Testimonials For Alan Gordon, Personal Trainer
"Dianna asking me would I provide some comment for Alan's testimonials section, was definitely a 'no probs' yes answer, as working with him has exploded my whole grasp, of what my previous experience of personal training, led me to believe was specialised.
Awesome is definitely a word I very rarely use, but Alan's levels of knowledge and skills, especially in body movement and analysing someone's biomechanics, are nothing less than that. He's produced exercise design and a physical way forward for me, that's based on how only my body moves and reacts, and no other woman's. Like Sarah Nagle in these testimonials, I lived in London too ( Marelybone High Street) for a good many years and worked with a good few personal trainers , but moving to Oxford and receiving guidance and advice from Alan, was a big wake up call as to what an expert is.
I'm pleased as punch that my results have been even better than I expected and as my exercise is completely tuned to my bod alone, its given me buckets of confidence. It's almost a totally different process to what I previously had, but then I'd never before met a personal trainer with Alan's skills at spotting, analysing and addressing all my bodily highs and lows.
The biomechanics testing he does is obviously very technical, but my test results that he's worked into the exercises he gives me, (including the sequences in which he asks me to do them), couldn't be easier to understand. So I'm seriously recommending him here and would definitely bet big time, that like I used to be, certain that I knew what real deal personal training was, there's probably a hefty load of people out there, who think exactly the same. But in practice, get nothing anywhere near this seriously smart pro level."
Judith Dawson
"As a busy medic needing to confidently refer my patients only to knowledgeable, well qualified and experienced people, my discovery of Alan Gordon was a very fortunate circumstance. For many years I have always been particularly concerned about the levels of technical training and knowledge that personal trainers possess and have serious reservations about delivering anyone in my care, into the hands of anybody less than a proven expert.
"Being made aware of Alan by a colleague in Henley was a fortuitous recommendation and his advanced levels have for me, defined what an exercise and nutritional expert should be. As well as attending to injury referrals from my practice, he has also helped patients with obesity and specific fitness issues and full credit to him; because each and every time he fulfilled my expectations splendidly.
"Without any hesitation, I would recommend him to anyone who is seeking realistically expert attention and advice in matters of exercise, injury and nutrition and it comes as no surprise to me, that The Nuffield Hospital Trust, recommend only him."
Dr Hugh Weldon, FRCP
"I have worked with Alan Gordon in the clinical management of patients with orthopaedic and sports related injuries. He is a highly knowledgeable professional, very skilled and adept in many aspects of training - including rehabilitation after Injury, Nutrition and Exercise Biomechanics.
"Patients have always found Alan's close attention to detail, his depth of knowledge and caring/ encouraging attitude highly reassuring. He has helped a great many people with complex injuries and problems, regain their confidence and maximum physical function."
Professor Sallie Lamb, D Phil (Oxon), MSc, MCSP, SRP Oxford University Kadoorie Professor of Trauma Rehabilitation. Warwick University Professor of Rehabilitation.
"I have been using Alan Gordon regularly and consistently for over five years. Despite the fact that I do regular general exercise by walking, swimming and bicycling, I have found that Alan gets to the 'parts that other beers don't reach' in his amazingly skilful comprehension of bodily mechanics. Like most of us, I'd guess, I just don't have the mental discipline to work through exercise routines consistently. But I know they are needed to balance out general aerobic exercise in order to avoid injuries and 'niggles'.
With Alan this is all made very easy. With him there I'm given exercises to do which, yes, I can find challenging, but which are always fun and interesting, and most importantly of all, I finish them!
Alan's ability to watch my bodily reactions carefully and instantly adjust the routine and the repetitions to precisely the level that makes it all progressive, but still leaves you feeling happy and satisfyingly exercised at the end, is simply amazing.
Over all these years I have never been bored or felt any exercise programme was getting remotely repetitive or off-putting. How he keeps creating new programs, which exactly suit my particular body I just don't know - but he does.
As a result, I have worked muscles I never even knew I had, and the bottom line is that I am stronger, fitter and more flexible in all sorts of ways, whilst I find myself much improved in all my sporty type activities too. Plus if you ever get the odd 'tweak' in the body from gardening etc, Alan seems to immediately know with pinpoint precision, exactly what to do to rectify the matter - so all those extra injury skills get thrown in with my personalised exercise programmes. An overall great bargain, in my view! Frankly I don't know what I would do without his advice and routines, other than revert to being a blob!
I can recommend Alan most strongly to anyone wanting to improve their general well-being, manage their weight or get fitter... safely. And I do mean 'anyone'.
Whether a fully paid-up couch potato who has decided it is time to get that body gently moving again, someone wanting to recover mobility or movement, preparing for or after an operation, or just someone fit wanting to improve their levels without risk of overdoing it. In the fitness market, there are so many so-called personal trainers out there, who just set you the same routines day in day out regardless of your personal needs, your body's very personal movement capabilities, or your individual co-ordination skills. You have to be very careful to make sure you get genuinely expert advice, otherwise you can end up worse off than before.
