“Mark Ghazal is a truly gifted diagnostician who brings empathy and awareness to his role as a functional fitness expert. When my 90-year-old father (who’s partially blind, mostly deaf, and on a cane with two knee replacements) popped into REPS, Mark gave us both a careful assessment before he launched us into the programs he though would work best. He was able to identify all of the weaknesses in my body that others have seen but not put together in one single holistic approach. I’m an exercise regular, who’s done Pilates, weight training, and stretching – but Mark saw through all of that artifice, and identified the underlying issues that I could work on that will ultimately make me stand, act, and be stronger. When it came to my father’s assessment, Mark was thoughtful and incisive. He understood how difficult it must be to be ninety, but he didn’t speak down to him or undermine his confidence. He showed my father ways to improve flexibility, balance, add strength – then came up with several brilliant suggestions, including using trekking poles instead of the too-low cane… looking at the horizon, not the floor – working his calves, as a way to increase stability; then he recommended websites for finding stretching equipment, a book about health that shows the exercises he’d done with my Dad, and other ideas. We left feeling that he’d “seen” us both and identified who we were as individuals. We were inspired by Mark. We wish he could continue to work with us, and we could see the results of his recommendations together. He is a quality person, a thoughtful, funny, empathetic, talented trainer and we count him as the highlight of our trip to Hawaii.”
— Erica & Gary G.
“He has been teaching my wife for the past three years on a twice a week basis. She enjoys working with him greatly. She has gained strength, endurance, and flexibility. She has had problems with her knees and shoulders and her back but he has been able to help her to overcome these problems with the exercise program. I began to take is training sessions this year starting in February at a frequency of once a week. I am benefitting from his guidance as well and have gained strength and proper posture. I have been able to get rid of trapezius, upper back and neck pain I had experienced for the past several years due to working with computers for a significant part of each day due to a change in my work. He is excellent in teaching us the importance of proper body posture and maintenance of them during the ecercise and to incorporate it in the daily activities. He taught us to work hard on our core muscle strengthening program as well. We are very happy and satisfied with his training program. We plan to continue and we believe he is an excellent and professional trainer.”
— Ted N.
“I have been a client of Mark Ghazal for the past five years. Training under Mark has significantly altered my life for the better. Mark’s program has helped me improve my core strength, balance and flexibility. Mark is a professional fitness trainer who focuses on the individual’s personal fitness and life goals. Mark evaluates each client’s unique physical abilities and customizes a program specific to that person. Mark is innovative and regularly revises client programs to improve the physical and mental well-being of each client. I would unequivocally recommend Mark Ghazal to anyone who wants to improve their physical and mental well-being.”
— Michael C.
“Mark is simply an extremely knowledgeable trainer. He is very knowledgeable and plans programs that suit the needs of me. He will challenge you, but he also knows your limits and is extremely careful. He is very attentive, watches you closely, gives perceptive cues to help you improve, and tries different approaches if you don’t get it the first time. I have an arthritic hip that certainly limits my mobility. But I always feels much better and with feel like I have more mobility after our workouts. I have significantly improved my balance, can do a lot of things that seemed unreachable, and have a lot more confidence. I’m also stronger in general; all those squats and leg exercises are paying off with less discomfort in movement. My medical lab results have consistently been improving since I started to work with Mark. Finally, Mark has a charming personality and an excellent sense of humor. He is a fun person to work with even though he challenges me appropriately. On top of all this, he also gives knowledgeable and reasonable advice on your diet/nutrition.”
— Ed E.
“I have been training with Mark since moving to Santa Barbara 2 years ago , and have found him to be a serious fitness professional whose years of study are demonstrated through his broad knowledge of exercise science and the human body. He brings out my best by focusing on quality of movement rather than quantity , and pushes me to my limit without overdoing it, leaving each session energized rather than depleted. His exercises are endlessly varied , with a disciplined approach to proper form. With each session we alternate our focus methodically between various muscle groups , with a special focus on my bodies needs and abilities. Mark also is very personable and I am never bored . Our sessions are super fun and filled with laughter , as well as hard , productive work . The result is that though I’m approaching 70, I’m now in the best shape of my life!”
