Morgan Jones

Ahmed evaluated me before starting Personal Training and figured out where I need to improve my fitness. During the 16 sessions, he trained me and improved my cardiovascular fitness. He is a very knowledgeable trainer, and I am extremely happy with his training methods. He is very friendly and flexible to match your schedule. I will have him as my Personal Trainer at any time.

I’ve been a member of the Center for a few years. I aimed to work out 3 times a week, but I wasn’t consistent. Plus, I fell into a rut. I wasn’t accomplishing much. I’d raise the weight levels on the machines and increase the distance on the treadmills, but I didn’t see a significant change. My doctor then put me on a different high blood pressure medicine. I was soft.

During one session, Ahmed Mohammad struck up a conversation with me. He told me that he was a new trainer. I once lived in Arabic-speaking countries teaching English, and I speak a little Arabic. I decided that this might be the time to get a Personal Trainer. So, I signed up with Ahmed Mohammad as my trainer.

If you think I’m now bench-pressing five times my weight and running a mile in 30 seconds, guess again. Ahmed started me with stretches to build up coordination and flexibility. In school, I was never the first kid picked for a team sport, although I compensated with theatre classes and dance, and movement. Ahmed’s program was challenging for me. The stretches were hard at first, especially the Spider-Man stretch. The other exercises pushed me to my limits. One of the odd exercises was a squat walk with the wide rubber bands wrapped just below my knees. Then I walked sideways across the mezzanine. Walking sideways with bent knees sounds a bit dirty, but it’s not. It’s awkward. I hate being awkward. I found I could do it better when I thought of a piece of classical music. “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edward Grieg. I mentioned it to Ahmed. What do you know? The next time I did the exercise, he pulled out his phone and played the music so that I could hear it. And I did the exercise without any problem.

Ahmed’s initial workout exhausted me terribly. Sometimes I hobbled back to the locker room only to sit down for a few minutes, wondering if I had enough energy to make it home. Yet, I continued. Ahmed’s methods and instructions pushed me beyond my self-imposed limits. He would correct my posture (constantly) when I did push-ups and planks. He commanded, “Raise your waist.” With the Spider-Man twists, he said, “twist the hips more.” Like Yoda, he would scold me when I said, ‘I’m going to try.’ No, don’t try. Do it. We talk a great deal about movies and TV shows. I had difficulty with the dead hangs. I could never hang on for one minute. My best time was 56 seconds. Some of the exercises sometimes got the best of me.

Ahmed’s methods are direct and simple: kind guidance, a gentle, if wacky, sense of humor, and a thorough knowledge of muscle development, strength building, stretching, and nutrition.
While I had no specific goals, I have benefited so much from Ahmed’s training. I have seen some muscle development. My blood pressure has come down quite a bit. While I am still about the same total weight as when I started, I have lost body fat and gained muscle weight. I’ve exceeded my initial performance levels. The dead hang? Last month, I set a personal best with 1 minute and 30 seconds. I can easily do a plank and side planks for a minute and a half when I could barely make it past 30 seconds. Likewise, I have done a 5-minute, 40-second wall-sit. That is elite status for my age group. At least, that’s what he tells me. I sometimes do a wall sit just to relax, and he calls me weird for that.

Ahmed Mohammad has been promoted from tier three to tier two as a trainer during this period. It is a well-deserved promotion. It’s gratifying when someone is recognized for his excellence and richly deserves it.

He is a dedicated and knowledgeable person. Knows his job. Trains on specific weak points of a trainee. I’m a doctor and have realized that he knows the body parts and their functions. He concentrates on areas (muscles, bones, or joints) that need attention. He’s also a conscientious person and notices when I’m overworked or feeling tired.

It’s a pleasure working with him. I intend to continue my training and would also recommend my friends to use his services.

In a very respectful manner, Ahmed worked with me and corrected many mistakes I’ve been making over the years. Without judgment, he improved my stretching and strength-training techniques, introducing me to the proper use of weights, kettlebells, and other exercise equipment, some of which I had never even tried.

I look forward to continuing my training with the enthusiastic trainer in the new year.

Ahmed helps me stay motivated and focused. His thoughtful training plans help me progress with my fitness goals without getting injured. And his upbeat personality keeps me smiling throughout my workouts.

I want to express my thankfulness for finding my trainer, Ahmed Mohammad. He is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and gives you his undivided attention at each session. As I started my training, Ahmed listened to my goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Every week, he helps me reach my goals for better posture, balance, and strength training.