Testimonials
Testimonials From Virgil’s Clients Over The Years Ranging from Elite Professional Athletes, Company CEO’s, Coaches, Personal Trainers, Secretaries, Teachers & Law Enforcement Officials:
Virgil is a very accomplished and respected trainer. With his work ethic and enthusiasm, he will take the time and effort to figure out what works best for you, so you can see maximum results.”
Linda Frohlich
WNBA Phoenix Mercury Forward
Mountain West Conference Player of the Year 2000,2001 & 2002
Here I’m hanging with Linda in the New York Liberty Locker at Madison Square Garden. It was such a pleasure to work with her. She grew up on a farm in Germany and told me the cutest stories of learning the value of hard work from her dad 
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It has been such a positive experience participating in your GivStrength Fitness Program. In addition to addressing my physical and dietary needs, the sessions were also carefully crafted to ensure that my mind was in the right place to receive and internalize the fitness instruction. One of the things that I have always hated about fitness classes is that the instructors rarely take the time to get to know their students and their specific needs. Virgil, your personalized attention has really helped motivate me to continue on my journey towards becoming a more healthy individual. Thank you for your help! I am so impressed with your ability to connect in such a positive and supportive way with the people you come in contact with.
Noel Kitchen, NYC Special Education Teacher
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Virgil is one of the country’s best trainers in the business. He brings a great deal of knowledge and experience into what he does. He’s able to incorporate physical fitness, agility, and strength into sport specific movements which directly benefits the athletes he works with. His individualized programs of stretching, conditioning, strength building, and sound advice on proper nutrition and health make for all around wellness and fitness of any caliber athlete”.
Becky Hammon WNBA New York Liberty 2003 All-Star Guard
Here I’m hangin with Becky in the NY Liberty Locker Room at Madison Square Garden. Becky was not a big fan of strength & conditioning but she did what she had to do. We got along well because she got a big kick out of beating me in 1 on 1 basketball drills
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Virgil is the type of guy who loves what he does. He’s the type that gets the job done. Whatever goals you want to achieve, Virgil will get you there. No matter if your workout is a hard one or a light one, Virgil makes it fun, interesting and enjoyable. The best thing about this guy is that he is constantly learning how to improve himself so he can improve you.
Tamika Whitmore
WNBA Los Angeles Sparks Power Forward
Led Nation in Scoring for Memphis College in 1999
Here I’m with Tamika “Miko” Whitmore in the New York Knicks Lounge at Madison Square Garden. Miko along with Tari Phillips where by far the hardest working athletes on the team. And it payed off as Miko was one of the best players on the team that year.
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Virgil is an accomplished trainer who excels in many different areas. His knowledge and simplistic approach make him very easy to work with and he succeeds in getting the best out of every situation. It was a pleasure to work with him and without a doubt he has helped meimprove and realize the areas I need to get better with. He is a perfect fit with any type of competitive program that wants to excel.
Korie Hlede
WNBA Assistant Coach of the Detroit Shock (2003 Champions)
WNBA New York Liberty Shooting Guard (2002)
Korie & Linda squeezing my cheeks. They called me sunshine because of my smile. But don’t let that fool you. I had wars with Korie playing 1 on 1 basketball. She hated losing to a guy and fouled me harder than I’ve ever been fouled. I did beat her once or twice though
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Let me list the ways I love you. First of all, you have great karma, the aura you give off is positive and you didn’t make me feel that I was incompetent or not atletic in any way shape or form. Secondly, you always gave me courage and made me feel good about myself while I was working out with you. Finally, you are a good motivator and a great listener. I wanted to work out, it was enjoyable. I appreciate that you took time to listen to my medical worries and you made me feel relaxed about a lot of things.
Thanks for everything Angelina Petraglia
NYC Teacher
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I met Virgil when he joined our staff as a seasonal strength & conditioning coach with the New York Liberty. I have known him for approximately 4 years. I’m am one of the assistant coaches, and actively involved in the day to day training of our athletes.
What Virgil allowed us to do, as a coaching staff, was two-fold:
1.) focus on basketball.
Virgil’s knowledge of proper techniques, eating habits and a sound systematic approach is excellent.
He allowed us to not have to worry about our team’s strength, conditioning, weight or cardio-vascular needs ” he had that covered for us.
We could focus on what basketball skills we wanted to help each player improve.
Secondly, Virgil helped us incorporate some of his routines and exercise principals into our individual basketball drills so our player’s workouts turned into a combination of his training regimen and our skill improvement sessions.
Virgil is so passionate about helping athletes improve, he develops a personal relationship with each one ” he honestly cares about the outcome, their improvement as well as the team’s improvement.
