Reviews

I've had the pleasure of knowing Jake for several years now. During that time I've gotten to know him closely as a friend, a colleague and a trainer. Being a trainer myself, Jake has inspired me and been an example to follow both in fitness, and professionalism.

As a colleague, Jake has been the person I would most closely wish to emulate. I've never met someone with such a ceaselessly positive attitude. Jake's energy is absolutely contagious, and every client he has adores him. Jake is a consummate professional, and there is never a doubt that his clients are by far his highest priority.

As a trainer, Jake has proven to not only be extremely knowledgeable, but also has a particular gift for expressing this knowledge with people. His method of teaching is simple, yet very precise, so that anyone can understand him and benefit, while still maintaining the highest standards of form and performance. Jake has never stopped challenging me, and presenting me with new workouts or routines, or even philosophies that I have appreciated and benefitted from immeasurably.

Finally, as a friend, I have been inspired by Jake as well. Jake is a man with a rarely seen dedication to his principles and ethics. He is friendly, kind and genuinely enjoys the company of everyone he is around.

I would highly recommend Jake to anyone. ANYONE.

I???ve been a Personal Trainer myself for Over 7 years and I was referred to Jake primarily due to my new found interest in kettle bell training.

In the short while that I???ve known Jake, he is what I would describe as a ???true??? personal trainer. He is someone who cares about people; motivates and educates with thorough detail. I can already tell that I will be training with him for months to come.

I enjoy his presence and energy.

He teaches in a way that allows me to teach my own clients. He???s professional and you can tell he loves what he does. If I lived locally I would definitely train much more frequently with Jake.

Wow, Where can I start?
Jake "The Snake" has got to be hands down one of the most amazing people I have ever met. I mean he is 50+ years old, he walks around about 3% bodyfat and at a small 145lbs goes pound for pound with the big dogs in the gym. Jake is not only a physical freak of nature he is also a freak when it comes to his love for KB's. Jake helped me close the deal with my very first client as a trainer 5 years ago and I am now so humbled to have Jake work on my training staff. Since then I have seen Jake grow into an incredible RKC professional. Jake and I have swung KB's almost daily for the past 2+yrs now and after 18 dislocations of my left shoulder and major surgery I now have full range of motion in both arms and you cant tell which shoulder was worked on. I am so fortunate to be able to work with Jake everyday he is one of the first people I see when I walk into the gym him and his 62 year old female client swinging the 28 kilo KB. Jake isn't only great at training his clients he is also able to train so that you are able to teach it back. His attention to detail and smooth progression or regression if your form slips is second to none. I would put Jake against any KB instructor out there. His love for what he does inspires me so much to do what I love to do as well. So if you are looking for a serious professional RKC instructor Jake is the Best!!!

I first met Jake about 4 years ago when I was hired by 24 Hour Fitness. Jake welcomed me with open arms and in a sense took me under his wing. As a former strength coach I of course had my own style of training, which quickly changed after meeting Jake. When he introduced me to kettlebells for the first time I wasn't sure what the big deal was but I was not only quickly humbled but impressed. When Jake introduces others to kettlebells he makes sure they are safe, use proper technique, and with his supervision and enthusiasm get the best workout possible. Since then I have been incorperating kettlebells into all my workouts, I have purchased some of my own, and hope to soon go through the certification myself. I have also introduced my clients to kettlebells because of Jake. Eventhough I have been training for a long time, I have learned more about my own capabilities ,than I ever could have imagined, through working with the kettlebells and most importantly a wonderful instructor in Jake. Jake is easily one of the most passionate individuals that I have ever met. He always goes out of his way to help others and share what he has learned. I have been fortunate to work side by side Jake, have Jake work for me, and now Jake is my trainer. Jake is the best kettlebell instuctor I have met and the only one that I would train with. I can truly say that I have been blessed to call Jake my coworker, my employee, my trainer, and most of all my friend.

