Coach Jon Urena is an exceptional fitness coach who brings an incredible combination of expertise, energy, enthusiasm, and fun to every session. He knows how to challenge athletes at every level--from elite competitors and ambitious juniors to adult amateurs--meeting each person where they are while continually pushing them to become stronger, fitter, and more confident. Jon's workouts are demanding without ever feeling punishing; they're smart, dynamic, engaging, and genuinely enjoyable. His ability to motivate, adapt, and bring out the best in such a wide range of athletes is rare. Whether you're training for high-level competition or simply want to improve your fitness and athleticism, Jon makes you work hard, keeps you laughing, and leaves you excited to come back for more. I recommend him wholeheartedly. read more

My son has been working with Coach U for 5+ years for baseball specific physical strength, agility and speed. This development has been a major contributor to my son's success, confidence and staying healthy. In addition to evaluating body movement, teaching exercises and setting personalized workout plans, Coach U provides nutritional advice and teaches long term holistic health practices backed by scientific data. He is an inspiring positive influence to be around. Coach U is professional and communicates well. My son has fun working with him both in person and remotely. I highly recommend training with Coach U. read more

Coach U has worked with our son for about 2 years now and we are so grateful to him. He consistently creates unique and fun training sessions for our teenager while chatting with him about fueling his body, proper resting time, and their mutual love of the St. Louis Cardinals. He is energetic and positive in every workout and teaches him how to continue to workout on his own in a safe and effective way. We cannot recommend Coach U and his training enough! read more

John is the best investment I've ever made on myself. If you're looking for a highly dedicated trainer that can effectively coach you through an injury and kick your butt every time, is highly educated in everything about how the body moves/works and just gets you on a human level by encouraging and pushing you to do your best wherever you are in your fitness journey: John's your guy. I've been training with him for over 2 years. My body has changed completely: I'm stronger, leaner, toned and my lower back pain has improved tremendously and is practically gone. He's simply the best on every level and couldn't recommend him more. read more

I have worked with a handful of trainers and John is the best! Almost two years ago, I bought a groupon for training sessions at KOR and was matched with John. I have been working out with him ever since! John is not some actor training clients until they get their "big break." He is passionate about health/fitness and his commitment definitley shows. The workouts are different every single session and John is meticulous in regards to form. The workouts are challenging, and John is very motivating and encouraging without being aggressive. To top it off, John has a greatl personality and is a wonderful person! (Obviously important if you are going to work one-on-one with someone multiple times a week) read more

John is the absolute best! I was a little hesitant to use a trainer at first, but I'm extremely happy I did. I have been training with him for close to a year now and I have seen major results--not only am I slimmer, but I am more toned all around. John changes up the workouts each session and always keeps them fun and interesting! We do full body workouts but also target certain areas/muscles that I want to focus on. He's even created a workout and nutrition plan for me to use daily. John is extremely helpful and motivating and is a pleasure to work out with. I would recommend him to anyone. read more

John and Lisa are amazing, easy to work with and training goes by so fast you don't even realize you are working out! Woking out with them is actually fun! And if you know me you know thats almost an impossible feat for me! John also helped me get on a nutritional kick that helped improve my energy! Highly recommended! read more

A good personal trainer pushes you a little harder than you think you can go. A GREAT personal trainer takes the time to learn about your individual style, fitness goals, injury history and dietary habits and THEN pushes you to your best possible edge. You only know you've just had the best workout imaginable when you're done, you relax and your body prays "THANK YOU" to the god of merciful rest. John and Lisa are insanely well-read and well-versed in the theories of fitness training. But they keep that mumbo-jumbo largely to themselves. Unless you WANT to hear it--in which case...brace yo' self. But beyond the theory is their unique gift for implementing that knowledge into a personalized fitness plan for each client. These two put the "personal" in personal fitness training. Oh, well, they put the "fitness" in there too. And the "training". OKAY FINE, they put the "personal fitness training" in personal fitness training. And it hurts so good... read more

