Fitness Training • Biomechanics Specialist • Bodywork & Sports Massage Practitioner • Holistic Health Practitioner

Training & Sports Massage Specialist in Santa Barbara, CA

The way people feel- on the inside and out– is my top priority. Having been in the healthcare profession for over 16 years, as a physical trainer, bodyworker, and health coach, I make it my aim to help others get the most out of their bodies, physiologies, and minds.

MISSION AND AIMS

I have been a physical trainer for 16 years, a bodyworker and health coach the past 10. I have worked alongside the aging population my entire career (55-85 years old), as well as middle aged adults (25-50), adolescents, competitive athletes of all ages, and average folks who don’t necessarily love working out. My principle remains constant across all demographics- “create an environment in the person where the body becomes more capable of withstanding stress with ease”. This underscores the importance of regulating stress in order to build the body. If you can achieve mastery of handling how stress comes in and goes back out, you can essentially do anything else with your body.

As an influential expert in the field of exercise physiology, my intention is to give you a unique training experience tailored to your anatomy and nobody else’s. I am results driven and work to give my clients world-class training they can feel. My sessions offer a wide array of services that stretch from rehabilitation to performance to health and lifestyle counseling. It mostly depends on what you need and where you are on your journey.

A lot of my clientele come to me wanting to take themselves to a new level of performance and physicality. Most humans wish to perform at their optimal level, but are hindered by lingering habits or recurring pain. And so many of my clients seek new ways to perform, exist, and move in their bodies while addressing and managing their pain or old behaviors. The pain / inefficiency could stem from something chronic to acute, to post-operative (joint replacements / surgeries of any kind) and even be related to previous injuries or past traumas. People I work with seek the knowledge to be able to train, build their bodies, and get healthier without exasperating previous issues. From a human movement perspective, I help improve people’s economy of motion, and to increase efficiency in how their bodies move to maximize gains, deliver faster results, and make daily performance easier feeling. This is why the training is specific to a task or activity or sport the person is involved in. If you make the body resistant to injury by broadening its scope of understanding and experience you can watch your body put on muscle and develop a new kind of resiliency. All of this is done by balancing out the body’s muscle and joint and tension relationships.

My main objective is to increase longevity and resiliency of your body by using sustainable practices that reduce joint irritation and rebuild tensile strength in your muscle fibers. Sustainability is my guiding light toward helping you achieve a more integrated, accessible, and stable body. My training takes a multi-systems approach which addresses everything from joint aberrations, to breathing incongruencies, to nervous system regulation.

 

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

In addition to my 16 years of independent study, I have mentored closely under Eastern practitioners (acupuncturists, osteopaths, and chiropractors) who taught me about healing from the perspective of performance and pain/disease management. I also spent a fair amount of time mentoring under physical therapists and nurse practitioners getting a sense of the western model’s system for health. The last half of my career I pursued an education in bodywork, specifically myofascial integration (Rolfing, structural integration), shiatsu (Japanese acupressue), and lymphatic drainage. I work to help my clients improve their circulatory response, and to clear blockages so that everything can function more harmoniously. I am trauma sensitive and regularly treat individuals who are looking for more control of their nervous system.

The body is a lifelong project that requires regular maintenance and checking up on. Together we leave no stone un-turned in our quest for a healthier feeling and more upright self. We use regular assessment, progressive loading, and other measurements to assure we progress in the direction we want. Train Rugged is the future of physical training, and it is a multidisciplinary approach that only a handful of practitioners are doing around the world.

Whether you are having performance stagnation, chronic pain, need a training plan for comfort and confidence in your skin, are bouncing back from a life changing event, need to change life habits / behaviors, or are rehabilitating trying to get your health back, I assure you I can help get you what you want.

Although I have many certifications the ones that have shaped my perspective the most are listed below:

  • North American Sports Medicine Personal Trainer
  • Flow Motion Model Biomechanist- Gait Training and Rehabilitation
  • Board Certified Structural Integrator from Anatomy Trains– 750 hours
  • Functional Patterns Practitioner
  • Foundation Training Coach
  • Postural Restoration Certified- Posture, Pelvic Floor, and Diaphragm Restoration
  • Functional Anatomy Specialist: Range Conditioning, Tissues Release, Range Assessment, Joint Conditioning
MY APPROACH TO OPTIMIZING HUMAN BIOMECHANICS

GEOMETRY AND GRAVITY: WHERE ARE YOU IN SPACE?

I watch movement in a unique way. First, I assess movements and postures based on the quality in which they are done, and then by how much recruitment of the body is involved. For example: how well is your brain communicating to the rest of your body; how are you breathing; and how does your nervous system respond to different exercises? These are the priorities that will be determined early on in our work together in order to have a better sense of where your body is in space.

Train Rugged uses biomechanics methods to teach sound, smooth, and efficient movement. Techniques focus on building individuals from the inside out, the bottom up and the top down. I work closely and hands-on with my clients to teach them about their geometrical patterns and where they are in space (where their bones are most of the time). The goal is to build the system as a whole taking into account injuries, traumas, dormant tissues or overactive tissues! Training sessions emphasize core-to-extremity movements paired with stability, conditioning, and balance exercises.

