I've been working with Ishmael for a few weeks and really loving it…read more The background to how I came to training with Ishmael involves some serious back pain... it started small, but grew more and more painful over time... going to the gym on my own was not helping or even making things worse. After my massage therapist and chiropractor got me walking upright again, I decided I needed some help getting back into the gym because I didn't want to risk injuring myself or having a setback. The training we've done so far has been stellar... not once has Ishmael pushed my back too far, although there were times when I was afraid he had. I'm feeling stronger already, more stable, and less and less afraid of my back having trouble. All of that would be enough, but Ishmael is also articulate, personable, and so cheerful and positive that I leave our meetings feeling so much better not just physically but mentally too. I always resisted the idea of working with a trainer, not the least of which is that it seems their secret goal is to make you look stupid in the gym doing all those weird trainer exercises... but Ishmael trains in a private gym, so everyone there is also with a trainer going through the same thing... AND it turns out all of those weirdo exercises have tremendously useful purposes. Now I know those folks with the trainers are the smart ones, no matter how lame they might look being put through the paces. I'm learning so much about my body and how to work with it that I'm left wondering what the heck I was ever thinking trying to hack it at the gym by myself! This training process is helping me meet my goals faster and safer. It's a no brainer!

I friggin' love this place!!!…read more I was referred to Ishmael by a friend and I decided to give him a call and have an initial meeting. He was extremely friendly AND super knowledgeable during the assessment that lasted about one hour. A week later I started my one on one sessions and besides the fact that I had a very intense workout, I was not disappointed at all. My goals were addressed very specifically as Ishmael is very detailed oriented. A couple of weeks later I decided to try the group classes on weekends and those turned out to be pretty amazing too. I brought friends on different opportunities and they all decided to come back. These weekend classes are sometimes taught by Will, who's a great trainer and pretty hilarious at the same time. I'm very satisfied with this place. It brought me back the motivation and extra push I was needing after working out on my own for many years. Thumbs up!

See, this is what I love about Austin. When I was ready to get serious about swimming for fitness…read moreagain, I looked up my closest Masters swim club and found Team Texas. Keith and Sandy Bell, the coaches, are amazing. They are ex-Olympic Gold swimmers. Keith is also a sports psychologist as well as the ex-UT swim coach. How could I NOT train with these folks?! They make practices fun. It's a no pressure practice and there are swimmers of all ability levels. I love that I found this club!

This is a long review. Trust is not easily given when it comes to the safety of your children. I…read morehad read the reviews and spoke directly to Adam, the owner operator of Rock-About Climbing. Adam set my mind at ease with his years of experience and the training program of his instructors. One of the key elements is you know your child best. Do they listen and follow instructions, are the respectfully to themselves and to others? This will have a huge impact on the child's camp experience. I have twin boys who are good listeners and eager for challenges, yet are comfortable to say I'm not ready to take it to the next level without shame. My sons attended camp twice this year. They had amazing experience both times. They were full of stories to share with us at dinner. Adam and Chris (Lead guide instructor) are wonderful working with kids and teaching them skills and techniques for climbing. They have a strong emphasis on safety and listening to instructions. Be prepared to hear stories of push ups or jumping jacks if you step on a rope, walk underneath a climber or don't follow instructions. This IS NOT a drop your child off and pick up at the end of the day and whatever happens-happens camp. You know your child best so please make sure they're emotionally mature enough to listen, be respectful and want to learn. It's your child and our child safety and experience on the line. Our boys had a fantastic time despite a few challenging students. I give Chris so much respect and gratitude how he handled a challenging participant. On the last day they take the students to Enchanted Rock for their final climbs. One of my boys, whom I thought it would have been his twin brother who did this climb, made it to the TOP of the 70 foot rock face. His eyes literally sparkled as he told us about the view from the top and the lake he saw. He admitted he was scared at times, he would take a deep breath and tell himself, I've got this. My other son was fatigued from the heat and listened to his body. He made it 1/2 up the epic wall. He was not shamed by the instructor. He was congratulated on listening to what felt appropriate for him during that moment. The highlight of the day was the Snow Cones at EnchantedRock after a hot day of baking in the sun. I highly recommend this camp for their expertise, attention to safety and passion for teaching. Prepare your child with proper hydration. Most importantly be respectfully to other campers not to send your child if their not emotionally or mature enough to listen and be respectful. This is not a boot camp or drop off & pickup kinda camp. My sons are hooked and look forward to climbing with Chris and Adam again. They asked me if they could climb with them again next week?!?!

