Back Pain Personal Trainer in Williamsburg, Brooklyn: What Working With Me Looks Like
Updated: 19 hours ago
Your back has ached for years. You've tried physical therapy, a chiropractor, maybe Pilates or yoga. You know your hips are tight, but that's about all you know. The worst part isn't even the pain. It's not knowing why it hurts or what to do about it.
If that sounds like you, and you live or work in Williamsburg, this post explains exactly how I coach people with chronic back pain in person, where we train, and what your first session looks like.
In short: I coach people with chronic back pain in person in Williamsburg, at Chalk Gyms, McCarren Park or your building's gym. We find the cause of your pain first, get you relief, then build strength. You start with a 60 minute Intro Session.
Who I help
My ideal client is someone like me. You grew up doing what doctors and other adults told you about your body. You've had several kinds of pain over the years, and your back is the worst. You want to work at your computer, sit, travel, work out and live your life without your back getting in the way.
Many people come to me with a diagnosis: scoliosis, spinal stenosis, a bulging disc, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis or arthritis in the low back. Others have no diagnosis at all and just know it hurts. Some of the most difficult clients turn out to be the best clients, because nothing else has helped them, so they're ready to learn.
Why I do this
I had back pain from age 10. By 16 an MRI showed scoliosis, spinal stenosis and a bulging disc. At 21 an X-ray showed degenerative disc disease, and the doctor's advice was to avoid running, jumping and lifting. I was sitting 12 to 14 hours a day and was scared to tie my shoes.
Nobody was coming to save me, so I studied anatomy, read every back pain book I could find, earned more than a dozen certifications and courses and tested everything on myself. Today I'm pain free. I sprint, lift heavy and train Muay Thai. I know what it's like to have your back ache at a desk all day, because that was me.
Where we train in Williamsburg
In-person sessions happen where it's easiest for you:
Chalk Gyms in Williamsburg, a fully equipped gym.
McCarren Park, outdoors when the weather is good.
Your building's gym, if you have one.
I also coach clients online anywhere in the world, but if you're in Williamsburg, Greenpoint or nearby, training in person means I can watch how you move and adjust things on the spot.
What your first session looks like
We start by finding the cause of your pain, not just chasing the spot that hurts.
A full chronic pain review. What the pain is, how long you've had it, when it shows up (time of day, where you are, what you're doing), how it feels, and what makes it better or worse. We look for the pattern that connects your bad days.
Movement tests. Mobility, trigger points, strength and standing on one leg. Can you kneel on the ground? Can you do a couch stretch? Can you touch your toes?
A plan. We go through my back pain relief guide and my full body assessment together, set goals, and decide on the first steps.
The two most common causes I find are a lack of hip mobility (your hips sit right below your low back, so when they don't move, your back does the work) and a lack of hip strength.
What the first weeks focus on
Relief comes first. Back pain relief is the goal in the first week. That usually means finding positions that take the pressure off, and changing how you sit and stand during your day.
Then we build. A typical starting point is a single leg deadlift with support, one hand on a wall or bench, so the work stays in your leg and hip instead of your low back. As you get stronger, the training moves toward athletic, coordinated movement, because your body works as one connected system, not as separate parts.
Between sessions you'll have simple habits to practice. One that sounds too simple to work: sit on the floor for 20 minutes a day, ideally before bed, in whatever position feels best (kneeling, half kneeling, on your side, a couch stretch). It releases tension, gets blood flowing to your joints and helps you sleep.
The mistake most people make on their own
Most people think they just need to get stronger. So they either deadlift heavy without moving well, or they avoid loading their back altogether and only use isolation machines. Either way, the body gets tighter and less coordinated instead of better. Posture and daily habits are often the real cause, and no amount of extra strength fixes a habit you repeat 10 hours a day.
How in-person coaching works
Start with an Intro Session: a 60 minute session in Williamsburg (or online) where we review your pain, test how you move and leave with a plan.
Then coaching, 1, 2 or 3 times a week: in-person 60 minute sessions, a custom training program, a nutrition plan, access to my coaching app and unlimited messaging between sessions, with weekly progress tracking.
Plans and prices are on the in-person coaching page.
Questions people ask
Do I need a diagnosis first?
No. Many of my clients have never had one. The pain review and movement tests in your first session show us where to start. If something needs a doctor's attention, I'll tell you.
I've already tried physical therapy and a chiropractor. Why would this be different?
Physical therapy often focuses on isolated exercises and stops when the pain drops. Adjustments give short relief that fades. My focus is finding the cause, getting you out of pain, and then building strength and coordination so you can train, play and live without your back holding you back.
I'm not in shape. Is that a problem?
No. We build the foundation first and start with the gentlest version of every movement.
Where in Williamsburg do we meet?
At Chalk Gyms, in McCarren Park, or in your building's gym.
Start here
If you have back pain from sitting, or back pain when you work at a computer, and you live or work in Williamsburg, book your intro session or a call on my in-person coaching page.
Not ready yet? Get my free Back Pain Relief Guide and start with the basics at home.
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-Tom
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