Aum Training Center — Local services in Boston

At the beginning of the quarantine, as I was about to turn 50, I told my friend that this was a turning point- either we needed to keep ourselves strong & healthy or we’d let ourselves go with no turning back.

Although there were good intentions, I had little motivation to exercise with all the stress of work, childcare, housework etc. 24/7- not to mention a profound loss. I didn’t quite let myself go but it was definitely status quo at a not-so-great status. I had good intentions but couldn’t stay consistent. So much easier to grab a treat for breakfast or takeout for dinner and even more easy to sit on the couch and binge watch a show.

Fast forward one year, with life seemingly going back to normal, I decided that I needed to refocus on myself and my health. At age 51 and running around after an 8 year old, I also need to keep myself fit for her and set a better example.

I came across an IG ad from Aum Training Center and started an inquiry about their training services. Coach Chris called me soon after and had such a kind and engaging manner, I decided to meet with him to get more info and check out the studio. I immediately felt at home. Chris was completely down to earth, the studio had the warm energy of a yoga studio and none of the pretension of a gym. We had a great conversation about my experience with weight, fitness, yoga and running, then set realistic and attainable goals. Chris matched me up with Coach Ozzy who I immediately connected with because I got a very familial vibe from him. He was very flexible in scheduling as I had a very limited time window. He also provided me with delicious healthy recipes and reminded me that, rather than “dieting”, actually eating healthy meals is the key to success. Ozzy knows how to test my limits without pushing me so hard that I give up. One of my favorite things about him is that he is respectful of my own knowledge and integrates that into the plan. An extra bonus is that have great conversations too! Each workout is filled with music, laughter, and sweat!

I started working out with him twice a week and being more conscious about food intake. Within weeks, I felt better, slept better and began noticing a change. Clothes began fitting differently and I had to start digging into the back of my closet for smaller sizes.

Circling back to my friend, who has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders and greatest motivators. He will now be joining me at Aum and we’ll be working out together with Ozzy. Looking forward to continuing this journey and staying healthy together with a pact to never let the other let themself go! Thanks to Aum, Coach Chris and Coach Ozzy, who will definitely keeps...

Working with Chris changed my life. After years of knee problems and a knee surgery in 2011, I was out of shape, in pain and unable even to cycle or swim comfortably, let alone do my favorite things such as downhill ski with my children. I had gone through several cycles of physical therapy with multiple practitioners and it only seemed to make things worse. The doctors told me that I shouldn’t expect to improve given that I had already tried everything. They were recommending further surgeries.

Then I met Chris. He did a comprehensive evaluation and immediately found exercises I could do pain free to start getting back in shape. Chris was encyclopedic and customized everything to me in a way that I had never experienced before. If one exercise was causing pain, he always had five more options that would achieve the same goal. This was far more effective than anything I’d read on the internet or the cookie cutter stuff that I’d received from physical therapists. This integrated, customized program caused slow steady improvement that just wasn’t happening through physical therapy or through my own workout program.

Chris listened to my goals. Thinking it probably not possible, I told him I wanted to ski aggressively like I did in my 20’s. Slowly, over the course of a couple of years, he took me from not even being able to cycle to having stronger legs (and stronger full body) than I’d ever had in my life. I was aggressively skiing double black diamond runs with my kids and even on playing on an ultimate Frisbee club team. Plus, now I generally feel good about my body and my psyche is much better in general.

I’m a very busy professional with kids and Chris provided great flexibility in scheduling sessions. He’s the kind of ultra-dedicated person who loves his job and goes over the top. I can text him any time with questions and he responds. As an included value add, he evaluated the whole me. He looked not just at my exercise but also analyzed my diet and my sleeping patterns and recommended specific changes.

This was money well spent. Chris is worth...

My experience with Aum Training Center and with Coach Chris has been transformational! I started with Chris in late summer of 2018 after having many personal trainers over the years, most recently at a high-end Boston fitness club. I was highly disappointed with my training there - bored, not challenging, same routine, expensive and no results. I didn’t look forward to the sessions and I didn’t like the environment ... too crowded, questionable cleanliness, etc. By chance, I walked by Aum Training Center and decided to check out its website. I was very intrigued by the number of testimonials that described “life-changing results” ... not just pounds. Should I try yet again another trainer? I was really ready to make a commitment so I did a consultation with Coach Chris.

One of my biggest surprises after starting to work with Chris was the focus on nutrition. I started to make changes and the best part, I wasn’t hungry ... I didn’t crave the sweets. I’m not perfect, but I feel so much better - less bloated and more energy. The training sessions are always challenging … concentrated on form and pushing myself.

Two things to share on my journey. First, the results that I experienced once I was ready to commit were amazing. My body fat went from 19% to 11%. I lost almost 12 pounds of fat, but gained over 4 pounds of muscle. My clothes fit so much better! Second, consistency in maintaining strength training is important to keep those results. The commitment of Aum Training Center is exceptional. And, particularly during this terrible health crisis that keeps us all at home, Chris and his team are that much more valuable, addressing these issues - starting with nutrition and strength training... even if you don’t have a home gym. In fact, some of the more challenging routines can just be done with body weight!

Best investment in my health ......