Master trainers
Jenny Ahlin – Sweden
Jenny Ahlin has over 15 years' experience, beginning as a group fitness instructor and PT. Today, Jenny still works as a PT and in her own company, which focuses on training and nutrition to create a holistic solution for her clients. She also works as a TRX, TriggerPoint and ViPR master trainer. Jenny goes above and beyond the expectations of her clients, taking them to new levels of health and fitness. Her insight into the importance of moving the body in the way it is designed to move is the key to her training philosophy.
Meech Aspden – Hong Kong
Meech is the director of group fitness for Pure Fitness for the region. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Pure Fitness has five clubs there and two in Singapore.
She has a commanding presence on stage having taught in many different countries throughout her 20 years of instructing experience. Originally from New Zealand, Meech's passion for group fitness was first ignited at Les Mills in Auckland. She has presented at quarterly instructor workshops in New Zealand. Since then, she has taught in Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States and she now resides in Hong Kong.
In recent years Meech has become a master trainer for TRX and ViPR. She has been instrumental in developing these programs, training instructors and launching them successfully in the group fitness environment for Pure. Pure Fitness was the first fitness club in Asia to successfully launch TRX BodyBlast and ViPR group classes which have since grown to be incredibly successful. Development of new initiatives, training and coaching of instructors are her forte and passion.
Gavin Attorre – UK
Gavin has been a trainer in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years. He has studied with industry leaders in the areas of strength and conditioning, movement analysis, rehabilitation and functional nutrition.
Gavin has trained many individuals from general gym members to professional athletes competing at the very highest level.
As an international ViPR master trainer, Gavin has also worked with a number of international organizations, assisting with delivery and implementation of ViPR both within fitness, the military and professional sports.
Danny Bartlett – UAE
It was no surprise when Danny’s passion for sport as a child developed into a full-time career in the fitness industry. Currently based in the Middle East, Danny's role as a ViPR master trainer, senior master instructor for TRX, and national trainer for Les Mills has led to extensive travel around the globe, delivering educational and entertaining workshops, training courses and classes to hundreds of fitness professionals, educators and enthusiasts. Danny believes in the timeless statements ‘lead by example’ and ‘practice what you preach’, ensuring he makes his own health and fitness a top priority, no matter where he is in the world. This is not just for himself but also to help inspire others to be better and work towards their best.
Jaap Bijsterbosch – Netherlands
Jaap Bijsterbosch has been a health, wellness and fitness entrepreneur since 2007. He started in the industry in 1999 and worked his way up the ladder from group fitness instructor to club manager to owning his own PT studio. Always looking for ways to grow as a personal trainer and business owner, he came into contact with ViPR in 2013 and is now a ViPR master trainer and distributor in the Benelux and Germany, growing his business with multiple trainers, as well as ViPR PT and ViPR Group Fitness. His background in sport includes football on a semi-pro level and various other sports, such as snowboarding, trail running and different ball sports.
Takila Chiu (邱聖弘) – China
Takila has a master’s degree in physical sports. He has more than 15 years’ working experience in the fitness industry, focusing on internal staff training and external trainer coaching. Alongside being a master trainer for ViPR, he is a tutor for AASFP, adidas, ViPR, BOSU, CrossCore, Ugi, Marpo and LES MILLS, and has coached and certified over 1,000 trainers. Takila enjoys working alongside many of the large training institutes, such as NASM and AASFP, and working to help inspire and lead the coaches in his position as fitness manager at China’s Alexander Club.
Gordon Cunningham – UK
Gordon has always had a key interest in health and fitness and has continued his drive to learn more and keep up to date with the latest courses, treatments and applications to provide the best service possible to his clientele. After suffering a number of injuries and turning down a golfing scholarship, Gordon understands what it’s like to feel lost and frustrated during the rehabilitation phase. It is through this experience that Gordon helps people achieve their goals at a sensible and effective work rate, whether returning from an injury or starting out on a fitness transaction. Gordon combines his experience as a sports therapist and personal trainer to guide people into understanding their body and how to use it to its full capacity through movement. Gordon is currently a master trainer for Trigger Point Performance Therapy, educator for IAM tools and coach for VIVOBAREFOOT, alongside running a private movement performance therapy studio in Scotland.
