J Braun, RTSm, CSCS,
Background:
J is the owner and primary personal trainer at Tidal EPC. He has worked in the health & fitness industry for a decade. J has been a life-long competitive athlete--from the junior Olympics, in both endurance (cross-country) and track & field events (100m, long-jump, high-jump), to four-sport athlete in high school, to collegiate football player at Elon University.
He was inspired to pursue his passion for sports and fitness as a career, and after college he became a personal trainer and spent seven years with the Sport & Health Corporation. Motivated by the transformations he achieved with his clients at Sport & Health, J opened Tidal Elite Performance Center in 2006.
Though he has extensive practical experience as an athlete and professional experience as a trainer, J takes the most pride in constantly advancing his knowledge and education in a forever evolving industry. He has been certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) since 2001. While this certification and association is widely regarded as the top in the field, J felt there was more to learn. He has also completed the Resistance Training Specialist Mastery course. RTSm focuses not on what exercise to do, but why we should do that exercise and how that movement should be applied to each client.
J’s Philosophy:
Today’s athletes are bombarded with messages that tell them that “this is the only way to train and succeed.” Always wear a belt. Never wear a belt. Only use machines. Never use machines. You have to do Olympic lifts. Never do Olympic lifts. Be stable at all times. Destabilize everything. Or stabilize just some things. It makes your head spin.
So which is the right answer? Why does there have to be only one answer? The word personal is the most ignored word in this industry. The proper exercise, modality, environment, movement pattern, routine, etc., is completely and totally based on the client. At Tidal Elite Performance Center J focuses on the specific joint mechanics and body function of each and every client. The individual body’s response to load dictates how we train each person, not some “guru’s” video.
When training athletes, J concentrates on the foundation first, understanding that an injured athlete is a bigger challenge than a weak one. He starts by breaking down lifting techniques to their root movements, then putting them together when the athlete is ready.
With a strong background in nutritional development and advanced training in conditioning and program design, J has the ability and the passion to enhance personal performance to get and keep athletes at every level in the game.
Areas of Specialization:
Athletes - especially high school and college level
Movement Analysis and Joint Mechanics
Speed & Agility
Team Training
Active Adults
Pre/post Natal Clients
Certifications:
Resistance Training Specialist Mastery (RTSm)
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
CPR-AED certified
Andrew Kass, NASM CPT & CES
Website: Andrew Kass
email: ak14ak@aol.com
Andrew's Bio:
Andrew is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist who lives in Bethesda, MD with his wife Paula and their twin daughters. For more than a decade, he has assisted male and female clients of all ages and fitness levels lose bodyfat, improve muscle strength and definition, reduce low-back and joint pain, and increase their stamina and energy.
Training Philosophy:
Make every minute of every session count. Your time is precious and your physical success reflects upon my professional abilities. As a fitness professional, it is my fundamental duty to give you my full attention during every session in order to ensure that you accomplish your goals.
Each session is different and engaging without compromising purpose and effectiveness. Beginning with a careful assessment, I train your whole body to become lean, strong, and flexible for optimal everyday performance.
Alex Rosenzweig MS (pending), MATs, CSCS, PES, USATF
email: par658@gmail.com
Alex has recently finished his Master’s degree in exercise science at Springfield College in Massachusetts. During grad school Alex worked as a strength and conditioning coach in the athletes’ weight room for two years. In addition Alex had the opportunity to do internships with the Chicago Bears as well as the Houston Astros minor league system.
Alex is certified as a CSCS through the National Strength & Conditioning Association, PES through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and level 1 coach through USA track & field. In addition, Alex has completed the Muscle Activation Techniques 10 month internship and has been certified as a MAT specialist for the past year. His introduction to MAT started three years ago when he completed all three of the Jumpstart courses.
