Los Altos sits ten minutes from my private space in Palo Alto. Plenty of people make that drive. Most of them tried something else first — a globo gym, a Crossfit box, a trainer who handed them the same twelve-week PDF they gave everyone else — and eventually decided they wanted coaching that actually fits how they train.
If that sounds like you, keep reading. If you're skeptical that any personal trainer is worth the money, I'd say that's a reasonable starting position and I'll try to earn your attention anyway.
What 'Private' Actually Means
I run sessions out of a private space in Palo Alto, not a commercial gym. No drop-in classes, no strangers wandering through, no 7am hype music. When you're working up to a heavy set of deadlifts or grinding through Bulgarian split squats, the last thing you need is someone asking if you're done with the cable machine.
A private setting also means I can actually coach. Not spot you, not count reps, not stand nearby looking encouraging. Coach — watch a movement, identify what's limiting it, and give you one cue that changes something. That's the job. It requires attention, and attention is hard in a crowded room.
For clients coming from Los Altos, the commute is El Camino or Page Mill. Twenty minutes on a bad traffic day. Most people tell me after a few sessions that it stops feeling like a commute.
The Standard Is Beat Your Last
I don't coach toward a chart or a generic baseline. The standard in every session is simple: beat what you did last time. Add a rep at the same weight. Add five pounds at the same rep count. Hold a loaded carry ten seconds longer. Progress is specific, and it compounds.
Most adults under-train their nervous system because they've been told that strength is about effort — that if you're sweating and exhausted, something good happened. It's not quite right. Strength is a skill. Like any skill, it responds to practice more than to punishment. A well-structured deadlift at 82% of your one-rep max, repeated consistently over twelve weeks, will do more for you than three all-out sets that leave you sore for four days.
That's the philosophy underneath everything I do as a strength coach. It holds for Los Altos clients the same way it holds for anyone else.
Who I Work With
I don't have an ideal client archetype. What I have is a set of people who tend to get the most out of this:
Post-40 athletes who are still competitive with themselves, still want weight on the bar, and are tired of programs built for twenty-five-year-olds. Executives and tech workers who have ninety minutes, three days a week, and need those ninety minutes to actually count. People dealing with a knee, hip, or shoulder issue that's made them hesitant to train hard — not because they're fragile, but because every trainer so far has either ignored the problem or been so cautious they accomplished nothing. Runners and endurance athletes who know they need strength work and keep skipping it because the programming never makes sense alongside their actual sport.
If one of those fits, the 12-week is worth a conversation.
What the 12-Week Consult Is
I'll be direct about this because it's easy to assume it's a sales call. It's not. The 12-week is a real coaching engagement — twelve weeks of actual programming, check-ins, and adjustments based on how you respond. We start with a conversation about what you're doing now, what's working, what isn't, and whether a private strength coach is even the right tool for where you are.
Sometimes the answer is no. I'd rather tell you that upfront than take your money for something that doesn't fit. If it does fit, we build from there. No upsell at week twelve, no pressure to sign a longer contract. Just twelve weeks of coaching that gives you something real to work with.
FAQ
How far is Los Altos from your training space? About ten minutes by car, give or take traffic on El Camino. Most clients from Los Altos find the commute manageable, especially because sessions are scheduled — no waiting for equipment, no wasted time.
Do you offer online coaching for Los Altos clients? Yes. In-person is my preference because in-person coaching lets me actually see what's happening in a lift. But remote programming works well for clients who are already technically solid and mostly need structure and accountability. If you're not sure which fits, that's worth discussing in the 12-week consult.
I've worked with trainers before and it didn't stick. Why would this be different? Honest answer: it might not be. Most programs fail because they're too rigid, not because they're too simple. If the program doesn't fit your schedule, your recovery, and how you actually like to train, you'll drop it. The 12-week starts by figuring that out before building anything.
What kind of strength training do you focus on? Deadlifts, weighted carries, split squats, pressing variations, and whatever else fits your goals and history. I don't have a signature methodology. I have a commitment to movements that build something durable and a bias toward getting you stronger in the specific lifts that matter to you.
If you're in Los Altos and looking for a private personal trainer who coaches rather than babysits, the 12-week is the place to start. Reach out and we'll figure out whether it makes sense.