Adam Daniel – UK
Adam Daniel comes from an elite sporting background, having been an international 400m hurdler, and he is now a respected personal trainer, educator and presenter within the fitness industry. He is currently part of the PTA Global faculty, a global master coach for ViPR, a Wattbike master trainer and the lead presenter for FitPro.
He has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the English Rugby Football Union, overseeing the development of international referees, was considered to be one of London's top six personal trainers in the Evening Standard magazine and his client list ranges from professional golfers, windsurfers and footballers through to royalty, successful business people and the deconditioned client.
Adam is currently studying for his MBA in international sports management at the globally respected Loughborough University.
Jake Duhon – US
Jake has been in the fitness industry for the past 11 years as a personal trainer and the past five years as an educator. His educational background is in sports management with certification through Personal Training Academy Global (PTA Global) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) with specialization in performance enhancement and corrective exercise.
Jake is currently a faculty member for PTA Global, ViPR master trainer and founder of Movefree located at The Woodlands United Methodist Church in The Woodlands, TX.
Konstantinos Fligos – Greece
Konstantinos Fligos has been active in the fitness industry for more than 17 years. A qualified PT and group training instructor, he specializes in functional training and designing holistic professional athlete programs, specialized training, injury prevention, post-rehab conditioning, and nutrition. The owner of Science Place Personal Training Studios, located in Athens, Greece, he’s also collaborated with well-known fitness centers and exclusive clubs, such as Holmes Place, Mallios Boxing Team and Fitzone Mykonos by Nammos, as the head of fitness programs. Konstantinos constantly enhances his skills and expertise by enthusiastically following the new trends in the fitness industry. He has obtained numerous training certifications in functional training, PT, TRX and Pilates, and is a certified EQF Level 4 personal trainer, a 68th UEFA B football coaching graduate and, since 2014, has been the exclusive distributor and authorized master trainer of ViPR Greece.
Nate Fryer – US
Nate Fryer has been personal training and involved in the fitness industry since 1998. His roles in the industry have included athlete, speaker, educator, writer, trainer and inventor. Nate received his education from Iowa State University in the area of exercise science with focuses on medicine and physical therapy. He has spent time in numerous hospitals, sports clinics and rehab facilities, working with leaders in medicine and physical therapy.
Nate has a passion for movement, performance and function. In addition to being a trainer and rehab specialist, he is a ViPR global master trainer in the US. Other certifications include muscle activation techniques (MAT) specialist, ViPR, ACE, ACSM, NASM and PTAG and he has a first degree black belt in tae kwon do.
Nate works closely with medical professionals, therapists, athletic trainers, personal trainers, professional athletes and clients in the Denver, CO area. In his spare time, he enjoys mountain biking, motorcycles, rock climbing, backpacking, snowboarding and exploring the Rocky Mountains with his wife and two children.
Jan Hutnan – Australia
Since 2011, I've been a ViPR Australian pro trainer. My greatest influences for ViPR development have been Michol Dalcourt, Derek Vandenbrink and Matt Truscott. I'm now a proud ambassador for the Institute of Motion (US). In 2014, I opened personal training boutique studio EvoPrime Fitness with my fiancée Chantel at Airlie Beach, North Queensland. Our focus is on movement, nutrition, recovery and mindset. I also trained with Dr Emily Splichal to become a barefoot training specialist, supported by VIVOBAREFOOT Australia and New Zealand, of which I'm also a proud ambassador. Thanks to QPEC, I fulfil my wildest dreams and represent QPEC in Australia.
