MEET OUR PERSONAL TRAINERS

Zach is a kinesiology major from San Jose State University with an emphasis as an Exercise and Fitness specialist. Ever since he was a kid, helping people has always been a drive for him to pursue a profession. Tying that with his love for the gym, he determined being a personal trainer was best suited for him. He creates workout programs for clients who want to achieve their fitness goals. Ultimately, Zach would like to become a Strength and Conditioning coach for a collegiate or professional sports team. On a personal note, he loves playing basketball and completing Spartan Trail Half Marathons.

Sean has been educating and training members since 2015. He is certified in various areas including personal training, fitness, strength coaching, sports nutrition, low back specialist, and LIVESTRONG at the YMCA coaching. He teaches a wide range of classes from adult PE to youth sports and games, and even works with those suffering from chronic diseases. In addition, Sean has a passion for lifting, rehab techniques, and routine building. If you're looking to get in shape and reach your goals, Sean is the perfect choice! He believes that exercises should not be a punishment for what you ate, but instead an achievement to see what you can do with your body. And when he's not training, he loves to build legos, play musical instruments, and throw a Frisbee!

Susan joined the Central YMCA Health and Wellness team in 2009 as a Certified Personal Trainer, and has nearly two decades of experience in the fitness industry. Susan began as a Group Exercise Instructor specializing in the martial arts field, with a focus on boxing. Since then, she has evolved in various strength, flexibility, injury prevention & recovery coaching as well as healthy nutrition and mindfulness practice coaching. She uses five basic principles to structure her member's training programs: injury prevention, body-shaping, strength, conditioning, and food management. Susan’s passion is to inspire your discovery and confidence in health, while safely meeting and exceeding personal goals. On a personal note, she loves anything culinary - farmers' markets, baking, cooking, Top Chef, Master Chef, Tournament of Champions and she's mastered roller skating (quad skates) indoor and outdoor for many years, as well as cartwheels.

Hector is a dedicated Personal Trainer in constant growth, always learning new skills to implement with his clients. Available at Central YMCA, Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA, and El Camino YMCA, Hector specializes in weight loss, toning, and circuit training. He will be able to teach you how to enjoy physical activity and create healthy habits while enjoying your favorite food! He will also bring out your love and passion for music and guide you to enjoy the love for dance. On a personal note, he loves eating and dancing.

Steve is a Certified Pickleball Trainer for East Valley Family YMCA. He offers both singles and doubles pickleball lessons. Whether you’re looking to learn the game, or progress to a higher skill level, Steve can help get you there. Beginner and intermediate players can reach their pickleball goals safely with Steve’s help. Steve has a passion for the game, and has competed in singles tournaments, winning a medal in the Palo Alto Senior Games in 2022. He will teach you the basics to advance play. So, when you play with friends and family, you will know what you are doing and have more fun.

Dylan, a Bay Area native, focuses on exercises that support functional movement and activities of daily living so that you can easily build your foundational fitness and achieve long term success. As a Wellness Coach and Certified Personal Trainer, it is his joy and life's passion to spend collaborative time with individuals as they map out their healthy living goals and begin or continue exercise and daily activities. Dylan graduated from Cal State East Bay with a B.S. in Recreation Management. He is a NCSF Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Mat Pilates and Zumba Instructor.

Dylan is trained in adaptive fitness, working with seniors & active adults, and working with those living with chronic pain or in various stages of a physical health recovery. He focuses on exercises that support functional movement and activities of daily living so that you can easily build your foundational fitness and achieve long term success. Dylan is available to train at East Valley Family YMCA and Northwest YMCA. On a personal note, dancing is his favorite thing to do.

Beth believes that exercise can change lives, helping to relieve stress while promoting stronger mental and physical health. She will coach you on your fitness journey to keep you motivated and on the right track to reach your fitness goals. With her extensive knowledge of the human body, she will become an essential partner in your health journey. Beth holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Human Movement. She specializes in weight loss, muscle toning, strength training and balance. Exercise changed Beth's life and now she wants to help change yours. On a personal note, she lobes to go swimming with her daughter.

