout and diet: he is your right hand man. Hes passionate and pushing when he needs to be and compassionate and uplifting when you need it the most. His guidance has made me a confidant individual where not only have I improved my physical health for the better, but also my mental. I see every day life in much more postiive light and anything is possible if you put in the dedication, preparation, and your best effort. Training with Tom is an investment in yourself above all else and will pay dividends that cannot be measured.
Omar S: Started training to lose weight at 13 years old
I came to Tom with multiple chronic knee and shoulder pain, and was unable to participate in various sports. Tom was able to quickly assess the core issues, and set a program for recovery and maintenance. Tom's regimen of stretching, foam rolling, massage gun, paired with weight training has been effective beyond what I would have expected, and in just a few weeks I was back to cycling and playing paddle and pickleball pain free.
Simon L: Started training due to shoulder pain in his 50s
I have been working with SHAPE for over five years. They have supported my fitness goals and helped me lose weight and keep it off. Tom has coached me one on one and with my husband. He has a great personality and I look forward to our workouts.
Elaine and Jeremy: Partner training for health and longevity in their 60s
I trained with Tom five times a week for over five years until he moved out of state. He is supremely qualifies, motivation, and extremely conscious of clients age and level of fitness. As an older extremely fit male, Tom kept my workouts quite varied, always aware of safety and injury prevention. I can say that as challenging as our workouts were I never had an injury. Tom is an awesome trainer.
Eric B: Client looking for longevity and health in his late 60's and early 70's
Tom and I began training together six years ago, and as I look back to where I was then and where I am now, I see the substantial impact his training has and continues to have on me as an individual. We started training when I was a long-distance runner looking to gain strength and size in a healthy, sustainable way. Since then, through weight training and diet, I've gained 30lbs while keeping lean and remaining free of training injuries. The physical results are just part of what Tom has to offer. His emphasis on safe training techniques, intentional goal-setting, and personal accountability gives you the mental building blocks required to continue to advance your life-long goal of pursuing that physique that's right for you.
Andrew A: Client in his 30's looking to gain weight and strength without injury
Tom is a remarkable personal trainer. The way in which he directs workouts to the specific client is extraordinary. I have been a client of Tom for over six years now, which has grown into a friendship, and developed into a backbone for my personal growth as an individual. At the beginning of my journey with Tom, I wanted to improve my strength, and bone density while also wanting to lose 15 pounds. His approach to bringing out the best in everyone is very beneficial, especially to someone like myself who loves to be pushed. It's truly the only way I could have stuck with it; strong encouragement, staying accountable and going past my own limitations. He taught me about diet, weightlifting, recovery and when to rest. Tom helped me complete these goals quite quickly, after just 4 months of training with him I was down the weight and on my way to becoming much stronger. Tom is very adaptable. When COVID first happened, and the gym temporarily shut down, he opened up his garage to clients like myself, where we could work out and maintain these goals that we still had set in stone. However, when quarantine happened and the world shut down, Tom took it upon himself to have virtual ZOOM workouts from our own homes with me and other committed clients. Either way, Tom always found a way to maintain goals during hardships. After three years of training with Tom, I was experiencing shortness of breath when we would train. I had been a long-time smoker but had slowly been cutting back. Tom had known this and was persistent in telling me to go get a low-dose CT scan. Eventually, I did and found out I had stage four lung cancer. So my fight began, and Tom delegated workouts based around when I was receiving treatments. Tom understood that regardless of my diagnosis, I wanted to stay alive and be as healthy as I possibly could be. There began a rhythm in which day 1 was good, day 2 okay, and on day 3 I was exhausted and needed a two-day break. This routine continued, and after two years of treatment, I finally achieved my ringing of the bell, remission. Stage four lung cancer is normally a death sentence, I didn't take it as that, and neither did my family, nor Tom. I think I kicked it's butt, because of my routine of staying active while undergoing treatment. Tom’s talent and guidance were instrumental in my success in pushing through a life crisis. To add, Tom delegates workouts based on your needs, your story, and how you want to succeed in your health. Tom can adapt to whatever situation is going on and truly pushes his clients to reach their best selves. I cannot say enough about what Tom has done for me.
Dawn P: Stage 4 Lung Cancer Survivor
Upper Body is a class that utilizes a power rack, dumbbells, and cables in a circuit to optimize the volume of training to your back, shoulders, chest, arms, and core similar to a personal training session at a small group price. The class will have two options once you arrive working from larger muscles to smaller muscles to drive muscle size and strength or smaller muscle to larger muscles to create more detail and shaping while still increasing strength.
Ryan A: USHL Hockey player
Tom has noticiably improved my game. I play for the Chicago Mission Girls 16U AAA hockey team and started working with Tom at age 13. I am stronger, faster, more endurance and feel like I have an edge as a result of his training. He pushes me harder than anyone I have ever worked with while paying close attention to my limits and what is safe and healthy for my body. His knowledge, attention to detail, and encouragement keep me motivated and I see measurable improvements over time. Tom uses his expertise to create my workouts to my particular needs and goals. Tom has also helped me return stronger from injuries, along with avoiding them in the future. My conditioning is clear in the third period when other players are starting to slow down. His workouts are an essential component of my success on the ice.
Carter H: Mission Girls Hockey