I joined Robert Wood Johnson Health & Wellness looking to get myself in better physical and mental shape. I knew how to work out, as I was an athlete my entire life, spending frequent time in the weight room. It had been a couple of years since I lifted weights following a severe lower back injury I suffered. RWJ's signup program offered new members some complimentary training sessions. Naturally, I followed up and took advantage of these training sessions, especially sine I had been out of the gym for a good period of time. Josh was the trainer assigned to me, and from the first moment I met him and introduced myself, I felt confident in him and the process. The first thing I noticed was that he was a young guy like me. Some people may immediately correlate a young person with inexperience, but I personally liked the fact that he was more relatable since he was my age. As soon as I began speaking with him about my history and the goals I wanted to achieve moving forward, it was apparent to me that knowledge was definitely not an issue for Josh. Josh designed a program for me that him and I would execute a few times a week. During our first session, Josh pushed me to see what level of fitness I was at and how motivated I was. I think him and I quickly learned that my motivation was not in question, but my fitness level was. Based on this information, Josh conveniently adjusted our program to something more appropriate. As each session went on, Josh motivated me and pushed me harder and harder. People that need to lose weight need to be pushed, just pushing ourselves to go to the gym can be a feat on its own. Once we're there, we sometimes need that inspirational figure to motivate us as we climb our mountain of attaining fitness success. Josh was that guy for me. He was very supportive and understanding but also very motivating. He wouldn't let me quit, but he would understand my limits. If there was something I couldn't do, Josh would adjust and find something to take its place. He never let me quit, even though sometimes I wanted to, and he always told me I could do it. One of my favorite parts of working with Josh was the knowledge he dropped on me as we worked out. Not only would he tell me what he wanted me to do and show me how to properly do it, he explained to me why I was doing it and how it was benefiting me. When I trained with Josh I didn't just feel like a client of his, I felt a more personal approach. He shared stories and struggles of his own as a way to motivate me. We discussed our personal lives which always made our sessions feel like two friends hanging out instead of a business interaction. It made showing up to the training sessions much more enjoyable. Josh was also extremely accommodating. If my job was prohibiting me from making a session, Josh would always do his best to adjust his own schedule to accommodate me. There were even times he offered to come in on his days off to train only me. Things like this aren't common, especially in younger people. It shows that Josh cares about his clients and the goals they want to accomplish. On a non-training day if I wasn't at the gym, Josh would always send me a text to see how I was doing and whether or not I was coming to work out. There were times I wasn't planning on going to the gym because I talked myself out of it, but receiving that text from Josh reminded me of the dedication I needed in order to succeed. I highly recommend Josh for anyone looking to achieve any type of fitness goals. His knowledge his vast and he has experience in many different types of weight lifting and weight loss. Though my time with Josh was cut short due to a change in jobs on my end, I was experiencing success, but more importantly, I was able to find that enjoyment of working out that resonated deep inside me. Josh helped me bring that out after it was buried for several years. To this day, I continue to work out and I credit a lot of my motivation to Josh.

My trainer, Josh Denenberg, has gone above and beyond. He helped me over my initial fitness obstacles by making me laugh and keeping me distracted. Josh listens and responds with appropriate training sessions. When I am sleep-deprived from working double shifts, he finds ways to help me get energized and burn calories. He helps me stretch tired muscles, and clearly puts a lot of thought into our sessions. Josh helped me foster a positive attitude. Thanks to that new mindset, I finally am working out regularly. Recently, my doctor told me my lipid profile was down enough to be considered normal. Also, I am losing weight. All that good news is due to Josh!

Working with Josh completely transformed my body and my health. I suffer from Ulcerative Colitis, so my situation was unique when I started training with Josh two years ago. For those who aren't familiar with UC, it is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease whose side effects can include severe pain, fatigue, and uncontrollable weight loss. When I first came to Josh, I was about 85 lbs and 22% body fat - basically skin and bone. Working with Josh, I got my weight up to 105 lbs and my body fat percentage down to 14% in less than a year! Josh listened to my concerns and created a workout routine that catered to my personal situation, and as a result I gained pure muscle and reclaimed my health.

Josh is an extremely knowledgeable trainer who excels at tailoring workouts and training plans based on his clients’ needs. I worked with him before, during and after my pregnancy. Throughout my pregnancy, he modified exercises to allow me to continue to work out while keeping safety foremost. He ensured that the exercises were reasonable and continually accommodated the specific physical changes I faced. He took a similar approach during my post-natal recovery. During that time, he struck an appropriate balance between working within my physical limitations and pushing me further. His thorough understanding of the relationships between various muscles groups and movements was key to creating a plan which allowed me to build much-needed strength while minimizing extreme tightness. I was then better able to deal with the physical challenges of the post-natal period and managing a growing baby. I progressed much more quickly than I could have ever done without him. Josh takes his work seriously, yet is still exceptionally personable, positive and very easy to work with.

Josh took a very keen interest in meeting my goals. Although I thought I was incapable in executing the workouts, Josh believed in me more than I did in myself and the results spoke for themselves. We tracked my progress with the nurse and I was gradually losing the weight to the point his colleagues were telling him how good I was looking. Sadly, we had to part ways after I graduated, but he definitely an individual who is results driven, will go above and beyond for you as well as find suitable alternatives to help you get to where you needed to be. I would definitely recommend him as a trainer to anyone that is trying to change their life around!

I have been training with Josh for 9 months. My goals were to loose some weight and tone my body. Josh took the time to listen to what I wanted to achieve. He put together an exercise routine specific to my needs and I began to see great results. I lost weight and gained strength and muscle tone within months. Josh motivated me and he showed me what I could really accomplish. I gained confidence and lost inches. I have incorporated working-out into my lifestyle. I train faithfully three times per week and I am getting more results. Josh has been instrumental in my transformation and for that I will be forever grateful.

I began going to the gym about 4 years ago. I was used to only doing cardio at home on a treadmill, but Josh worked with me to familiarize me with all of the weight training exercises. I worked with Josh for almost 4 years, with fantastic results with a reduction in my body fat percentage from 25% to 19%. I no longer had back and neck issues that I had been suffering for years. Josh was patient and worked me up to the level I would be comfortable with but at the same time ensuring I was working hard. He was a great coach and a fantastic trainer.

When I started training with Josh, I had a single goal in mind: become a faster runner. Following a thorough assessment of my physical condition, Josh completely revamped my training routine to include stretching, core strength building and significant self-myofascial release exercises (foam-rolling). In addition, based on recent literature, Josh ascribed a highly polarized running training scheme that made my long runs much more frequent and enjoyable with shorter and infrequent high intensity runs. The combination resulted in significantly more enjoyable workouts. I was able to achieve a personal record in a race after six weeks of following Josh’s program. Thanks to Josh, not only am I a faster runner, but a happier, stronger, and more flexible one.