Bill Phillips

I started training with Mike Marowitz in November 2013 and have been with him now for over a year and a half. I am 49 years old and was in moderately good shape when I started. When I first met him, we discussed my goals. I told him my main interest was increasing strength.

He questioned me further to find out specifically what areas were of greatest interest to me. I told him increasing my max lift in all areas was important to me, but that when I work out on my own, I always end up straining a muscle or injuring myself in some other way. He said that strength training was something he could definitely help me with, and pointed out that it was likely my lack of form that was causing the problem. We did a 1-week trial period of 3 sessions, where he evaluated my capability in strength, endurance, and flexibility. He noted right away that I lacked flexibility. Mike is VERY conscious of form and avoiding injury, and flexibility was the key to that. We spent time stretching and he showed me routines I could do at home to get more flexible. Every exercise we did together was done in exactly the right way to prevent any undue strain to tendons and joints. I kept wanting to go with heavier weights, but Mike made sure that I could complete reps perfectly before lifting heavier. We have done three 1-hour sessions a week, where we hit all major muscle groups. Every session COMPLETELY wears me out. I am exhausted, but satisfied, knowing I’ve been pushed as far as possible. With Mike as my trainer, I have been surprised at the gains I’ve achieved. Starting out, my bench press was 165 lbs. Now my max is over 250 lbs and I can do 185 lbs 10-12 times. My dead lift was 185 lbs max starting out. Now it’s 335 lbs. When I started, I weighed 178 lbs. Now I weigh 190 lbs and have added over 10 lbs of muscle. I feel better, stronger, and more confident. It’s important to note that at no time have I been injured with Mike as my trainer. In fact, the small joint pains I used to feel working out have almost disappeared. I used to have very bad knees playing tennis. Since incorporating Mike’s leg routines, I don’t have problems anymore. My flexibility has improved, although I know I have much further to go. Mike is fun and interesting to work out with. We chat and laugh between sets, but our sessions are always serious, focused on helping me achieve my goals. I cannot begin to say how much of a difference Mike has made in my level of physical fitness. I would recommend his services to anyone serious about getting in shape and staying in shape.