The Present Body

I have really enjoyed training with Allen the past few months. I have a gym in my apartment building and he is able to come meet me there for our appointments, which is awesome. When we first met, he went over my goals with me and customized workouts to help me meet them. I also have a pre-​existing back condition from a MVA and he has been awesome in working with me to make sure my back is protected. After just a few weeks of working with him, I started seeing a huge increase in strength as well as noticeable definition all over.
Also, after a few months with Allen I went to Las Vegas with girlfriends and was invited to party with Derek Jeter and his group, which I credit entirely to Allen’s work. ;)

I’ve been training with Allen and his team via SKYPE and loving the convenience and results! In just 8 30-​minute sessions with Lindsey I am already noticing: tone in my arms, lift in my butt, and more flexibility all around. A persistent shoulder pain has also disappeared.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of using Skype and appreciate being able to workout from wherever I am. It’s so great to know my form is correct and I’m being pushed just enough.
I so appreciate Lindsey’s extensive knowledge of the body, commitment to proper form, her creativity and fun infused into every session, and how she honors my desire to have a feminine (and powerful) workout.
I’m super excited to be able to share this option with my busy clients who don’t have a lot of extra time to make it into a gym/​studio and/​or travel regularly for business.

I love Allen! I worked with him for several months in 2013 when my weight was at an all time high. I was looking for someone who would hold me accountable and push me outside of my comfort zone, while at the same time accept my limitations. Allen did just that. He even made the workouts really fun for me by incorporating sports drills. His workouts were varied and always tailored to my abilities. Working with Allen helped me rekindle my love of exercise and set me on a path to self-​acceptance and improved health.

In a nutshell, Allen is a fantastic trainer. I’m a chiropractor and a previous personal trainer and I know how important it is for a trainer to be knowledgeable and careful. Allen manages to push his clients to achieve their goals in a safe and effective way. I send all of my patients to him knowing that he will take good care of them and manage their injuries. I myself train with Allen. I had to give up running for many years due to low back pain. Allen changed my running stride in just one session, allowing me to run again, without pain. If you’re considering hiring a trainer, look no further. Allen is your man. He will reform your body, in a safe way. He’s also intelligent and fun to hang out with too!

I’ve been training with Allen for several years now and am in the best shape of my life. He will tailor a workout to meet your needs, wants, and limitations. You will not be disappointed.
He also had trainers that work for him that are very well trained by him. He is very selective in choosing his employees. I highly recommend him.

Allen is a brilliant, creative trainer. I used to hate working out but knew that as a doctor, I needed to walk my talk– Allen made it super easy!

Allen is an amazing trainer with an intimate knowledge of the body that put me very at ease especially considering I was dealing with a back injury. He coordinated my training with Dr Carolyn Finnegan from Align Chiropractic in Oakland who is working on my back. Allen is a good balance between pusher and stand up comedian that won’t let you waste moment of your session.

Allen fixed my running stride in just one session! He is a great trainer, patient, and very intuitive as to what exactly your ability level is. I am not running much more often, with no pain, and much less exhaustion. Thanks Allen!

Three days a week I work out like a ninja. What impressed me most about Allen is how carefully he assessed my form and even diagnosed a chronic problem. My hamstring had been bothering me for months and Allen told me it was an IT Band problem. He took photos which he sent to me which demonstrated areas where I needed to pay extra special attention. He also told me to stop stretching, but roll (on foam roller). And, I want to say that my ‘hamstring” IT Band issue is really improving! I am so appreciative!

I have been working with Allen as someone who needed to get back into shape, after being laid out with a string of bad colds, being burnt out by life and some back pain. He has been working with me in a safe way, always ensuring that my back is not compromised, and empowering me as a woman to have fun and feel good about myself. He has this very unique way I making you feel at ease, excited to get back into working out instead of it being a chore and is always coming up with very strategic and realistic ways of explaining things, integrating getting into shape with real life. For example, he told me, «You are no longer a long distance runner (or really slow, in pain jogger really, lately — my words) — you are a sprinter. If you need to grab something that is falling, if you are feeling in danger as a woman, or if you have to chase your kid, you need the strength of muscle that will help you do that right then.» I had never thought of it like this — life is fast paced, and he wants your body ready for what really happens in life. We just went through some really fun self-​defense/​cardio exercises, my arms have never felt more strong EVER (we all have chicken arms in my family) AND he’s a creative mind. Oh, and did I mention that he knows so much about the anatomy of the body, how the muscles work, how they are connected to your bone structure, etc. I respect him and admire his business sense, as well — the client always comes first. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO ALLEN!

I came to Allen after being robbed twice. The second time was when I was standing at my car pumping gas and the guy opens my driver side door and grabs my briefcase which looks like a laptop bag. As I half tried to run after him I realized that I was in no shape to really do anything then or if he actually attacked me. I did want to shout out «hey there’s no laptop in that bag! Some other a** stole that a month ago!»
So given the stroke of wrong places at the wrong time, I decided to call up a pro and get some defense training one on one. I know there are group classes but I wasn’t ready for that. I just had a baby 8 months before so I wasn’t exactly feeling like I wanted public humiliation.
Allen I have to say put me back on track. When we started I could barely do 10 situps. By our 8^th training session I was doing 50. It wasn’t just self defense, I was way out of shape having had a baby and just not making time for working out.
He’s got this fun but no nonsense attitude that makes me just not want to give up when I’m working out. And he varies the workouts so its never boring or routine. We go to different sites and I was even catching footballs. Amazing. He’s got a great sense for keeping you motivated. Love it. I’d go every day to work out with him if I could. I just feel like I can put complete trust in him and just focus on doing what he says. Awesome trainer!

