Testimonials

What You Have to Say!

I guide individuals who are searchers and seekers. Consistently I attract those who are have deep within a knowing that there is more. More of something. As an Integrative Movement Guide I guide and help to find your own personal ideal balance of exercise, nutrition and lifestyle for your body and mind.

They range between the ages of 25 to 85 years old and have all made significant changes to their bodies and lifestyles. More importantly, they have found and achieved balance in there mind and lifestyle.

Below are a few words from some you:


Max Brenner, 40, CEO, Max Brenner – Chocolate from the bold guy

I worked with someone else before I saw Stefan train. It was clear to me that I wanted to train with him as I was looking for a program that works, is challenging and different than just lifting weights. I did not want a trainer. I needed a Guru.

After working with Stefan’s Strength 123 and Mental Detox program for 12 weeks, I care about food I eat. I don’t overeat and indulge as I did before. Yet, all of this doesn’t matter to me. My goal is to lose weight and have a nice body. And this is what I received so far. I went from 185 lbs to 175lbs, from 28% to 20% body fat, from 37 to 34 inches waist size and from 38 to 36 inches hip circumference.

For me it was not a choice to follow the program. I needed to obey and do it. If someone like Stefan is as serious about health, nutrition and exercise, I want to be as serious. The results speak for themselves.

Julie Kaminska, Owner, Fret

From 138 lbs to 114 lbs, a weight loss of 24 lbs I went in 16 weeks.

I have never had so much fun working so hard! Stefan is a wonderful blend of discipline and fun and his tremendous knowledge and ability has made my workouts very focused and result-oriented.

When I use to work out at the gym it felt like a chore I was very bored and no longer enjoyed going which in turn made my work outs half of what they ought to be for the amount of time I had put in.I have been working out with Stefan for almost a year and I always look forward to our sessions because I know we will work hard and have fun doing it. He has helped me to focus so that I am aware during the entire session enabling me to perform at my peak ability.

Working with Stefan on a weekly basis has not only allowed me to make the necessary changes in my life to improve my nutritional intake properly so that I may achieve health and well-being but also the work out sessions are much harder than I would ever push myself on my own helping me achieve my fitness goals.

Ian Towers,60, Performer and Dancer

I was lucky enough to have Stefan Aschan do a treatment on me when he was in Europe recently. What was amazing was that I didn’t even have to tell him what there was to be treated. He just placed his hand on the top of my head and starting listing exactly those places in my body that needed to be healed or adjusted. It was amazing. Stefan was very gentle as he was working, so I didn’t really think much was happening, but he told me that I would probably notice the effects in the next few days. What an understatement!

The next day, my right shoulder, which has always given me problems, was extremely sore, but I was breathing more easily and it seemed like the scoliosis I’ve had since I was a teenager was actually lessening. As the week has gone on, my shoulder has relaxed into its new position, and my entire body is loosening up. For someone who was a professional dancer and has had body work done for the past 40 years, I thought nothing could impress me. This has really impressed me!

Thanks and kudos to Stefan and a recommendation to anyone to engage his services. He truly knows what he’s doing.

Stephanie Young, Health Editor, More Magazine

I signed up to work out with Stefan Aschan of Strength 123 for probably the same reasons many women do: To tone, tighten and maybe lighten myself by a few pounds.

Stefan has helped me achieve those goals, but he has done more that just change my numbers. He has given me a deep appreciation for how my body works. It is as if he handed me the owner1s manual to my body and showed me how to operate this amazing machine of mine. He has unlocked a whole new world of physical possibilities for me. Wow! The things I can do that I never knew I could! Thank you, Stefan.

Rachel Linton, 29, Personal Assistant

Five ankle operations after a horse riding accident 15 years ago left me with little flexibility and quite a lot of pain in my right ankle. As a competing athlete (track and cross country runner) I was always very active and planned to continue maintaining performance and body. Unfortunately because of the accident, I was unable to do this and I lost muscle tone and much of my endurance.

About as year ago I started working with the Strength 123 “ Integrative Movement Therapy” program by Stefan Aschan. When training as an athlete, we were told how to do it. Stefan’s program took me beyond the basics into connecting the how and why, which we had not been taught back then. This has allowed me to get back into an active lifestyle without injuring myself and improving my performance.

