Movement quality first, then load
We work out how your body is organising itself before we pile weight on top of it. Better mechanics means the strength you build actually transfers to your life, not just your logbook.
Personal training · Malvern East, Melbourne
Personal training that trains how you move, not just how hard you sweat.
One-on-one coaching in Malvern East with a qualified personal trainer who has gone deep on movement quality and biomechanics. We build your strength and fitness on top of how you actually move, so you get results that last and a body that feels better doing it.
Free 60-minute consultation · $49 refundable deposit holds your spot · no obligation, no lock-in
Real session · real movement quality
- ★★★★★ 5.0 on Google
- Cert III & IV Personal Trainer
- Certified in human biomechanics
- In-studio or online
- No lock-in
This is what the training actually changes.
Taras came to me with years of poor posture and stiffness. We never trained for a photo. We trained how he stands, breathes, walks and loads his body, and the way he looks and feels followed.
“I’ve struggled with poor posture and stiffness for years, but through Functional Patterns training each session builds on the last and the improvements have been incredible. My daily comfort, mobility and confidence keep getting better.”
★★★★★ Taras Cheprakov · Malvern East
You’re putting the work in. The results don’t match.
You train regularly, but you’ve plateaued, and the gym is starting to feel like admin.
Something always niggles: a shoulder, a lower back, a knee that flares whenever you push.
You’re following a program off an app and nobody is watching how you actually move.
You want to get stronger and fitter without breaking down in the process.
You’ve had trainers before who counted reps rather than coached you.
Most training plans quietly assume your body already moves well. If it doesn’t, load makes your existing compensations stronger, which is exactly how plateaus and niggles happen. Sort out the movement first and the same effort starts paying you back.
A personal trainer who starts with how you move.
I’m Michael, a qualified personal trainer (Cert III & IV) based in Malvern East, and I’ve gone a lot further than that into movement quality and human biomechanics: I’m certified through Functional Patterns as a Human Biomechanics Specialist (Level 2). So you get everything you want from a PT, structure, progression, accountability and someone pushing you, with a trained eye on how you’re standing, walking, breathing and loading while you do it.
Trained to see what others miss
Gait, posture, breathing and how you rotate under load. It’s the level of detail most training misses entirely, and it’s usually where the plateau or the recurring niggle is hiding.
Coaching, not rep counting
Detailed hands-on cueing every session, plus a small amount of homework, so you keep improving between sessions instead of starting from scratch each week.
I didn’t start out moving well either.
On paper I was in great shape: an Ironman under my belt and Olympic weightlifting in the gym. But being fit isn’t the same as moving well, and mine caught up with me. I spent two years in daily hip pain with an FAI diagnosis, couldn’t hinge without compensating in a dozen different ways, and by late 2021 my physio was preparing me for surgery. Physically, that’s about as low as it gets.
I didn’t manage it, and I didn’t get operated on. I retrained how I move: my gait, my breathing, how I load. It took me out of pain and past where I was as an athlete, further than most people are ever told is possible. Same runner, same treadmill, here’s the difference.
Before
After
That’s why I train people the way I do. I’m not handing you a theory I read about, I’m coaching you through what I did myself.
Three steps, and the first one is free.
No contracts, no hard sell, no six-month commitment before you’ve even met me.
1
Your free 60-minute consultation
A full 60 minutes at no charge. History and goals, a movement and gait screen, and real training so you feel the difference.
Start here →
2
An honest read and a plan
I tell you straight what’s driving the plateau or the niggle, what I’d change, and how long it should take. Yours to keep either way.
Then this →
3
Train weekly, and keep the progress
One to three sessions a week with coaching, progression and homework. No lock-in, we set the pace together.
Claim my free consultation →Inside your training.
Every client is different, but this is what one-on-one training with me includes.
- A proper starting point — health history, goals, past injuries, and a movement and gait screen instead of a guess.
- 1-on-1 coaching, every session — no group classes, no shared attention, no phone-in programming.
- Strength that’s built to hold — progressive loading layered on top of mechanics you can repeat well.
- Hands-on cueing and release work — so you feel the change during the session, not weeks later.
- Homework that takes minutes — short, specific work so progress isn’t limited to session time.
- Diet and weight-management support, if you want it — practical coaching on the habits behind your results: the quality of what you eat, how much of it, and the behaviours around it. Built for a goal you can actually hold onto, not a six-week crash.
