Testimonials:

Over the past few months I've been working on getting some more training business, and had a very cool project lined up, but it seems to have fallen through. Too bad. I collected some testimonials from some of the folks I've worked with over the years for promotional materials, and thought I'd share them.
Thanks to everyone who submitted their praises, I'm quite flattered at how effusive the praise has been.

I've been working with John for about six months now, and I can safely say that not only has my Jiu-Jitsu improved, but my overall fitness level has taken a huge leap as a result of his diet and strength coaching. I was plateaued pretty bad when we started working together, and not only did I break through the wall I was facing, I achieved my long-held goal of fighting at Super Heavy at Pan 2011(under 221lbs, I made 217). Along the way, I managed to learn a lot about myself, and my relationship with food. John got me on a simple, sustainable program that has completely changed my whole outlook on life. This is not hyperbole. I now go to the gym every day with a new sense of "beginner's mind" as I am now capable of things I never could do before both in the gym, and at the highest levels of competition. Every time I step onto the mats, I am amazed at what I can do now, which encourages me to reach even higher. I highly recommend what he does to anyone looking for real, measurable results in their training. I only wish I'd started listening to him sooner.

Griff Sombke
Owner/Instructor, Edmonds BJJ
3x Pan-Am Jiu-Jitsu medalist
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt


After finishing 6th at Trials for the 2009 Rowing World Championship team, I set out on a mission to get stronger. The girls next to me had 2x my muscle mass and I knew if I got fitter and more muscle that I would do better. Our boat club has a variety of people in it and when I was talking to Johns' wife she recommended that I talk to John.... so about 4 weeks after returning from trials I sent off a mail to charter a new course to get more muscle and get fitter. Little did I know that it would change my quality of life, change my approach to my workouts and change how I think about sport all together.

From day 1 I knew I was in good hands. John started by having me do a series of seemingly simple exercises like walking lunging and push ups. I did not think much of it but you could tell that John was writing up a prescription for strength... we have to work on hamstrings and glute and hip strength and core and stability were the word that came out of his mouth (I recall it like yesterday.) Great I thought to myself my bio mechanics are all messed up this is going to be a long road.

We met the following week where he demo'ed all the exercises for me and then I did them for him ( I happen to have been a college athlete and had spent some time in the weight room so I knew my way around a little bit.) John handed me a 1 month plan, gave me specific instructions on what I could and could not do for cardio as well as some light advice about what to eat.

Month 1 was the most exhausting but most rewarding. John and I met at the end of month 1 to talk about how things were going. He handed me four months worth of workouts. John was there every step of the way though those four months coaching me though points that I thought I was not going to make it. Supporting me through break downs and tests the challenges of wanting to do hours of cardio which would have stopped me from being strong.

John and I were a team though for the next 6 months. I was exhausted and encouraged the whole way though. When it came close to competition I recall sending John and mail that was something like i am not sure I can do this I am not sure I can finish this off. Anyway with a little coaching and support I did it I went to compete and I had no regrets about my accomplishments. Almost a year later I am still thankful for John b/c I am stronger, fitter, less injury prone and I have more variety in my work outs.

Emily Simonds
Former University of Wisconsin Rower
Elite Sculler

For the past four years, John has been my primary resource for information regarding strength training, postural issues, rehabilitation, athletic performance, and proper nutrition. I came to know him in 2008 through a mutual friend, and we have been in regular contact ever since. Initially, I sought guidance from John as a competitive road cyclist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Specifically, I wanted to learn how to best leverage down time from bike racing such that I could improve my overall strength and fitness at the same time as my performance on the bicycle. This led me to off-season strength training, and I looked to John for guidance in developing a program that would meet my needs without compromising sport-specific preparedness.
I appreciated John’s experiences both as a competitor (rugby, rowing) and a trainer (multiple power-endurance sports) and the insights they have given him. He is sensitive to the unique demands of a variety of disciplines and knowledgeable of many training methodologies, which makes him an effective resource for any population. Some of the most valuable feedback I received from John was directed toward correcting some postural and mobility issues. In addition, he helped me to build an off-season strength training program which complemented bicycle specific strengths and guided me through appropriate in- and off-season periodization. From John, I learned to set goals and prioritize recovery and nutrition alongside workouts such that I was able to improve performance during my final two (injury free!) seasons during a transition into a new, demanding job.
Since that time, I’ve reduced my training volume considerably with a shift in my goals toward maximal training efficiency for general strength and conditioning rather than sport specific performance. I have learned a great deal from John in terms of balancing personal and professional obligations with an effective training program, and I continue to apply his methodology to help achieve an ever-evolving set of goals within the constraints of a busy life. I value John’s perspective both for the knowledge he has and his creative approaches for maximizing training efficiency, and have found his guidance tremendously beneficial. Over the years, I’ve found John to be attentive, thoughtful, comprehensive, and professional. He has been a good friend and an ideal resource for me, and I have no doubt that he will continue to develop his skill set and enrich the training experiences of everyone around him.

J.Q. Bond
Former Cyclocross and road cyclist
Aspiring Meat head.