Reviews

Zachariah is certainly an asset to the RKC community. Extremely helpful on both the nutrition and strength training forums, Zach is well rounded in every facet of fitness and well-being. He goes out of his way to answer questions both on the DD forums and via email. I'm sure his training is as thorough as his advice so I'm giving him a 10/10 with the hopes of training sometime in the future.

To say that Zach is passionate about physical culture would be a serious understatement. He is constantly scrutinizing, analyzing and experimenting with new training techniques and methodologies. Those methods that pass this filtering process are incorporated into his training system for the benefit of his clients. I have often heard Zach say "If there was a better way to train then I would be doing that!" He means it and can back it up.

Over the years I have spent with Zach, I have seen Kettlebells form the core of his strength/endurance program and I have directly experienced the results. When I started training with Zach I was an aging former athlete/martial artist recovering from a very serious illness. I turned 50 this year and I am now stronger than I have ever been in my life and I keep getting stronger. What is even more important to me is that this new-found strength is functional and has had a direct impact on the quality of my life.

My snow skiing ability has gone through the roof and I finally beat my wife through the giant slalom course (she is a former collegiate racer). I've climbed nine of the fifty-four 14,000ft mountains in Colorado and hope to eventually bag every one of them. I placed 10th overall in the last Tactical Strength Challenge (http://tacticalstrengthchallenge.com/results/20070908_International.html). Most recently, I took up a new martial art and I look forward to practicing and improving for a very long time.

Zach and Kettlebells are an incredible combination and they have transformed me physically. I recommend both with all my heart.

I found Zach through a referral of a friend, or in other words...word of mouth. It took me 2 months to track him down and get my schedule cleared enough to meet with him. That day changed my life forever and for good! He has ruined me for ever going to another typical trainer in that what he does is so meaningful and directed for my own good that I just know the typical jock trainer at Ballys or Golds is just going to try to pump me up and make me look good for the interim, while not giving a crap about my long term health and gains. He has spoiled me for all others. Zach seems to really care about long term...that is his main goal for me and others who work with him. I see him on average about 4 times per week and am hopefully soon starting to see him for more than just an hour per day after the new year to really start making progress. I asked him when I should start that new program and he said he would let me know...meaning that it was more important for him to condition me properly for such a move than it was to just gain an extra hour or two per week in fees. Money is not why this guy does this...although it does pay his rent I am sure, it is certainly a backseat to his main goal and that is that everyone know what he knows. He knows a lot!!! He seems to love to teach the truth! There is so much BS out there on diets and condition, but he has really opened my eyes to the reality.

I love talking with him and ask him a ton of questions every workout. He loves answering them too and I sometimes think if he's not careful, he may accidently enlighten someone who could be his competition...LOL!

If you want the last trainer you will ever need, start with Zach! Look how much praise he gets from me and I don't really like anybody...:0)

Highly recommended!!!!!!!

Zach is the best teacher I have come across. I took five years of guitar lessons with him and he also gave me some workout plans along the way. Anytime I had a question about music, weight training or martial arts, he would always have a concise explanation. If I ever told him that I was interested in something during a lesson, the next week he would have already done his research and say, "Get this book. Be brilliant." Right now I go to Berklee College of Music and still to this day, I consider Zach the best teacher I have ever had. I am sure that he would never tell anyone information that he was unsure of. Zach's mostly interested in seeing the best results out of his clients or students. This guy is scary.

I had seen Zachariah's (often known as zzzzzz, or the artist known as zzzzzz) posts on the forum for the past few years and recognized him as one of those few prolific posters who actually have a huge depth of knowledge. It was clear zzzzz was especially into Z-Health so I emailed him a question about this nagging tightness in my lower back, which was starting to interrupt my training. He asked a few questions and prescribed a very precise series of movements. I was a little skeptical because I felt he might not have enough information to make a good assessment. I also have a bad habit of doing Z but not really sticking with it. I decided to just trust his knowledge and do exactly what he prescribed. The pain and tightness were GONE with a capital G within 2 days. I liked the results and the progression of movements, so I stuck with it daily. A few days ago I found my old captain of crush grippers in the basement and picked up the number 2 and closed it solidly 7 times! My old PR was 4 and I hadn't been doing any grip training at all, not even KBs for several months. It was pretty surprising and I'm pretty sure the cause for the added grip strength was the consistent Z progression zzzzzz had me doing. That was cool and I have a feeling there are many more PRs in the future if I keep this up. I'm thankful for zzzzz's precise advice and would not hesitate for a second to train with him if I lived down south, whether for strength training or Z. If you have a chance, do it!

Zachariah helped me fix a shoulder issue that had haunted me for 3 years in about 10 seconds. To say that I am pleased with the quality of instruction that I received would certainly be an understatement. I can press without pain again. He also has a warm touch and humorous demeanor combined with a high level skill set, that coupled with the intelligence to apply it wisely results in well, results. Damn good ones!!!! If you get the opportunity I highly recommend his services.

Zachariah was very helpful in teaching me how to correct my bad depth perception. His incredible knowledge about the human body and the nervous system in particular was inspiring. Through prescribing a regimen of Z health and kettlebell exercise I was able to greatly improve my depth perception and overall well-being. Easily one of the smartest guys I have ever met on health issues.

