Reviews

I have been training with Robert for a few months now, and got back from the RKC. He helped me with not only technique issues, but getting ready for it.

We did Tire flipping, KB's... KB's and well lots of conditioning!

Great times! I will continue to train with him in the future.
thanks again rob!

Robert is a great instructor. He made the workouts really intense but still doable. I could not believe how much we could accomplish in a half hour. This form of training is much more intense and effective than any traditional gym workout I have ever done. My husband is hooked now too.

Short of living in Cardiff and being able to attend classes in person, Robert’s daily video’s are the best workouts Paul and I could wish for. This last spring, in dire straights, seeking something new and exciting that would challenge us and help address quite a few muscle imbalances, we stumbled on Carolyn and Robert’s studio, Phyzyks. What happened over the next 4 months until we were forced to move because of work has changed our outlook on physical fitness.

Since we’ve moved, and are not close to a gym we are interested in, we’ve both been close followers of Robert’s WOD posts, which has made that challenge of not only coming up with a workout every day, but mustering the motivation to complete it utterly obsolete. Robert’s well thought out workouts and addictively great positive attitude make keeping up our previous regiment easy. Without his daily posts, we’d be right where we started, squeezing in way too many hours of cardio in where we don’t really have the time to do it.

We both feel we owe so much to Robert and Carolyn for changing how we view exercise, and to Robert for providing us the means to keep up with it on a daily basis.

I had the pleasure of being one of Robert's students at the RKC in San Jose. He has an uncanny ability to use little cues to make big differences(for the better) in his students form.

But don't be fooled by his easy going ways, he led us through some tough workouts!

Robert strikes a great balance of being upbeat and encouraging while pushing his students through some very difficult workouts.

From my experience in testing a wide variety of forms of exercise, I've found attending kettlebell classes yields the best results for 1) shedding pounds, 2) building muscle tone, 3) strengthening your "full-body".

If you're going to spend an hour to get some additional exercise, attending a kettlebell class is simply the most efficient way to get results and accelerate your fitness level. The exercises in kettlebell combine strength training with cardiovascular exercise to build a much higher overall level of fitness that makes you 1) feel good and give you elevated levels of energy, 2) become stronger in your core area that makes you more functionally strong throughout your entire body, as well as reduces your chance for injury and 3) look good.

I've found kettlebell training to be so much more effective than lifting weights. One major advantage kettlebell possesses is its enabling of "insurance against injury" by strengthening the lower back, legs and other parts of the body that need more flexibility with improved muscle balance. If you're back is starting to get stiff, kettlebell opens up that stiffness and makes you much more flexible, helping to avoid injuries later down the line.

Robert and Carolyn are excellent instuctors in kettlebell training. Not only are they experts in technique, but they make each class fun and create a nurturing, positive experience. Each person in a kettlebell class is working at their own progress and I've always found it to be a very cooperative and supportive environment. Classes are as challenging as you make them, but this really is the easiest way to get lean, muscular, faster, stronger and more flexible. Since I've started training with kettlebells, I really can't think of one single downside to this training.

Sincerely,

Greg Badger

Hi Robert, here is my (short) story. Feel free to post with my name.

As I lay here recovering from hernia surgery, I find myself obsessed with setting big goals for next year. This past year has been the best athletically that I have had since high school (35 years ago). I have gone from a back of the pack runner to someone that continually wins in his age group (50-59) in every distance from 10K to 100 miles. Bam, Kettle Bells, Carolyn, and Robert get much of the credit for this. I fell short of a few goals this year because of my continually worsening hernias. But, now that I have those fixed (just yesterday), I am planning on conquering those goals as well as outdoing this years accomplishments in everything else. The second that I can get myself recovered enough to start going back to Bam I plan on training again with a vengeance. In fact, I have already signed up for 4 ultramarathons in the first 5 weeks of 2008