- In-studio or online — a private, fully equipped studio in Malvern East, or remote coaching if you’re elsewhere.
Free · 60-minute consultation · no obligation
Real clients · real reviews
People come for training. They stay because it works.
★ 5.0
Average Google rating from my clients
1-on-1
Every session, in a private Malvern East studio
Beginners to athletes
Scaled to where you’re starting, whatever that is
“I had shoulder, hip and knee issues and Michael was absolutely fantastic. He is super knowledgeable on general PT and Functional Patterns, and allowed me to gradually move pain free! Truly couldn’t recommend him enough.”
★★★★★ Oliver Bryant · Google review
What the training changes
Train how you move, and it shows.
“Michael is an amazing trainer. He has so much knowledge. I am already seeing and feeling changes in my posture, and ability to better recruit my muscles. I am moving more easily, and am more aware of my body and posture.”
★★★★★ Amanda Morgan · Google review
“I’ve been training with Michael for 3 months and I’m really happy with the progress. He’s professional, knowledgeable, and truly passionate about what he does. Always patient and respectful, he creates a comfortable space to train while staying focused on results.”
★★★★★ Sara Jerdak · Google review
This is for you if…
- You’re starting from scratch, or coming back after years off, and want to do it properly.
- You’re a desk worker who wants to get stronger and undo what sitting all day has done.
- You already train, but you’ve plateaued or keep getting pulled up by the same niggle.
- You’re an athlete or weekend warrior who wants to move more efficiently and stay in the game.
- You’d rather have someone coach you properly than hand you a program and walk away.
Quick answers before you start.
Do I need to be fit already?
No. I train complete beginners, people coming back after years off, and experienced gym-goers who’ve stalled. Everything is scaled to where you are right now, and your first session is an assessment, not a fitness test.
What actually happens in the free 60-minute consultation?
It’s a full 60 minutes at no charge. You come into the Malvern East studio and we cover your health history and goals, run a movement and gait screen, and do real hands-on work so you feel the difference in the session rather than weeks later. You leave with an honest read on what’s driving the plateau or the niggle and what I’d work on with you. There’s no obligation to book anything afterwards.
How often would I train?
Most clients train one to three times a week, plus a short amount of homework in between. There’s no lock-in contract, so we set the pace together after your assessment.
Is this personal training, or is it rehab?
It’s personal training. I’m a qualified personal trainer with additional specialist certification in human biomechanics, so this is coaching, not medical treatment. Plenty of clients come in with a niggle they want to train around, and if you’re under someone’s care we’re happy to work alongside it.
Can you help with diet and weight management too?
Yes, if you want that support. Alongside your training I coach the behaviours around eating: the quality of what you’re eating, how much of it, and the habits that decide whether any of it sticks. The aim is a goal you can hold onto for good, not a six-week crash. If you need clinical nutrition advice, I’ll point you to a dietitian.
Where are you, and do you coach online?
The private studio is in Malvern East in south-east Melbourne, close to Carnegie, Caulfield, Ormond, Glen Huntly and Glen Iris. I also coach clients online, with video-based movement assessment.
What’s the catch? And what does it cost after?
No catch. It’s a full 60 minutes at no charge, because the fastest way to show you this works is to just show you. If you want the longer version, the full 90-minute initial consultation is $199. If you want to keep training after that, ongoing one-on-one sessions are booked as you go with no lock-in and no contract, and I’ll walk you through the options at the end so there are no surprises. If you’d rather not continue, you still keep the assessment and the plan.
Limited-time offer
Not sure a trainer is worth it? Find out on me.
Fair question, and plenty of people have been burned by a trainer before. So let me take the risk, not you. Come in for a free 60-minute consultation. A proper movement and gait screen, real training, and exactly what I’d change about how you move. You keep the plan whether you train with me or not.
Free 60-min consultation
$49 deposit
Pick a time below and it’s yours, no code and no waiting on a reply.
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Claim your free 60-minute consultation
Pick a time that suits you below and it’s booked, no back and forth. A $49 deposit holds your spot. It is credited to your first session if you decide to train with me, and refunded in full if you don’t.
Rather send a message first?
Tell me a bit about yourself and what you want out of training, and I’ll come back to you, usually within 48 hours.
Get in Touch
Malvern East · south-east Melbourne. One-on-one personal training and movement coaching to help you move, feel and perform better; it’s not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Outcomes vary. If you’re under medical care, we can work alongside it.