Train To Perform — Attraction in St. Louis

TL,DR: Personal training with an expert and sincere trainer at an unbeatable price.

Overall structure & client relations: Train to perform is an excellent personal trainer setting at a much more reasonable price. Wayne is immensely knowledgeable and passionate about educating while training. For the scientists and doctors among you, there is none of the fad or misinformation-based, quick-solution approach, or non-sense logic about how physiology works, which may have irked you at other gyms or with other trainers. He makes sincere efforts to motivate you, create a plan for you to reach your goals and to share credible information about achieving and maintaining fitness. He has a methodical and adaptable approach to training where people of every age (young teens to 80-year-old adults) can train and still feel satisfied with the outcomes. He has several long-term clients who have been coming to him for over a decade. You have the option of one-on-one training as well as training with your partner in a couples’ class or in a group of 4 ppl, with multiple fee structures for every need. You schedule and check in to classes on an app where you can also see your history of all classes from the beginning. Wayne is also quite accessible via texts and answers questions you may come up with later in the day about the session/schedule/exercise/nutrition, etc. He also regularly checks in on you about your experience after the session and about your nutrition and sleep. There is also a sense of community in the class and across groups. It makes you want to go for the class and not miss any sessions.

Training approach: Wayne starts you with an assessment of your current mobility and strength before bringing you to a foundations class. You learn the technique and form for each exercise in the foundations class, avoiding a steep learning curve while strength training and also allowing your body to adapt to new exercises. After consistent attendance and demonstrated ability to perform, you graduate to the strength training class. Technique and safety are still the top priority in strength training class. No matter which class you are in, you always start with a full body warm up and end with stretching. Even in a 4-person group, Wayne is able to pay adequate attention to every individual’s form and provide corrective feedback. For a trained dancer like me, this attention to detail in technique is one of Wayne’s most striking qualities. He brings in a lot of variety in exercises that target the same area and gives stepwise instructions for each exercise every time, also informing you of the muscle groups being targeted. Despite the different exercises in every class, he astutely tracks your progress such that your muscle strength continues to build and the cognitive burden of tracking your own progress is negligible. He seems to have multiple variations of almost every exercise, catered to different strength-levels, prior injury and rehabilitation-status, age/weight categories etc.

Types of classes:

There are 3 types of classes – Foundations  strength training; Stick Mobility and Boxing/Conditioning, each with a distinct flavor. The Stick Mobility class is for increasing mobility and flexibility in muscles and joints. This is one of my most favorite sessions. The vibe of this class is serene and slow. The Boxing class is an intense one; the focus is on cardiovascular conditioning while keeping an eye on proper form. He teaches you several techniques that are self-defense oriented.

Wayne’s sincerity and drive transfers to your workout, making each session physically and...

When I think of the best way to sum up my experience at Train To Perform (TTP), three words come to mind: CARE, CONSISTENCY, AND COMMUNITY. Wayne has embodied this three words since I first joined in June 2019.

CARE Since day one, I have felt a sense of care from not only Wayne but the entire gym community. Before starting to train, Wayne schedules a 1:1 meeting with each of his clients. During this meeting, you get an opportunity to talk about your fitness goals, ask questions, and learn more about what his gym has to offer, and complete an initial exercise assessment. I had never completed a fitness test before joining a gym, but I appreciated this because it demonstrated to me that he really valued having an understanding of where he needed to put his expertise. Wayne doesn’t just focus on the physical aspects of fitness, but uses a holistic approach. He also does an excellent job at starting clients out based on their current abilities. Each client starts in “Foundations” which are classes dedicated to teaching proper technique and form. If you want someone who is invested in you and cares about you both inside and outside of the gym, Wayne is the person you want to see.

CONSISTENCY I can always depend on Wayne to put his clients’ best interest first. As a member, you know what to expect when entering the gym. For example, before each strength class we utilize foam rollers to activate each muscle group and after each class we dedicate time to stretch. It’s easy to get into routine, and when Wayne notices your individual routine is off, he makes sure to touch base with you and check-in. He has seen the positive results his clients can have by following his training techniques and nutrition tips, so he consistently asks for updates on how things are going. Don’t be surprised in the middle of the workout if you get asked, “How’s your sleep or what has your eating been like?” I didn’t realize how much I appreciated someone encouraging me to remain consistent until I started training with Wayne.

COMMUNITY One of the greatest perks of the gym by far has been the relationships I have built at TTP. Since classes are small, you get an opportunity to get to know the folks you workout with on a personal level. We laugh with each other, encourage each other, and support each other when necessary. There is nothing better than being able to joke around with folks as you complete your least favorite exercises. We even find time to dance during our “5-second breaks,” and reach out to each other through our Facebook group to keep in touch and share information with each other. I can honestly say the people at Train to Perform are like a second family to me and I look forward to working out with them every single day.

Overall, I would say if you are looking for a gym, and oh did I mention it is black-owned, where the trainer/owner really cares about his clients, offers tangible ways to reach your fitness goals, and build community with others Train to Perform is the place to be. While the #redcarpetofdoom by be intimidating when you walk in, the overall experience will keep you coming...

I've belonged to other gyms but Training to Perform is different and this is because of the personal commitment and dedication of Wayne, the owner and only trainer at TtP, to each of his clients. He is very passionate and caring and takes a sincere and authentic interest in each person that trains with him. Wayne's strengths are his many years of experience as a trainer, his desire to give personal attention to each client, and his infectious ability to motivate others. As a result the quality of training at TtP is top-notch and I can sincerely say that I have never been this motivated to work out before. I can't recommend Wayne and his gym highly enough!!

TtP's group classes max out at 4 people and this allows Wayne to treat each individual as if they are in a private or semi-private class. I am in my 50's and have old shoulder and knee injuries and Wayne has worked with me to slowly address those issues and build up my strength and mobility without getting hurt. Towards this end, Wayne recommended mixing in his stick mobility classes with the strength and conditioning classes and that combo has made a noticeable difference in my overall mobility. In only six months, my training has made a huge positive impact on my everyday life and mobility.

Motivation to make time in my day to work out has always been a challenge for me, as I am very busy in my professional and family/personal life and find it difficult to work out by myself. I have enjoyed group classes in larger gyms, but the large class size and frequent turnover in trainers were always obstacles to making progress and staying motivated. Motivation has never been a challenge for me in the 6 months that I have been training at TtP, and that is because of who Wayne is as a trainer and person...and the music he spins! It is a whole body experience. I love...