The Body Academy

I friggin’ love this place!!!
I was referred to Ishmael by a friend and I decided to give him a call and have an initial meeting. He was extremely friendly AND super knowledgeable during the assessment that lasted about one hour.
A week later I started my one on one sessions and besides the fact that I had a very intense workout, I was not disappointed at all. My goals were addressed very specifically as Ishmael is very detailed oriented.
A couple of weeks later I decided to try the group classes on weekends and those turned out to be pretty amazing too. I brought friends on different opportunities and they all decided to come back. These weekend classes are sometimes taught by Will, who’s a great trainer and pretty hilarious at the same time.
I’m very satisfied with this place. It brought me back the motivation and extra push I was needing after working out on my own for many years.
Thumbs up!

My first visit to The Body Academy was more for business building but after my intro training session, Ishmael gave me the tools and the motivation to work on my core at home (mind you, I live 60 miles away from SF) and to listen to my body, not ignore the sensations I was feeling (tightness in my hips and back).
After our session, I was definitely feeling different from a traditional workout. Before, I felt excruciating pain, but after doing TRX and core work with proactive stretching, I was sore for 3 days but it wasn’t painful! Imagine that! I felt like I got worked, not broken. That motivated me even more. There is gain without pain, the right trainer can help you along rather than deter you with exercises that hurt and derail you from your fitness goals. I ran an 8.5K today for «fun» because in two weeks I have been doing what he instructed me to do and broke a few records today because of Ishmael’s instruction.
Ishmael is a true professional – very intelligent, personable, knowledgeable and efficient. I was always moving and feeling like I was doing great the entire time. I can’t recommend him enough and so if you are reading this, finish up and book your appointment. He is worth it! I can’t wait to be a part of The Body Academy family and you’ll feel the same after your first session. See you there!

I’ve been with Ishamel for a couple years now (on again, off again due to workload) and he has been wonderful. He is super-​experienved and knowledgeable, not only in fitness matters but also nutrition and general health. His new studio is great and all fitted out with equipment, in an awesome location (close to my work). I HIGHLY recomend him and the other folks at The Body Academy if you want a great personal trainer who will push you.

I’ve been working with Ishmael for a few weeks and really loving it.
The background to how I came to training with Ishmael involves some serious back pain… it started small, but grew more and more painful over time… going to the gym on my own was not helping or even making things worse. After my massage therapist and chiropractor got me walking upright again, I decided I needed some help getting back into the gym because I didn’t want to risk injuring myself or having a setback.
The training we’ve done so far has been stellar… not once has Ishmael pushed my back too far, although there were times when I was afraid he had. I’m feeling stronger already, more stable, and less and less afraid of my back having trouble.
All of that would be enough, but Ishmael is also articulate, personable, and so cheerful and positive that I leave our meetings feeling so much better not just physically but mentally too.
I always resisted the idea of working with a trainer, not the least of which is that it seems their secret goal is to make you look stupid in the gym doing all those weird trainer exercises… but Ishmael trains in a private gym, so everyone there is also with a trainer going through the same thing… AND it turns out all of those weirdo exercises have tremendously useful purposes. Now I know those folks with the trainers are the smart ones, no matter how lame they might look being put through the paces.
I’m learning so much about my body and how to work with it that I’m left wondering what the heck I was ever thinking trying to hack it at the gym by myself! This training process is helping me meet my goals faster and safer. It’s a no brainer!

I can’t talk about other trainers in the company but ishmael, WOW!!! I think u’re a life saver — I’ve never felt this healthy and fit in my life. Everytime after he’s trained me I come home with such a confidence and amazingly energetic. If you want to lose weight, the last thing he’ll tell you is don’t eat so with him it was not difficult at all to be motivated without feeling guilty. He will however give great nutrition tips so that you are more aware of your food choices. His schedule is flexible and he trained me during my lunch breaks. I lost 20 lbs within 2 months with his program and I was still eating and I’m not talking about oatmeal and cucumber either.