I now know how to stabilize and move correctly, using strength and basic movement patterns that I had lost, right from day one. We have built up core strength, retrained and re-conditioned both body and mind, paying special attention to muscle usage, correct posture and balance.

The changes in my diet and a new exercise regime, advised by Stefan, has changed my life, as well as reducing body fat from 24.5% to 20.0%.
I never thought that I would be able to exercise any where near to my old level, but have been proven wrong. At the moment, alongside two personal training sessions, I run 10 miles and cycle 30 miles every week. Still going strong.

Samantha Zirkin, 29, Everyone’s Closet, Founder and President

In 2007, I injured my back severely. I wasn’t able to sit with out pain, socialize at a dinner table, or sit comfortably while driving a car. It was difficult to tie my shoes and painful to pick up my newborn baby. I was fearful that I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed my baby or even hold her for more than a few minutes. I was terrified that my back pain would not improve and that I wouldn’t be able to properly care for my daughter as she grew.

I saw many different doctors, including neurologists, a pain management specialist, a chiropractor, and even an acupuncturist. I also tried two different physical therapists. I tried all the treatments the doctors advised and went to months of physical therapy, but nothing helped. One of the neurologists urged me to work with a personal trainer before considering back surgery.

Then I met Stefan. It only took a few minutes of conversation for me to decide to work with him. Not only does he understood all my medical issues, he is also extremely knowledgeable about nutrition and fitness. In fact, he knows much more than any of the physical therapists! His approach is novel, but grounded in current scientific data. In addition, he is easy to talk with, both friendly and outgoing.

Three months later, my back pain has decreased dramatically from level 7 to level 1.

I can sit.

I can complete any common daily living task.

I can carry my 22 pound child all day long.

I have my own pain free life back.

Because of the Strength 123 program, I am no longer worried that I cannot care for my child. I feel energized and empowered. I am confident and happy.

The reduction of fat tissue was just a by-product and not a focus of mine. Yet, I went from 24.90% to 19% body fat. All my friends ask what I eat and how I work out. They too want to be a size 4! The nutritional program, Mental Detox, changed my way of eating and it showed. I have more energy, sleep better and feel great about myself.

It is time to start playing sports again. I am looking forward to signing up for a Zogsports volleyball team with my husband. Without Stefan’s help and his Strength 123 program I would not be able to give my baby the care she deserves and would not be able to enjoy holding her and playing with her.

Jean Stern, 42, Fashion Industry

I can truly say that I am the most physically fit that I have ever been thanks to the Strength 123 program. Before Strength 123 I never ran. Now I am competing in 6 K events. This would have not been possible without Stefan’s knowledge to build up a body of strength step by step. I look forward to the next decade of being active, strong and healthy.

Tom Stephenson, 30, Wine Store General Manager

Years ago I met Stefan and was immediately impressed by how hard he could work me out without using boring machines. He was the first person I thought of when I wanted to rehab after a broken arm and improve my marathon finish time.

To reach my goal of preparing for the marathon while my arm was still recovering , I needed someone who understood how to put together a great workout but keep within my newfound limitations.

Stefan’s expertise made it possible to work around the injury and still improve my strength, movement patterns and running technique. Best of all, when I pulled a hip-flexor mid-season, Stefan helped me recover fully in time for the NYC Marathon!

I went from 169 lbs to 163 lbs and from 25% to 20% body fat. Most importantly, I feel stronger and more in control when running long distance and that I am better using my core muscles when I run.

Stefan’s Strength 123 program was essential to my success this year — I couldn’t have done it without him!

Michael Mueller, 55, President, New York City
I needed help. I had gained almost 20 lbs because of my intense travel schedule and feeling out of control with my eating habits.

Exercise did not exist as traveling and my intense work schedule took my energy. In short, I was in a downward spiral and needed to get out of it.

Stefan’s programs, the Strength 123 and Mental Detox program, helped me to lose 19 lbs in 8 weeks.

Yet, this was not the only benefit that I have experienced. I changed my attitude from “no, I can’t” to “yes, I can do it”. I feel confident and in control. I have more energy. The best part of Stefan’s programs are, that they are feasible and I can do them anywhere. This has worked for me and I am confident that it will work for you.

Matt Nadel, 38, Trader, New York City
My close friend referred me to Stefan. You will get some good challenging workouts, he said, and this was the case.

Weight loss was not my focus but I went from 225lbs to 195lbs, a loss of 30lbs.

