You have been in the fitness industry for 10 years, starting at Crunch in LA and now in NYC doing REHAB and working with private clients. How has your approach evolved?
I have always been more of a coach than an in gym trainer. This manifests itself by motivating someone so that they learn and then go out and live the rest of their life. So this has evolved from being just the training aspects you see in the gym, to also teaching people to connect internally, with their mind, body, and spirit.  If you are fit, you are going to be able to get a good workout. But now, compared to when I was just starting out, it goes beyond being physically fit.

Your REHAB class is a combination of HIIT, movement & meditation. What is the goal of the class?
One of the first things most people do in the morning when they wake up is to immediately check their phone. So we are not even making the time to connect with ourselves.

The motto is "REHAB is more than a workout, it's an experience". So the goal during those 35 minutes of REHAB is to just be. That is why we have a mantra, "I am rehabbing, I am cleansing" and why we focus on the breath. If you are able to let go and to connect to the music, to your breath, and to positives you won’t have to focus on the exercises, it will just happen.

How would you describe your expertise?
It is about me acting as a guide for the person speaking to themselves.  My objective is that when you come into a class or a private training session that you can eventually do this on your own. I never want codependency to occur.

What is the most common barrier you see that prevents people from reaching their fitness and health goals?
Over the years, I have seen that people say their level of commitment is much higher than what they actually do. At the beginning, when someone starts out, they tend to be very excited and amped up: however, then they realize that they have to do it every day and that it constantly requires the level of commitment and energy they phase out. So it is as simple as the choices that people are making. Is the goal something they really want to achieve or not? Are they being realistic about their goals?

What is one action you think most people can take today to improve their commitment?
Language and internal dialogue play a big role, and changing to a positive, active, internal dialogue is the first step. It is as simple as changing certain words that we use to communicate with ourselves internally. For example, saying to yourself, "I will go to the gym today", instead of "I will try to go to the gym today".  When you wake up at 5 AM to go exercise, your internal dialogue has to be active and positive so that you are going to get after it, otherwise, you leave yourself the choice to go back to sleep and push off to another day.

What other exercise/training do you do outside of your class and why?
I stay balanced. I do strength training and I get my recovery/restorative in. I box, run, cycle, lift and meditate. I spend time with my family, especially my son, and I connect with like-minded people.