Jonathan Marshall, 37. Consultant

I have been working with Collin since early 2017. I've done different classes, CrossFit, and worked with several trainers in the past but nothing compares to the results I've had with Collin. He has educated and motivated me throughout our time working together. His functional approach to fitness combines intensity, mobility, and mindfulness into a package that is as fun as it is effective. I've had great results working with him and can honestly say I've never felt better.

Prajakta Yerpude, 24. Data Scientist

I am very happy and proud to provide this testimonial for Collin Cusack, not just a great trainer but an awesome person overall with whom I trained for almost 1.5 years. I can't thank him enough for the great transformation I have had with his functional training. What initially started with the basics like improving my back posture soon changed into becoming someone I had never imagined in my life - building strength and muscle.

What makes Collin a great personal trainer? He educates his clients during the training sessions. It is amazing to know how your body reacts to different forms of movements. I didn't know anything about any form or exercises, and Collin made sure that I could assess my correct body alignment as I did functional training with him. I couldn't even squat properly in my first session with him and a year later I was swinging a 108lb kettlebell for reps. He cares about his clients and moreover pushes them in every session which motivated me and eventually allowed my confidence levels to increase. Collin knows thoroughly what he is doing which made my kettlebell workouts safe and effective to build muscle and increase my strength. The best thing about our workouts was he knew what kind of muscle activation was needed before lifting anything heavy(I found it of utmost importance in our workouts :) ), which proves why he was an Elite trainer at FFC! I am sure all these skills and qualities will make other people want to train with you more.

Abby Clapp, 43. Lawyer

Collin is an exceptional trainer.  I came to him with a rehabbed right knee, a failing left hip, and a desire to improve my joint mobility and flexibility (and not injure myself—which I can, and frequently do, manage all by myself).  I wasn’t sure where to begin, or what would be effective, and thus was looking for someone who could assess my capabilities, understand my limitations, and help me feel, and be, better.  In short, I needed an individualized approach; the opposite of cookie-cutter cardio. Or—God forbid—CrossFit.  Those people are ridiculous.

What I found was someone who is wise beyond his years. Collin is an exceptional listener, and a thoughtful guide.  Collin’s particular expertise lies in his knowledge of what will make you, as an individual, better, and stronger; and how to get there without pain, injury, or frustration.

Some of you may be questioning Collin’s youth.  It goes without saying that Collin’s youth is, obviously, super annoying.  Couple that youth with his charm and good looks and let’s face it—he’s probably going to be lazy, and just phone it in.  Not so!  Because more than an exceptional trainer, Collin is an exceptional human.  Witty, compassionate, and kindhearted, I truly believe Collin is an old soul.  A really funny and thoughtful old soul!  He made training fun without sacrificing effectiveness, and was truly the only reason I would ever—ever—get up at 5:30am to walk 20 minutes in bone-chilling cold and snow to work out.

Tim Nelson, 55. Business Owner

If you are 40-60 years old and interested in regaining or increasing your physical fitness so you can continue to play your favorite sport and enjoy life more fully, I strongly recommend you connect with Collin Cusack.

I trained with Collin over  three years from his arrival in Chicago until he returned to California.  I can't overstate the tremendous impact he had on my fitness and general well being. When we started together, I was playing hockey regularly, but had not been in a gym regularly for several years.  At 53, I was in decent shape, but overweight and afflicted with plantar fasciitis that made any kind of walking, running or yoga painful. I had never worked with a trainer and wondered whether using one was a crutch to compensate for a lack of self discipline. However, when my club offered a couple of free sessions with my new membership, I decided to give it a try.

Meeting Collin is like a breath of fresh air. He is a super nice guy with great energy to go along with a degree in kinesiology and sport medicine from Pepperdine University. During our first few sessions he asked a lot of questions about my physical activity, health issues, personal goals, etc.  He introduced me to the concept of functional movement conditioning with workouts that focus on increasing range of mobility, gaining core strength to create power in natural movements, and increasing cardio efficiency. He also incorporated moves to address a nagging painful knee/lower back issue from a hockey injury and gave me at home exercises for my plantar fasciitis. 

Working out twice a week, the results were pretty amazing.  My foot improved almost immediately and for the first time since the knee injury, my back started to feel better. Collin uses a methodical approach that first emphasizes increased mobility, then building leg and core strength, and finally increasing balance and coordination.  Every workout is carefully planned with a mix of these elements to move clients through a deliberate progression. After a few months of training, I could see significant impact in my hockey play.  I am a goalie and the increased range of movement to get to a puck and strength to pop back up after a shot made a big difference in my play. Equally important, the chronic soreness I had experienced in my groin and legs started to dissipate.

The biggest endorsement I could ever give to Collin was when I encouraged my wife Julie (45) to train with him.  Like me Julie had not been to the gym regularly for some time, but she had worked with other trainers in the past and was not convinced it was worth the money.  However, she had chronic lower back pain that would flair up from traveling or sitting at her desk and leave her incapacitated or reaching for muscle relaxers. She was desperate for a real solution and given the results with my foot and knee/back, she decided to give it a shot. 

If you have read this far, you know the rest.  He designed workouts that increased her range of movement, strengthened her core and lats to take pressure of her lower back and within weeks her symptoms subsided.  She trained with him twice weekly for two years until he left Chicago and credits him with restoring her quality of life and once pain free, reigniting her interest in regular exercise. We did a lot of couple workouts which were great for our relationship and that carried over to regular yoga and exercise classes that we used to complement our training with Collin. 

A few notable things about Collin:

- He will teach you about your bodies, how to warm up properly, why things hurt, how to treat pain through targeted exercises, etc.

- Each session will be carefully designed to move you through a progression towards your fitness and health goals.

- He is a committed student of training techniques and is a certified expert in functional movement (kettle bells, club bells, maces) exercises.

- He will make you strong, flexible and (mostly) pain free.

John Kreger, 51. Investment Banking

I have worked with Collin for the past two years and he has undoubtedly been the best trainer I have ever had!  When I started training with Collin, I had nagging pain in my right shoulder, right forearm and left knee. He was able to determine the underlying issue, and then design a series of exercises and form corrections to address each problem. Today those nagging injuries seem to be gone!  Well done.

Luke Kinney, 33. Accountant

I started training with Collin back in January 2017.  I had little to no experience with fitness other than frequenting my spinning gym.  Collin is an expert in body movement.  Not only does he know how to teach his clients how workout, he knows the “why”.  He can tell you the physiological reasons why his methods work.  And they do.

I did not know how to use weights, where to start or even what to work on.  I remember walking into FFC for the first time and feeling terrified.  Collin was patient with my inexperience and helped me every step of my fitness journey from novice to where I am today.  Collin will work with you as a team to get you to where you want to be and he’ll stand by you when you’re struggling.  Collin not only taught me how to work out at the gym, but how to be a healthier person overall.  Before meeting Collin, I consistently made poor choices with my diet and not exercising.  While I still struggle with my diet, I know what I need to do to be successful and I owe that 100% to Collin.

I am very sad to see Collin go, but I know wherever he goes he’ll be a great positive influence to his clients.  Thank you, Collin, for everything you have given me.  In many ways, you saved my life!  I will be forever grateful for the guidance, patience and accountability you have given me.