Zachariah is really one of the most competent trainers out there, no matter which subject. It doesn't matter if my question concerns nutrition or training, he seems to know everything and has great insights and tips on how to improve. Moreover he's a really nice person and always tries to help! I recommend him to everyone, he's a great enrichment to the RKC community!

Whether I needed guidance as far as excercise form, a total program, or some words of wisdom to keep me keepin' on, Zachariah was there for me. His patience is only overwhelmed by his knowledge.

If you want to be TRAINED and ATTAIN GOALS, then he can get you there.

He took me from a skinny, weak kid at 6' 160 pounds, to 190 pounds and able to dominate a 32kg kettlebell the first time I picked one up. He also mentored me while I was/am trying to help my father get into fighting shape.

I can only imagine what I would be capable of had I brought a level of intensity to my training that matched Mr. Salazar's passion.

I began seeing Zach after suffering persistent, recurring back injuries. In short, I was a middle aged, desk-bound, weekend warrior re-discovering my love for Tennis. Unfortunately, my mind was writing checks that my body could not cash.

Zach is execeptionally perceptive. He probed beyond the standard "rote" program of core exercises to reveal other bio-mechanical inefficiencies that, if not corrected, would continue to cause injury and pain.

He then worked patiently with me to correct these inefficiencies, leading to the best Tennis of my life. At the same time, my pain and injuries have been significantly reduced.

Zach readily shares his amazing knowledge of the human body and sports performance. He does this with obvious passion, yet displays notable patience and a great sense of humor. He is a great choice for anyone interested in injury rehab/prevention and increased physical performance.

This review is long over due! Simply put, Zachariah is the best trainer I have ever encountered, anywhere. I do not write recommendations without very good cause, and he deserves my best.

I could write a very detailed and technical review of him, but I would rather describe my experience. Zach initiated our association when he sent a patient to me, for evaluation. This guy was a mess. He had fallen out of the sky, hang gliding, many years earlier. This incident nearly claimed his life. The patient described debilitating pain, daily, with nominal functionality. With encouragement from Zach, this patient began training with only minimal movements and eventually progressed to handling kettlebells. By the time I met this individual, he was moving great, but still had significant problems. Zach and I began coordinating our efforts and, together, we saw even more improvement. But I felt he had much more potential. In August 2007, I moved away from that city and Zach has taken this individual to new heights; heights I did not even know were possible. This patient once again loves life and is doing what he loves to do best: run! He runs like a gazelle with less effort and more grace and power then I though he would ever be capable of. He is dropping time faster than any seasoned runner I have ever seen and he is competitive again. And Zach???s not through with him yet!

With 20 years experience as a trainer and as a chiropractic doctor, I have worked with the best in the healthcare and fitness industries. I have never met a more passionate individual than Zachariah. It drives him to learn and explore, in order to provide his clients the best of what is out there. He is more well-read then most doctors (medical as well as chiropractic), however, it is his understanding and intuitive grasp of the human body and performance that sets him apart. What is more, he is a lot of fun to work with!

It is hard to peg Zachariah to any one area of specialty. He excels at corrective (rehabilitative) therapy, but he has also transformed the lives of so many individuals who simply want to lose weight or feel healthier (my wife being one of them). I have recommended numerous patients, individuals I meet in my travels, friends, and family to see him. He readily shares his knowledge and his desire for his clients is that each one learns to be great. As for myself, I have enjoyed my professional relationship with him and can honestly say that he has helped me become a better doctor.
Thanks Zach!

Zachariah Salazar has been my teacher/trainer for the past three years. At the age of 47, I am now in the greatest condition I have ever been in thanks to Zachariah's brilliant knowledge of program design and that says a great deal as I have been working out since I was a teenager. He has helped me to get out of pain, heal injuries and he's been the secret of my own success as a personal trainer. His prolific knowledge of kettlebell techniques and Z-Health methodology has been the perfect combination to help me reach my potential and in the assessment and progression of the training of my clientele. He truly is the trainer's trainer!

Zach is an extremely motivated trainer who is able to transfer that motivation to his students. HJe is one hardcore mofo. I had the honor of training with Zach when I was visiting a friend in Colorado. Zach showed me the benefits of body rolling and corrected my ETK form when it was lacking. My out of shape friend accompanied me and Zach gave him a more hands-on training. He lost 5 lbs that weekend combined with hitting the slopes once.

I walked away from the training session with a whole new philosophy on my own training.

As Zach would say when I complained in frustration, "Meander Towards Greatness..."

Zach is a knowledge machine. He can answer any health and fitness question more thoroughly and more intricately than you could imagine. Whatever your fitness goals, he will show you how to achieve them safely and intelligently (using kettlebells of course!). Whatever your fitness level, or lack thereof, he can show you how to get the most out of your body in terms of strength, mobility, appearance, and longevity. I didn't believe anyone in the fitness world had anything new to show me. But Zach proved me wrong! His varied and innovative training regimes are not only unique but also fun, safe, and very effective.