Background
Matt Garrell was born and raised in Westchester, NY. Like most of you, working out started off as a hobby for him and became a lifestyle. He attended Towson University in Maryland where he earned his bachelors degree in exercise science. He's been personal training for over 7 years. He worked at the prestigious Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, NY for 4 years before taking a fitness manager position with NYSC, where he stayed for the next 2 years. During that time he also moonlighted as a personal trainer at Results, a private studio in Ridgefield, CT. In 2009 he moved to Southern California where he worked as a personal trainer at Equinox. In 2010 he opened up his own studio in Venice, CA where he devotes his knowledge and expertise to not only training, but teaching people how to live a better a lifestyle.
Education/Certifications
College: Towson University - B.S. Exercise Science
Certification: National Academy of Sports Medicine
CPR/AED: American Red Cross
Philosophy
I believe that personal training is more than trying to look aesthetically pleasing; it's about investing in your health and your body for the rest of your life. No one wants to have their body start to shut down on them early in life. I can't tell you how many people I've dealt with in their 30s and 40s who complain about aches, pains, and tightness that would be normal to a person in their 60s or 70s. Nothing is worse than having your body make you feel like you're aging too fast. Good thing it's never too late to start no matter what age you are. Functional and core training are just as important in my mind to building muscle and losing body fat.
It's also extremely important for me to give my clients the knowledge and understanding of why they're doing particular exercises in their program. Too many clients pay trainers who just go through the motions without any explanation. Working out should be a learning experience that allows clients to better their everyday lives.
Specialty
All Natural (no drugs) bodybuilding has always been a hobby of mine and was the main reason for why I'm a personal trainer today. A majority of people assume bodybuilding is just about getting as big as possible. Actually, the opposite is just as important, which is leaning down to lose fat while maintaining as much muscle as possible. I was able to put on 17lbs during my bulking phase, lose 20lbs during my lean down phase, and did it all in 8 months of training.