San Diego Personal Trainers

I was referred to Rivak via a fellow cyclist and I am happy to say my life has never been the same. Prior to working with Rivak, I had reached a point in my life that no matter how often or how hard I exercised I was not making any progress. My cycle times were not improving and I was getting just as exhausted cycling the same distance. Rivak's insight, experience, and knowledge of physical training and diet continually impress me. His assessments and recommendations for training routines are 100% on the mark. Rivak is totally committed to his clients and his dedication has produced amazing results. I have dropped weight, reduced waist size, gained muscle, and increased my endurance. At 46 years old I am amazed at what Rivak has helped me achieve physically. Rivak has been key to my physical aspirations as well as playing an integral part to my mental well-being. The two are directly related and training with someone, such as Rivak, who has the insight and ability to sculpture both body and soul is quite remakable. I would never have believed 6 months ago that I would be sprinting up 3 flights of stairs, wearing a 40 pound vest, in under 40 seconds. Then doing it 8 times over! Rivak Hoffman is a Personal Trainer who provides extraordinary service, offers superior experience, and conducts his business with utmost integrity.

My name is John Michael Cione, I am 40 years old and have played sports my entire life. I never worked out regularly with weights. I was referred to Rivak after I had sustained a severe foot injury. I weighed 178 pounds. I thought I was in reasonably good shape. My first workout was more challenging than I could ever imagined. Undaunted, I changed my eating and drinking habits, trained with Rivak 3 days a week. Now I weigh 150 pounds and in the best shape of my life. My strength, speed and endurance have increased dramatically. I also had to buy a new wardrobe and I even fit in clothes that have been in my closet for 10 years. I found that a consistent workout regimen has greatly reduced my stress levels and enhanced my overall attitude. I credit Rivak and his approach to fitness for positively affecting many facets of my life which I had not expected. His discipline and guidance were pivotal in keeping me on track. I honestly feel getting involved with Somagenesis is one the best things I have ever done for myself, my family and my business.

For a few years I tried, without success, to get my boyfriend to train with me in the gym. I really wanted fitness to be among the things we had in common. I was drawn to the benefits of weight training in my early 20's because it was the quickest way to shape and sculpt my physique, and I abhor group exercise classes! Besides, the people in those classes never look tight and toned to me. Finally, after suffering a broken foot in a motorcycle crash, John gave in. It's been my belief that if you set out to accomplish something, you should pattern yourself after someone who has been successful in that same pursuit--follow success and you will attain it. I set out to find a trainer who could captivate, rehabilitate, challenge and inspire someone new to fitness training in the gym. Enter Rivak Hoffman. His personal sports background combined with his continuing educational endeavors keep him on the 'cutting edge'. He is a wealth of information on topics of fitness, sports injuries, and diet. After seeing the results John achieved training with Rivak, I made a commitment to myself: to get in the best shape of my life. I knew my way around the gym but I was stuck in a training rut. There's nothing like the push of a good trainer to get to the next level. I'm stronger, leaner, more confident, and this has had a phenomenally positive impact on all areas of my life. My workouts aren't easy, but each day I train is a positive affirmation of my decision to take better care of myself. I'm so grateful to have found Rivak.

After working with Rivak for three months, my body fat levels plummeted from a obese high of 33% to a low athletic 8%. In the beginning I informed Rivak of my needs and goals and he made sure I reached them. The workouts were not easy. But Rivaks motivation and guidance pushed me through many sticking points. My body now accepts the challenge of the workouts. Before I met Rivak Hoffman, my dietary intake was approximately 4000 calories, which was composed primarily of beer and chips. Rivak gave me sound nutritional advice and developed a realistic dietary plan that I was able to live with comfortably. Presently I comfortably eat 2000 calories a day, and maintain beautiful definition in my abs arms and chest. I hope to compete in my first bodybuilding contest soon. If you follow Rivak's instructions and give it time, anyone can reach their fitness goals.

