
TESTIMONIALS

CAROLYN SWORDS - Basktball, WNBA Chicago Sky
"Alex used his extensive knowledge to create a comprehensive training program that would translate to a better conditioned and more explosive basketball player. He combined weight training, plyometrics, and conditioning to completely transform me and challenged me daily despite my extensive experience with elite training. I returned to training camp for the WNBA Chicago Sky in 2012 a leaner, faster, and more explosive athlete than I had ever been before. As I have moved beyond that 2012 season, my time with Alex has proven to be an incredibly worthwhile investment in my athletic career. My fitness is one of my weapons as an athlete that gives me tremendous confidence as I compete in the WNBA and in basketball leagues overseas. I highly recommend that any athlete who wishes to take their fitness to the next level consult Alex. He continues to be extremely encouraging throughout my career and I look forward to working with Alex again in the future!"

RON SHAICH
"Alex Ponomarenko has been my personal trainer since 2005 when I came to train with him on the insistence of my physician. At that time I was a couch potato who had not exercised in 3 decades and had great trepidation at the prospect. In the past years, Alex has helped drastically improve my strength and my health through his rigorous workouts and his careful attention to my body and abilities. Alex is an exceptional trainer who doesn’t put up with my propensity to waste time. Alex worked with me to build my athletic confidence, competence and joy. Three days a week, we meet at my home for one hour and the entire time is focused on getting results. Through Alex has vast experience training professional athletes, he is also very good with someone like me who never exercised regularly until our sessions began. The result: today I am in better shape than I have ever been, my weight is close to the one I had when I graduated college and most importantly I have come to actually look forward to daily workouts. I am always happy when our sessions are done, not just because they are grueling and I’m exhausted, but because I feel strong and accomplished. I credit Alex with my newfound energy and commitment to fitness."

MADHAVI KAMIREDDI
"I signed up for personal training sessions with Olga about 1.5 years ago after I watched her train my daughter for total body conditioning. I was so impressed by her calm, soft spoken, on the mark approach towards fitness and the fact that my daughter would not stop raving about the effectiveness of those sessions for days after! After my first session with her, I realized I had finally found the best match for me. That is incredible since I have tried over a dozen personal trainers in the past 15 years and always found it hard to keep up with their expectations.
With Olga, I truly feel that our sessions center around my physical capacity and at the same time challenge me to continue to improve my strength, endurance and fitness level. She is exceptionally observant and takes time to go over each and every exercise to ensure correct form. After every session I feel so accomplished, proud of myself to keep up with exhausting exercise routine week after week and the results are obvious. I can do squats now and don’t hear my knee joints creaking anymore!! I have never felt so fit before and love being able to keep up my physical stamina at age 49. And I owe it all to Olga."

NICHOLE ZAIS - Swimming, 3 Time NCAA DIII All-American
"I was lucky enough to have trained with Alex during my senior year in college. Twice a week, I made an hour long drive up from school to Alex’s gym and it was worth it. I finished my swimming career as Wheaton College’s top female athlete of the year, a three time NCAA Div III All-American, my team’s most valuable swimmer three years running, and, most importantly, with all career best times. As his first collegiate swim client, Alex took the time to research the sport and my workout needs, making sure to find the best way to incorporate his routine with the training I did with my team. He is amazing! If you want to make a serious commitment to improve your fitness or your athletic goals, you need sign up to train with Alex."

KATE YODER
"I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, my three children were very young and I knew that to keep my strength it was important that I continued to train and work. It kept me feeling good, and made me feel like I could do anything. I was a competitive swimmer in college and returned to competitive swimming as a Master in 2008, when I started training with Alex.
My times over the past several years have continued to drop as I have placed in the top 3 in New England in my age group. Alex identified that I needed strength and endurance training specific for swimming. My training plan was based on my swim season, with an intensity progression over the years to over come some previous injuries. As a change of pace, he has encouraged me to compete in triathlons and cross country skiing events. One of the best things about Alex is that he knows how to train the individual athlete based on their specific needs and limitations. He takes such pride in all of his athletes and their accomplishments. He reminds me that I can do anything if I try and work hard – Something I hope I have instilled in my own children."