Tommy Yau Heng Ho – Singapore
Tommy Yau Heng Ho is the head of fitness education at Fitness First Singapore, overseeing its fitness department at its 16 clubs. With 250 personal trainers under his wing, Tommy heads the recruitment, training and development of trainers and fitness managers. Tommy has over 15 years of experience at Fitness First and contributes greatly to expanding the personal training business for the company in Singapore.
A diploma in sports and exercise science graduate from Blackburn University in the UK, he is also a certified personal trainer with ACE and FISAF and a Michael King UK Pilates Institute certified Pilates matwork instructor. Tommy is a master trainer and presenter for TRX STC, GSTC, Rip Trainer, BOSU, Wattbike, Dynamax, Sandbell, ViPR for Singapore and a PTA Global faculty master trainer. He is a competitive triathlete and has completed seven IRONMAN races in Malaysia, Australia, China and Canada. He lives by his motto: Change your body and it will change your life – you will live life to the fullest.
Kazuhiro Ikakeyama – Japan
President of Vivicious Works Japan Inc
Kazuhiro Ikakeyama created his own business after working in a fitness club for eight years, and helped 20,000+ people including top athletes and celebrities. He studied the ‘skillful touch’ method in the US in 2010, which is to approach fascia using the hands, and developed his original training program/method to improve a client’s physical movement and bring out their best performance by integrating the whole body. In 2011, he accompanied a professional golfer as a trainer on the Japanese tour and international tours, and led the win. He also worked for competitive cyclist Koji Yamaguchi, and facilitated his winning the GP Title and Money Title. Ikakeyama is known as the trainer who makes the impossible possible.
Rob Kane – UK
Robert has been a fitness, sports and games fanatic since he could walk. Having been in the fitness industry since he was 17, Robert has been an open book, absorbing skills from everyone and believing in better knowledge and application to deliver fun, effective training to the world. This has led him to become a ViPR master trainer, which he achieved in 2012. Over the past 11 years working within the fitness industry, Robert has gained the knowledge that has enabled him to follow a huge passion of his, which is effective movement. Using these two components when teaching and training encourages people to 'play out' rather than work out.
Kennedy Lodato – Canada
Kennedy has been dedicated to the fitness industry for almost 25 years. He's currently a PTS pro trainer, teaching the Personal Trainer Specialist Certification course for Canada's largest certification company canfitpro. In addition, he's a master trainer for COREFX, Trigger Point Performance Therapy, BOSU, ViPR and a graduate of Michol Dalcourt's Institute of Motion Level 1 and 2 mentorships. Kennedy co-founded and is director of live education for the Canadian Fitness Education Alliance (CFEA), a fitness educational company. Kennedy has taught over 1,700 trainers and coaches and he is continually educating himself with new, cutting-edge fitness programs, theories and techniques within the industry. He currently resides in Kitchener, ONT with his spouse, enjoying the quiet and peaceful small city life.
Nick Luciano – US
Nick Luciano, founder of 375 Fit, has been part of the ViPR master trainer team since 2010.
He is honored to have made contributions to ViPR in movement preparation, integrated strength, group exercise, and military readiness. He focuses his work in general preparedness as a foundation specialist with 375 Fit.
Nick re-entered the fitness industry after leaving his career as a 75th Ranger under US Army Special Operations due to a kidney donation.
Pete McCall – US
Pete McCall helps clients improve their lives through fitness, as well as educating personal trainers around the world. Currently Pete is the science officer for the Institute of Motion, a global master trainer for ViPR, a master trainer for Star Trac, an education consultant, international presenter and author. Prior to starting his own consulting business, PMc Fitness Solutions, he was an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) where he helped create the Integrated Fitness Training (ACE IFT©) model of programme design and created education programmes to help personal trainers earn and maintain their professional credentials.
Frequently quoted as a fitness expert in publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, U-T San Diego, SELF, Glamour and Shape and featured as a fitness expert on a variety of TV news outlets, Pete is a sought-after media resource for accurate, in-depth insight into how to get results from exercise.