The body is a very complex organism. But in my view based on solid first hand experience, no one knows how it works better that Alan and this statement has been proven to me over many years now. You will not go wrong with Alan Gordon, as he honestly defines the term expert."
Dr Raymond Wright
We have both benefited enormously from our sessions with Alan Gordon over the last six years, in very different ways.
I suffered a very serious knee injury in a coach crash and, despite operations and physiotherapy, still had only rather limited use of my right leg. Now though, thanks to Alan's patient but insistent technical advice and exercise guidance, I've radically strengthened that leg and regained far more flexible use of it, work out on gymnasium cross trainers and resistance equipment and have found a brand new figure in the process!
Jonathan was a different more difficult case, whose liking of exercise was to say the least, 'limited'. However, under Alan's genial instruction he can now be found - to his own great surprise - enthusiastically running on Oxford's Port Meadow, rain or shine. Alan has been a real inspiration, making you realise your own potential, and can work wonders on all sorts, from the highly athletic to the apathetic.
Dr Jonathan and Nicola Shepard
Alan Gordon has been my trainer for about three years. When I started I had severe leg and hip pain, but I wanted to get walking and if possible, jogging again (I am now 74). I was also very stiff, and it turned out that I needed a hip replacement.
Alan worked conscientiously with the hospital physios before my operation, and afterwards, developed upon their rather meagre programming. The result was a complete success. I am now fitter than I have been for years, not only as a result of the operation but also thanks to his individual programme of specialised exercises, particularly stretching.
Cutting my toenails is no longer a problem. His method is cautious, progressive and body specific to the individual, with no nonsense about "no pain no gain". I was equally impressed by his diagnosis and successful treatment of a sports injury one of my sons had suffered, which sundry surgeons, doctors and sports physios had totally failed to deal with over a number of years.
All this is based upon his remarkable understanding of Bio-mechanics, the way in which the body actually works.
Oliver Miles, Ex British Ambassador to Libya.
"Committed, motivated, dedicated, professional, intelligent, knowledgeable, trustworthy and friendly.
"Alan has trained me for some months now and managed to appreciably expand my level of fitness and given me bags more confidence. I have become much more disciplined in my approach to exercise and diet. I know that my programmes are clinical evidence based, and guided by exercise and nutritional science, not just fads or generally accepted information. He always explains 'why' as well as 'what', rather than 'just do it'. He teaches the underlying theory along with the exercise practice, so I am fully aware of how the body/muscle etc works. He is very adaptable and understanding.
"Alan is an advanced and approachable expert and I would never have got so far without him. I have and always will, recommend him to all my friends."
June Solomon
"We have been working with Alan on a regular weekly basis for more than two years now and in that time, have noticed dramatically positive changes in our body shape. However, we consider that more importantly we seem to have the ability, should we sustain an injury during our everyday life, that due to the personally tuned programming we have followed, recovery always seems to be very swift.
"Skilful, with touches of sheer ingenuity, Alan has the ability to turn your home into an instant gymnasium using furniture and everyday items both indoors and outside. He is always completely up-to-date with all current and future developments in exercise and nutritional science research and has this information immediately available on the spot, if you request it.
"In our experience, Alan's knowledge of the biomechanics and physiology of the human body is second to none. He has a long proven track record of providing excellent exercise programmes to specifically suit the bodies he works with, and can adapt the schedule according to the person's energy and resources on the actual day itself. He leads by example, giving clear and concise instruction e.g. correct body positioning and breathing techniques, in order that you receive maximum benefits without fear of injury"
Jenny Mayling and Chris Caunt
"Alan Gordon has been my trainer for 8 months. Before moving from London I had 6 different personal trainers over a period of two and a half years, so I really do have a very good idea of the quality and level of what is on offer in this area. I also know perfectly well that I am a well-informed and very demanding client, who is difficult to please.
"Apart from his superior qualifications and extensive years of experience, his knowledge of human mechanics, nutrition and exercise methods are also really outstanding, and my results under his guidance have finally been the excellent ones I'd been trying to achieve for a long time, but always failed.
"I can honestly say, that despite all being qualified, my London trainers were proverbially, 'not in the same league' and I would strongly recommend anyone who is looking for a 'for real' all round expert Personal Trainer, to retain his services."
Sarah Nagle
"Alan Gordon was one of my mother's best suggestions. He now appears on my doorstep twice a week for my torture sessions, where I wear my 'effort face' most of the time. Despite my resistance and sometimes abuse, he is none the less, very enthusiastic about my regime and progress.
