The Summit at Rittenhouse

Worth every penny!

I signed up for the 30 minute sessions, twice a week, with Matt, who kicked my butt in the best way possible! I initially wondered if 30 mins was too short, but it ended up being the perfect amount of time per session and i recommend it. You get worked very hard for those 30 minutes!

I highly recommend working out with Matt! He's a calm storm! He has a tranquil vibe but also tough, always pushed me to get the best workouts in. He is super flexible with scheduling which was super helpful with my busy and sometimes unpredictable schedule. He was also always great about tailoring my workouts to my own individual needs and limitations. He also constantly sent me new workouts to do on my own via the special app that PTT uses to communicate with clients.

Overall, two thumbs up for philly personal training and Matt! It was like getting a workout and therapy session all in one place!

Working out with Mike has been a fantastic experience. He answered all of my questions and explained everything with reason and scientific evidence. He is also very organized, plans my workouts to cater to my goal, and always listens to my body while pushing me at the same time. I would recommend him to anyone.

When the Co-Vid hit I decided to start looking around at other gyms and I came across Philly Personal Training and saw that they got very good reviews. I then contacted them to set up an appointment then I went there and saw first hand why they got amazing reviews.

The personal trainer who I was paired up with by the name of Shawn is very knowledgeable.He takes everything into account past injuries you name it and he focuses on what you are looking to achieve. He is always keeping my body guessing and he constantly varies the routine. I am extremely happy that I found this gym to supplement my routine. They really do focus on the client and help get the results that you are looking for.

Top notch!

Very personalized program! And suit to your need, every time that I went to a session the trainer was asking what I wanted to work out!
It comes with a price well all professional does! So well worth it!

I do recommend the 30' session you will sweat even more than a 45-1 session in a studio class!
Depending on your goal!

I completely transformed my body & relationship with fitness at Summit thanks to Paige! I keep getting comments from people saying "you're so strong!!" I get so excited seeing definition everywhere- legs, arms, booty. And the InBody scans at Summit confirmed the progress- I've been losing fat and gaining muscle since starting! She also completely changed how I feel about the gym- I never thought I would look forward to going into a long workout or enjoy the feeling of being sore and exhausted after! I used to find an hour long workout nearly impossible but she makes it fly by being fun to chat to & keeping the workout varied. As a gym newbie, it can be embarrassing going to a crowded gym & being confused, but having a nearly private studio and a trainer to set up the equipment really helped me grow comfortable in the gym environment. Paige takes pride in helping her clients succeed- if you're willing to put in the work, Paige will 100% get you to your goals!

Highest of recommendations! Training at The summit exceeded my expectations in every way. My trainer, Mike O., was extremely professional and patient which was helpful for a beginner like myself. Not only did he correct all of my lifting form/posture but he also made sure to explain the exact mechanisms underlying everything we did at the gym. These explanations ranged from the specific muscle groups targeted by each motion to the overall goals of muscle hypertrophy and growth. He was knowledgeable about everything related to the gym, able to describe the exact hormonal/chemical reactions in the body as well as recommend the best diet/sleep routines to help accelerate my progress. I came into the gym with the goal of building mass and within less than 3 months I gained over 15 pounds of muscle. Moreover, the gym itself was a great place to exercise. It was always spotless and its atmosphere extremely friendly. Overall, my experience at The Summit was a very helpful and fulfilling one. I not only reached my initial goal of building mass but I also gained a level of confidence in the gym that will allow me to continue with my fitness journey independently.

I've been working with Mike at PPT for about six months now and couldn't be happier. Despite my dreams of a career in the NHL clearly not panning out, I still wanted to train like a hockey player; Mike uses his experience rowing competitive crew to construct my workout, as the two sports utilize similar muscle groups. His deep knowledge of physiology and training are obvious as he tailors exercises to injuries and energy level, always explaining the science behind what we're doing.

