Meet the Trainers

MEET THE TRAINERS

Success comes from a fitness approach that works for you. It is not one size fits all. To help you build a well-balanced routine, our Personal Trainers tailor a program that meets your individual needs.

Let’s get on the path to more efficient, effective and more importantly fun workouts.

THE TRAINERS

Amy Franklin

National Academy of Sports Medicine

From a young age, Amy had a passion for movement. She began her fitness career in group exercise including yoga, cycle, circuit training, weightlifting, Pilates, hot Pilates and barre. Now, fueled by a love for sports and the transformative power of movement, Amy offers a dynamic approach to personal training and group fitness instruction.

Amy is committed to helping her clients discover the same joy and vitality through fitness and offers a comprehensive experience tailored to individual needs and goals. Whether you're seeking to build strength, increase flexibility, or simply embrace a healthier lifestyle, she is here to guide and support you with personalized training programs, motivating classes, and a positive, encouraging attitude.

Eshan Dandekar

ISSA

MS Kinesiology

MS Nutrition

ACSM - Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP)

ACSM/NCHPAD Inclusive Fitness Specialist

Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) Credential

Coach, trainer, athlete, and clinician, Eshan wears many hats to improve health, wellness, and performance. Rooted in the basics of physiology and sports medicine, Eshan has worked in various backgrounds from Pre-/Post Surgery rehabilitation to introductory weightlifting to sport performance, working with adolescents to college athletes to geriatric populations.

Holding degrees in Kinesiology and Nutrition, he utilizes knowledge of both the external and internal mechanisms for building strength, staying mobile, and increasing resilience. Eshan uses any and all modalities and tools at his disposal to work with his clients, educate them in the process, and make the journey fun and enjoyable.

Jessica Caviglia

ACE, ISSA

Jessica has had an interest in fitness and wellness from a young age- playing competitive soccer from her youth to her college years. After completing a number of marathons, her interest in functional training led her to receive a Group Fitness certification from ACE and Personal Training certification from ISSA.

As a mother of four, she has always prioritized having a healthy balance in life and continues to achieve elite levels of fitness despite a demanding schedule outside of the gym. Her goal for her clients is to ensure each workout in their program is designed to maximize results in each and every session.

She recently entered into the hybrid racing world, and in her first year qualified for Women’s Elite Deka International World Championships (Top 20) and raced competitively in Hyrox races as well. She believes that everyone should prioritize health and fitness, and not only helps clients personalize their own fitness goals, but creates programs to push her clients to meet, and ultimately surpass, their goals.

With an emphasis on strength training and muscular and cardio endurance, she promises an exciting, rigorous and successful program for each and every client.

Shaneet Kumar

Kumar has over 7 years of experience as a personal trainer. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Human and Health Performance and is ISSA certified. Kumar is passionate about fitness and helping people. He has a proven track record helping clients reach their goals whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or overall health and wellness. In Kumar’s free time, he enjoys playing football and basketball.

Rafael Aguliar

ISSA

As a seasoned personal trainer with a passion for empowering individuals, Rafael specializes in strength and conditioning, muscle hypertrophy, weightlifting, and athletic training at all levels, he is dedicated to guiding you towards your fitness goals with precision and care.

Rafael’s approach focuses on injury prevention, proper lifting techniques, enhancing overall longevity, and believes in equipping clients with the knowledge and skills needed to seamlessly integrate fitness into their daily lives.

With expertise in youth fitness, performance training, weight loss, bodybuilding, and corrective exercise, he tailors each program to the client’s unique needs and aspirations.

Drawing from a background as a collegiate athlete in football, soccer, and track, accompanied with over 15 years of weightlifting experience, Rafael brings a wealth of practical knowledge to every session. Additionally, as a competitive bodybuilder, he understands the dedication required to achieve peak physical performance.

His mission is simple yet profound: to empower individuals to surpass their fitness goals and embrace a healthier, more vibrant lifestyle. Whether you’re striving for athletic excellence, weight loss, or simply seeking to enhance your well-being, he is committed to guiding you every step of the way.