Pete holds a master's degree in exercise science and health promotion from California University of Pennsylvania and earned a fellow in applied functional science credential from the Gray Institute. In addition, he is a certified personal trainer with ACE and NASM and is a CSCS with the NSCA.
Alexey Petrov – Russia
Alexey graduated from Moscow State Pedagogical University (MSPU). He is a wrestling coach, master of sports in judo and a 2nd Dan in aikido. He has been both a participant and the prize-winner of Russian and international martial arts tournaments. From 2006 to 2011 Alexey was a personal trainer in Russia's premium fitness chain World Class, focusing on martial arts, functional training, group X and outdoor programs. Since 2012, he has been a personal trainer in the famous Russian functional training studio Pro Trener. As well as a coach of martial arts (aikido, judo, Brazilian ju-jitsu, grappling), functional training and stretching, Alexey is a ViPR master trainer.
Steve Powell – UK
Steve Powell is an educator, mentor, and sports conditioning and performance coach. A former professional footballer, Steve has over a decade of experience in the fitness and sports industries, holding various positions in coaching, personal training, management, leadership and education in some of the UKs leading commercial health club chains and companies, as well as with individual clients.
As a sports performance coach, he has worked with an elite British triathlete in her Olympic qualification bid and, in recent years, he has focused specifically on developing his skills and expertise within functional performance for golf and football, recently completing the Nike Golf NG360 Performance System, powered by the Gray Institute, and co-authoring Performance Health Systems’ new Power Plate Golf Performance Education.
As an educator, Steve is director of education for Performance Health Systems and international Power Plate master trainer. He has worked extensively with whole-body vibration training across a number of diverse areas for the last decade and his current role sees him writing and developing education, and presenting, mentoring and teaching across the world.
In addition, Steve is part of the UK faculty for PTA Global, part of the ViPR global education team and is a published author in Fitpro magazine, as well as a contributing author for PTontheNet.
Derrick Price – US
Derrick Price has been active on many levels in the fitness industry for over a decade. He holds an MS in exercise science and health promotion with an emphasis on injury prevention and performance enhancement from the California University of Pennsylvania, where he has also spent time as an adjunct faculty member teaching courses in exercise programme design. Aside from personal training at the acclaimed Function First exercise studio in San Diego, CA, Derrick is also a master trainer for ViPR, Power Plate, Core-Tex and Technogym. He began his educational career as a master instructor for the National Academy of Sports Medicine and has since moved on to become a faculty member for PTA Global and the Institute of Motion.
Steve Rast – US
Steve Rast is a strength and conditioning coach with over 15 years of experience, ranging from personal training to coaching athletic teams to running CrossFit gyms. Coach Rast spent seven years in the United States Marine Corps and played rugby at the University of Washington, where he has since acted as the club's S&C coach. He has hired and helped develop a large number of trainers, opened and consulted for several successful gyms and now operates a 501(c)(3) non-profit gym focused on childhood obesity in Oregon. Coach Rast enjoys training other trainers and currently works with companies like CrossFit on their Olympic Lifting Trainer course, ViPR and TriggerPoint Performance Therapy as a master trainer involved in the teaching and certification of other trainers, as well as an adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon's PE department. He brings a unique perspective and experience to coaching and teaching, which is apparent in his work. www.coachrast.com
Seth Ronland – Sweden
Seth Ronland found his passion for human movement early in life. This led him to his professional road in the movement business. With a scientific-holistic view, he has taken degrees in food and nutrition sciences, exercise physiology, sports medicine and functional biomechanics. His facility, Breeze Fitness, was nominated for the most innovative gym in Sweden. He has earned a personal trainer of the year award, worked with wounded warriors and navy seals, and trained several of the world's top athletes in various sports. He continuously explores different techniques to develop the problem solving this occupation demands. The latter years of his career have been busy with teaching everyone from orthopedic engineers to personal trainers in various aspects of the field of human movement.