BRYAN HOLTZMAN
"With Alex’s guidance and coaching I have grown from a junior varsity high school runner to an elite-level athlete competitive at the national level in high school and a top-50 nationally ranked in Division 3. While helping me develop as an athlete, I have also learned the ins and outs of Alex’s unique training techniques, allowing me to apply them outside of training sessions. Alex is also always available for me to consult him on my workouts when I’m at school college. Alex has been instrumental in my success as a college athlete. Throughout my college career I have worked with Alex every school break and every summer. The results speak for themselves: I have 4 school records and as a junior was the NESCAC Champion in the 100m. Without Alex’s help, I would not be half the athlete I am nor would I have the same passion for the sport of track and field."

JOSE MANENT
"I have had Parkinson’s disease for the last couple of years. Luckily I found Alex has helped mitigate some of my symptoms. I train with Alex 3 times a week and after 2-3 months of training I have improved coordination, better balance, feel stronger, increased my endurance and lost weight. I have started to play tennis and soccer again and I am much happier and feel optimistic about my future."

VICTORIA MOORE - DI Lacrosse All-American, Yale University
"Ahead of my first year of Division I lacrosse at Yale University, my summer goal was to build muscle, get faster and reduce my potential for injury. Alex is the perfect coach for me. He is professional, demanding and in tune with my physical needs. He also managed my training to the exacting preseason guidelines demanded by the lacrosse coaching staff."

PETER CALLAHAN
"I know that working with Alex has changed my whole sense of body awareness and coordination. I am not only stronger than I ever have been, even when I was swimming over 3000 yards 3x/week, but I am more efficient in all my movements.Thanks to Alex, my running technique improved 100% which now makes running enjoyable instead of before when I dragged myself through it. Because of training with Alex, I became motivated to reach higher athletic goals and decided to begin doing triathlons. I feel younger, more energetic and more in tune with my body. Friends often ask me: ‘What are doing to look so fit?’. My answer? -Alex!"

DEDE GRIESBAUER - IRONMAN Pro Triathlete
"I have never worked with a coach as unique as Alex. His methods and style were different than any strength/conditioning/run coach I had ever worked with, and as a professional triathlete, I’d worked with a lot! Alex got me to work harder than any other strength coach, but somehow, I managed to walk away from each session exhausted, but feeling like I had fun. He always made me laugh when my body wanted to cry!
His methodology was always specific to me, my sport and my strengths and weaknesses. His eye for technique is second to none. Even when I am out running now, I hear his voice in my head reminding me of proper form. Were it not for our geographic separation, I’d be seeing Alex every week. My time working with Alex produced some of my best run results ever in competition."

ROBERT KAMEN
"I have had the benefit of training with Alex for more than ten years. Two sessions with him are an essential part of my weekly routine. Each workout is tailored to my condition that day; I am never bored and always significantly challenged. Among Alex’s great talents are analysis and invention – through careful observation he quickly determines what his athlete needs to improve, and then he creates special exercises that will achieve this goal over time. I am much stronger and fitter than I was a decade ago because of the time I have spent working with Alex."

JIM LEWIS - IRONMAN Triathlete
"I have been working with Alex for more than 5 years. In that time, Alex has absolutely transformed me as an athlete. I used to be a slow old man, now I am speedy gazelle, who looks and feels 20 years younger than he is. Alex’s focus on total body fitness using his unique techniques is extremely effective. He special running drills and technique focus has transformed my run. I easily run at least a minute a mile faster across all run distances, and have had many PRs in running races and triathlons. With Alex, I am not getting older, I am getting stronger and faster. I highly recommend Alex to any athlete who desires to take their game to the next level."

TRACY STEWART
"Alex’s depth and breadth of knowledge about training the master’s level athlete is impressive. He trained me to be a master’s sprint hurdler in just one spring/summer, and I won the New England Championships in master’s hurdling competition for my age group. I had never run track before, and Alex was there every step of the way—he was patient, instructive and supportive. He has a long-term plan with every exercise designed with your ultimate goal in mind. Results are guaranteed if you train with Alex."