I gained flexibility and build up strength to be stronger at the recreational sports I that I play. As a trader on Wall Street, lifting weights does not keep my attention-I need more intensity. I need to be challenged and need to see results.

Stefan’s programs delivered on both the challenge AND the results.

Adrian Ashkenazy, 33, CFO, Prudential Real Estate Investors–Latin America
Since starting with the Strength 123 and Mental Detox program, I have acquired specific knowledge about nutrition and my body.  Before I ate and exercised without a plan and without the tools to change.

Now I know the difference between beneficial and detrimental foods in a more comprehensive way.  I also understand how to change my body-positioning and posture to eliminate what had previously been terrible back pain.

I feel more alert, and I have more energy.  Now that I have lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks, with proper diet and exercise, I am motivated to get to and stay at a more appropriate weight.  With some commitment on my part and Stefan’s help, I am confident that I will accomplish my goals.

Most importantly, my wife is happy that I am taking care of myself.

A. J. Fishman MD, New York University School of Medicine
When I initiated the Strength 123 Nutritional Detox program, I was concerned that it would have a temporary benefit. This was my experience with all previous “diet” programs I had tried in the past, including the popular reduced carbohydrate methods.

What I soon realized was that the Detox program was not a “diet” at all, but rather functioned as a training program for healthy cooking and eating, one of the core ingredients to healthy living.

Through the program I was convincingly familiarized with the benefits of natural foods and principles of nutrition that I would never have explored or learned on my own.

The benefits have remained simply because I feel better when I eat this way. This experience has been unlike any other “diet” program I had tried in the past, which ultimately failed because they were based on applying restrictions to what I really wanted to do which was to enjoy eating!

Through my experience with Strength 123, I do not feel restricted but rather feel that I have been opened up to a whole new world of food and gained a tremendous knowledge, which will stay with me for the rest of my life. And even better, I enjoy eating!

And before I forget to tell you, I lost 30 lbs with this program 8 weeks.

Eunice Valdivia, President of Clinique North America
“Have exercised for years and since I’ve been working with Stefan Aschan, I can truly say he has been a tremendous influence in the way I have rethought and reprogrammed my needs regarding nutrition, exercise, and strength training – a life commitment.

His formula embodies your whole lifestyle and he is tremendously knowledgeable. He couples nutrition and strength training with information to better understand the rationale behind his instruction.

He began with the need for proper nutrition, good posture and core strength, and then the toning, flexibility and strength building. He adds humor and a joy for life which makes every session, no matter how tough, a pleasure.”

Ana Paula Araujo, 24, Model, centerfold Swimsuit Model for Sports Illustrator 2007
In my industry, my appearance is what sells clients’ products and what makes me successful.  It is intensely competitive and I need to be the best that I can possibly be.

I heard about Stefan’s training and nutrition programs from several of my friends who have been working with him. What I have heard is that he is unique in his training approach and in how quickly his training approach gets results. Nobody could explain to me precisely how he is different, until I meet with him in person.

After our first meeting I was convinced that he is extremely knowledgeable in both nutrition and exercise and in how to leverage both to get the best overall results. After our first session, I understood the issues that I had that needed to be corrected. The back problems, which I had, disappeared. My posture and my breathing improved. My sleeping was immediately improved. The Mental Detox program was challenging at first, but as soon I felt the difference I continued. I had more energy. His program is not just for the body; it is for your mind and soul, as well.

If you want to find focus, and see results in your body appearance and performance, don’t think twice, Stefan’s programs have helped me. I am confident, if it worked for me it will work for you.

Isabel Rose, Actress – Anything But Love, Author – J.A.P Diaries, Performer – J.A.P Chronicles, the Musical Eunice
Working with Stefan has been a life altering experience. I feel like I will live 20 years longer now and suffer fewer body related set backs as I get older. Stefan has helped me to build a much greater body awareness and I have never experienced injury with him.

He always pushes me, but just to my limit, not beyond which could lead to injury. Stefan is brilliant in his understanding of body mechanics and also the way the brain functions in regards to food and eating. His newsletters keep me motivated and in step with the program and his recipes are extremely helpful.

I know I have never looked better or felt stronger and more in control of my body. Strength 123 is a lifestyle, so if you are ready to commit yourself, it will change your life for the better.

C. Hudson, former CEO, Fortune 500 Company
Thank you for changing my life. Post-menopausal, at age 51, I thought all I had to look forward to was a downhill slump of more sagging and drooping.