John Sinclair – US
John Sinclair is a master trainer, strength and conditioning coach, educator, author and mentor. John currently serves as the fitness director for Midtown Athletic Club in Weston, Florida. He has presented over 150 full-day workshops in the industry and has 15 years of personal training and coaching experience. John is a faculty member for PTA Global and the programming officer for the Institute of Motion.
John's experience as a strength and conditioning specialist includes coaching amateur and professional athletes in hockey, lacrosse, football, soccer, tennis and basketball. John has an ability to take the complex and make it simple. When he presents, he is passionately energetic and, above all, entertaining. John has the ability to mix humour and fun with the content of his presentations to create a lasting memorable experience.
Bill Sonnemaker – US
Bill Sonnemaker is an internationally sought-after exercise physiologist, personal trainer and educator. Bill's impressive credentials, first-class scientific education and numerous national and international awards distinguish him as a cutting-edge leader in the performance training and fitness industry. In 2007, Bill received both the IDEA International Personal Trainer of the Year and the NASM Pursuit of Excellence awards. He is recognised worldwide by his peers as a highly motivated and committed leader and advocate for the advancement of fitness professionals’ education, training and competence standards.
Bill's scientific foundation, and his superior understanding of functional anatomy and physiology, and the composition and ultimate potential of the human body, provides the platform for his ongoing quest to reach the masses. Whether he is working with political figures, CEOs, professional athletes or the general population, his passion is to help motivate, educate and train others to achieve their optimal level of health by reaching and maintaining their fitness goals.
Carla B Sottovia PhD – Brazil
With more than 29 years' experience, Dr Carla Sottovia has helped individuals achieve a path of personal wellness, improved fitness, and quality of life. Dr Sottovia is a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and received a doctorate in exercise physiology from Texas Woman’s University in 2002. She holds several advanced personal training certifications in functional movement training and assessments, Pilates, optimal flexibility, vibration training, post-injury/preventive exercise intervention, youth training and sports-specific coaching (running, swimming and triathlon). She is also a licensed wellness coach and adjunct instructor (The Cooper Institute). She is the owner/founder of MWOVE EDUCATION INC (USA and Brazil), which is dedicated to providing cutting-edge education and programs to fitness professionals, including functional movement systems, PTA Global and ViPR. Dr Sottovia has completed more than 50 triathlons, including three IRONMAN triathlons, and is the author of Energy Substrate: Truths and Misconceptions.
Stephen Tongue – UK
Stephen Tongue is a full-time personal trainer at stephentonguefitness.com with 15 years of industry experience. His CV includes fitness instructing, group exercise, fitness management, fitness presenting and consultancy. With a sporting background in amateur boxing, Stephen is a big fan of movement training and delivers education on behalf of Power Plate, TRX and, of course, ViPR. A big fan of innovative exercise, Stephen says “the only limit to using ViPR is your imagination”. Stephen's favourite ViPR exercise is the Hamstring Tilt Stretch and he is excited about delivering the new ViPR workshops in 2015, including Movement Preparation, Lifting for Strength and Shifting for Strength.
Matthew Truscott – US
Matthew Truscott, born and raised in northern California, achieved Varsity status all four years of high school participating in football, basketball and track. Through college, he continued to play football and, despite multiple injuries, played at a level high enough for NFL consideration.
Relatively young in this industry, Matthew's growth has been extensive. As a personal trainer (specializing in athletic performance, rehabilitation and weight management), group X instructor, ViPR master trainer and most recently becoming an educator/founder of 180 Training, Matthew has taken on many roles to help put enthusiasm and energy towards creating healthier and happier bodies.
Koray Yağmur – Turkey
Koray has been in the Turkish fitness industry since 2003. Beginning his career as Pilates trainer, Koray is currently a master trainer for ViPR, TriggerPoint, TRX and Kangoo Jumps. As the founder of 21Way Pilates Studios, Fun & More Training Studios and Futurex Sports Team, he also serves as a PT. He heads up Turkey’s ViPR master trainer team./p>