Misty specializes in circuit training, core training, balance training, cardio endurance training and youth fitness. She is the perfect trainer for a health seeking individual, or someone looking to rebuild their fitness after an injury or time off. She is also a LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA coach. When you work out with Misty, you will focus on your goals and monitor your progression to modify and incorporate different options as necessary to optimize your results. This will make your training session more fun and enjoyable and help keep you motivated. On a personal note she has a passion for cooking, baking and gardening.

Jenn joined the El Camino YMCA over 15 years ago as a Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor and has worked more than two decades in the fitness industry. She believes in functional training and develops strength and resistance programs based on the activities that her clients do in their everyday life, from sports like golf and skiing, to basics like carrying groceries and pushing strollers. She likes to work with clients that are motivated to challenge themselves. Her focus is on cardiovascular endurance and strength training, and weight loss, if needed. She uses the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale and heart rate monitoring to help clients make their cardiovascular workouts as efficient as possible. And most especially making each workout FUN! Jennifer is here to coach, motivate and encourage you to succeed. She will help you attain your fitness goals, whether it is losing 10 lbs on the scale or adding 10 lbs of muscle. In her free time, she enjoys running, cycling, cooking, reading and spending time with family.

Ricky is a certified personal trainer who specializes in sport-specific training and youth fitness. His training sessions include HIIT and Circuit Training where the goal is to keep the heart rate high while burning fat and calories and simultaneously building strength and endurance. He enjoys working 1:1 or with small groups. His primary objective is to make goals with clients and to create a path to achieve those goals.

Ryan is a NASM certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. His primary aspiration is to help people reframe “health” as several small choices made each and every day, instead of an overly complicated concept. He enjoys encouraging others to pursue healthy choices in life for the benefits that they can feel today. On a personal note, his favorite hobby is juggling.

Mercy's passion for fitness began long ago through her love of sports, movement, and music. As an ACE certified group exercise instructor and youth fitness specialist, she has taught strength, bootcamp, and dance classes for many years, working with adults and youth. As a personal trainer and strength coach, she enjoys working 1:1 or with small groups, helping members of all backgrounds and abilities to achieve their fitness goals, mitigate injury, and integrate exercise into activities of daily life while having fun! On a personal note, she loves dance, sports, and baked goods.

Elizabeth has spent over 20 years in the health and wellness field helping her clients become more comfortable in their bodies, with a special focus on those who struggle with high stress, chronic pain, or chronic illness. Beginning her career in Massage Therapy she found that movement was the most powerful medicine and expanded into teaching Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and corrective exercise. Her goal is to help her clients maintain health and fitness for life by improving ease of movement, balance, posture, and mobility.

Patti is a seasoned personal trainer, adaptive fitness therapist, post & pre-rehab water therapist, balance specialist and Feldenkrais practitioner. She has a gentle, therapeutic approach to meeting fitness goals and specializes in stroke victims, herniated or ruptured lumbar discs, sciatica, shoulder replacement, knee replacement, hip replacement, and posture and balance. Patti is your physical therapist’s best friend. On a personal note, she is a former dancer, cheerleader, soccer player and marathon runner.

Laura is an ADAPT Functional health coach (A-CFHC) and supports clients in reaching their health and wellness goals by tapping into their strengths, values and overall vision. When it comes to health and wellness, many people often know WHAT to do. They just need some extra help on HOW to do it. Using motivational interviewing, positive psychology and the stages of change, Laura listens and supports individuals along their journey (wherever that is) in taking those small steps to create bigger, more long-lasting changes. Laura has been a group fitness instructor since 2004, teaching cardio dance, Les Mills Body Attack and U-JAM Fitness. Laura enjoys meeting new clients and is often inspired hearing their stories and learning from them as well. She looks forward to working with you.

Lisa is a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. She specializes in functional fitness and rehab fitness and enjoys working with seniors, people with chronic illnesses, and people with aches and pains from living. Lisa works collaboratively with her clients to achieve their goals. Her style is to encourage and instruct versus demand and expect. Exercise is her passion and she strives to make it fun (or, at least, less of a chore). She employs a variety of exercise equipment, based on clients' needs, to keep sessions fresh. On a personal note, she loves to travel, run, hike, knit and read.

Brittany is a high-energy trainer passionate about health and wellness. As a previous college athlete and competitive weight lifter, she loves the process of supporting clients through their wellness journey. With a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology, she specializes in sports performance, strength and conditioning, HIIT, circuit training, and youth fitness. She has a passion for physical activity and finding innovative and fun ways to achieve your goals! On a personal note, she coaches girls' basketball and has a cute dog named Creed.