John does an amazing job of targeting your training to your goals and abilities, always pushing just a bit farther than you thought you were capable. He uses a whole-person approach to training, factoring in mind, body, and spirit. He trains in such a way that each session becomes something that you want to do, instead of something you feel like you have to do. John tailors every workout to each individual client's needs, and works on helping you make small everyday changes that will help you along on your journey toward whole person fitness. He even helps design workouts for you to do on days you don't train with him personally, so you can start taking ownership of your health. read more

John is probably the most diversified trainer I've ever met. He incorporates speed, agility, strength training, Olympic weightlifting, the list goes on. He helps you perfect your form and technique on certain movements/lifts. So your workout will not only challenging but also super fun!! John has helped me personally increase my mobility and strength as I am a competitive powerlifter. read more

John is a dedicated professional who knows what he is talking about. Not only does he tailor workouts specifically for your personal training needs, he is able to push you to make the healthier choices throughout the rest of your life too. And he comes to workout where you are! (How can you beat that!?) He is a fantastic, dedicated trainer that doesn't come with any pretentiousness or negativity. His friendly demeanor is a very welcome change to hard-as-nails trainers out there who guilt and scold you as motivation. Rather, he explains the benefits of an active and fit lifestyle to you and offers nothing but help and support. Not only is he an exceptional trainer, but a great, well-rounded human being. Highly recommend trying him out. read more

I've been training with John since I came back from maternity leave and he is the best! He has a firm hand and keeps you on track, works to make sure you meet your goals, whatever those may be and bonus round -- when I was traveling a lot, he would provide me some very easy ways to continue working out while I was away so I didn't lose momentum. I can't believe that I do dead lifts now! :) read more

John is a great trainer, and I've enjoyed working out with him for the last year. He's been excellent at creating workouts specific to my rehab needs to get me back to full mobility and strength in certain areas. John has an enthusiasm and passion for his work that is infectious, helping even the earliest of morning training sessions seem like fun. read more

John makes work outs challenging and fun at the same time. I have seen amazing results in the year that he's trained me. I've gone through a total physical transformation thanks to his encouragement, circuits and diet advice. And he convinced me to lift heavy weights! read more

I've been training with John for two years and have seen amazing results. He is as professional as it gets and is much more qualified than most people would expect in a personal trainer. He keeps workouts fresh and different with new techniques and does an awesome job of planning out for the short term and long term. I would recommend him to anyone! read more

Less than one year ago I was overweight and unhappy wondering where all my ambition had gone. Then I found John. Now I'm 30 pounds lighter, building lean muscle, with the focus and strength to attack every day head on. John is not just an amazing trainer who will constantly challenge you and completely transform your body, he is a person who can offer inspiration and encouragement like no other. A true rarity in the oversaturated trainer market in LA, this man has the type of compassion, personality and knowledge that are often lacking in this profession. If you want to become your true self and find out just how strong you really are, you need to call John. He'll open your eyes to the possibilities and make you a believer. This is the real deal. read more

I can definitely recommend John! I actually made a yelp account just to write this review, because of how much appreciate his professional manner and positive attitude. He taught me so many different workouts and even offered to write them down and take notes for me so I could do them on my own! He is extremely knowledgeable about the body and was really focused on developing my endurance/strength to improve my overall HEALTH and not just the "looks" that a lot of us are usually focused on. He is great at motivating just at the point where you think you can't keep going... Anyways, if you're looking for a trainer, John is a fantastic one! read more

