“XELF is the greatest place to start for Beginners and those who struggle with Resistance Training. Without this approach, exercise hasn’t and would never work for me.”
– Lorna Evans
“When I came off that table, I kid you not, I felt 5lbs lighter. I didn’t understand the mechanics of it but it worked.”
“I have a knee again that works and I am building muscle in other areas and getting the function back in other body parts as well,”
“With the FST sessions, I don’t feel the same tightness I felt before.”
– Joanne Pettit-Guscott
“Exercise was something that usually made me feel worse instead of better… I wasn’t good enough, I didn’t know what I was doing… and now I’ve come to the point where I have a new appreciation for it and as a result I’ve been consistent for 7 straight years for the first time in my life.”
– Mary-Pat Vollick
“I’ve just completed the Foundation Program and am amazed at the improvement in my “scores”. I’ve talked about this program with many of my friends, and would recommend it to anyone who has had the same struggles with exercise that I have had over the years.” (January 2nd, 2010)
– M.B. Beasley (55 years old)
“People go to a trainer in order to move properly again, to feel good about their body and their ability to move. I get that here.”
“If you’re going to a personal trainer there’s a reason – you don’t feel the greatest about your body and you need to feel that your trainer is interested in helping you and you need to feel wanted and supported.”
– Joanne Pettit-Guscott
“I feel fantastic thanks to you and your super fantastic program… I feel strong and like a super woman. Yeehaw!!! Thanks Damian for everything!”
– Earla Kwok
“The Foundation Program has changed my attitude towards exercise and has given me the ability and confidence to keep going for the first time in 70 years.”
– Lorna Evans
“For the first time in my life I’ve found a program that I can stick with. I think of Xelf as being like fitness lessons; each week I learn new things and then go home and practice them. The weekly small group instruction is perfect for me … more fun than doing it all alone, certainly more affordable than a personal trainer and far superior to a big gym or “boot camp” atmosphere. The mental exercises, such as reflecting about one’s relationship with exercise, establishing short and long term goals, and identifying keys to success are critical elements of this program, as well. Nobody has ever asked me to consider those aspects of exercise before.”
– Mary-Beth Beasley
“Damian really puts an emphasis on how you’re doing a certain exercise and he pays attention to the body and explains to me what I should be feeling and that’s new to me. Damian is extremely observant. He’s watching my body movements all the time and making slight adjustments that make a world of difference – ‘Oh, that’s how it was supposed to feel’. He makes you more aware of your own body in space. He’s very knowledgeable. You want to feel like your trainer is invested in you and that’s what Damian is, he is invested in you and your long term success with exercise.”
– Joanne Pettit-Guscott
“My stamina and strength have significantly improved. This is evident in my other sports, mountain biking and downhill skiing. Somehow the hills seem to have become less tall and less steep lately. “
– MKE
“Training with Damian is physically intense, focused, emotionally calming, efficient, life-changing and compatible with a busy life style. Training with Damian is physically intense, focused, emotionally calming, efficient, life-changing and compatible with a busy life style. Damian’s coaching is adding core strength and unified power to my established distance-running base. Damian’s attention to detail ensures that exercises activate and build muscle groups for superior physical function. The benefits of Damian’s training are evident when performing everyday physical tasks — my physical presentation is stronger, more unified, more efficiently co-ordinated. Thank you Damian.”
– Anne-Marie Picton
“I came to Mary Pat about four years ago for coaching around how to transition toward retirement. At the time, I was a self-employed bookkeeper. I knew I wanted to drop some clients, but I didn’t know which ones and I didn’t want to upset anyone. Mary Pat helped me clarify my values so that I could see more clearly which clients shared them, and which ones didn’t. Once we did that, the decision around who to keep was so easy. And no one was mad at me when I was finished. I had inner peace about my decision. The exercises she did with me in our sessions showed me how many avenues there were to explore. Mary Pat is so positive and non-judgmental that I felt safe sharing my thoughts with her. She made the mental struggle of trying to sort out what was going on in my brain and my heart easy.”