The longer I work with Ed and Rose City Strength, the more impressed and appreciative I become. He combines considerable knowledge with a steadfast commitment to a person’s overall wellbeing. While everything is rooted in the pursuit of strength, he innately understands: That can mean different things to different people. Therefore, he listens intently, before creating and continually adapting programs that fit the individual. I have worked with trainers before, but never with the same impact—and not with anyone who matches Ed’s level of understanding, know-how, passion, and commitment.
When I first met Ed at Rose City Strength, I explained to him that I was 43 years old and used to be in pretty good shape, but over the last couple years I felt like my body was breaking down, and worst of all, I had a bad back and had suffered from chronic lower back pain for over a decade. I asked if he could help and he said: “Of course I can, that’s what I do.” Over the next few weeks Ed got me doing exercises that I had avoided for years, like squats and deadlifts, because I always thought they would aggravate my back. But Ed explained that I did not have a bad back, just a weak back, caused by sitting at a desk all day and not doing the right exercises to keep my back in shape. Within a couple months, my back started feeling better than it had in at least a decade. And Ed got me into a routine where I am now exercising regularly and getting back in shape. Ed is a fountain of knowledge and extremely thoughtful. He knows exactly how to address every little ache and pain, and he customizes his training programs to fit each client's individual goals. Above all else, he’s just a great person to spend time with, and I truly enjoy training with him.
Ed is able to integrate his extensive knowledge of anatomy/physiology with an intuitive understanding of each client’s needs. He is the only trainer I would trust for post-surgery and post-injury strength training. After surgery for hip dysplasia and 6 months of physical therapy, training with Ed helped me become stronger than I have been in a decade. In addition, Ed helped me make simple dietary adjustments to maintain my energy level throughout the day. My husband and I have both experienced life changing benefits from training at Rose City Strength. We view our time with Ed as an investment in our health and future.
I am extremely glad that I decided to go to Rose City Strength and have Ed as my trainer. I was always in the gym before, and my goal was to increase strength, but due to lingering injuries and a couple surgeries I was constantly struggling to meet personal goals. I was struggling to even perform some exercises such as deadlift or squat because of the pain I was in. Ed has exceptional knowledge in weight lifting, training, and personal health. He took the time to master his craft and teaches that same mastery to his clients. Ed would not give up to find which exercises I needed to perform to restrengthen my core and injury areas. We worked tirelessly to find the best way to get back to my old self in the gym. After a few months I was able to perform strength exercises I thought I would never do again. After about a year I was outperforming myself like never before. I would never have felt this good again if it weren't for Ed. I highly recommend Ed to anyone who is looking for one of the best personal trainers in the area and beyond.
I began working with Ed on the recommendation of an integrative health professional I was seeing for an injury. It was the best referral ever! I was still struggling with balance, strength and pain after a year of PT, doctors and chiropractic care. And, Ed was the only one that was able to help my injury and change the course of my recovery. He was kind, patient, knowledgeable, and challenging. All the characteristics you want in a trainer. I highly recommend Ed to anyone looking for a highly-educated and supportive trainer to help attain the best outcomes.
Since I began working with Ed I have increased my main lifts (i.e. squat, bench press, deadlift) by a few hundred pounds. His vast knowledge of both training and nutrition have helped me become more successful on my fitness journey than I ever thought possible. I have no doubt that Ed is one of the most well versed and dedicated trainers in the industry.
It has been my pleasure and good fortune to be a client of Ed’s for the past 3 years. In this time I have seen significant improvement in my strength, endurance, balance, and mental acuity which has had a halo effect on all other areas of my life. Ed is the consummate professional with expertise in his field and a deep understanding of the holistic value of diet and exercise. Furthermore he is an effective counselor who listens first, explains clearly, and has a genuine passion for tailoring each client’s program to best suit their needs. With supreme confidence I strongly recommend Ed to anyone who is serious about working with a personal trainer in support of a healthy lifestyle.