Susan Talancon's Yoga Testamonial

I had a picture of myself as a pretty fit and athletic MOM. It wasnt until I puit smoking six years ago and gained thirty pounds that the truth hit me. It was a slow awakening for me to realize that in reality taking your kids to the pool and actually swimming are two different things. I thought getting off your butt and driving the kids to all these events, the park, the games, and the pool were the same as me participating in the sport itself.
Three years ago my husband and I were lying in bed moaning about our aches and pains. My knees were hurting and my back was aching. I said out loud we are too young to feel this old. My husband said "Susan we're almost fitfy!!" Thats when it hit me. "Proceed as you mean to go on". It wasnt easy but I knew I had to do something. I evaluated my life, my job, my family and most importantly my time which by the way I didnt have a lot of.
I decided that for me I would have to find something close to work and do it on my lunch hour a couple of times a week. O-lah!! Thats when I met RObert with Bam Fitness. I started Roberts weight training program. Sweet guy that he is: he even threw in some kettle bells for me. I thought I would die. I was constantly telling him I'm almost 50 ease up. But you know what, my knees werent hurting anymore. My back felt better I felt better.
I shared with Robert that I had done a couple of yoga classes and liked them. Robert is very innovative and started incorporating yoga into our work outs, which in time turned into our Yoga Classes. I hit a milestone this year-- I was able to bend over with my legs straight and touch my toes!! Even when I was younger I couldnt do that!!
Yoga has given me a well being physically that I didnt expect at my age. It is noninvasive. You are able to start at your own pace and gradually work up to where you want to be. You start out saying " are you kidding ? I cant bend my legs over my head!" but you know what? I can now.
Susan A. Talancon

Robert, Here is my short story. I have been working out for over 25 years,. The last five years that I have been working out with you has been by far the most enjoyable as well as the most satisfying. The endurance , strength, and over all will to succeed that I have learned under your friendship and training help has made me a better person as well as a much healthier person. Last year I went on what I would consider the hunt of a life time. I had to endure -15 temperatures as well as climb 4200 vertical feet in a single day and come back down in the same day with a very heavy pack for over eight hours (130+ lbs) . With out the proper training and endurance I would never have been able to accomplish this in what ended up being a 23hour period. I once read a saying (YOU CAN RECOVER FROM A HARD HUNT BUT YOU CAN NOT RECOVER FROM QUITING) . Without the determination and hard work that I have been able to do and learn at BAM it would be tough to live up to that saying. Thanks again for every thing
P.S I will see you on Monday ( no excuses)

"I am a "reluctant" exerciser, but Robert makes the workout interesting and challenging, it's kept me coming back for a long time".

Susan

"I would recommend Robert and BAM!Fitness to anybody! Robert is the first person who has gotten me to work out on a consistent basis???.I can feel the results and he makes it fun. He even indulges my griping and complaining, but doesn't let that deter him in working me harder and harder (most of the griping is replaced with laughing now!) I've become stronger and really look forward to working out. And when I don???t look forward to it, he tricks me into coming in anyway!"

Robert -

Thanks for the great workouts. Out of all the trainers I have worked with in the past, no one pushed me as hard as you did.

The sessions really began to help my leg strength. I played tennis with Yannie on Thursday afternoon and he said it was the best I had ever played. I won one of his drill games which I have never done in a year and a half of playing with him.
Again, thanks for the help.

Charlie

I purchased your DVD from the seller on Ebay.I received it today. It is awesome! The views are so beautiful and the workout itself is great. I love the instructional section. You go into to such great detail on the exercises and form. You did a wonderful job. I can't wait till you release the second DVD. Would you please contact me when you release it. I want to purchase right away.

Thanks again,
Angie

John Alexander PT: very qualified/experienced in the art, provided practical application/explanation of dos and donts. I feel the quality was very high. Course very unique and interesting. I found the material user friendly and very valuable. Very thorough, good practical application for strength, endurance, flexibility. Knows how to apply exercise in a biomechanical manner (safe/effective).

In an industry where there are some trainers who can do but not teach, and other trainers who can teach but not do, Robert is the ideal blend of both. He was one of the instructors at the Level I and II Workshops I attended in Irvine, CA. He was so tremendously helpful during the first workshop that I was so very happy to see that he was also assisting in the second workshop. His experience and proficiency allow him to coach property technique in a way that is systematic and straightforward making it easy to understand and apply. He has a talent for observing small details and providing tips to help you fine-tune your skills. I truly appreciated all of his input and it has made all the difference in my technique. And honestly, I just found him to be amusing at times and a lot of fun. I was also very impressed with his display of strength and technique when he easily performed a lat press with two 20kg! He is a true example of practicing what you preach. And he inspires me to be a fitting example for my clients and students. The many things I learned from Robert will forever benefit me and any current and future clients and students I have.

If you are so fortunate enough to be in the Encinitas area I would highly recommend seeking out Robert???s talents and motivation to help you achieve your fitness goals. There is no doubt he will get you where you want to be.

My kettlebell journey started with a 1-day workshop that robert put on over a year ago and my swing was awful, my form was atrocious, and I wasn't that strong. He taught me how to get strong, and how to do it safely. I'm lucky that I got proper instruction so early in my career. My RKC was a breeze after training with robert!