Virgil teaches the proper techniques, and habits for a healthy life ” not just put people through a work out. He wants them to adopt this as a part of who they are, not just train and then be done with it. He is very successful with that approach. He also emphasizes the importance of stress reduction and getting enough rest and sleep. The rigors of our season and the travel can be very damaging to an athlete’s mind and body. Virgil also encouraged our team and staff to learn on our own, to use the resources he had to further our own knowledge ” another sign that he was helping make a life change not just getting us to workout. We only had Virgil on staff for one season, but he continues to come to every game and work with our players and staff. He has made lifelong bonds, and we are grateful for his work with us. We continue to use what he helped us learn. Virgil is a great resource, if you are serious about changing your health and lifestyle, as well as improve your strength then Virgil can help you reach your goals.
Jeff House Assistant Coach WNBA New York Liberty
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It’s no coincidence that when Virgil was my strength coach I had my best season as a professional basketball player. I can’t imagine not training with him when I’m in New York and make sure to call him for advice on any topic related to my strength and conditioningprogram when I’m in Europe.
Tari Phillips
WNBA New York Liberty 4x All-Star Center (2002 All WNBA)
2002 World Basketball Championship Gold Medal Winner for Team USA
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Looking back my only regret is that I should have used Virgil’s advice when I first meet him. Virgil’s advice would have saved me a great deal of pain and frustration because his work has literally changed my life.
Maria Morales NYC DOE Coordinator
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“Virgil recently volunteered to lead fitness workshops at two homeless shelters where I coordinate health education services in Brooklyn . His philosophy of adapting exercise to a person’s lifestyle was practical and unintimidating. Watching Virgil teach is an upliftingexperience. His positive spiritual energy saturates everything he does. My clients and I are still enjoying the reverberations of that energy. I look forward to working with Virgil on future projects with challenging populations.”
Faith Groesbeck, Health Educator/Caseworker The Floating Hospital
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I’ve known Virgil professional and personally and on both levels he is an extremely motivating and knowledgeable person. I’ve worked side by side with him on the field and training floor. He is not just a trainer, he’s an educator. He will truly help you understand how your body works and how to get the best from it.
Stephanie Sanchez, New York City Police Officer
Health Club Manager and Swimming Instructor
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I have known Virgil for over six years as a physical educator, personal trainer and strength coach. His passion, enthusiasm, intelligience and work ethic are hard to beat. He is always in search for the truth and teaches people what he’s learned. Virgil designed simple yeteffective strength and conditioning programs for a number of our high school athletes and teams. I was always complaining about how we don’t have enough resources and facilities to properly train our athletes. Virgil always smiled at comments like that because he believesthat an athlete’s mind and body are his/her greatest resource. He had our athletes do bodyweight exercises, run stairs, pull old car tires and carry laundry bags to improve their strength and conditioning. It seemed simple and unconventional but our athletes really bought into it and they were in magnificent shape.
Virgil is also great at making people understand what he’s trying to teach. One time I brought an athlete who pulled her hamstring in practice to him. I explained to Virgil that she needed extra stretching. Virgil quickly performed a flexibility range of motion test on the athlete’s hamstring and said that her problem was not due to her flexibility but rather from lack of strength. I gave him a puzzled look and said don’t most athletes who pull their hamstrings need extra stretching. Virgil then explained how that was a big misconception among many coaches. He then proceeded to show me what the proper range of motion for a hamstring was. He used the athlete as an example and she actually had better than normal range of motion in both hamstring. Virgil then proceeded to show me and the athlete somebodyweight hamstring exercises and she was fine the rest of the season. After the student left, Virgil showed me some more flexibility tests and encouraged me to learn more on my own. I could tell you story after story and go on and on about Virgil but the truth is he needs no help. Once anyone decides to work with him they’ll be in for an amazing learning and transforming experience. They will learn to exercise, to eat better, to sleep better, feel better and just plain live better. Period.
Robert Gunderson Athletic Director & NYC PSAL City Championship Softball Coach
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I met Virgil at the high school I work at and have known him for approximately 4 years. I’m a school safety agent and a mother of two energetic children. When I first heard that he offered personal training services I was a little apprehensive because I feared that I wouldget too muscular. I’m only 4′11 and at the time my weight was around 145 lbs. Since Virgil is so passionate about helping athletes improve I thought I might wind up looking like one of those buff football players. What I liked most is that he always tried to make me feel comfortable and more than anything he tried to teach me about exercise and not just watch over me. He also emphasized the importance of proper nutrition, stress reduction and getting enough rest and sleep. He would always say people should exercise for the health of it and not just for the look of it. He also encouraged me to learn what I could by referring me to many of his resources. I only trained with Virgil for six months but I continue to use what he taught me to exercise on my own. These days my bodyweight rarely reaches 120 lbs and I’m able to plan my own workouts and nutritional plans. I don’t even consider Virgil a personal trainer I consider him an amazing teacher blessed with unlimited knowledge of physical training.