AWESOME EXPERIENCE A friend and I went rappelling with Rock-About at Enchanted Rock. Adam was very…read morepatient with us both being beginners! I was a little nervous at the start of the day, but Adam's experience and kindness quickly made it a fantastic excursion. He answered all of my questions and explained technique and gear. We hiked, rappelled, and short roped, and we had plenty of time to rest in the shade and take in the views. Lots of variety with the rappelling and each with great instruction. We had SO much fun. Absolutely would do it again and would recommend Adam and Rock-About!

Visited Gregory Gymnasium located on Speedway near the heart of the University of Texas Campus. It…read moreis a historic on-campus arena with about 4,000 seats. I love the historical brick architecture and it is one of the more aesthetically pleasing buildings on campus. Parking can be a challenge but there are paid garage options available. I have been here on several occasions to watch the UT women's volleyball team play home matches. I have sat in the bleachers and also in the bench seating and all seats have a great view of the floor. The venue is very intimate and had a loud, close-up atmosphere so you fell immersed in the game. This location is also a meeting hub for local clubs and activities. Met up here for the Longhorn runs and packet pick-up. Access to the gym facility is restricted to current UT students and individuals with a current RecSports membership or Day Pass. As a UT student, I also used the workout facilities. They have a variety of activities and amenities and it is a very nice gym facility. I used to do all my strength workouts in the weight room and they have an indoor track and basketball courts.

I go to the Greg regularly during volleyball season, and if you're a UT fan, there's nothing like…read moreit. What a crowd! What a vibe! But the building has many accessibility issues. The stairs are crazy heights, many areas don't have handrails, and the stair treads are way too narrow. This venue is terrible for older individuals or those with mobility issues. But there's nothing like the sound and energy of a home game here.

I'm 70 yo and realized that I have been loosing a lot of muscle mass in the last 10 years. I have…read morealways been active in running, biking and swimming my entire life, however I never been able to stay with weight training despite trying different gyms, trainers, and online programs. I didn't enjoy it and never felt like got any benefits from it. I was a little skeptical about Starting Strength because of my previous experience gyms. That changed after working out there for a couple of months. I felt stronger, my back pain was getting better and I was having fun. The coaches are fantastic. They are watching to ensure you are lifting properly and making sure that you progress in your weight lifting. The coaches are there to make sure you are successful. Being somewhat of an introvert I was skeptical of the class atmosphere but I have found that to be a benefit. You can learn from the members who have been doing this a while and it is fun to watch the new members come in and start out and progress. Between the coaches and the other members and the success I have had with my training it encourages me to make every session even on the days when I am dog ass tired, which is one of the keys to succeeding in weight training, to be consistent. I would encourage anyone who is looking to get stronger no matter your age to check out Starting Strength. It is well worth the money. The only person who can get you stronger is you but you need help. You need a coach to help you through the process and I have found there is no better place for this than Starting Strength.

Another great Starting Strength location in Austin in addition to the one on West Anderson. About a…read moredozen power racks, great staff, clean facilities, good music and helpful coaches. When I dropped in Mark Rippetoe was even there, told me I have scoliosis (was unaware...) and helped correct my squat form to compensate for that. I've gained 20+ pounds of muscle with Starting Strength, the program works. This is a great convenient location to keep that going.

I have to admit when I started with Sorin and T.J. I didn't like being yelled at. I was only 14 and…read moreit was intense to have someone getting on you at every practice. Looking back now I couldn't have imagined having a better coach. I love him to this day because he made me so much better and he honestly made me feel like I was a part of his family. Our groups that trained together were very tight knit and encouraging. I really wish that I could have stayed longer. I stumbled upon this yelp for Austin Stars because I am looking for a club for my younger sister. This is definitely my first choice. I LOVE YOU SORIN! (Sergio and TJ too if you're still there!) xoxo, Savannah