What can be said about Jake? i don't think i have the words. not only has he changed the way i work out, i have seen him change the lives of countless individuals in the time i have known him. when i started as a trainer, i thought i knew it all. i believed my traditional workouts were it. then i see Jake throwing around these crazy looking cannon balls. at first i thought they were completely rediculous. being a rugby player, i thought i could handle anything. but i gave them a shot. i was humbled in about five minutes. my ego took a very big hit that day. Jake just laughed it off and told me that kettlebells had that effect on lots of people. so i signed up for some training sessions with Jake to learn all about kettlebells. Jake brings an unequalled excitement and enthusiasm to the art that is training with kettlebells. the only thing that can surpass Jake's passion for all things kettlebell is his knowledge and expertise. the knowledge that he has given me and the trainers around me is more than money can buy. since training with jake i have seen my fitness increase ten fold. and it is not only my fitness that has increased, but my clients as well. because of the use of kettlebells, my clients look forward to each workout with a mix of excitement and dread. after workouts with the bells, there is a sense of accomplishment and they actually THANK me through strained breaths and drops of sweat. i have seen this with the trainers around me. myself and three other trainers have signed up for to be certified with RKC in the summer. people come out of their way to train at the citrus heights location because, when it comes to training, they expect the best, and this is the place to get it. this all started with jake and kettlebells. all of us here at the citrus heights location, trainers and clients, are forever grateful to Jake and those killer kettlebells.

A 1,000 words maximum will only begin to capture what Jake Tantarelli has done for me as an instructor.

I am a 62-years-young woman who has been in and around the gym for most of her adult life. When I joined 24-Hour Fitness and decided to get a trainer, I definitely did not want a light weight. I was assigned to Jake and he has become an integral part of my health management system and my life. Jake continually challenges me to push myself to higher levels. There are times when I start to whine and say that I "can't" do something. Jake will have none of it and will keep me fixed and focused on the task at hand. I train with Jake 3X a week for the past four years. While we mainly work in the kettlebell, Jake always finds new and interesting routines for me to do with this devilish metal canon ball and other devices. If I am experiencing some type of pain, Jake will continue to train me, but will work around the pain.

He makes a point to address both the physical and emotional needs of his clients. While my husband lay dying of lung cancer, Jake encouraged me to continue to eat, train and to be gentle with myself. He would provide me with motivational material and even had one of his clients, who was a hospice volunteer come and talk to my husband who was totally against hospice. Without out Jake's intervention, my husband and our family wouldn't have had the tremendous support associated with hospice during the last months of his life.

If I am struggling with my form, and trust me he is a stickler for form, Jake will stop, break down the individual moves until I get it. He always is encouraging and is a on-man cheering squad for performance excellence. There isn't a child that goes past our workout area that doesn't not know Jake by name. He always has a kind word or comment to them. He does all of this while keeping count of my repetitions and my form. In my sleep, I hear him say, "Bea keep your butt down and your back straight!" I cannot imagine any physical fitness that does not involve sessions with Jake. If I go on vacation and come back a bit overweight, Jake never fusses. He asks if the food was good and not to worry that the pounds are only visiting me. After a couple of sessions, they are long gone.

Jake differentiates himself from the other trainers and even the managers, in that he is constantly looking for ways to challenge them to improve their kettlebell proficiency. On his own, with his own money I might add, he organized an internal Olympic contest in which all trainers and managers competed for gold, silver and bronze medals. The level of excitement and teamwork that resulted from this event was unparalleled. There isn't a time that you come into the gym that he doesn't have a motivational quote that usually addresses finding the best in yourself and shedding yourself of the negativity that surrounds all of us.

I am proud to say that I am physically fit 62-year old woman, who is now a size 6 with minimal body fat and tremendous stamina. When I am complimented on my physical appearance, I smile because I can truly say that I have a "Body by Jake."

Thank you.

Beatrice Bailey
(916) 721-8459

For the 7 years Jake has been my personal trainer, we were kettlebell-less. Four years ago we both attended a workshop by an RKC couple, and Jake was hooked. Two years ago he became an RKC instructor and our training sessions have gone on to new levels. He is a stickler for proper form and like a pit bull, will not allow sloppy form as he is so sensitive to the safety of his clients. With me, a senior, he is sensitive to my abilities and is very encouraging in my attempts, whatever they are. In addition to the basic swings, cleans, presses and snatches, Jake is innovative in combining moves and increasing their level of difficulty, thus creating workouts which are not only challenging but also different, rewarding, fun and never boring. Jake is always able to demonstrate what he wants from me, and when I err, he is also able to imitate my improper form so I can more clearly see the proper way. And then, he makes me do it, or should I say, makes me want to do it right.
Jake's enthusiasm is infectious as he has taught and encouraged the majority of his fellow trainers at the gym to work out with kettlebells. They, too, like me will attest to the amazing conditioning his workouts give. Jake has helped me see that my need is greater endurance, so he keeps my workouts going at quite a clip. In sum, his focus is on me with the kettlebells being an excellent tool for keeping my whole body in good, fit shape. Thanks, Jake!

Jake has made me the lean, mean figthing machine that I am today