I haven't lost any weight, but that wasn't my goal, and I haven't done anything to reduce my diet. But! I'm noticing a significant improvement in muscle definition and core strength. My neck and back don't hurt anymore. I have more stamina and energy.

The price tag is admittedly high, and while I don't utilize their app or workout advice outside of my sessions, I feel it's totally worth it. Mike's always been flexible with schedule requirements and while I understand the reasoning behind their 24-hour cancellation/rescheduling policy, missed sessions hurt the wallet when an illness or last-minute event comes up day of and you have to cancel.

I've been working with Rachel Kessler for about four months now. Just for context, I had been living a fairly sedentary life, I had never taken on a regimented strength training program before in my life and had decided enough is enough. Here's what Rachel has helped me with that make her methodology and the trainers as Philly Personal Training different and distinctive:

+ Personalized workout plan: After my first few weeks of working out with Rachel she put together a personalized workout plan for my entire weekly regiment. In addition to making sure I was clear about what I should be doing in her sessions each week, she also made it clear how often i need to do cardio and lifting sessions on my own. Also when I found other outside workout classes that I loved, she updated my regiment to include those so now I've found a routine that truly works for me (and that I'm excited about)

+Nutritional Advice: In addition to putting together a workout plan, Rachel also crafted a personalized nutritional plan that took into account the workouts I was planning to complete. Given my workout plan, my current weight, height and age Rachel crafted a plan that included macros i need to hit each day and calorie count to keep under. I would track my calories in my fav app (MyFitnessPal) and it syncs with Philly Personal Training's own app so Rachel could give me feedback on what I'm eating in real time and adjust my macros if necessary

+Ad hoc advice and inspiration: Rachel encourages her clients to reach out to her via text or email whenever the need ad hoc advice or inspiration. This is great because the toughest times during a physical transformation tend to be in times when there's typically no one there: when you're preparing to eat out and aren't sure what to order from the menu that's in line with your diet, when you can't get up to go to the gym for that cardio session, etc. Rachel offers to be there for her clients in those times to offer advice and inspiration to keep pushing

+Teaches independence: I've been told that some trainers hope for their clients to become dependent/long term clients of theirs. Ever since I started with Rachel she has made it clear that at some point I'll stop needed to go to training and she's prepping me for that time in my life when I'll be lifting all on my own. This means as we're working out she makes sure I learn how to push myself appropriately, assess my limits vs when I can truly push myself to lift more so that when I'm working out on my own I'll continue to effectively push myself. She does the same when she explains how to effectively meal prep or make good eating decisions throughout the week and how to make sure I stay inspired mentally (weight loss is a journey!)

Overall I've lost over 6 inches across my entire body (arms, thighs, calves, waist, hip), have found an exercise groove and know what I need to maintain nutritionally for results. I'm learning a ton from Rachel and recommend her to anyone looking to really build a sustainable holistic workout regiment!

Back in February, I was unable to do a variety of exercise moves without questioning my form. Not only was I also hearing clicks in my knee, or experiencing random muscle pains, I was clueless as to how to get back to working out. I just kept imagining I'd tear this, or make that worse - and after two years of both working full time & grad school full time, my stress and terrible eating habits had done a total number on me. I knew I needed help if I was going to bother this time, because I'd dieted in the past, and several years ago when I was in much better shape, I stayed that way... so botching up my eating again by messing up or yo-yo-ing sounded like a terrible idea.

But the confusion about how to start so I didn't hurt myself, overextend myself, or just give up led me to scour the interwebs for someplace to start instead. Yelp, as always, did me right - and I found PPT after researching several trainer outfits.

After a great meeting with Brian about where I was at - he matched me up with Rachel Kessler, and I couldn't be happier. I've been training twice a week with her now since March.

-On her recommendation, my doctor referred me to a Physical Therapist to get my knee checked out, and we went back to basics to strengthen my quads/glutes/hamstrings and my knee is like 95% click-crackle-pop-noise free, and I CAN DO SQUATS YOU GUYS. And they look really good.

