Elite Personal Training Studio

It had been many years since I had worked out regularly and I was looking for a way to get back into a routine. I wanted to find a non-​intimtating gym where I could focus on being healthy and getting back into shape. I have been trainng at Elite since July of last year and continue to be surprised at the results — including being able to to ‘knock out’ a couple of pull-​ups. Thank you!

Laura is an awesome trainer who is really helping me to hit my 10 lb weight loss goal. She listens to my interests and concerns and is awesome at helping me obtain my fitness goals. The training facility is located in a great part of town and has lots of options to choose from in regards to workout choices. I was knew to Personal Training and am so happy that I gave Elites SJ and Laura a try!

I have been with Elite since August of 2013. I joined Elite because I had tried everything to lose weight! I had tried Jenny Craig, Liquid Diets, etc etc etc. While I lost a ton weight on these programs, as soon as I stopped the programs, I put the weight back on and more! I found Laura and Elite through a friend of mine and decided that I would give it a try.
Boot camps are not a personal favorite of mine and I was literally scared to go to the first class. Laura was fantastic with me. I told her about my knee injury and she helped me modify some of the work-​outs so that my knee wouldn’t be affected. I was in pain, but when I was done with the class, I had this new-​found energy that I don’t think I have had in a long time. I made an appointment to do a few one-​on-​one training session with her to hopefully help me strengthen my knees and my core. That first one-​on-​one was so powerful. I wept many tears explaining to Laura the different methods that I had tried to lose weight in the past and it always came back. I hadn’t felt healthy in a long time. As we started talking, Laura was able to get to the root of my problem and once we dwelled deeper, everything seemed to make sense as to why things had failed for me in the past.
With Laura and Elite, not only have I become stronger, I have also started to work on other aspects of my life which were holding me back from achieving the happiness that I feel now. Working out with Elite and with Laura is not just a work-​out for the body; I feel it is a work-​out for my soul too. Since August, I have lost several pounds and a few dress sizes and feel so energetic! I still have a ways to go to reach my goal, but I am learning that this is new way for me to lead life — no more diets! I am so very happy with Laura and grateful she decided to choose me as her client (I know how very busy she is). One of the best places to work-​out! And the folks that work out there are phenomenal! All very positive and so encouraging!

Elite is one of the best things I have ever done. A friend of mine signed up for personal training classes with Laura (who is awesome!!) and told me about a bootcamp class she offers. I figured I had always wanted to try one of those classes, so why not. I considered myself fairly athletic, but after one bootcamp class, I realized I needed more! Laura’s bootcamp and small training classes have helped me get stronger and feel better about myself. She knows exactly how to motivate and push each individual, and can accommodate the needs of any type of athlete. She is always positive, relatable and truly cares about each person and pushing you to reach those goals. I am still surprised at what I have accomplished in her class, both with working out and changing my eating habits. She switches up every class and makes it competitive at the right times to give you final push through a tough class. I have been a client for over 2 years and am looking forward to many more! I love Laura and I love Elite!

I attended Linda Bettencourt’s bootcamp on Saturday morning at Elite and I am STILL paying for it a few days later! She is a no nonsense kind of trainer. She pushes you enough to want to push yourself. She also encourages you as you are working out. She showed us how to do things in moderation and was totally mindful of our own personal fitness level. I had spent the last two years pregnant and I am now trying to get back into working out. I knew who to turn to…
Linda helped me reach my personal goals years back. She trained me and assisted me with a meal plan. I was able to lose over 50 pounds with her and I know that she is the one to help me now… AGAIN!
She is ruthless! But totally mindful of your goals…
I totally without hesitation can recommend this training studio! I can also say that Linda is YOUR girl, if you want help reaching your own personal goals!!!