This was my first experience with a trainer. I have been wanting to work with a trainer but have been really apprehensive about the experience. John could not have been better. He is smart, encouraging, engaging, and really focuses on technique. I had never really paid much mind to really good form, but once John made sure I was doing a plank correctly or stretch or lunge or what have you, I could immediately tell the difference. Whenever I would get slack and he pointed it out, I could feel the muscle(s) that I should be (or wanted to be) working on engage. Now when I am at the gym, I see people working with personal trainers there and notice when someone is not in the best form on an exercise and see the trainer do nothing but look around or even just type on their phones! John is smart and has a respect for the body that is passed along to you. He is all about over all health and betterment of your body and in turn mind. It wasn't some "boot-camp" where you have someone yell at you to run with your knees up. He learns what your goals are and builds a personal plan based on that. It is encouragement and training for the long term. I was glad that I started training with John. He put my trepidation to ease and really made me realize that I was with someone who knew what they were doing and most importantly, who cared about results and going things the correct and safe way. He has such a diverse knowledge base and creativity, I feel he will be great for anyone's goals. If you are starting out and need a couple things to work on, he has that. If you are looking for bulk up, he can get you on a plan. If you are looking to just maintain an overall healthy body, he can get you on track. He is one hundred percent someone to check out. read more

The bottom line about Start To Fitness Training is that John is a revelation in the personal training industry. His knowledge and his passion is priceless, and the excitement he brings to his sessions is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. What's been the most remarkable thing about training with John is that I know I'm getting a PERSONAL trainer. Right off the bat, John made a genuine, enthusiastic effort to get to know me. He asked about my goals, my diet, my history, from what sports I like to play to what injuries I've suffered. We all have different bodies, different goals, different habits and different moods, and John passionately crafts his workouts to fit each individual person. He cares about getting you to your fitness goals in a way that excites, motivates and challenges you. I have never been pushed this hard while somehow enjoying myself so much. (You kinda want to punch him in the face and give him a hug at the same time!) Additionally, John has educated me about my body more than anyone I've ever trained with. Every exercise we've ever done, he tells me what we're targeting, why we're doing it, how it's going to help and what it's going to improve. When we're done, he tells me what I should be eating and when. He's not just concerned about making you look good in a bathing suit. He's concerned, genuinely, about getting you fit and healthy, inside and out. Since I met John, my approach to my overall well-being has changed dramatically, and the impact it has had in my life is remarkable. If you care about your body and you're ready to make your health a priority, look no further. Thanks for everything, John. read more

I have been doing strength training with John twice a week since January -- it's now March -- and already I've noticed a huge difference in how I feel and look. I look forward to every session, and I swear the benefits are not just physical. It makes me feel better about myself to commit and take the time. If you work with John, you will also see results! He's awesome. He really focuses on corrective exercises, which is great for me because I'm a writer who sits in front of a keyboard all day. I feel so much stronger in my core since I started -- and also much more aware of my posture. He explains everything we do in a great way and makes an effort to change the exercises up each week, so I never get bored. Plus, he's challenging me way more than I would challenge myself if I were just working out on my own. Money well spent!! read more

After just a couple months of working with John, I don't know what I did before him. John designs the workouts so that you get a full body workout every session, but he also focuses heavily on form so that I'm breaking bad habits, creating new & lasting ones for the better...and getting much stronger in the process. He also switches it up every time so that you're not doing the same routine, and the hour goes by super fast. John also is realistic about life and doesn't scold you if you have a cheat day...he's very supportive and friendly unlike many trainers out there. Would highly recommend to anyone. read more

John has been working with my kids who wanted to do strength training and sports conditioning to help them at baseball and basketball. They both look forward to the weekly sessions. He works them hard, but they always have fun and they both feel great about their fitness and health. They would love to train with him every day! read more

John is an excellent trainer; always in good mood and makes the workout hard but enjoyable. He is always on time and has figured out a good routine for the session. John pushes but gently. I recommend him highly. He knows the human body and how to strengthen each part! He is a good as it gets! read more

I have worked out with John for almost two years now and i can honestly say I have not done the same workout twice. Every session is different according to what goals you and he have set up. I like the fact that he explains all the exercises and what muscles you are working with John normally one exercise is working several muscles at once giving you a full body workout. He is very knowledgeable about nutrition which is a very big part of working out. Following his routine has not only changed my body but my lifestyle as well. I love it you go in give it your all and Kill It for and hour and the results are spectacular before you know it everyone is giving you compliments. Then you want to Kill it even more.. Thank you my Brutha.. for being an Amazing Trainer and even better Friend.. So when your ready to Start to Fitness Yall call John!! read more