-Muscle adhesion. Knots. Heinous calf knots. If you have them, you know they're like the worst. This was another reason she recommended the PT workup, as tugging from those was messing me up in no small way doing certain things. In Pennsylvania, PTs can't do trigger point therapy, but I went to a guy who recommended acupuncture, so I started going for that once or twice a month for dry needling so I could start tackling them with a foam roller myself.

-My endurance is so much better, which is noticeable even just climbing stairs, or horsing around with my nephew, or by how much longer I can dance at a wedding reception. I can feel things getting easier, and while I still have a long way to go, it actually feels like I'm *going* somewhere. Plus, going to work out is actually something fun that I won't skip, because Rachel is there.

Rachel is way more than a personal trainer; she's also part cheerleader, therapist, and motivational speaker too. I've gone into the gym in a terrible mood from a day at the office, and left with an exhausted smile on my face. Or laughing after having a great session complete with a 90's music soundtrack. Rachel finds where you are, meets you there, and works with you. She'll show you workouts again, keep an eye on your form, and adds to your routines so it doesn't feel stale.
I'm so glad that instead of blowing money on a fitness fad, or dieting tools that I invested in my own body and having someone there to push me, make me laugh, then push me again, or take it a little easy if I'm not feeling great.

If you work in the city, PPT is really convenient: Just try coming up with an excuse to blow off a session! You can't. Rachel's flexible with scheduling, you can carry some sessions over if you're on vacation, or adjust your number of sessions for a month if you'll be away. No one there wants you to lose your sessions. The other trainers around the gym are really nice, and so are other members. You won't see tons of people though! Scheduling here is perfect so that you're only sharing the space with at max a few other trainers & clients, and no one cares if you're dripping with sweat because everyone else there is either working their tail off, or concentrating on some fierce PT rehabbing. Even the doormen downstairs are super nice.

The price tag is completely reasonable, and really, spending the money on yourself is well worth it. If you have a gym membership you don't use, you can probably cancel that, and afford a trainer easily - at PPT they'll give you workouts to do at home, outside, at a gym, with or without equipment. Have I made the decision for you yet? Yes? Good. I'll see you at the gym.

Liz (Elizabeth Marmer) has been the single best trainer I have ever worked with and she has helped me overcome some old injuries and start hitting my fitness goals again. Working with her has given me hope that I can not only be pain free again after a couple of seemingly insurmountable sports injuries, but that I can even get strong and feel good about my body again.

A couple years ago I strained a hip muscle and after months of PT I was no better. I decided to just give it some time and try to keep working out. I hired a train who didn't have any formal education or certifications. Big mistake! I ended up with a still painful hip but also a shoulder injury and neck pain. After several doctors and two more frustrating rounds of PT in which I only saw minor improvements in my pain and still couldn't go back to lifting I was starting to feel hopeless. This is when my husband found Philly Personal Training. Brian and Rachel spent so much time talking to both of us about my history, the gym, and which trainer they thought would be a good fit. We both felt confident this was the place to be. They matched me up with Liz.

It's the best thing that has happened to me! After working with her for just 2 months I started feeling better than I had in 2 years. I stopped being in pain all the time! I can now walk my toddler to school and classes, play with her, go about my daily life without the nagging, persistent pain that had followed me constantly. Liz has worked with me more carefully than any PT I've been to see. She's great at picking the right exercises to correct the compensation patterns I had developed from my injuries. She watches me carefully, corrects form, and gives me confidence that I am doing the exercises right. She is smarter about lifting and body mechanics than anyone else I've worked with. She is also incredibly caring and thoughtful and is always checking in with me about how I'm feeling pre and post workout to make sure we're still working in the right direction and then makes adjustments accordingly. It feels amazing to go to the gym and leave feeling good instead of defeated!

As I keep working with Liz not only has my body felt better than ever, but I'm also feeling so much better about how it looks. I'm standing up straighter and I'm starting to see muscle definition again. It's exciting to have that confidence back that being injured and in pain had taken away.