In the interest of full disclosure, Laura is my friend in addition to my personal trainer. I told myself before beginning training that I would only write a review if I could say without question that it was a positive experience. Well, I can say without reservation that Laura’s training and expertise/​advice far outweighed my expectations.
To begin with, I teach group exercise classes, including strength training, and I’m pretty confident in my form and my strength. Before getting started we discussed my goals and, while I don’t feel the need to get any stronger or «in better shape» (I think I’m pretty strong and in pretty good shape), I do think I’m carrying around a little extra weight so I had a goal of losing ten pounds. Before we even started Laura made some diet suggestions and gave me some tips which I enacted the week before our first session. Our first session was assessment; Laura watched my form, looked for my weak spots, and assessed where I was strength wise. Let me say up front that a big part of doing this program for me was to support my friend and get to spend some time with her. What I didn’t expect was that it would be so thoroughly valuable for me… And for my class who I’m passing my new knowledge and skill to. Turns out I’ve been doing a couple of key things (not engaging my abs – critical for everything – and not using my inner thighs, meaning my toes are turning in when I lunge or squat) wrong and for so long that I didn’t even realize it. And those tips for tweaking my diet resulted in a six-​pound loss within the first two weeks, so more than halfway to my training goal right up front and already down a size. Which is, well, AWESOME.
The second session, our first real training, surprised me yet again. This was nothing I expected it to be and all those areas that I hadn’t been engaging – and frankly that I thought I would really have a hard time figuring out – were sore after our workout. These are areas I didn’t even realize I wasn’t working so when I felt them afterward it was very rewarding. Her workout moves incorporate multiple muscle groups with each exercise so you’re really getting a lot of bang for your buck, so to speak, from the workout.
To conclude, I thought I was helping Laura out but it turns out that I was totally delusional. Laura absolutely did me a favor by agreeing to train me and I can’t believe what a rock star she is. She tells me each of the trainers in her studio are all awesome and I’m inclined to believe her. You can see from other reviewers that Laura is amazing for the novice but she’s also pretty spectacular for those who are already in shape but want to take it to the next level.
Super five gold stars for Elite!

If your looking for a 24 hour meat market this is not it. If your looking to get fit and change your life then go see one of the trainers at Elite. It’s a small quaint facility that has everything it needs to get down and dirty. Mainly it has Laura Swain. She is the owner/​operator, and your best and worst friend all at the same time. Laura is the best trainer I have ever worked with. She is extremely motivating and keeps the energy going. She will always take your level of fitness into consideration, even if your working with group. But make no mistake, if your looking for a workout that you can skate through this is not it. Swain will kick your ass! And you will thank her for it when she is done. I highly recommend her boot camp. Everyone in the camps is friendly and there are are all different levels of fitness.

Thinking about my health and fitness has never been my thing. I hated worrying about what I was eating or exercising. I was one of the people who «donated» to gyms and thought I wouldnt dare spend the money to do personal training. Until one day, I met Laura. Call it by accident or fate, but she actually got me to think about my health, my future, and what my habits were doing to it. She helped me realize that I could make a difference in my happiness and my life by doing a little planning and I was worth the time and money. She helped me work out a fitness routine which worked well for my schedule and my budget. Over the past year, I am doing things physically, I never dreamed I could do. I have completed two half marathons and I feel better about myself than I have for years! And I have actually found a joy in working out (I never thought I would say that). Whenever I begin to fall off track, almost as if she is reading my mind, Laura has a way to reel me back in. I talk with Laura about my food, my health and life. Laura is not just a trainer, she is a mentor.

The best decision I have ever made for myself was admitting to needing help and finding out how to get it. One day I looked on Unilocal for local gyms and trainers. I came across Elite’s website and thought I would send the owner an email. I had just turned 30 and I was at the heaviest I had ever been (350) I was depressed and not sure what and if I could do anything anymore. I was intimidated to try any kind of work out on my own and really had no idea what to do. I was so heavy that any activity felt like torture.
Laura contacted me right away and assured me I had done the right thing. I felt so comfortable with Laura right away and never ever felt like she was just after a payment. She made me feel like I deserve to be there as anyone else. I was always very intimidated by gyms and the people there. I would go to a gym once or twice but then quit. I can’t tell you how much money I wasted on gym memberships over the years and then just stop going. I started working out privately with Laura and then she convinced me that I was strong enough to handle her Bootcamp. I thought there was no way I could handle the Bootcamp, but I proved myself wrong. She is teaching me so much about exercise and fitness as well as how I should be eating. I learn something new every time I see her. Her gym is very comfortable and she keeps her workouts exciting so I never get bored. It has been about 7 months and I have dropped 67 pounds and I am still going strong. This is the first time I have ever felt like I deserve to be healthy and I deserve to take care of myself and feel beautiful. I am finally going to lose this weight and keep it off. My confidence has sored as well as my outlook on how I live my life. Laura is truly my hero. She is saving my life… Literally. I did a testimonial video and Laura posted it on FB. Look for Elite personal training on FB and check out my progress if you don’t believe me here. I am going to run my first 5k ever this May. I get emotional just thinking of crossing that finish line… Its a line I never thought I would cross!