For growth and physical comfort it is important for people to learn how to tap into their true potential, and deep core training is a part of that. Deep core training involves observing the breath, spine, and interplay of the various joints in the body. With a precise eye, I will teach you to perform exercises with alignment that makes sense and full recruitment of your diaphragms and core musculature. By acquiring new knowledge of how to move well, with ease and intention, you’ll develop a feeling of balance and strength in your own body. When limitations in your life come about you will be able to overcome the physical pains or injuries because you have trained and learned about how to move.

With or without challenges, it is a journey of regular conscious practice to master the body. Let Train Rugged guide you to this mastership.

SERVICES & CLIENTELE

TEACHING PEOPLE TO MOVE WITH BIOMECHANICS- REINTRODUCING YOU TO YOUR BODY

My services pull from a broad pool of movement therapies, and my clients range from 10-80 years of age. Elders, baby-boomers, full time office workers, anybody and everybody is able to train with me. I train trainers, instructors, and other movement therapists looking to fine tune their coaching as well. Combining yoga, weights, and functional exercises, I liberate, rejuvenate, and restore bodies of all ages and sizes. Some clients work with me for performance based training goals like endurance racing or weightlifting competitions, while others come to me seeking to move more easily in the world. I also work alongside anyone with injuries and surgeries, to help get them back to where they were before the accident. To me training the body is an art, and it will be viewed that way over the course of your development.

Tissue health and movement technique is of great importance in my coaching, and you’ll see after our first session how I use constructive exercises instead of destructive ones, improving your recovery and ability to do workouts more often. Your goal can be cardiovascular health,  joint strengthening, sports performance, team competition, or to just be able to hang when your your friends or kids wants to do something active on the weekend. The degree of exercise varies by several circumstantial factors unique to your anatomy, but the commonality across demographics is the same; regular physical movement will make you healthier. Most of my athletes see me on a weekly basis, for bodywork and for training, and incorporate my workouts into their weekly lives.

BACKGROUND & EDUCATION

RAISED TO THINK DIFFERENTLY AND CHALLENGE THE NORM

I was born in Rochester, New York and moved to Luxembourg at the age of four when my family took an opportunity to live abroad. Growing up overseas our weekends were spent traveling to other countries where we immersed ourselves in the cultures of Europe. When I was fourteen years old we moved back to upstate New York where I spent all my free time away from school swimming, running, or weightlifting. Upon graduation from high school, I attended college in Tampa, Florida and relocated to Boston in 2010.

During my college years in Florida I discovered that, no matter where I live, I must find the pool, track, and gym because these places are central to my wellbeing. It was also during that time, while competing in endurance races, I stumbled upon yoga, martial arts, and Olympic weightlifting. Weightlifting showed me exactly how to take my training, strength and physical growth to the next level. Pairing weightlifting with yoga and martial arts, I learned how to build mobility and control in my joints. I also learned to appreciate the benefits received in relaxing my muscles, particularly through yoga. It was this trifecta that opened me up to a better, smarter, way to move and train; and it was in this realization that my passion to become a personal trainer was born.

Nowadays, in my free time, I love to get outside, specifically going for long walks or hikes. Anything in nature helps me to reconnect with myself and the world. If I am indoors I do a lot of cooking, always trying new foods, recipes, and ways to make things tastier. I play sports as often as I can and love jumping in on any sort of pick-up activity. When I do have some down time, I like to read, write, and talk about psychology with the love of my life my wife Jess. Apart from that, sleep is another best friend of mine.

MY FUTURE AS A HEALTH COACH

A RENAISSANCE IN HEALTH: BRINGING YOU WITH ME

Having spent years as a personal trainer using Spatial Medicine in my practice, I am now on a mission to reintroduce people to themselves by way of conscious movement that helps them train well and be well for the rest of their lives.

Spatial Medicine – the integration of particular modalities suited for individualizing training programs for each client – is a growing field, and I believe it will be one of the most important trades in healthcare as we move further into the 21st century. Living in a time where all we do is work long hours and race around in our lives, I think it is important that we learn to slow down in order to speed up. We are complex human beings, and it behooves us to get more curious about the way we move and function in our day to day life. I want to encourage that physical curiosity within each of my clients.

When I teach I incorporate restorative and integrative exercises into individualized training sessions so that my clients can feel themselves get stronger without experiencing stress on their body. By working closely with individuals each day I have a firm knowledge and understanding of what can be done to help you take your training to the next level. My goal is to teach you how to train physically for life and any activity that may come your way. Training Rugged does this and more; it sets clients on a path inward to discover a brighter, more enjoyable version of themselves. Won’t you join me on a journey to greater health and well being that will last your whole life long?

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU ACHIEVE FITNESS WITHOUT PAIN?

Ready to take the first step towards improving the way you feel and function? Take advantage of my offer for a free consultation. I offer personal training, sports massage and bodywork services in Santa Barbara, CA. Through a holistic approach to physical fitness and whole-body wellness, I can help you be your best self.

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