Who do you recommend?

Happy hump day to you!

Often times I get asked who I recommend for this and that and since I’ve been in the Newton / Boston area for almost 12 years I’ve begun to learn who’s great and who’s not for different things.  The most common question I get is, “who do you recommend for a sore forearm” or “can you recommend a massage therapist”, to which my answer is Chris Larson of Joint Ventures Kenmore Square, Boston, MA.  
 
The reason I like Chris is because he is great with a Chinese technique called, Gua Sha, in which he uses a tool, to break up soft tissue restrictions in tough spots like Tennis Elbow.  He’s also strong enough to provide deep tissue massage, which many times you need if you’ve been training hard or have stubborn knots in your shoulders, back or quads.  I also like the fact that he personal trains people, has a great library of books and videos at his office, he’s fit, he goes to similar conferences that I do and that he trains in an awesome environment, which is Joint Ventures. 

Joint Ventures is a great physical therapy place because they see their patients 1-on-1 vs seeing multiple patients at once.  I went there when I did some knee rehab and loved the high energy location, the free parking (they have 3 spots), the owners (Dan & Dave) are very cool which helps create a cool & fun working / rehab environment and on their 2nd floor training area, they have 2 top notch strength & conditioning coaches (Keith & Ally) who write great programs and use cutting edge equipment.  Not only do I get my issue addressed when I visit Chris, but I have a fun and energizing experience when I go.

Power Block U90
Power Block U90
Power Block U33
Power Block U33
T
TRX Pro Suspension Trainer

Another question I get asked a lot is where do you get your equipment.  For this I have 2 answers.  Locally I go to Gym Source-Newton on Needham Street because they have great prices, great equipment and they have Norm.  Norm is perennially #1 General Manager for all Gym Sources everywhere and has helped make his Gym Source the #1 Gym Source store everywhere.  Because he & the store are #1, they get to test things other stores don’t and they get equipment and have special leverage or “pull” that other GM’s and stores don’t have.   This is where I bought both of my Power Block sets and one of my TRX’s.


Equipment Bundle
Change Your Body Boot Camps Equipment Bundle
Perform Better, 3-Day Functional Training Summit

Perform Better is another place I recommend for equipment.  If you can love stores or businesses other than CYBBC, this is one place I heart.  They have the best equipment and for most everything, the best prices especially for rollers, superbands and mats.  Perform Better is located in Providence so regular shipping almost always arrives next day to the Newton area and has transitioned from just a track & field company to a functional training equipment company and now to an education company, which hosts arguably the best functional training conferences in the world.  You won’t find a better price on rollers or superbands than you will at Perform Better.

Now that I shared 4 of my favorite and most common recommendations I was wondering if you could share yours.  Please click here to share your recommendations for different businesses and categories if your in the Newton/Boston area.

Thank you for reading today.

Your coach,

Mike Alves

p.s.  I believe Chris and Gym Source both offer a discount to my customers, so let them know Mike Alves from Change Your Body Boot Camps referred you and Perform Better created the special bundle package in the picture above so if you don’t already have your gear or need to upgrade get the bundle.

p.p.s.  click here to share your recommendations if your in the Newton/Boston area.

p.p.p.s.  feel free to comment if you have something to share.

Do you know of a good massage therapist?

I’ve been asked a few times recently who I recommend for a good deep tissue massage, specifically for Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis), the pain one feels on the outside of the elbow from repeated or strenuous pulling activities and for shoulder discomfort resulting from a combination of poor posture and overhead activity.

Here is my recommendation:

Massage Therapist: Chris Larson, NCTMB, NCPT, A Deep Tissue & Muscular Orthopaedic Rehab Specialist.

Chris works out of:

Joint Ventures,

Kenmore Square

654 Beacon Street

Boston, MA 02215

and

Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning

29 Draper Street,

Woburn, MA 01801