Jeff S, is more than just a loyal client of AXIS Mountain View and Menlo Park. A well-known corporate attorney and the Vice-Chairman of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, he helped launch the company more than ten years ago. Now he stays active in the AXIS community by working out two to three times a week with Geoff Rudy.

“I’ve always liked that AXIS fitness programs are geared to the individual. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” he explains. “I appreciate having an intelligent, customized workout for my specific objectives.”

Jeff’s AXIS workouts keep him ready for his regular pick-up basketball games at the YMCA—usually against players that are half his age.

“I love basketball, and I want to keep playing as long as I can,” he says. “I’ve had several injuries, including a back injury, and training with Geoff has given me extra years in my sports career.”

“A lot of Jeff’s success comes from his positive attitude and determination,” his trainer adds. “He doesn’t give up or slack off if he has an injury. He wants to get back in the game, and he is willing to spend the extra time on agility training, flexibility, stretching at home -- whatever needs to be done, he does it.”

Jeff was so impressed with his trainer at AXIS that he convinced his wife Vivian, a physician at Stanford, to join Geoff Rudy’s schedule several times a week.

“Geoff has earned my respect and the respect of my wife,” Jeff says. “We’ve never met a non-doctor with such an advanced grasp of anatomy and physiology. He is truly an exceptional, extraordinary trainer.”

Seamus M. has been a familiar face around AXIS Mountain View for the past six years. Born in Belfast, he moved to the Bay Area eight years ago and quickly became part of the local sports scene as a full-time coach for CYSO youth soccer and a player on local soccer and Gaelic football teams.

“My life is extremely sports-oriented, and nearly every day I’m either practicing or playing a game somewhere. AXIS is the place where I come to heal and learn--I guess you could say it’s a sanctuary for me,” he laughs.

Seamus was drawn to AXIS initially because he wanted guidance with exercise rehabilitation. Years of intense soccer playing had wreaked havoc on his body, and he was struggling to make progress in his fitness goals.

“I had some back pain and hamstring strains, and I needed to get better once and for all,” he recalls. “At the beginning, I worked with a trainer three days a week, saw a chiropractor twice a week, and started regular massage therapy. Even still, it took me nearly six months of rehab to get to the point where I could start focusing on soccer performance again.”

Once back in fighting form, Seamus was determined not to let his old injuries return. He chose to stay on at AXIS and continue benefiting from the support and education of the trainers. After six years, he’s still training once a week with Jeff Schirle, and getting regular massages from Geoff Rudy.

“I love coming to AXIS because of how much I learn while I’m here,” he says. “Body awareness, injury prevention, rehabilitation, stretching...I learn so many techniques that are useful for taking care of myself and other people. I consider my sessions almost like classes!”

In addition to education, Seamus appreciates how AXIS helps him stay committed to a training program, a task that isn’t easy since he’s so busy with work and games.

“My goal is to sustain the level I’m playing at right now,” he says. “Being committed to a time, a day, and a trainer is a positive influence in my life. It’s easy to blow off training for something else when you’re on your own. But when you have an appointment at AXIS, you stick to it.”

Tom Q. has been training at AXIS since 2001, most recently with Cheryl Kubota at the Mountain View location. Sessions at AXIS has brought Tom back to a level of fitness he has not enjoyed since college and made it possible for him to continue playing sports with friends and his children.

“I was an athletic person when I was younger, but exercise became less of a priority when I started a family. I was so busy with my job and spending time with my wife and our three kids that I didn’t make time for fitness.”

Also, an injury left Tom uncertain about how to safely return to working out.
“While I was out of shape, I herniated a disk from overuse, stress, and lack of conditioning. I had to stop water skiing, playing basketball…even gardening. Even though I knew I needed to exercise, I just kept putting it off.”

Things turned around in 2001 when Tom’s business partner suggested he begin a program at AXIS.
“He’s 20 years older than I am, and in great shape – a real fitness freak! I put it off and put it off, but finally he got through to me, and I came in for a session. The decision to come to AXIS really changed my life. It’s been five or six years now and I am doing things that I haven’t been able to do for years. I play basketball twice a week, water ski all summer, and dig holes in the yard again. It feels great!”

Tom also convinced his wife Karen to start training at AXIS, and as a family they feel more in shape than ever.

“Getting our fitness levels back means being able to do what we want again. My wife is playing tennis, I’m playing basketball, and we are able to keep up with our kids. As a family, we snow ski, water ski and wakeboard together at Lake Tahoe.”

Cheryl’s training program helps Tom prepare for the next seasonal sport, such as skiing, while at the same time making sure that he does not become over-worked or too tired to continue his regular work and exercise activities.

“I usually train three days a week at AXIS, and drop in to the Circuit Boost class on Saturdays,” he says.
“Coming to AXIS is a lot of fun for me. Even if I walk in the door grumpy, it’s not for long. After my workout with Cheryl and laughing with other clients, I am ready to face the world again.”

Another aspect of Tom’s health & wellness regime at AXIS is getting regular massages from Beverly Blach.

“My business is stressful, and getting massage helps me to feel more relaxed during the week.”

Massages with Beverly also make it possible for Tom to push himself harder during his workouts and playing basketball.

“The workouts and massage go hand in hand for me. I’m able to recover faster from one workout to the next,” he says. “Beverly is very strong and thorough, which is important to me. I am a big guy, and I want someone to give me a deep muscle massage. She does a great job!”