Leslie has always been passionate about fitness. Her career started as a Group Fitness Instructor, teaching Les Mills Body Pump (Advanced Certification), Body Attack, and Les Mills Core. This led to becoming a NASM certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. Her style as a trainer is professional but engaging, and her number one priority is helping clients meet their goals using efficient and creative exercise programs. On a personal note, she loves to cook and bake. Ask her abut the '12 days of baking!'

When you train with George, you'll take time to build a foundation which includes proper core training, proper form in everyday movement and strength training, and calming the nervous system through stretching and Qi Gong, This, in return, gives us a holistic approach to be aware of one's stability, how well you are moving, and how much is too much when it comes to exercise and movement. Available at Northwest YMCA and Southwest YMCA, George specializes in corrective exercises, proper alignment, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and Qi Gong and meditation. On a personal note, George has two cats: one guard cat and one rodent hunter.

Joni is an easy-going trainer with a sense of humor. Burpees + Brownies = Life Balance. She has two young kids, so mainly works during the school day. Her expertise is in core training, stretching and TRX. Joni wants to help you meet your fitness goals in a low-key, body-positive environment. She is also an educator for breastfeeding with Nursing Mothers Counsel.

Joshua is a NASM certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. He specializes in youth sports training, circuit training, and boxing. He will motivate and encourage you as he educates you in your training. On a personal note, his favorite number is 12.

Juana has been a Personal Trainer at the Palo Alto YMCA since 1995. Whether you are training for something special or working on your general fitness, she looks forward to working with you to achieve your goals. On a personal note, she loves hiking, spending time with her daughters and grandkids, traveling, dancing, cooking and walking her dog.

Yaser has more than 28 years of experience in health and wellness. His career in physical therapy has focused on clinical sports therapy, strength conditioning, adaptive fitness therapy and sports recreation. Yaser's areas of expertise include weight loss management, full body transformation, core strength, corrective exercise and myofacial release, and Senior Fitness (post recovery, balance, gate, strength and cardiovascular reconditioning). On a personal note, he loves gardening and outdoor recreation.

Terrence loves to help others progress and meet their fitness goals. He specializes in endurance training, free weight, strength training and weight loss. He's trained all different aged clients from ages 12 to 80. On a personal note, Terrence is passionate about sports, especially baseball and football. He is a huge animal lover.

Craig has been an avid member of the YMCA community for over a decade. A few years ago, he decided to build upon his interest in fitness and exercise in order to become a certified personal trainer. He hopes to leverage the journey through his own fitness challenges (body composition, strength training, injury/surgery rehab), to help you achieve your fitness goals. On a personal note, Craig is a physics teacher at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto. He'd love to discuss the biomechanics of exercise and the human body, or the latest advances in quantum mechanics if that's more your thing.

Slava's areas of focus are weight lifting, building muscle and weight loss training. On a personal note, he likes bicycling, hiking and traveling.

Tina is a native German who has traveled to and lived in many places. Although she had always been an active person, she used the years of motherhood to thoroughly fall in love with fitness. Her instructor career started with kickboxing, followed by Les Mills BODYPUMP, BODYCOMBAT and CORE and then Certified Personal Trainer. Tina rounded out her general fitness background with nutrition specialist and restorative exercise certifications.

Tina has three school-aged children so she understand the challenges of being a mom and staying fit. She also speaks three languages fluently (German, English, Spanish) and has thorough knowledge of French, which helps welcome various ethnicities into her workouts. She always makes sure to offer options to cater to various levels of fitness. Let her enthusiasm motivate you to reach your next level of fitness! On a personal note, she loves Spartan races, church, friends and spending time with her children.

Chelsea joined the South Valley Family YMCA as a member in 2018. Her active and regular attendance in group exercise classes inspired her to become a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor. Her advocacy for healthy living for life and mental positivity pervades her philosophy for health and wellness. She uniquely designs her clients’ workouts to be safe, effective, and challenging. She strongly believes that a functional strength and resistance program, combined with cardiovascular conditioning and proper recovery, enables an individual to have the tools necessary for long-term physical and mental health. Chelsea will guide, encourage, and motivate you to achieve your fitness goals. On a personal note, she enjoys nature and exploring new places, especially hiking trails, with her family.

