TEAM

Nina began learning Tae Kwon Do at the age of four. As a teenager, she participated and competed a variety of martial arts competitions and eventually joined the Vietnamese Olympic Tae Kwon Do team. She has won several championships in the United States including Box Fu, Muar Thai, and the world championship in Karate.

She was also a fitness model for Quicksilver and Nike, and winner of the Miss Body Fitness Asia title for these separate countries. After college, she traveled the world working as a volunteer to help orphans who were victims of natural disasters such as tsunamis, where she experienced many different cultures in Asia. It was through this experience that Nina began to embrace the importance of health and strength. She founded “I Love Wellness International” organization and Palo Alto Fit after working for Stanford University the School of Medicine and Stanford Athletic Department.

EDUCATION:

• B.A. Psychology
• Sports Management
• Personal Trainer
• Sports Nutrition
• Yoga Teacher

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Miss Body Fitness Asia in Singapore
• 1st place in Kung Fu Weapons World Championship 2005
• 1st place in May Thai Light Weight Championship 2005
• Miss Body Fitness Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, 2004-2006
• Miss Nike USA, 2003
• 1st place in Karate Championship in Northern California 2001

John is a former collegiate athlete that began playing sports at the age of eight and has been in competitive athletics for over 20 years. He has competed and coached at the highest levels of competitive athletics from football, baseball, and CrossFit. He has always been a student first and coach second. His philosophy as a coach and athlete is always “get 1% better than you were yesterday. Add up all those daily wins, and you will honor your journey”

He has worked under and learned from some of the highest-level coaches from interning at the Riekes Center, EXOS Sports Performance, Training Think Tank and OPEX. He was also the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at The Academy of Arts San Francisco.

He has completed a coaching Apprenticeship Program with globally known performance center ALTIS and is currently enrolled in the Charles Poliquin Institute Level 1 Coaching program.

His specialties include helping people achieve their competitive aspirations, becoming pain-free and teaching them how to properly move through sound movement efficiency, lifestyle development, and optimal nutrition practices.

EDUCATION:

• Kinesiology at University of Nevada
• EXOS Performance Enhancement Specialist
• NSCA CSCS
• Altis Accredited Coach
• Lee Taft Speed and Conditioning Coach
• Precision Nutrition Level 1
• National Sports Performance Association – Program Design Specialist/Certified Sports Nutrition Coach/Speed and Agility Coach
• Poliquin Institute Level 1 Coach – In Progress

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Strength and Conditioning
• Athletic Development
• Flexibility and Mobility
• Sport and Performance Nutrition
• Functional Movement

Dr. Taylor began his love of anatomy and physiology after taking a sports medicine class in high school. From there he delved into science and biomechanics earning a bachelors in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise and sports science. After graduating Dr. Taylor worked in both hospital and out patient physical therapy settings seeing a wide array of patient populations and conditions.

During this time he shadowed a chiropractor and fell in love with the ability to treat not only the musculoskeletal aspect of a patient but impact their overall health and well-being. Taylor received his doctorate of chiropractic and since then has opened up his private practice in mountain view along with providing corporate care to numerous Fortune 500 companies in the bay area. He has a passion for educating and empowering others to increase not on their knowledge but understanding of movement and function. His motto is “movement is medicine”. Taylor is the head instructor of our Personal Trainer Academy.

EDUCATION:

• D.C., Doctorate of Chiropractic
• B.S. Kinesiology, Exercise and Sports Science

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• ART – UE, Spine
• Rocktape – PMT, FMT I & II
• FMS certified
• Professor of anatomy – yoga teacher training

Leeann’s Philosophy: Make your time spent at the gym effective and efficient, so you can have time to do all the fun things in life. Every daily activity can be made more enjoyable when you have the strength, flexibility and especially stamina to keep up with it. “Healthy body equal Happy body”.