Chris Eagen

Chris has been a personal trainer and coach for 12+ years. His certifications include CFL1, CFL2, NASM, Weightlifting L1. As a former collegiate athlete, fitness and staying active have always been passions of his. Chris was a CrossFit athlete from 2012-2017 who competed at the Regional level both individually and on a team. The best part of his job is striving to make his training sessions the best part of his clients’ days. It’s always his goal to help them feel better leaving than when they came in.

Nieki Mehrany

Nieki has cultivated a lifelong aspiration to enact positive change in the lives of others. Beginning with her involvement in soccer and later tennis, she discovered her true passion resided in the weight room. Through consistent dedication to weight training, she aspired to empower women by exemplifying the beauty of strength. Certified by the International Sports Sciences Association, Nieki diligently mentors women, guiding them toward their strength and physique objectives. Additionally, she holds accreditation in pre- and postnatal care, demonstrating her great commitment to supporting women during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Through collaborative efforts with OB/GYNs, pelvic floor therapists, and other specialists, Nieki has immersed herself in a wealth of knowledge concerning women's pregnancy journeys, further enhancing her ability to provide her clients with the best care.

Gabe Marin

Kinesiology B.S.- Weight lifting level 1 - Pre script level 1 - CAMTC

Gabriel Marin has a B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in health and human performance from Saint Mary’s College. Gabriel has been training clients for 6+ years and is passionate about helping others with their athletic and wellness journeys. Gabriel has been active his entire life and has a deep understanding of what it means to be an athlete as a former D1 athlete himself. Gabriel is also a certified massage therapist and believes in a holistic approach to health and wellness. Along with having worked with high-level NFL athlete’s at California Strength, he has also worked with clients of all walks of life and treats every person as an athlete for life. Gabriel believes that exercise is not all about performance, but also longevity and keeping the body moving properly. He is excited to bring his knowledge of performance and wellness to his clients at The Club at Los Gatos.

Justin Bruce

Justin has been a Personal/Group Trainer for 6+ years. Justin played Collegiate Baseball which is where he found his love for fitness. Justin’s certifications include NASM CPT, CrossFit L1 Trainer, CrossFit L1 Nutrition. Justin specializes in Olympic Weightlifting Lifting, Bodybuilding, Gymnastics, Flexibility and Sport Specific Training. Justin works with people of all ages and knows how to keep training fun while also keeping clients motivated.

Alex Roman

A lifelong athlete and martial artist with 25 years Wrestling experience, 20 years of jiu jitsu experience; and 16 years of boxing, muay thai and kickboxing experience. Alex has been training athletes and fighters for the last 12 years. As a true student of the game, Alex continues to learn and better himself so that he can better serve his clients.

Alex’s credentials include Black Belt achievement in Jiu Jitsu, National Jiu Jitsu Champion, Most valuable offensive back of the year in Football, Utility player of the year in Football, Sophomore & Junior of the year in Volleyball.

Leo Davis

Leo has had an ever-evolving interest in health and fitness as he was a multi-sport athlete throughout the majority of his life. His sports background led to him to studying and earning a Bachelors of Science Degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Rehabilitation Science from San Jose State University. Moreover, Leo has allocated extensive knowledge from mentors in sports chiropractic, orthopedic physical therapy, and holistic therapy. Soon Leo will have earned his NSCA CSCS certification. With knowledge from multiple backgrounds, he specializes in sports performance training, preventive exercises, postural correctness, strength and conditioning, range of motion, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching, and overall functional fitness. Leo loves to encourage his clients to believe in their own capabilities as it will surprise them with what they can accomplish.

Johnny Padilla

Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology concentrated in Therapeutic Studies. His sole purpose is to help create longevity in the lives of others. The way he is able to accomplish this mission statement is by empowering and educating his clients on how to regain control of their bodies and mind. Using a wide array of training techniques such as strength, corrective, and preventative exercises, Jonathan improves movement quality inside and outside of the gym. Jonathan continues to learn new training techniques that will enrich the lives of his clients.