"His immense knowledge and experience within the fields of biomechanics, physiotherapy, food science and exercise techniques has greatly assisted me in reducing the effects of my current medical problems and eradicate what was a recurring back injury, whilst still combating my rather ample body shape.
"His keenness just cannot be faulted, and I am now starting to look forward to his arrival. My shape is starting to look more svelte and my poor mindset towards exercise is starting to change. In the past, I tried all manner and ways of losing weight and gaining a healthy lifestyle, but I always found a hurdle that I couldn't climb. Alan's expert professional yet warmly personal approach is showing the results I thought would never be possible for me, and I am now pretty confident that with his help, I can finally look and feel the way I have always wanted to."
Kate Gardner
"When I was asked if I would recommend Alan Gordon to anyone, I was only too pleased to do so, as he has helped me immensely by improving my quality of life through exercise and nutrition.
"I was a very nervous exerciser, partly due to very bad experiences with past personal trainers in Cambridge, and suffered from a lower back problems as a result of them. When I was advised by a friend to retain Alan, I was very wary, and my husband had to drive me to the consultation appointment, or I would not have attended. I'm so pleased to report that I no longer have a back problem, exercise regularly, sleep better and hardly suffer at all with the stress that often laid me low for quite some time, on many occasions in the past.
"I also have a brand new shape, something that I'm over the moon about.
"Alan's refined know-how of physiology and body movement, analysed the physical reasons as to why I had suffered with my back during attempts to exercise in the past. The actual sequence of movements causing it when in the gymnasium were so small, that they were completely missed by my physiotherapist and trainers in Cambridge.
"It's high time even more people were aware of Alan's tremendous knowledge and skills. Although I'm now living in London and obliged to use another trainer here, despite carefully searching the marketplace for a suitable person, to this day, Alan is still the highest qualified and most accomplished that I have ever seen and experienced."
Katarina Brummer
"I started training in the gym two years ago, and was lucky enough to be introduced to Alan Gordon. There are many people, everywhere, offering what they term personal training, but I truly doubt there are many who even approach his knowledge and skills, and who's abilities in the business are as complete as his.
"I'd had previous tuition on gym apparatus, but it wasn't until Alan instructed me, that I realised how seriously important personal biomechanics really are, and how I'd never previously received the correct attention for me as a totally unique individual.
"Under his guidance I was shown how, for example the angle of the knee, or the toes pulled back towards the shins can turn an injury threatening experience into an effective and beneficial exercise technique.
"At my age (56), my aim is not to create a beautiful body, but a supple one, with good ranges of movement that will take me into my sixties and beyond with sound health and flexibility, whilst warding off the perceived problems of later years
"Alan's fully comprehensive understanding of exercise physiology, physiotherapy, food science and the mechanics of training techniques are most certainly achieving results, and helping me to realise my personal health ambitions in the gym
"He is a pleasant, good-humoured tutor and training companion, who instils confidence and enthusiasm from the very beginning. You cannot buy good health, but money spent on Alan Gordon is a very shrewd investment."
John Caunt
"I have had the pleasure of knowing, and having Alan Gordon as my Personal Trainer for over 7 years.
"My whole attitude towards nutrition and exercise has completely changed, along with my body shape and fitness levels. This has all come about directly from Alan's advanced skills and expertise. He seems to have an inexhaustibly vast depth of knowledge, skills and motivating enthusiasm.
"You are never 'preached' to and 'tech talk' is conveyed in layman's terms, making sure you not only understand fully, what you are doing, but the exact reasons as to why you are doing it. Alan makes sure he is always available for any questions or queries you may have. Indeed, he positively encourages it and his answers are always state-of-the-art, each and every time."
Carmine Ruggiero
"I have been working with Alan Gordon for just on one year now, and despite having a very long background in sport I have learnt a great deal from Alan's techniques and expertise. His precision ability in human biomechanics, and all that underlies scientific fitness training is impressively detailed, and his knowledge and methods easily surpass anything that I have previously experienced in what is certainly a very long involvement in exercise. It is a great shame that I am not younger and still playing sport competitively!
"Additionally, Alan has passed on innumerable specialised facts on nutrition and diet that have helped me considerably in my exercise lifestyle and health generally. Once again, his knowledge in this area of nutritional science is as always; expertly comprehensive.
"His work with my wife Julie has produced even more impressive results. In six months she has progressed from a self-confessed couch potato to the confident owner of a 'new body'. Here Alan's status as an advanced Biomechanics expert has really spoken for itself. His methodology in terms of exactly which exercises to use, in which order and at what effort level to achieve the desired results for Julie, has been very impressive indeed.
"We would recommend him to anyone seeking a top ranking personal training consultant to improve their physical and dietary fitness . . .. but beware his stop watch - the 'last five seconds' are very discretionary!"
Neil and Julie Biggs