EDUCATION:

• BS Microbiology, California State University San Luis Obispo
• Sports Performance Coach, USA Weightlifting
• Certified Personal Trainer, NASM
• Living Strong Living Well Cancer Survivor Trainer, Stanford

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Weight Loss
• Strength Training
• Conditioning Circuits
• Flexibility and Stretching
• Interval Training
• Youth Fitness

Michelle received a B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Rehabilitation Science. She is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). She began training in the physical therapy setting rehabilitating elite athletes to pre and post-surgery patients suffering from musculoskeletal injuries or neuromuscular deficiencies. Her multidisciplinary approach to personal training incorporates total body exercises that optimize human movements and enhances strength.

Through her sports coaching background, Michelle specializes in speed and agility training for the recreational athlete. In addition to strength training, she incorporates corrective exercises that help resolve pain and dysfunctional movement patterns. She involves stability exercises in every workout to develop vital core strength. As a health coach, Michelle aims to educate and motivate clients to implement healthy exercise habits in their everyday life.

EDUCATION:

• B.S. Kinesiology with an emphasis in Rehabilitation Science
• Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Rehabilitation
• Flexibility and Mobility
• Speed and agility training
• Strength Training
• Muscle Building

As a studied practitioner of the art of holistic wellness through mind and body development, Dr. Clifton guides participants towards discovering tranquility in the tempest. He has tailored his blend of Vinyasa Flow and Power Yoga styles for all experience levels, and focuses on fluid transitions, core engagement and controlled breathing to yield increased strength and endurance.

Dr. Clifton’s sequences of classical and creative poses along with his singular mix of soothing, meditative and energizing music allow his participants to explore their unique journey of wellness. He enjoys performing the poses alongside participants and teaches them how to continue their yoga journey off the mat. His hope is that others can learn to glide through a world saturated with stress.

Clifton holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and owns a counseling private practice in San Jose. He is also an avid swimmer, runner, and enjoys community involvement with disadvantaged youths.

Loni has 15+ years of experience in personal training and group exercise, Loni continues to have a thriving passion for the fitness industry. In college, she studied Athletic Training for her undergraduate degree and Exercise Psychology and Exercise Physiology for her Master’s. Growing up she was an avid dancer in ballet, jazz, and hip hop then soon became obsessed with fitness.

EDUCATION:

• B.S. Kinesiology Athletic Training
• M.S. Exercise Physiology and Exercise Psychology
• NASM Certified Personal Trainer
• NASM Performance Enhancement Specialists
• NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist
• NASM Behavior Change Specialist
• NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

SPECIALIZATIONS:

Rinku’s philosophy: Fitness is not just a hobby, but a lifestyle. Like any goal, achieving it takes coaching, education and discipline. As your coach, it is my job to guide you with my knowledge and to develop a safe program tailored to your needs. I am here to assist you in reaching your goal and all I need from you is to try harder today than you did yesterday. As Mark Twain said, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”

EDUCATION:

• De Anza College – Certified Personal Trainer
• NASM – Certified Personal Trainer
• NASM – Corrective, Youth, and Senior Exercise Specialist
• AFPA – Pre and Post Natal Exercise Specialist
• RKC Hardstyle Kettlebell Trainer
• Tabata Bootcamp Trainer
• SCW Kettlebell Trainer
• SCW Sports Nutritionist
• RX Trainer
• Functional Movement Screen Level 1

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Weight Loss and Management
• Corrective Exercise
• Pre and Post Natal Fitness
• Functional Training
• High-Intensity-Interval-Training (HIIT)
• TRX Training
• Kettlebell Training

Byron is amazed and humbled by the complexity of the human body. He believes that there’s no such thing as one size fits all and that you deserve a fully customized exercise program. His greatest strength is his ability to perform muscle tests to over 400 muscles. His ability to assess so specifically gives significant purpose behind every prescribed exercise because it’s tailored towards your unique needs.