Chris Stott

Evogen Elite Athlete

NPC Men’s Physique Competitor

NASM Certified Personal Trainer

NASM Certified Nutrition Coach

As an NPC National Level Men’s Physique Competitor and former semi professional soccer player, as well as a personal trainer / coach for over 20 years Chris has an extensive background in the fitness industry and sports.

His areas of expertise are muscle building, strength & conditioning, weight loss and nutrition. Chris loves working with lifestyle clients and athletes helping them to achieve their fitness goals.

Patrick Cushing MS, CSCS

200RYT, FRCms
Hanson Muscle Therapy
USSF Licensed Soccer Coach

A trainer for the past 13 years, Patrick moved to California from the East Coast in 2019 to continue his health and fitness journey. With a Bachelors in Exercise Physiology, a Masters in Public Health, and Division 1 collegiate athletic experience, Patrick brings a blend of performance, corrective, and preventative exercise expertise. Within The Club LG, Patrick also works under the umbrella of Tobe Hanson, working with clients to fix pain, restore function, and improve performance. Patrick also works with Courtney Jonson, the nutritionist at The Club LG, to help clients undertake nutritional initiatives to accompany their training plan.

Patrick specializes in flywheel training, barbell and Olympic lifting, weight loss, bodyweight training, and fitness for 55+. With certifications in a variety of disciplines, including some lesser known areas like Functional Range Conditioning, kettlebell, Indian Clubs, Animal Flow. and aquatic fitness, he enjoys bringing growth and balance to people’s lives through movement. In the Los Gatos community, Patrick is also a soccer coach for Los Gatos High School and Raymond J. Fisher Middle School.

Alex Toholj

Alex is a dedicated and experienced certified personal trainer, holding certifications from NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association). While studying computer science, Alex has successfully used fitness as a means to enhance both mental and physical well-being while pursuing academic goals. Through personal experience and extensive knowledge gained in the gym, Alex has developed expertise in various fitness areas, including building lean muscle mass, weight loss strategies, and strength training. Notably, Alex has achieved remarkable success in the fitness industry, winning the overall championship in NPC (National Physique Committee) men's physique category and attaining national qualification status. This combination of academic pursuits, personal dedication, and competitive achievements makes Alex a well-rounded and accomplished fitness professional.

Michelle Brown

Michelle has been an athlete all her life and has been helping people transform for over 15 years. Growing up she did a variety of competitive sports including softball, track, cross country, cheerleading, and dance. Later in life, she got into bodybuilding and became a Professional IFBB Pro in the Figure division in 2015. Competing from 2008 thru 2017. Early on Michelle worked as a Medical Assistant in Orthopedics and then transitioned into Physical Therapy. This is where her love of helping people truly began. Michelle is a true believer of health and wellness. She has certifications mainly thru NASM for Training, Nutrition Specialist, Behavioral Change, Nutritional Coaching, Weight Loss Specialist, as well as courses in Life Coaching. Having a fun energetic personality, she likes her clients to work hard but enjoy the journey of transforming.

Samuel Saidian

Sam Saidian has been working in the health and fitness industry for over a decade. As a collegiate athlete, Sam started his journey as a supplement salesman. He then transitioned into personal training and eventually massage therapy. After four years as a massage therapist, Sam followed his true passion and pursued a career as a Nutritionist. Ensuing seven years in Nutrition, Sam has made a return to training, branding himself as a “longevity coach”. Combining his array of health and fitness skills, Sam creates programs that focus on keeping people happier and healthier, longer.

Shantik Azima-Taylor

Shantik specializes in martial-arts, self-defense and is also a fitness instructor. His repertoire includes over ten years of experience in Krav Maga, MMA, Hapkido, Eskrima, Muay Thai, Self-Defense, Women’s Self-Defense, and HIIT Cardio Kickboxing/Bootcamps. Shantik's goal is to teach his clients how to protect themselves and their loved ones and take clients to a next level of training physically and mentally. His goal is to utilize his knowledge and expertise to help clients build confidence and strength.