Having been a "heavy" kid through high school, Pete needed a turn around and tried many gyms. He relates to and applauds anyone who is trying to better themselves. Personal training can help anyone new to their fitness journey, or help augment the regular gym attendee. Pete specializes in functional fitness. On a personal note, he's been a magician for over 30 years. He enjoys hiking on the weekends with his dog.

Ethan started personal training in 2019 to deepen his knowledge of human performance. He has a BS in exercise science and a passion for helping the everyday person achieve a more balanced lifestyle with exercise and movement that will be both enjoyable and long-lasting. Ethan has a background in endurance sports, and played a wide variety of sports growing up. On a personal note, Ethan spends his free time training for triathlons. You'll probably find him in the pool most days of the week.

Steve has been a personal trainer since 1998 and loves energizing, educating and empowering people to a higher quality of life, physically and beyond. He particularly likes helping clients understand their body better and how to move in ways that will keep them fit and active. Steve's expertise is in anaerobic resistance training for improving proper movement, mobility, flexibility, power, strength and endurance, as well as injury prevention. On a personal note, he has 5 children and 10 grandchildren that keep him pretty busy. He has coached many sports over 35 years, specializing in Pole Vaulting in track and field.

Gini has been teaching group exercise for over 25 years and yoga for nearly 10 years. Her emphasis is on proper form, breathwork, core strength, posture, stretching, mental health, holistic healthy living and FUN! Gini's training is designed to help you create exercise and other healthy living habits that will support your well being beyond the one-on-one time together. Her expertise is in posture, facilitated stretching, yoga and green exercise. She incorporates breathwork, meditation and habit creation into training sessions to support both physical and mental health. On a personal note, she loves travel, baking sourdough bread, gardening, spa weekends, massages, horse back riding and dancing.

Adriana is a bilingual Spanish speaking personal trainer with a professional fitness/ wellness background that spans over 20 years. She trains diverse populations including children, athletes, older adults and special populations, successfully helping them reach wellness goals such as weight loss, athletic performance, and improving quality of life. She brings her passion for movement and physical strength while helping clients foster courage and self confidence within themselves. Adriana caters fitness plans to clients' physical and emotional needs while keeping each session fun and engaging. On a personal note, she runs three miles everyday at 4 am when it is dark and quiet. She loves baking extravagant cookies and brownies to enjoy with different, delicious ice cream flavors.

Tavi is a firm believer that there are endless ways to train effectively. As a trainer it is our job to find the form of training that will not only deliver the desired outcome, but create programming that clients will actually enjoy. Tavi specializes in sports specific and hypertrophy training. On a personal note, he is a fan of wood working and electrical engineering.

Christine has been active her whole life, including sprinting, playing basketball and swimming in her youth. She found that lifting weights and pushing her limits made her feel strong not only physically, but also mentally. Her training approach focuses heavily on compound movements at the beginning to make sure her clients know the importance of basics. Then, she adds weights depending on an individual's progress. Increasing in total resting metabolic rate is super important in her workout plan to maintain a long-term health journey. Outside of weight training, which is her passion, Christine loves to try different cuisines, travel, and shopping. She also enjoys singing and listening to music, especially Country music!

Clarence is a recent college graduate who has a passion for fitness. He played football and competed in track & field throughout high school. He is energetic, patient, and knowledgeable when it comes to fitness. Clarence's training areas of focus include hypertrophy, power lifting and isometrics. These are more commonly known as building size, strength and speed. On a personal note, Clarence is a Middle School Science Teacher. He loves watching Anime and sports.

Pam has over a decade of experience working as a personal trainer. Her clients range from their twenties to ninety years young. Her expertise is in strength, balance, flexibility and functional exercises. Pam is eager to help her clients to improve and feel better while they achieve their goals. On a personal note, she enjoys working in her garden.

Eric became a personal trainer in 2019, and has been in corporate fitness for the last 4 years. He has worked with clients ranging from middle school age to 80+ and every one in between. Eric's main objective for all clients is to help you move better, feel better, and gain confidence in your movement abilities. His areas of focus include strength training, mobility & postural positioning, and movement quality. On a personal note, Eric enjoys going to comedy shows and playing disc golf, and he loves sneakers!