Laura is great! After working with her for the last 4 months I feel better and stronger than I have in years. She’s tough and she always mixes it up so I don’t get bored!

I really LOVE how Laura has so much heart to help me get to my fitness goals. I tried my first day at Boot Camp last night and met a bunch of fabulous women. Laura was awesome. All I can say is, «I’ve never had a workout like that before.» Today, I feel sore… I haven’t felt sore from a workout in a long, long, long time. I know that coming to Elite is the best investment I could ever make for myself. Laura is gonna help me get to where I want to be…

I have been training with Laura for several months now and can’t tell you how amazing I feel. I came to her after a back injury kept me from working out for 7 months. She worked with my injury and created a plan to get my body back to a healthy, pain-​free state. Not only did my back pain go away after 2 months with her, I am now lifting more weight and working out more then I ever thought possible for myself. I am feeling stronger and stronger as each week goes by.
On top of the personal sessions and boot camps with Laura, I am now doing kickboxing with Johann 2 days a week. His classes are awesome! I am feeling a lot stronger physically as well as technically. My passion for kickboxing has been renewed and now I can’t wait for Thursday and Saturday classes to come around.
Laura and Johann have a way of making every workout fun and exciting. Even when the sweat is pouring out and you think you can’t make it, they are there every step of the way cheering you on and giving you that extra push you need. They make getting into shape, fun! Add all the additional information you get (nutrition, food planning, goal setting, techniques…), you just can’t beat Elite!

No better place to get in shape and start on the road to looking and feeling fabulous!!! Shamus has been my trainer sine May of 2009 and so far I have lost over 50 pounds! Not only have I lost weight I have learned healthy eating as well as healthy thinking. If you are serious about getting in shape this is the place to go and Shamus is the guy to see! He will see through all of the excuses and «reasons» and get you to see real results!!!

I have been a client of elite for quite sometime. I love the entire staff they are all dedicated fun loving and motivating. I have had numerous struggles and the staff primarily my trainer Laura has been a huge inspiration to me. From feeling like a failure to breaking my wrist dirt bike riding she helped me continue to train and motivated me through it all. I will be with Elite for the rest of my life or as long as the staff will have me :) If you are truly ready to change your life and get healthier they are ready to help. The clients and staff all support each other it is one big family.

Elite Training — Personal Training Studio is at the very beginning, formative stages of what proves to be a very successful enterprise in the future. Owned by Laura Swain, it is a small concern with plans for immediate/​ongoing improvement and expansion in regard to the workout environment, equipment, and team of trainers. At present, the workout facilities are minimal, but effective results are achieved through the skill of the trainers. The most recent addition to Laura’s team is BRIAN SUNSERI, a dedicated and experienced personal trainer. He is very personable, pleasant, and easy to work with. He most recently served as a personal trainer at Bally’s Fitness in Campbell, CA. Brian became a «star» on Bally’s team, developed a following, and was always in great demand… as he will continue to be in his new home at Elite. I have alerted them that the Elite website has «outdated» contact & location information, in the meantime here is the correct data: EliteTraining-​1025 Minnesota Avenue-​Suite 2-​San Jose, CA 95 125…(408) 292‑2166. Elite’s website:

I began training with Laura summer of 2007. When she mentioned that her and Brian were starting a bootcamp, I backed them 100%.
3 years prior, I had been battling recovering a back injury from an accident. I had been told by doctors and therapists to take it slow and stretch and use the recumbent bike. Being an athlete growing up and in college, the process was extremely frustrating and I ended up re injuring myself over and over.
Since working out with Laura I have regained my lost strength and stamina. The bootcamp has become my primary form of cross training. I’m currently training for a marathon and playing roller debry, and again it’s the perfect cross training for my schedule. The camaraderie among the boot campers really helps with motivation in your personal weight loss goals, in addition to the resources that Laura and Brian provide. They are a wealth of nutrition, exercise and full body wellness knowledge. It’s a complete package and very reasonable in price.
I have not only been able to regain lost strength and feel 100% recovered from my accident, I’m in the best shape of my life.