Colleen Barrington Safety Officer
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I have known Virgil Aponte for approximately ten years. We met as fellow employees at the Chelsea Piers Sports Center in New York City where we were personal trainers. One of the first things I noticed about Virgil was his kind and gentle spirit. He was a team player. Always ready to help the members and his fellow employees. Virgil had all types of clients: people with physical challenges, athletes, older adults, women, men and children. On his time off from training, he would be experimenting with different workout techniques and concepts. I remember seeing him and asking, “what are you doing now?” and he would have so many interesting ideas to share with me. Virgil is highly motivated and keeps up with the newest fitness findings. I have had the privilege of attending higher education seminars with him. He has turned me on to the latest educational professionals in our business. He is always open to learning and growing as a personal trainer and fitness expert. Virgil has challenged himself in all different areas of his professional life. He has been a physical education teacher, swimming instructor, personal trainer and a strength and conditioning coach for professional athletes. He loves what he does and it is obvious. I have such faith and trust in Virgil and his abilities that when I need someone to work with my clients when I am not available he is the first one I call.
Colleen O’Brien NYC Personal Trainer New York City Personal Trainer & Kick Boxing Instructor
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I have Known Virgil Aponte for seven years as a fellow colleague in the physical education department at Bushwick High School. It has always been a great pleasure working with Virgil because of his caring, enthusiastic, and amazing knowledge in the field of strength and conditioning and physical education. Knowing Virgil means knowing someone who cares about what he does and is committed to helping students, clients and anyone he works with reach their strength and health related goals. Another bonus is Virgil’s pleasant personality. He’s easy to get along with and you enjoy your time spent with him. The students at Bushwick High School love Virgil because of what he gives them and because he’s an amazing role model. He always takes time to help our student athletes with their strength and conditioning programs. What I also like is that he just doesn’t tell them what to do he teaches them what to do. He always tells me how he loves it when a student can just walk into the weight room and get to work on his/her strength and conditioning program with out him. He feels that’s when he’s really done his job. The man loves to teach and besides his wealth of knowledge in strength and conditioning that’s his biggest asset. He won’t stop till you learn what will help you achieve your goals. Anyone who decides to work with Virgil or seek his advice will achieve their goals because that’s what Virgil does. He teaches you how to get results and he’s so successful at it.
Jennifer Jones
Physical Education Teacher
Varsity Baseball Coach
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Virgil’s most precious gift as a personal trainer, strength coach and a physical educator is that he is an amazing teacher. Whatever your goals are, Virgil will teach and guide you on how best to achieve them.
Ciani Espadas
Con Ritmo Dance Studio Owner & Professional Dancer/Instructor
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I have been a physical education teacher at Bushwick High School for 23 years. I met Virgil about 7 years ago when he started working at my school. Virgil brought to Bushwick a level of professionalism and knowledge that we have never seen before. His knowledge andexperience in the fitness field was well accepted by our entire staff. It didn’t take long for our students and staff to benefit from what Virgil had to offer us.
Virgil has taught weight training, health, and swimming the past seven years. He has also worked with the student athletes and coaches in designing strength and conditioning programs that are specific to each sport. He has even worked with many staff members helping puttogether individualized programs for weight loss, toning or building strength and endurance. Virgil even designed programs for women during their pregnancy and recovery period for childbirth. When you combine Virgil’s all around, versatile professional knowledge and experience with his extremely caring and pleasant personality you get a personal trainer second to none.
Joanne Trager Physical Educator Aerobics Instructor Pregnancy/Parenting Coordinator
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I have known Virgil for many years and after constantly asking him questions about exercise and nutrition decided to give personal training a try. . I’m a special education teacher in Brooklyn , New York and I was constantly complaining about being tired all the time. I also had numerous nagging aches and pains in my different areas of my body. I can remember the first workout and thinking what a joke this is. I wasn’t even working hard and I was very skeptical. Virgil explained that this workout wasn’t meant to be hard and that he was trying to teach me how to do the workout properly. He was also making many assessments so he could better plan future workouts. Two months later I was hopping around that gym from exercise to exercise and I really didn’t even need Virgil there. I basically picked up my workout sheet and got to work. I definitely noticed a difference in my strength as my daily activities became easier to manage. Virgil also taught me about eating better and drinking plenty of clean water. Before working with him I was always very tired, and my eating habits were not the greatest. Virgil challenged me to start making changes in my eating habits. He explained that one of the reasons I suffered from tiredness and aches was because my body wasn’t receiving enough nutrients. Virgil turned me onto juicing to get more quality nutrients into my system and got me to change my other eating habits. Presently, I am still exercising, drinking pure water, eating enough fruits and vegetables and quality home cooked food. Thanks to Virgil I have not had soda in three years which is something I thought I could never do. I feel like a new women. I can’t thank Virgil enough, he’s a treasure and a god send.