This club deserves no stars…read more The most despicable coaching/training club sport experience my family has endured. We are coaches. One of us works in education. Our children have trained and competed at high levels in multiple sports. Our children have a decade between the oldest and the youngest. We have a great many years of both professional and personal experiences. This trainer and this club is to be avoided at all costs! This coaching/training was nothing short of emotional child abuse. All information that is available to parents as it pertains to negative coaching environments were epitomized by the coach/owner. This club formed one 13's team spring 2011. He put a 14's team together to accommodate three 14's by taking from his 13's team and late adding two 12 year olds. This gave the club 2 teams total Spring 2011. He rarely played the two 12 year olds!! We have no idea what their parents were thinking. He used the 12 year olds as whipping posts when he threatened other players with coming off the court. In one match he yelled to a player on the court "do you want to come off and have me put her in, (referencing one of the 12 year olds.) then we will lose for sure!" USA Volleyball Lonestar Region should not be allowing this guy to be in business. Once a decision was arrived at for this child to play club, this club was the only club in our area with openings. We now see why. Training sessions were 3 hours long on Sunday with little break & two hours on Tuesdays. The fitness was good. The sessions mostly consisted of the director smashing balls at players at about 95 miles an hour and sending them to do push ups or some other punishment when they could not get to them. No breaking down and exampling of skills. He did not teach an approach hitting, setting, serving and does not believe in teaching blocking at this age. No small sided games or real game scenario during training. Bump, set, hit was to be avoided at all costs. If players attempted this during competition they were berated and yanked off the court. He promoted sending the ball over without setting it to catch the other team off guard? Players were not taught rotation and then yelled at during competition when they didn't know what to do. His accent was impossible for most of them to understand. This coach would fight with referees and the coaches of the other teams. Yank players on and off the court sometimes literally minutes at a time. He believed that if the players did not cry they were being disrespectful? Once during competition he called a time out and told the team to get on the floor and start doing roll backs in front of the opposing team, fans and parents. USA Volleyball Lonestar Region should not be allowing him to coach players for this one stunt alone. He yanked players off the court if they served with too much power. Even after putting 10 points on the board because he wanted them to short serve it screaming "to much power!" These antics from the sidelines would break the team's concentration and erode away at their confidence and self esteem. This club does not do the Lonestar Classic. Played average to below average tournaments, but had to travel to New Orleans. The director is fond of New Orleans what a deal. There is no need for lower level teams to travel out of state. Tournaments were placed on the scheduled that neither team were registered for. This is not sour grapes. Our player was not as abused as others and played most all matches seldom coming off, He would pick some girls over and over. We did a little research on the club prior to committing. We were not able to find any reviews. We are sure some parents just move on. we would've appreciated knowing what others experienced at this club versus the testimonials on his own web site. Surely, he didn't just become this way. Another reason we were not able to make a better informed choice is that most of this guys credentials are from out of the country? Please, do not subject your child to this environment. He is very good at telling you what you want to hear until he gets your child and your money. Place your child with a good program that is positive and developmental and would never scream, yell, degrade, insult, berate and humiliate your child. This is against all USA Volleyball rules yet this guy has engaged in these activities at tournaments and still has a club. We are sure most parent choose to cut their losses and move on not wanting to identify themselves, their player or represent their child's club experience for what it was. We are happy to answer any inquiries regarding this club and director. We strongly believe this guy should not be allowed to be in business. Please feel free to email.

Sean has been an amazing asset in helping our son gain confidence and experience in the water…read more Working 1:1 gives him the care and attention he needs which we did not find in the larger swim schools we tried previously. We are really happy to have found Sean, and look forward to seeing continued growth and skills in our child.

Sean has been giving my son swimming lessons for about a year and he is highly recommended …read more Professional and patient . My son improved a lot and advanced to the next level .

The lessons here are top notch and the coach's are so amazing. A lot of places just go through the…read moremotions but not here. This is true teaching! Thank you nitro

Really happy about this place…read more Staff is awesome. Our daughter showed up petrified to be around other kids and try something new for her first class. One of the coaches , Allison, saw what was happening and quickly jumped into action to make accommodations for my daughter to wait til the big group did their lesson and then came and worked with her directly. Big thanks to Allison and Kyle. Also, Daniel Martin in management is a solid guy, too. Super professional and informative. This business clearly wants to meet the needs of their customers. Seriously very thankful. Thanks, Allison, Kyle, and Daniel Martin!! 5 stars easily and all the way!!