In less than two months your exercises and nutritional recipes have helped me to lose the fat, restore tone and muscle to my body, and have given me more energy than I have had in 20 years.

My friends tell me I look 35, and I have the energy I had at 20. And my sexual appetite has been rekindled! You are a miracle worker

Adam Williams, Convertible Bond Trader
Stefan, I just did a week of ‘Mental Detox’, and lost 10 lbs! I was 204 lbs. now I am 194 lbs and I only lifted weights once.

This week my goal is to do Strength 123’s interval cardio programs plus ‘Mental Detox’. I intend to lose another 10 lbs.—can’t wait to see my six-pack again.

Todd Weinberg, Commercial Real Estate Broker
“I wanted to find a trainer who i felt would give me back my confidence in my physical/athletic abilities as well as learning new and exciting ways to work out. Not only have I done that with Stefan, through his enthusiasm and patience with me, but also I have developed my body to become stronger in cardio and muscle tone.

I have a new outlook on working out with the proper nutritional thought in mind as well. I feel like a new person I walk out of training each week with the greatest high one could have. VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE!”

Kerry Lester, Age 32, Senior Manager/CPA with Deloitte & Touche LLP
My first experience working with Stefan was a result of gift from a very dear and old friend…. and a gift it most certainly was…a gift I presently define as “the gift that keeps on giving.” Prior to working with Stefan, I was a loyal gym member, attending either a class or working out on my own 3 – 5 times per week.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t really achieving the results that I wanted. What was soft, stayed soft, despite my best intentions. After working out with Stefan, I soon discovered that what I thought was “good enough”…. quite frankly wasn’t “good enough” at all. I wasn’t addressing my own desires or goals as a result of my own defined workouts and dietary habits. I didn’t have the information to coach myself appropriately.

During my first few sessions with Stefan, he was able to not only address my physical challenges, but also structure a program that would provide for both my physical and mental goals as well as provide me with the tools to achieve such goals. Stefan was easily able to decipher the structure I needed from both a physical and mental standpoint. He quickly assessed what “drove me” as an individual and structured my workouts accordingly. After about a month of weekly workouts coupled with my commitment to the two-week Mental Detox program, I am REALLY seeing results where I want to see them. I can feel them within me.

Committing to the Mental Detox program was definitely a challenge…especially in a city where there is an overwhelming abundance of delicious food and drink. But I did it with the help of Stefan’s recipes, guidance and support. Through Stefan’s program I was able to commit myself to something that was actually good for me…. in all the physical, mental and emotional capacities.

Although I am officially off “Mental Detox” now, I have tried to adapt a lifestyle that includes the elements of the Mental Detox program, and some of the NYC aspects that I love. I am all about moderation.

I am now enjoying a NYC lifestyle complemented with a healthy lifestyle that results in the body that I desire…a body that I desire without necessarily giving up everything that makes life fun. I have found that Stefan is flexible, listens and responds to my own personal desires, goals and values, and ultimately caters to me as a client in an appropriate fashion that maintains both my physical and mental well-being. Stefan was a gift to me…. find in him a gift for yourself…. you are worth it!

Debbie Leong, 43, Magazine industry
I had been in the magazine industry for 10 years and read every article on healthy eating, worked in the beauty and fashion industry for the next 8 years and also gained the knowledge of how to be beautiful on the outside!!!

However over the last 10 years including having a child and dealing with post pregnancy weight gain, I had ignored all what I knew, and lived by restricting my food intake and keeping my energy level up with sugar and diet coke, mixed in with a weekly spinning class ( to kid myself I was healthy) and to sustain the crazy pace of life that we all live while having a career and a family in Manhattan.

I knew my eating habits were bad, but at 43 I was a size 4 weighing 118lbs at 5ft 8 and rarely had a pimple – so what was going to make me change!!

My husband took action, booked me 5 sessions with Stefan who he had observed working with other clients in our building gym.

Skeptical at first, Stefan made it quite clear in our first session that my eating was appalling, my cardio non existent, and that regardless of the 20 years I had spent in health clubs I could not even hold my body correctly to perform a lunge!!! A little shocked at first, I left our first session with literature to go on a Mental Detox and study Alignment Activation and Elongation.

