Having spent the vast majority of my adult life as a member of the Canadian Forces, I have led an active life. However, I retired from the military four years ago. The environment I am currently working in does not place the same emphasis on personal physical fitness as did my military life. I am a man in my fifties and I am also the father of a young daughter. I have many reasons to be, and remain, the best version of myself that I can reasonably be. I have been a member of GoodLIfe for many years. I credit their group fitness classes for keeping me motivated about fitness over the years. I used to attend their classes several days a week, but this tapered off after my daughter was born and I started my new civilian job. The other shortcoming of the GoodLife classes is that I was only blindly following the instructor, and not paying focused attention on my personal goals and needs. My wife started at Fit with Jay after our daughter was born. She paid for a set number of sessions in advance. Unfortunately, she had to postpone her sessions shortly after starting due to a pregnancy complication that made weight training not recommended for a period of time. The paid for sessions had been sitting dormant for a while when I got the idea that maybe I could use those sessions for myself rather than letting them just go to waste. I did not think that I needed a Personal Fitness Trainer. Prior to the birth of my daughter and my retirement from the military, although I would not say that I was knowledgeable about weight training, I was satisfied that I was maintaining a reasonable level of fitness without needing outside help (running half-marathons, completing mud runs (Spartan Race), hiking the Inka Trail, etc). I know Jason personally. I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I saw how professional he is in his approach to his business. He answered all the questions I had and left me with a sense of confidence in his knowledge about personal training. Also, he emphasized to me early on that he would insist and ensure that I do every exercise he assigned properly and SAFELY. He motivates me. He challenges me to do more than I thought I was capable of. But, I trust that he will always be focused on ensuring that I don’t do, or attempt more than would be safe for me. He tries to be flexible in accommodating requests for scheduling changes. His facility (gym) is very clean and very well equipped. During the current pandemic circumstances, he has instituted reasonable and effective measures to ensure that his clients can maintain social distancing, and he is meticulous about sanitizing his equipment between clients. Without reservation, I recommend getting Fit with Jay. I have seen tremendous results in myself since training with Jason. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.

I was gaining weight and my energy level was low. Also I was noticing that my general fitness was not where I wanted it to be. I tried dieting and ad hoc fitness initiatives but the discipline was not there on my own. Carving out time in my schedule was the biggest obstacle in hiring a trainer sooner. I was encouraged by my son’s success with Jay and I needed proper guidance. Jay made me feel that I could succeed and I really liked his approach to fitness and health. He is extremely good at arranging routines that are structured in such a way that success is achievable. Routines are always tweaked to suit my needs and ability. No matter how difficult it is always fun. After training with Jason I am more aware of what it takes to achieve goals, I am more disciplined and committed, and I have increased pride and self esteem. Jay is extremely knowledgeable, always has good and sound advice. I would absolutely recommend getting Fit With Jay. He is always there every step of the way, ensuring that I am using the proper techniques. He motivates and is very encouraging.

Sport and fitness had been a big part of my life before balancing work and family. As daily life got busier, I started dropping some activities, failing to replace them with others. Additionally, I felt the static nature of my desk job led to some loss of strength and flexibility, ultimately causing pain and discomfort in my body. In short, I was missing the way I felt when I was stronger and more active. I've held a gym membership fairly regularly and tried to work fitness into daily activity (commuting by bicycle, walking or running while catching up with friends or co-workers). When time would come to attend a fitness class, I felt I was too busy to leave work or too tired to head out for an evening class. I would make excuses: too tired, not enough time, too late to grab a spot at the back of the class, no one to go with… Even though I recognized what I needed to be doing, I still would find excuses to miss my workouts. Once I allowed myself to start missing a workout, it was too easy to justify missing the next, to the point where a gym membership I'd once used regularly 3 times per week was gathering dust for months. I regularly caught a glimpse of a sign for "Fit With Jay". Something about it nagged at me and in a moment of boldness and curiosity, I dropped an inquiry into personal training. The belief that I could get back on track myself, the unknown costs, the fear of trying a different approach to anything I'd done before/stepping outside my comfort zone and the idea that it is an extravagance kept me from hiring a trainer sooner. The consultation with Fit with Jay was the first time I met with anyone to discuss personal training. Even without a frame of reference, I immediately gained a sense of Jay's passion for and pride in his work. I'll be the first to admit that I was not completely comfortable with the idea of going to "some dude's basement to work out" and I was apprehensive about whether it would be a good fit. Both concerns faded quickly. I like how passionate Jay is about his work. He is very attentive to proper form and ever ready to answer questions about the exercises he's chosen (ie. the mechanics, the philosophy). He chooses exercises that are appropriate to my goals and changes it up as necessary (ie. to accommodate injury, to promote better form, to adjust to changes in strength). Working with Jay has also forced me to pay better attention to what I eat. While I've always considered myself a pretty healthy eater, Jay's encouragement to track my food consumption and monitor my macronutrient intake has helped me make better decisions about food planning and preparation … and whether I should indulge in that second chocolatey treat. Getting stronger! Feeling better! I like the guidance of what exercises to do; it takes the guesswork out of it. Jay knows how to push you beyond your comfort level to help you gain strength.

The biggest obstacles for hiring a personal trainer was Finances and motivation to start working out. I used the no time excuse. Fit with jay got me past all that with flexible 1hr training times and affordable payment plans. Training with Jay I saw results within the first week. By following his recommendations for my nutrition in 6 months I have lost 51 lbs, 15% body fat and 10 inches off my waist. I have also developed evenly distributed muscle all over as well. At Fit with Jay you get non intimating work out sessions, focus on proper workout techniques & diet. Unlike a gym, there are no line ups for equipment. All equipment is dedicated to you. I especially liked the 1 on 1 sessions in a comfortable environment. I would absolutely recommend Jay, as he is very knowledgeable and delivers results by well layered work outs and coaching of proper nutrition to make you succeed. Fit with Jay offers a very comfortable atmosphere for all types of people. He will work with you to reach your goals and listens to any concerns or questions you may have.

"...it goes a long way to have someone there to remind you why you are putting in all the hard work, and to push you to get the results you want."

"I would recommend Jay and, in fact, already have. Training with Jason, I can say I actually enjoy working out."