When I first came to Rose City Strength to work with Ed, I was a new mom and feeling like I didn’t know where to begin my fitness journey. Gym equipment felt intimidating to me, and my history with some back and knee pain further made me apprehensive. Ed met me right where I was at, translating my body composition goals and personal background into a comprehensive fitness program, which he seamlessly adapted over time as my needs shifted. Knowing that his guidance is always rooted in his deep-seated knowledge of strength training and designed to suit his clients' individual needs allowed me to trust in my body and gain confidence in my ability to get stronger. Moreover, Ed really cares to enable you to learn and grow in the gym - he doesn’t gate-keep his expertise and empowers you to independently practice what he teaches. I feel very fortunate to have been able to work with such a skilled personal trainer; thanks to his kind support and dedication to his craft, I am on track to meeting my wellness goals.
I thought I was done. I kept trying to come back, but it wasn’t working. After COVID, menopause, an illness that kept me in bed for three months, knee, back and neck injuries from two car accidents, and a shoulder arthroscopy-- all within a five-year period-- I didn’trecognize myself. My son and husband trained with Ed, but I was too afraid to have a personal trainer push me when I felt like they couldn’t understand what my body was like now. I was the student that trainers always said they could push. I didn’t want to be a complainer, so I figured I’d figure it out on my own and maybe get a trainer when I was in better shape.
Wrong. Ed is the trainer I need now. He listens and takes things slowly, carefully but with a firm plan in mind. He works through the endless things that pop up with an aging body.
And it goes beyond the mechanics of weightlifting. He helped me understand, through diagnostic observation, how nutrition (or lack of) showed up in how my body moved. That was a revelation worth a fortune.
As we age, we need help. Ed gives you back your power.
The day I reached out to Ed, I sat on my couch, impulsively searching for 'places to workout' around Madison. At the time, I wouldn't have been able to articulate that I wasn't looking for a traditional gym, nor another high-intensity group cardio class. I wouldn't have even known to say I needed a personal trainer. I found Rose City Strength on my phone, spoke to Ed, and met him shortly after in a space that looked nothing like a regular gym - something about that immediately put me at ease.
I was at a low point physically and mentally. It had been a year of slow recovery from a freak knee injury, other leg issues, and prolonged stress that had accumulated into more than three years of neglecting my health. At barely 39, I felt trapped in an old body. Despite once being a National-level oarswoman, I couldn't feel agile or even strong enough to stand for an hour, even though I was "active" throughout the day.
After my first session with Ed, I walked to my car with the biggest smile on my face. Hearing him talk about training rather than just working out, and focusing on the mechanics of simple movements like a proper squat, was exactly what my technique-loving rower's heart needed. Within two weeks, I was squatting well and sitting cross-legged. In a couple of months, I rebuilt the leg strength I’d lost over the past year, and soon after, I felt stronger than I had in years.
Ed has immense knowledge of how nutrition, strength and proper movement can change your body. He encourages you to be your best self beyond the hour spent training. If you are recovering from an injury - small or big - there is no one better to guide you. I recently returned rowing with a masters crew after a long time, and I couldn't have lasted on that boat if not for the strength built over last few months under Ed's guidance. I'm also navigating some medical decisions that I wouldn't feel half as mentally prepared for without this past year of training at Rose city strength.
Life happens, and I still have mountains to climb and goals to reach with my nutrition and routine, but I know that to picture a life in my late 40s where I can lift my teenage daughter onto my shoulders at a concert, I'll need Ed’s help to build towards that strength.
I'll close with a poem I wrote thirteen years ago:
So,once I said
I’ll be the best.
Undefined it was.
But meant a lot.
Since then I’ve tried
Not willing to just abide.
Not knowing where to reach
But learning what to preach
It’s tough solving my own puzzle
Sometimes, I feel like I’m stuck in a muzzle.
Messy I may seem;
But quietly I clean
The dust on the ridges
And slowly cross all the bridges
The dream is distant;
Yet to be seized ….
But I’ve grown to know I won’t easily cease.
We all owe strength to ourselves. With Ed, that becomes possible.