I stuck to his diet to the letter in 2 weeks, followed his simple fun recipes and fortunately I was not working so I could take it really easy, as the first week was hell. By the second I was confidently on a role, seeing a huge improvement in my skin already and waking up with energy that I had only got before after a cookie/chocolate or diet coke!!

My sessions with Stefan became enjoyable as I naturally began to hold my body correctly and felt the satisfaction of performing strength exercises correctly; I very quickly started to feel stronger and did not wake up the next morning in agony.

After a 7 week period I look back on my old eating habits as a crime to myself, why did it take Stefan to set me straight, either way he worked!!

Turn back the clock was his promise – well the continual comments about how refreshed I look is testament to that. But his greatest success is that his continual encouragement in the sessions and via constant updates received via e-mail has turned my addiction for chocolate, cookies and coke to food that are most nutritious for my body.

I am proud of my whole foods shopping cart not guiltily hiding it in that long and endless line, as I make good choices I remember Stefan’s look of amazement while he circled all the food that I usually ate.

Thanks Stefan my husband is very pleased with his investment… and I have more importantly turned from the worst, to the best example for my 6 year old son!!!

A. Seminski, President, Seminski Design
What I like about Strength 123 is having personal attention. I don’t like going to the gym and especially by myself mostly because I feel self-conscious and I find it boring. Strength 123 is fun because you make it interesting and different every time. And you know me well so I feel the training is very personal.

I find it different in that Strength 123 incorporate’s a lot of different elements: strength, cardio, flexibility and coordination. So its not like other programs where you are just lifting weights. People have noticed that I am sculpted. I lost 12 lbs. I feel different and I have a lot more energy thanks to the Mental Detox program.

Jennifer Torino, Archipelago
What can I say? THANK YOU Stefan for being great at what you do. The 10- week experience with you will stay with me forever. Aside from the obvious change in appearance what matters most was the change inside.

I was always very nervous about working out with a personal trainer. I didn’t like the idea of running around looking like a nut in front of people while grunting and flailing about, but that was not what my workouts were like.

I liked right off the bat how you took the time to find out my goals and to start off slow and build up from the basics to ensure that I would continue on properly. I now have the confidence to workout on my own and while I do so I hear your voice saying “don’t stop…you’re doing great…5 more”.

Then of course we have Mental Detox. Now I won’t deny that was a struggle, but worth every second. My change never would have been able to happen had I not changed my eating habits – and here I though I was eating healthy. Mental Detox taught me to listen to what my body needed to perform better. I eliminated certain things that I thought I couldn’t live without and now I have more energy, sleep better (which was a major issue) and feel absolutely fantastic…

The constant compliments on my appearance aren’t too bad either. I went from 34.60% to 23% body fat. A weight loss of 21 lbs.

Last, but not least, are the weekly newsletters. They were a constant guide and support system that arrived in my inbox just at the right moment and I still don’t know how you managed to do that…I guess it’s because like I said above you are great at what you do!

I have told plenty of friends and I will continue to do so that there are personal trainers and then there is Stefan!

Gail Spindell, 63, Psychotherapist, New York
I have watched many trainers.  When I finally made the decision to hire a personal trainer it was Stefan I called. While watching him train others I knew he had a high level of skill, good humor, and the ability to maintain his professional role. He is the best that I have seen.  I have been rewarded with someone who is not only a personal trainer but rather a coach. His skills and knowledge have helped me improve my lifestyle, incorporating nutrition and exercise and motivation into a comprehensive plan.
A recent back injury caused me to lose strength, balance and stamina. After Stefan’s first session, I learned how to activate and properly align my body. Proper execution of movements were implemented. I improved my ability to protect my back.  Slowly I gained confidence and lost the fear of using weights, machines, and Swiss balls again, all of which helped to improve my body.

The results were outstanding. I went from 156 lbs to 149 lbs and from 32.1% body fat to 29% body fat. Yet, improvements of numbers were just one benefit from his Strength 123 program. His guidelines, support, and advice helped me to integrate changes on a concrete level. He helped me to stay accountable and succeed. I feel more confident, more fit, motivated, and in control of my exercise program. Each session is extremely valuable, with information and tips on how to improve my body.

I am not 43 or 53 years old. However, I am proud of my 63 years and I want to be the best for my age. Stefan’s program is helping me to achieve my goals. I feel and look even better then I could imagine.

Click HERE to register for call! Or call our office at 212-750- 3696.