Lori Stein, Designer - Northampton
I have been working with Jonathan for a little over a year and find, at 70, that I am stronger than at any other time in my life. That includes years of gym, yoga classes, and endless miles of walking. In spite of the confines of a congenital structural issue, Jonathan has helped me make gains I would not have thought possible. His knowledge is comprehensive and he maintains an awareness of his client's individual needs on a day-to-day basis.
Jonathan makes it a point to continue to grow his knowledge base. I could not be happier with my own progress and with the degree of trust I feel in this man's skill, understanding of biodynamics, musculoskeletal issues, and patience. His personality isn't too shabby either!
Marcia Wolff, Teacher - Northampton
As a client for personal training with Jonathan Eisen, I sing his praises! Jonathan is a personable and tuned-in trainer. He is both emotionally supportive of where I am at on any given day, and he is firm about keeping me at my edge. He offers a variety of options for strengthening various body parts, which keeps the sessions stimulating. At 63, keeping my body strong as I age is a priority. I wholeheartedly endorse Jonathan as a trainer.
Murray Scwartz, Professor - Amherst
Working with Jonathan was a pleasure. His knowledge of the body is extensive and he is an expert at guiding exercises that build both flexibility and strength. He is sensitive to the needs and abilities of his clients -- especially us older ones! -- and he varies the length and sequences of stretches and weight-bearing movements to achieve maximum results without ever risking injury. I have achieved increasingly better and stronger movement since working with him. My main goal was to strengthen my core and to gain upper body strength while increasing overall flexibility and Jonathan showed me how to get there. Highly recommended!
Anne Rylestone, M.D. Belchertown
I had PT at ATI after one of my Greyhounds ran into my knee. ATI not only fixed my knee but also a very old back injury AND the after effects of a shattered left ankle and fibula from three years before! I was feeling so optimistic about my abilities after "graduating" from ATI that I wanted to see how much stronger I could get. ATI mentioned that Jonathan Eisen was a local trainer, so I set up an appointment.
Training with Jonathan has changed my life. I told him at the first visit that I wanted to be able to move 80-pound salt hay bales with ease, to be able to squat (which I could do) to garden AND get back up again, using only my legs, and do one pull up before I die. (I'm over 70, by the way.) I have achieved the first two of those goals and more. Jonathan is a joy to work with; he is sensitive, kind, and motivating--and he has a delightful cat. He can immediately adapt an exercise to one's abilities so there is just enough challenge and also a sense of success. I recommend that everyone over 40 work with a trainer, and if one is lucky enough to work with Jonathan, life will be joyous and healthy. There is nothing quite like the well-being of being strong. Jonathan is a treasure.
Peter Simkin, M.D. - Boston
I have had many training sessions with Jonathan Eisen. From the onset when he asked about and we discussed my goals, he listened carefully and then devised a program to meet my needs. He knows his business and even provided me links to online videos to watch between sessions if I wanted to check my technique for a given exercise. Jonathan has a good understanding of anatomy and I always felt safe when we worked together. I highly recommend him as a personal trainer and would still be under his auspices had he not moved.
Matt Chan, Civil Engineer - Boston
I have been working with Jonathan Eisen for almost a year now and am very happy with the progress that I have made. I initially starting working with Jon because I felt sluggish and needed to jumpstart my fitness regimen. I got that, and much more.
Before working with Jon I had a chronic shoulder issue for years. I had worked with medical professionals for over 6 months and wasn’t seeing progress. I didn’t know a personal trainer focused on rehabilitation, so I was surprised during our first session when Jon mentioned that he felt that my issue was correctable. We focused on the muscle imbalances that he observed and developed a strengthening circuit to help even out the imbalances. Admittedly I was skeptical, but after only two months my shoulder felt better than it had in years! My shoulder is now totally pain-free and I am thrilled!
I also have a sedentary job and was developing lower-back pain by the end of the day. Jon encouraged me to strengthen my core but I didn’t like traditional mat exercises. Jon worked with me to strengthen my core through weightlifting and TRX exercises and my lower back has zero pain now!
Now that I am essentially pain free, our workout intensity has continued to increase and the exercises are always challenging and engaging. Jon is a great motivator and really helps me dig deep to get the most out of our workouts. I would highly recommend Jon to anyone, in fact, my girlfriend recently started training with him!
Gerard Badler, retired Financial Consultant - Boston
Jon has exceptional maturity, for a relatively young man, in dealing with a 68 year-old client.I highly recommend Jon as a trainer based on his:
Ability to help me rehabilitate from a long-standing shoulder problem stemming from arthritis and a bone spur and, later, from medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow) in both arms.
Ability to enable me to continue exercising and improving my overall fitness while I was rehabbing and needed to avoid routines that might endanger my recovery.
Success at working with me to increase my cycling stamina from 10 - 20 miles per day on flat trails to successfully navigating a seven-day group bike tour of New Zealand, 30-54 miles per day over hilly terrain.
Success at improving my technique through strict attention to form, using verbal and hands-on cues.
Jon recommended that I see a physical therapist (in addition to the massage therapist I had already engaged) to get another opinion regarding diagnosis and treatment of my shoulder problem. Working in concert they prescribed a combination of stretching and weight routines that allowed me to regain full range of motion with no pain—despite the arthritis. My massage therapist is amazed at my progress in comparison to other patients she’s had with similar problems.
Medial epicondylitis is one of the most common exercise-related problems and usually occurs in only one arm. In my case it occurred simultaneously in both arms and was sufficiently severe that I had difficulty opening a jar or opening a sliding window—let alone perform exercises on TRX equipment that I was previously able to do. Within 6-8 weeks, with Jon’s guidance on stretching and exercise routines that strengthened the affected areas while avoiding exacerbating them, I experienced 95% recovery.
It has been a pleasure working with Jon, both because he is so professionally competent and because he is such a likeable individual.