He takes pride in his desire to always ask “why?”. He constantly challenges the status quo of the fitness industry and he understands that there is no end to his learning. Byron’s hope is that you will walk out of Palo Alto Fit feeling better/stronger than when you walked in that day.

EDUCATION:

• Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex (P-DTR) Practitioner
• Muscle Activation Techniques™ (MAT) Certified Specialist
• NSCA Certified Personal Trainer
• B.S Kinesiology – SJSU

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Positional Isometrics
• End range strength
• Mobility training
• Navigating/treating neurological dysfunctions

Rafael’s passion for movement began at the age of seven when he joined his first soccer team. In time the sport taught him the value of teamwork, discipline, and that if he wanted to succeed he had to constantly practice to perfect my skills. Rafael carried his passion into his studies and obtained a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise and movement sciences from San Francisco State University.

Using the principles of biomechanics, Rafael enjoys combining corrective exercises with strength and conditioning to provide a comprehensive approach towards fitness. His goal is to share his passion for fitness with clients and help them unlock their physical potential.

EDUCATION:

• BS Kinesiology San Francisco State University
• NSCA CSCS

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Injury prevention
• Rehabilitation
• Functional movement
• Strength and conditioning
• Corrective exercise
• Weight loss

Archie is passionate about promoting health, and wellness among the individual who suffers mentally, emotionally and physically. His goal is to inspire and motivate others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more through health and fitness. Let me guide and help you move better without pain. 

He graduated with a degree of Kinesiology with an emphasis in Therapeutic studies. Interned as a Physical therapy aide at Pacific Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy and shadowed an athletic trainer at CSU East Bay. During his college year, he interned at “Get Fit Stay Fit” kinesiology program at CSU East Bay, training kinesiology professor and the president of the University focusing on rehabilitation.

EDUCATION:

• The American College of Sport Medicine
• National College of Exercise Professionals

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Injury prevention
• Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
• Corrective Exercise
• Postural Correction
• Functional Movement
• Mobility and Flexibility 
• Weight loss

Kaitlin’s love of health and fitness began at age 5 when she started playing soccer. She played soccer and ran track for the next 13 years. She attended college at MIT where she became a long distance runner and a vegan. In college she realized how much physical fitness has an effect on not just her physical health but also her mental and emotional well being. It’s her goal to teach her clients to love their body and fuel it with positive thoughts.

Since college she has completed countless 10k and half marathon races and began competing in the figure division of bodybuilding.

EDUCATION:

• B.S. Materials Science and Engineering – MIT
• Certified Personal Trainer – NASM

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Strength and Conditioning
• Long Distance Running
• Weight Loss
• Muscle Gain
• Circuit Training
• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Finalist
• Miss California Finalist
• Miss Pismo Beach

Anna Tara has loved the outdoors and athletics since she was put on a pair of skis at age 2 in Jackson Hole, WY. Soon after, she learned how to kick a ball and played soccer through college. After sustaining two ACL injuries, health and fitness became an ever-present and important part of her life. 

In 2014, she moved to Los Angeles where she studied Biology at Occidental College. She took several kinesiology courses, which quickly inspired intrigue for the human body and performance, biomechanics, and athletic training. Through college she worked as a physical therapist aide and rehab technician for inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care therapists.

For her, being physically active isn’t solely about physical fitness, but also is an important aspect of mental and emotional health. She wants to use her passion for fitness to help people succeed, realize their capabilities, and recognize that there is always room for improvement.

EDUCATION:

• B.S. in Biology – Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
• Certified Personal Trainer – NASM

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Youth Fitness
• Weight Loss
• Conditioning Circuits
• Interval Training

Julia wholeheartedly believes that health is a journey and not a destination. She sees physical activity as a continuous path that leads to improved health, longevity, and happiness. She is passionate about empowering individuals to grow in their physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.

