Matt O’Brien

I’ve trained with Matt for over 6 years. Our workouts have included Thai Kickboxing, free weights, cardio, stretching, proper use of the machines, diet advice, jumping rope, swimming, we even pushed a car around in a parking lot one time. I’ve also done his morning boot camp and that was pretty fun.
I like Matt because I know he knows what he is doing. He has a masters degree in body movement and always has some kind of exercise science book with him. Really weird and heavy stuff, not light reading.
I trained for an amateur Thai fight with Matt and won. At the same time he also trains my Mother who is 67 every time she is in town.
I’ve worked out with a lot of people. Matt is the best I’ve found.

I started working with Matt in 2008 when I moved to San Francisco. I had been nearing the end of a year of going to weight watchers and managing my own workout schedule. I had lost about 45 lbs at that time but really wanted to go for the glory and get as fit as I possibly could.
So I enlisted the help of a professional. Matt is the third trainer I have worked with in my life and he is by far the best. He has energy and can explain the physics of the body and the workout to you. (which I loved, I like to know the info) I also have to say that he is not embarrassing or crazy to work with… i.e. Tony Horton
I met my goal, which ended up being me in a Junior’s size 7 pair of Apple Bottom Jeans (yeah the kind with the big gold apples on the booty). And they fit, no muffin top, no rolls… and I am 5’9″ and was 28 years old then. I had never even been a size 7 when I was young enough to be wearing Junior’s size clothing! Plus that feeling of being strong can’t be paralleled by anything.
Thanks so much Matt for helping me get to the next level and teach me moves that I am still able to use today. You are the best!

I stay active by playing basketball or tennis, hiking, running, and the occasional spin or yoga class. I never considered working out with a personal trainer mainly because they scare me. I started training for a marathon and a friend of mine insisted that we at least try a personal training session a couple of times. Although I was really hesitant I gave in. I am so glad I did. Working out with Matt is really fun (and hard). I am never bored and I feel great when the session is over. Each session is different and filled with variety. He is patient and not intimidating but definitely makes sure that we are working hard. I look forward to our workouts with Matt and when I leave our session I am inspired to stay active and healthy throughout the day/​week.

I probably shouldn’t write this review right now since I’m still sleepy from my workout this morning.
Matt is a super easy going guy who is managing to motivate me and a friend through very fun and very tough workouts.
Matt is a great mix of tough and friendly. He also seems to not judge us when we fall on the floor or can’t jump rope which for us is super important because we look a little bit silly!
We are training for a marathon so we wanted to work on core work and agility and general injury prevention (while getting hot) and even though I haven’t succeeded in that last part yet the first part seems to be going pretty well.

I did a few kickboxing boot camps Matt taught at another gym. They were a ton of fun. Matt’s instruction was great, the workout was tremendous, and the results fantastic!

Matt has been my Muay Thai instructor (Thai Kickboxing) and trainer for almost 2 years now; and I can definitely see the results with my endurance, muscle tone and maintain an ideal weight. What I like about Matt is not only he’s patient and genuinely caring about his clients, but also he’s incredibly knowledgeable in physical conditioning; he has studied and been conducting biomechanics and motion capture videos as a visual guide, to help his clients a better understanding of skill and form development. I’m glad I’ve met him, not only he has been wonderful as a trainer but also as a friend.

I’ve been working with Matt for more than 2 years. For you stat heads, I’ve achieved every objective goal that I set (weight loss, muscle tone, strength, speed, etc.) ahead of schedule by working with Matt.
It doesn’t take him more than 2 sessions to figure out your body’s potential/​limits — and he walks that fine line. If you trust him (which I do), he will bring the best out of you in the quickest amount of time.
Plus, he’s a super cool guy who I enjoy hanging out with while he kicks my ass!

I have had the pleasure of working with Matt O’Brien, for over 2 years in the JCC fitness center. I have observed his strong personal training skills when he works with his clients, and also his contagious good energy. Matt designs challenging and fun workouts, and has his clients coming back for more.

I’ve been training with Matt O’Brien since January 2009. I’m really excited to have found a trainer that I like and trust. His passion for fitness and for working with people is evident in the way he treats his clients. He is enthusiastic, personable, and encouraging. He listens, watches carefully, and adjusts the workout accordingly. I appreciate that he makes sure that I am working at my maximum potential. Also, he is available for questions that come up outside of training sessions and is quite knowledgable about the human body. I’m excited for the bootcamp in January!