I was left with a severe balance problem after a traumatic hip fracture. The medical profession (neurologists) diagnosed "spinal stenosis" and recommended sophisticated multilevel back surgery as a possible solution. I chose the holistic route. Fortunately, I started intensive strength and balancing exercises with Rivak Hoffman to promote walking balance, and leg muscle strength. I can now run 3 - 4 miles at a slow pace around a track, and can now perform most daily functions which we take for granted, such as walking up stairs without a cane and gardening. And the great thing, no back surgery!

Wow! I never imagined I would ever get back into such great shape this late in my life. I began with Coach Rivak and SomaGenesis Health in June 2005 weighing 185 pounds and today I'm consistently tipping the scales at 148 pounds. In September I road my first century bicycle ride (106 miles), in October I road in the MS150 Bike Ride (150 miles), and in December I did my first Triathlon. Coach Rivak focuses on what I can do and he avoids exercises that are painful, like my pre-existing rotator cuff injury. The workouts are strenuous and fast paced, with days where we push it to the max. I enjoy the endorphin rush! I have more endurance than ever and my body is lean and strong. I love the comments from others about my appearance, and most of all I love feeling so healthy. It's been well worth the investment! Thanks again for everything!

My honest opinion regarding the training techniques of my fitness instructor, Oxana Petrova, is that I like her a lot as a person and as my trainer. She has been helping me achieve my goals by consistently training me for the last 6 months. During this time, when my results didn't excel as well as the previous week, she was still proud of me for what I have achieved, and urged me on. Oxana is always pushing me to my limit and that is what I like when she, says "Davaj" ("come on"), and that spurs me to work my harder I like the fact that Oxana is always there for me, and I trust her completely. Thank goodness for Oxana!

I have loved working with Oxana. She is very positive and always willing to give you any information you ask for. She will even go out of her way to get you information on a question that you asked. She always has a smile on her face and is always ready to laugh with you. Her instruction is clear and she makes sure you understand what you are doing. She wants you to succeed and I truly appreciate that about her.

Oxana Petrova has been my personal trainer for 8 months. Because I am very busy with my business, I appreciated the fact that she is always on time. She is amazing! Somehow she knows just the right exercise for my trouble spots. If an exercise is too difficult for me at first, she will pace me until I can do it successfully. Not only does she consult on physical fitness, but she assist ed with nutritional programs also. But, I think that the most important thing is her ability to truly care of her clients. I would highly recommend SomaGenesis, and Oxana.

I have worked with Oxana Petrova for over three months and it has been a wonderful experience. I have worked with personal trainers in the past and she is truly one of the best. Even though I have some troublesome hip, knee and shoulder deterioration, I have never had any injuries during training sessions with Oxana. She is extremely careful to prevent problems while strengthening the good parts. She has helped me with nutritional guidance as well as being a great coach on establishing exercise as a normal part of my life again. Through her assistance I have lost a significant amount of weight and feel just great!

I began working with Oxana Petrova in January 2006. My goals were to lose some weight, have more core strength, and to improve my overall strength through weights and resistance training. It is now, April 2006, and I am close to achieving my personal weight goal and then some, my core strength is continuing to improve, and I have developed a dedication to continuing my weight and resistance training. None of this would have been possible without Oxana’s guidance. She continues to challenge me, but is always concerned with any physical limitations that may present themselves. We discuss food, and the challenges that not having a well-rounded diet present. She always offers suggestions, and listens to any comments I have or ideas that I have been successful with. Whenever, I have had a physical challenge, she consults with Rivak to bring the best solution to the challenge. I have enjoyed my training experience with Oxana 100 %. She is great mentor, and someone that is easy to be accountable to. I don’t think I would have been as successful if I had not had her guiding and pushing me along the path. I would recommend her, and have to anyone! She is not just my trainer, Oxana has become my friend.

My experience working with Oxana Petrova has been wonderful, extremely productive, and very rewarding. I learnt something new in very session, from nutrition tips to answers to '"why" questions about exercises, weights, etc.. Oxana has been always careful and she knows exactly how and when to push me a little harder and when to stop. She is a dedicated trainer and is always attentive to my needs. She is responsible and responsive, and she has a great sense of humor. Thank you for a terrific experience!