As an undergraduate at Miami University, Julia studied psychology & nutrition, and completed an honors thesis on how exercise impacts happiness. She is also a NASM Certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and ACE Health Coach. Accomplishing goals is one of Julia’s favorite parts about training. Some of her personal goals have been competing in the NPC bikini division, mud runs, a triathlon, and a half marathon. She values a holistic approach to health, and loves getting to share her passions with others.

EDUCATION:

• B.A. in Psychology with a Nutrition, Miami University
• Certified Personal Trainer, NASM
• Health Coach, ACE
• Group Fitness Instructor Training Program, Miami University
• Indo-Row Water Rower Instructor

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Strength Training
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
• Kettlebell Training
• Circuit training

Julianne believes optimal well-being is the fusion of health in all areas: body, mind, and spirit. Her personal journey led to her discover the powerful combination of whole food, plant-based nutrition, nature therapy, and mindfulness. By teaching and coaching her clients using specific tools and techniques, they experience higher levels of physical and emotional health. Her greatest joy comes from partnering alongside her clients and helping them reach their goals.

Julianne received her Masters of Public Health at Loma Linda University and her 11+ years of experience working as a clinical dietitian provide her with an extensive understanding of nutrition across all ages and disease conditions. Julianne currently works for Stanford Health Care, provides health/wellness coaching as part of Vida Health, and consults for Palo Alto Fit. She enjoys writing and speaking, racing triathlons, and exploring in nature where she is continually inspired.

EDUCATION:

• Master of Public Health, Registered Dietitian – Loma Linda University
• Bachelor of Arts, Communication – University of California, San Diego

Victoria is an energetic and dedicated trainer who’s goal is to bring out the best in people.  She has worked in a high volume Chiropractic clinic running the exam department, working with professional athletes, children, and the elderly alike – dealing with sport injuries, preventative care, rehabilitation, stabilization and overall health.  She has extensive field training working on patients with plantar fasciitis, scoliosis, lower back pain, neck pain, migraines, pre and post operation.

She grew up with the eastern medicine approach – that the body heals from the inside out.  She believes that a quick fix is not sustainable and that slow steady progress yields results.  She traveled to Singapore after Chiropractic school to explore and spread the knowledge that she had learned, teaching all ages the benefit of a healthy lifestyle which includes nutrition, proper posture, and a clear nervous system.

EDUCATION:

• B.A. Social Relation
• D.C. Palmer West Chiropractic College
• ISSA Certificate Personal Trainer

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Rehabilitation
• Sport Injuries
• Stabilization
• Lower back pain

Devyani believes that fitness is something that can be accessible to everyone, and that proper coaching and care can jumpstart your path towards long-term progress. Her interest in fitness began high school, where she was a tennis player and track athlete. In college, she received her yoga certification and taught Vinyasa classes while receiving a degree in biology from Stanford University. Post-graduation, she spent the past year teaching math at a middle school, where she coached the track team and took several athletes to states. Her specialties are in conditioning and strength training, and can’t wait to help you towards your lifestyle goals.

EDUCATION:

• B.S in Biology from Stanford University
• 200 RYT Certified Yoga Teacher
• Youth Track Coach

SPECIALIZATIONS:

• Youth Fitness
• Weight Loss
• Conditioning Circuits
• Interval Training
• Yoga and Alignment

Elena has more than 10-years of experience, teaching public, corporate and private classes. As a child Elena was always fond of sports and in college she was trained as a semiprofessional athlete which later helped her with being disciplined and establishing her personal yoga practice. She also practiced dance and choreography where she learned about the grace of body movements.

Elena is registered with Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor and she studied the whole spectrum of yoga art – philosophy, pranayama, chanting, and meditation.

She knows how to reach to all levels of students, from beginners to very advanced. Elena is famous for her effortless inversions and inspiring arm-balances. Focusing on alignment, breath and mind in her classes, Elena also helps her students to discover deeper aspects and benefits of yoga practice, such as peace, appreciation and contentment in life.