Myrna Robles NYC Special Education Teacher
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To all who value expert training:
Virgil Aponte, a man who understands the body and mind. I started training with Virgil about five years ago. The very first session, I could tell that I would lose the weight that I wanted to lose. More importantly, I felt I had control over my body and I owe it all to Virgil. Virgil gave me the confidence to believe that I could accomplish my goal and keep the weight off. Amazingly, when I was depressed or stressed he knew right away. Virgil would talk to me during training and at the end of my session I felt like a new woman. He bonds with all of his trainees because he cares for all of them. On my worst day Virgil always made me smile and even when I thought that training was a waste of time he would push me to my limits and I always felt good about myself. In addition, Virgil also takes the time to find literature to educate his trainees on what and how they should eat. Virgil explains that everyone’s body is unique. More so, reiterating that everyone needs to work their bodies in different ways for the exercising to be effective for them individually. Lastly, but not least Virgil will ensure that all his trainees feel good about themselves. He is gallant in all ways. He is sensitive, diligent, and will always take the time to listen equally to all of his trainees, a quality in a trainer that is very hard to find. You do not know me, however, you took the time to read my testimony, I promise and guarantee that investing your time with Virgil Aponte will not be a mistake, but the best decision you will ever make.
Respectfully, a trainee of Virgil who started at a size 14, and is now a size 6 and for 5 years now is still a size 6.
Thanks for taking the time in reading my testimonial.
Mayra LaSalle NYC High School Assistant Principal
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I remember telling Virgil that women can’t do pull-ups and he said the last time I checked women competed in gymnastics. Under his guidance I went from barely being able to do 1 pull-up to 7 in 12 weeks. 6 years later I still train with Virgil because I know that I will always continue to excel under his expert guidance.
Maria Coste Fitness & Boxing Enthusiast
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Mr. Aponte’s passion for total health is evident. He not only challenges your body, but also your mind. In the very short time that I have been working with Mr. Aponte, he has made a positive impact in my life.Eating healthy for me has always been difficult, but the manner in which Mr. Aponte communicated his perspective about health and the foods we eat, made me realize that it is not that difficult to change. He has shown me that exercising and eating healthy can be a part of every day life by making simple changes, such as, selecting healthier food, incorporating simple exercises and learning more about health. Also his website has exposed me to a wealth of information. Although I have just begun my journey to total health, I am more than confident that with the guidance of Mr. Aponte, I will be able to achieve my weight goal. Mr. Aponte is awesome. He has a sincere and kind spirit, which transcends his work. He truly cares about his client’s entire well being. Indeed, Mr. Aponte has been given a special gift in which he is using to bless others.
Sincerely, Jeanette Crespo NYC Administrative Assistant
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I’m a secretary in the NYC Board of Education school system. I approached Virgil for some exercise techniques to help rev up my metabolism. I was a 35 year old mother of three children who weighed 144 lbs and wore a dress size of 12. I had very little time for myself to go to a gym and actually work out. I felt tired all the time and was dragging myself around all day long. After speaking with Virgil he agreed to train me 3x a week right after school. I nearly kissed his feet! This would take care of my nearly non-existent time to work out. Virgil went over my eating habits and explained that my nutritional program was pretty good. I basically tried to have three square meals a day. The only thing he recommended was to have a few healthy snacks during the day if I needed it. I remember the first day I started working out with Virgil. I felt so out of shape. Especially since Virgil explained that he was just trying to show me the exercises and not push me. My goal to achieve my ideal bodyweight and some muscle tone seemed so far away. I stuck with my workout 3x a week religiously. After two weeks I started to feel energized, and after three weeks I started to see some definition in my legs and arms. In three months I went from a size 12 to a size 6 and all without any crazy dieting. My body was toned, muscular and trim. I was so excited that on Spring break I treated myself to a much needed vacation to Puerto Rico . I even wore a 2-piece bathing suit that belonged to my 14 year old daughter and I looked great in it!!! Training with Virgil taught me to be good to my body, nourish it well and give it the proper exercise it requires. My body in turn has never looked so good and I’ve never felt so much energy. I now wear my children out. I look and feel great thanks to Virgil!!!
Sincerely Jackie Diaz New York City board of education administrative assistant