I came to Allen because I had suddenly turned 40 *gasp* and had spent the last 10 years at an office job and raising 2 babies. My body was just not the same as it was and I did not want to injure myself working out mindlessly at the gym.
Allen is observant, extremely knowlegeable about body physiology and he has countless techniques to not only make a workout effective but fun and god forbid — NOT boring. I calculated that he was a way better deal than the gym AND i get a CUSTOM workout. Hello!!! I haven’t had a gym membership in a while, but I guarantee you I won’t have one again. Allen’s my new gym.

For as long as I’ve known Allen Flemming, he’s been joking about how Lawyers in Piedmont who drive BMWs and have Golden Retrievers love working with him. Except he isn’t joking. They make up a large part of his clientele.
And as I’ve gotten to know him, as a trainer and as a friend, now I know why.
Allen has three Master’s degrees. He is not a «dumb jock» (as the stereotype goes). He also used to be in a punk rock band (lead vocals). Those lawyers must love being able to talk about smart things and music while Allen applies his big brain to sports-​and-​fitness training, and kicks their butts into shape.
But about my experience: I started working with Allen because of his ability to train anyone. His willingness to work with people who are the «hard cases.» I am in my 40s. I have been so terribly out of shape… I always get injured when I try new activities. This has been true since my first major knee problems, from running and horseback riding, at age 13.
I’ve had two training sessions with Allen. He recognized that we literally needed to take my body down to the framing and build it back up again. I’m stretching, doing doorway push-​ups, and other very finely-​tuned simple yet specific exercises designed to address the exact issues I have been unable to overcome for the last 30 years.
I am getting stronger, my stomach is already flatter, and I have more flexibility in my legs than before.
Plus, he’s funny.
Am looking forward to when my shoulders are strong enough, as he is planning to teach me how to throw a football.

As long as I can remember, Allen Flemming has been into health and fitness. He has been involved in every imaginable sport. He has always been learning about nutrition and exercise. And he was intelligent about it, reading every book he could find on each issue. He loved to talk about it and help others understand how to get fit. So I wasn’t surprised when Flemming became a personal fitness instructor; it’s the perfect role for him. But I personally had no use for it; I just had more important things to focus my energy on than health, and I did alright without trying.
That is, until recently. I’m 48 years old; and I started growing a belly a few years ago. As it got to the point where I started thinking that I looked like I was pregnant, I finally decided to do something about it. Naturally, I called Flemming. He gave me a simple run/​walk routine that I could finish in about 15 minutes a day, three days a week. To my surprise, it’s starting to work after a couple of weeks. And I’ve had all kinds of extra energy that I haven’t had in years (I haven’t changed anything else in my life, so it has to be the running).
He understood how to motivate me, and he is checking up on me to make sure I’m not doing anything to injure myself. I knew he knew his stuff and had to be great at motivating others to get fit, but I have an extra appreciation for his skills since they started changing my life.

I’ve been an exercise instructor and fitness junkie for many years and thought I knew it all (flawed thinking). Given that I am in pretty good shape I didn’t think I needed a trainer. The truth is we all have something to learn about the human body, it is so complex!
Even though I have been consistently exercising for years I gave up running long ago due to bad knees and tight hip flexors. It just wasn’t worth it to be in pain despite the delicious endorphins I get from running. After one hour with Allen it was like the clouds had parted. With patience, humor and ease he imparted the wisdom that helped me understand why my form was causing so much post running pain and gave me easy to follow instructions.
I am so glad I put aside my ego and allowed for a change in perspective. I now know what I need to do to run again and am feeling more balance and strength than ever before. The tools I learned are also impacting the effectiveness of my other exercise activities because my form is so much better than before.
I highly recommend him for anyone who is looking to take things to the next level and even for a beginner. Don’t let his humble ways fool you, his arsenal is packed with fierce wisdom and an hour later you won’t know what hit you (in a good way).

After I heard Alan talk about helping people with bad knees and being more efficient runners, I set up an appointment. Alan spent an hour analyzing my running style and showed me exercises and gave me practical advice to avoid the pain I got while running. He tailored the session to what I felt was important and took the time to listen to me.
I enjoyed the exercises he taught me because I could do them at anytime and anywhere. Alan engages people and you can tell that he enjoys what he does.

I thought I knew what I was doing, but Allen took me to the next level of training. He pushes you and mixes it up and helps you to get out of your rut. I highly recommend. :)

Every workout with Allen is tailored to my needs and he knows just when and how to push me. I stated working out with Allen 15 weeks ago and since then I have lost 21lbs but gained my life back. I cannot say enough great things about him and the one on one attention I received.
I use to only run long distance but he has taught me to love all different kinds of physical activity. I cannot sing high enough praises for Allen and the Present Body

I used to run long distance several years ago. I completed 3 marathons and was beginning to run tris. I stopped for a while because of pain in the knee.
I met with Allen to have him check my run form and I found out that the reason I was having pain was that my stride was all wrong. I was putting on the brakes and fighting against myself with every step, so no wonder my knees hurt.
In all my years, I never had anyone check my stride and I’m glad I did. Allen taught me to «run quiet» and since then, I’ve run without pain in the knees.
If you’re thinking of getting a personal trainer or having Allen check your stride, give him a call.
Highly recommended!

I was referred to Allen after a series of debilitating injuries which sent me from being a healthy and active person, to immobile and depressed! Not only has Allen been guiding my body back toward strength and flexibility, his presence is INCREDIBLE — so supportive, easy-​going, and extremely knowledgeable. You can’t get any better.