When I turned 58, I finally admitted that I was fat and out of shape. I blamed it on my 140-mile commute from Carlsbad to Long Beach, but that wasn’t the real problem. I had been trying to lose weight and exercise on my own for about three years but without results, and I had also developed a fear of exercise-related injury. I finally realized that I would be in the same shape at age 59, age 60, and for the rest of my life if I didn’t do something. Fortunately, I found Oxana Petrova. In just three months, I have lost 10 lbs of weight, reduced my body fat by 14%, lost inches around my waist, hips, thighs, and developed new muscles. I can now wear clothes that haven’t fit for years, or buy new ones in my usual size. Friends and co-workers have commented on the changes, too. I would recommend Oxana Petrova to anyone, young or old, male or female, who wants to be motivated to get in the best shape of their lives and feel good about their body. Oxana comes right to my home, brings all the necessary equipment, and is thoroughly professional. She is a coach, a mentor, and a workout buddy. She uses the right mix of caring and discipline to get you to go just a little beyond what you thought you could, so that you feel like a winner. I used to get out of breath going up and down the stairs at home, but now I am comfortable using the stair master at the gym. I can’t say enough about how good it feels now to go for a power walk around the neighborhood, a bicycle ride along the coast, or a leisurely swim in the community pool. I still have a ways to go to meet my goals, but I am sure that with Oxana’s help I will get there.

I had not been happy with my physical appearance and fitness test scores in the military for a long time. I would periodically start at a local gym on a self-made physical fitness routine, but I would push too hard, become extremely sore, and eventually lose interest within a few days after starting. I finally reached that point in my life this past April where I needed to take action on attaining the higher standard of personal appearance that is expected in my profession and to meet the goals I have always fallen short of in improving my fitness test scores. That is when I found Rivak’s business on the Internet. When I saw what Somagenesis had to offer compared to the other trainers, I knew that Rivak was the trainer that was going to help me meet my personal goals. He has the medical education, training certifications, and experience as an Ironman Triathlete that puts him at the tip of the spear when it comes to fitness. He put together a program of strength and endurance tailored for my personal goals. Since I started working with Coach Rivak, I have lost twenty pounds and attained a first class fitness test score. These are personal achievements that I could not have done on my own. Every workout that I have had with Coach Rivak is challenging and pushes me farther than I would have gone on my own. The weekly fitness program he tailored has me working out three days with him and three other days on my own. My stress level is much lower now along with my blood pressure and cholesterol. Since I signed on with Coach Rivak, I have become a better officer, husband, and father. This is the best investment I have ever made for myself! The short term fatigue of a workout is temporary, but the long term physical and mental change is forever. Thanks Coach Rivak.

As a forty something married couple, we wanted to begin an exercise program that would allow us to succeed in our health and fitness goals together. In the past, both of us had a measure of success working out individually but the workout routines never lasted long because we were always approaching the process alone. After explaining our dilemma to Rivak, he created an exercise and nutrition program for us. The plan allowed us to workout and create our meals as a couple. Our first workout with Rivak was torture. He turned our backyard into "The House of Pain". Squat thrusts, lunging, and sprinting across the yard became the norm. After six months, though, my wife has lost 50 pounds and I have lost over 20 pounds. Rivak is an expert in his field and a wonderful motivator. The rehab plan Rivak created for my wife’s knees is incredible; she can now complete full lunges and run without pain. Our fitness success as a couple has allowed us to improve our individual and married lives in numerous ways. We were fortunate to find Rivak and SomaGenesis.

I have never been happier in my life with my strength, loss of weight, and loss of all depression. I have lost 22 pounds so far with Rivak and Oxana's help. My diet is vastly improved to frequent small meals so that I am almost never hungry.

After a long divorce, I now have the energy of myself at 17.

Oxana comes to my house after my workday. I am a high school teacher, so this is perfect. Instead of collapsing on my bed for an after-work nap, I work out and do productive things for the evening. I cannot explain how my life has changed. Everyone has noticed my glow!

I recommend this program to anyone who wants to improve strength and muscle tone, lose weight, be healtier, and be the best person possible.