Reviews

I recently attended Tom's hardstyle kettlebell clinic. Tom did a great job of explaining how to perform the movements safely as well as the reasons why the exercises are important.He was able to find the flaws in my technique and give me straight forward methods to correct them.I left the clinic feeling confident that I would be able to implement what I learned to improve my training.

Tom gave an awesome Kettle bell instructional private class to myself and a fellow coach. He helped us by demonstrating the correct form, key words to use with our own clients, along with great progressions. He is a very intelligent individual who really knows his stuff. I highly recommend Tom to anyone that is looking to improve there kettle bell skills or looking for a personal trainer. You will not be disappointed! Great Coaching Tom!

Tom led a Kettlebell training session in my studio. His knowledge of the human body and the biomechanics of how the body moves, coupled with his super clear instructions has made all the difference in how we coach kettlebells! Tom's expertise and coaching style are so darn beneficial to the field! My coaching and hence, business, will definitely benefit from what he has taught me. I can't wait for him to come back again! He stands out as a GREAT Coach!

Thomas exceeded my expectations and blew me away! New to kettlebells and completely out of my element, Thomas made me feel comfortable and had me swinging like a pro by the end of our first session. He has a great way of breaking down complex movements and explaining just enough of the physiology to make you understand why you're doing it, but not be overwhelmed by jargon. His enthusiastic personality makes you want to workout harder & be better. He's inspiring, hilarious, and most importantly makes workouts fun. Anyone who has the opportunity to train with him, should do it. He's amazing and will make you level up.

I trained with Tom during a week in New York (having only just started with kettlebells a few months before), and came away wishing I lived closer and could train with him more often!

The workouts were fantastic. His focus on getting the form right, his patience, and his interest in really teaching you how to master the moves... he is by far one of the best personal trainers I have ever had the pleasure of working out with and is definitely my go-to person in NYC from here on out.

My journey with Thomas: I bought my first kettlebell a year ago without any knowledge of how to even swing. I quickly contacted Thomas and he immensely helped my form improve. Fast forward to now. I had been practicing on my own for the past year, but knew that I had much to improve on. I called Thomas again for multiple sessions, and he really worked out the minute kinks in my form. I will be seeing him from here-on out.

With my goal being sound form, Thomas is the perfect k-bell instructor. His knowledge of anatomy and physiology is immense, his patience great, and his overall holistic attitude towards the craft pushes me to strive for perfection. He pushes hard when necessary, but most importantly demands good form -- this is important for longevity. I've seen other trainers push their clients too hard too soon, and I wouldn't take the risk with K-bells + an unknown un-knowledgable trainer. In short, Thomas is highly recommended.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I met Thomas. At the suggestion of a friend, I decided to attend a class...and I was extremely impressed. I've done a lot of working out and training in my day. Thomas is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. There is a also great mix of seriousness and comedy. He's extremely down to earth and fun to train with. I'd definitely recommend Thomas as an Instructor. He is constantly honing his profession and it shows. He truly cares about his clients and wants them to excel and master this art. I have improved leaps and bounds on my form and strength. Do yourself a favor and setup some sessions with him...you'll be extremely glad you did!!!

I moved to Manhattan 18 months ago, and having experienced the benefits of kettlebells before, was keen to find a good instructor right away. After suffering through countless horrible crossfit and kettlebell classes, and searching NY far and wide, I finally found Thomas LaFera.

Tom is a fantastic kettlebell / crossfit / bootcamp trainer. He is extremely skilled in handling kettlebells and teaching the proper techniques, both to those who are brand new to kettlebells and to those who are experienced with kettebells.

Tom is extremely attentive to each of his clients, even in a class with multiple people. His classes are challenging and you can visibly see progress each time. I could only lift a 5-pound kettlebell in each hand when I first started with Tom six weeks ago; today I lifted a 25-pounder in each hand.

In addition to teaching badass kettle moves, Tom places a lot of emphasis on form, flexibility, stretching, and safety, which is invaluable in the context of kettlebells (and life).

What I appreciate most about Tom is that its clear that his first priority is his clients' well-being. Unlike other trainers, Tom never rushes to finish a session. On the contrary, he always spends additional time beyond the hour to conduct the final stretches.

I highly recommend Tom LaFera to anyone looking for a transformative experience with kettlebells or crossfit.

When I first met Tom.....I was having problems walking. I have a condition called spinal tethering which affects my spine/balance/ and ability to control my leg muscles. This was unfortunately following surgery to remove a tumor from my spine three years ago. Tom came to my house twice a week for 8 months and after less than a couple of months my walking had improved tremendously and the pain in my back had disappeared. My ability to control my leg muscles was almost back to normal - a miracle as far as I'm concerned when I had thought I might end up in a wheelchair! He gave me the courage to stretch, bend and exercise and brought a sense of humor and fun into the whole business. It was truly exciting for me to see such improvements week by week (when my neurosurgeon told me I needed further surgery to relieve the problem). My doctors were literally amazed at my improvements without surgery! If you have the opportunity to work out with Tom......you will never regret it. He took the time and trouble to research my particular medical problems and knew exactly how to help me.

It is one thing to work out and another thing to get it right. With Tom LaFera you will get it right. The focus is on function. I wanted my fitness to spill over into everything I did. I wanted to be able to do things I had not been able to do before. I got what I wanted and had a great time doing it. Tom was my personal training for two years twice a week until he relocated to New York City. My workouts with Tom were challenging, fun, and personally transforming. When I started, I felt like my body was an inconvenient appendage to my mind. Now I own my body and I feel alive in a way I know I would not have ever been possible without the journey Tom and I went on together.

I have been working with Thomas for almost 4 years now to lose a total of 60 pounds so far. He pushed me- but always with an eye to form and body mechanics- and was careful about pushing just to where I could recover before the next session. His routines varied and kept my body responding throughout the 4 years with almost no plateau stage. Tom keeps things moving and his wit matches his pace with the workout. He is also able to guide through the time between sessions with "take home" routines and video of movement to keep you on task. His knowledge of nutrition and a wide variety of sport-oriented needs is impressive and just adds to his range.
I am completely spent after each session and can barely climb the stairs at my house... and the next day each movement brings a curse attached to Tom's name. He's the best around and I couldn't have come this far without him.

Wish I could give an 11, but the drop down says 10 is the max! Tom's the best of the BEST. I learned how to kettle with him, and became hooked! Tom's a stickler for form, and for the first few sessions we spent a lot of the time just working on how to hold/position the kettle and do a basic swing. Tom's attention to detail made me focus on learning proper technique early on, and made it easy to progress up to higher weights relatively quickly. He's also great at designing programs that are just the right amount of difficulty to do on your own. Whether you're a beginning kettler (like me) or someone looking to take it to the next level, Tom's the guy to see. He's funny and charming, and dedicated enough to bike with a 16kg kettle on his back 30+ blocks to Central Park to meet you at 6am. Can't rave enough!

No pain, no gain but he made me laugh my ass off - pun intended. Finding a likable trainer is high on my priority list. It's not that I like to chit-chat (I REALLY don't) but Tom's personality makes me feel very comfortable during the pain he has me inflict upon myself. In addition he is very professional and gets great results. I say look no further.