Activation Fitness

I worked with Steve for several years prior to my hip replacement. He helped me strengthen up for recovery from the surgery, which I came through perfectly. He had tips for coping with limited mobility and told me when I was wasting my money to work any further before the surgery. I respect any medical practitioner that knows when to quit, and especially one not covered by insurance-​it shows integrity. I plan to start tune up visits when my travel schedule permits.
My wife also visits him regularly to maintain her knee, which has occasional pain. The combination of home exercises and visits keeps her knee in good shape.

Muscle Activation Technique has helped me tremendously. The facility is nicely equipped to provide supplemental workouts. It is clean and very well maintained.
I was a client of Activation Fitness for more than a year and spent almost 10k in that time. My practitioner possessed excellent technical skills and wit but was extremely cavalier with his comments which were sometimes insensitive and unkind. I extended «benefit of the doubt» several times. Eventually, I had no doubt that my business as a client was not valued and decided to leave. Activation Fitness has many affluent clients to which they cater. I believe my situation would have been professionally handled if I fell into that category.
I brought this issue to the owner’s attention and promptly received a call back. He informed me that he was not going try and change my mind about leaving. He concluded the conversation with an odd comment stating «at least you had fun».
Since I have several chronic diseases, I used Muscle Activation Technique to maintain and increase the progress I received from Physical Therapy. I believe whole-​heartedly in this alternative modality but believe all clients are deserving of respect.
Fortunately, I was able to locate an excellent Mastery Level Specialist on my own utilizing Greg Roskopf’s Muscle Activation Technique practitioner database. After several conversations and a meeting, I have found a new Practitioner who exceeds my expectations in knowledge, professionalism and integrity.

So sorry for the long review but I feel a health related review warrants a little extra detail…
If you need are dealing with an injury or are looking for a legit & accredited personal trainer I strongly recommend Activation Fitness. In January I suddenly started experiencing pain in my right knee. When I do exercise ;-) am a runner, basic weight at home sort of gal & had not used a personal trainer in the past. Additionally, I was searching for a personal trainer for my mother who is, in her 60’s, extremely out of shape, overweight, unmotivated & clueless about how to exercise properly. I found a couple of potentials on Unilocal & other searches but after calling & speaking with Steve I decided to meet him in person for an interview. I was very interested in his Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) credentials but was having a hard time grasping how MAT worked. The best way I can briefly describe it — the technique involves getting your body aligned and balanced and activates all your muscles. So when you are exercising, walking etc. you are not putting undue stress on any part of your body. This is done by examining the range of motion & strength of your problem areas on a massage therapy bed. Followed by specific resistance exercises or application of pressure to specific muscles to get them working fully. I also referred to the founder of the technique, Greg Roskopf, website & found that he had posted videos on You Tube. It is pretty technical stuff so it is not exciting but was very helpful for me & my mom to understand.
After just 1 MAT session I felt significant improvement in my knee. Steve advised me on proper shoes, exercises I should avoid and after 3 MAT sessions I was back to normal! I then started «regular» personal training sessions1 or 2x per week to get in shape for a February ski trip. I skied 6 full days without any pain or injury!
In February, my mom started seeing Steve — hooray! Her injuries, from past car accidents he was able to work on with 3 or 4 MAT sessions. Years of chiropractic or massage therapy never resolved her problems. He has gotten her to start training regularly. She is actually motivated & able to exercise without complaint of injury or pain. It is amazing to me, she is feeling terrific & energy is increasing too.
I feel that the knowledge of MAT gives Steve (and his staff) much more thorough knowledge of the body so that there is an added advantage of effective & safe training than with less educated personal trainers. I think this was crucial for my mom — it allowed her to feel confident & safe in his training regimen. We have been so happy with our results we are both trying to train with Steve 1 or 2 x per week — he is very supportive, super accommodating, low pressure & a honest guy. I like the «small» studio environment — I do not need to deal with the gimmicks, divas or cheese-​balls at the gym.

My entire life I have been very limited in my body’s flexibility. After working with Steve Dam, I immediately began seeing tremendous improvement in my muscle strength and my body’s overall flexibility. Even when I experience any neck or back pain, Steve’s consistent attention and expertise makes all the difference so that I can live a pain-​free life. On the personal front, Steve is a kind, supportive, energetic, approachable and very bright individual who really knows how to make a positive difference. I will continue to recommend Steve to all my friends and collegues who are looking to improve their overall quality of life. Best, Jon

I was able to get in to see Steve the other day for the first time. I could instantly tell that MAT would be helpful for me. I have constant back/​shoulder stiffness and most of the time dull pain. Steve worked with me for an hour and I felt completely rejuvenated after the session. I could move in ways I haven’t been able to in the past year or so just after ONE SESSION! We talked a little about MAT and I came to the conclusion that IT JUST MAKES SENSE. I will definitely be going back as soon as I can.
Thanks Steve! Great work!