The Squat Mechanic

I've trained at many different gyms over the years and with a number of trainers but for the first time ever I'm learning how to move my body properly. Squatting finally feels good! If you want to get serious about your training, this is where you need to be!

I initially sought someone like Stu out because for a number of years I had pain and postural issues. I’ve been training with Stu twice a week, and now, 4 months later I am for the most part, pain free!That is extremely exciting to say aloud for someone who thought she'd always have pain. Not only am I pain free but my postural issues are so much better. I've had a reduction in my hip to waist ratio. I am now at the healthy range and I have dropped six kilos. My strength has increased significantly and I continue to train with higher and higher weight without fear of injury. That's because he instils that I train with proper form.Every training session not only am I told what I should be doing but WHY I should be doing a movement a certain way and what it will help me with. I have gained a stronger, healthier body as well as the confidence to lift weight equal to or above my own.The thing that sold me on Stu was a client testimonial I had come across a year back which led me to his Facebook page. In his posts he came across extremely informative. He was giving out information that most others would have just kept to themselves. The level of transparency and his honesty was what had me sold. To me, he seemed genuinely interested in helping people. There were a ton of golden nuggets he gave out in these posts regardless of whether anyone was training with him or not. That said a lot to me.There were however, a few obstacles in my way initially - transport, money and time (it takes me a little over an hour to get to Richmond). But when you really want to make something happen, You do. I had already been saving for a car, so I bought one. I asked for an extra shift at work, saved some money and when I signed up, I was able to make my session time fit with my shift so I could go straight to work after and save some gas. Where there's a will … right!I keep training with Stu because every time I train I know there will always be something new to take away from our sessions. In training with him I feel empowered in my ability to train safely with the right form in an encouraging and supportive environment. He has gone above and beyond in helping me be the pain free, strong person I am today.I would recommend Stu to others beyond a shadow of a doubt! Stu is someone who is truly passionate about the work he does. Week after week he is able to guide me in not only setting goals but achieving them, even surpassing them as the weeks go by. I've literally been given the best quality care there is.I came to Stu to figure out my postural issues but ended up getting so much more. Not only has he helped me with my posture and pain. He has sent to medical and nutritional experts to help treat me in other areas. I have lost kilos and centimetres and I'm still going. I am provided with life coaching from Lauren, who is exceptional at what she does. It has literally been such a pleasure. I have been so cared for and looked after. It is so worth it. I'm really glad I took the chance. Give him a try and see for yourself. You'll be glad you did!

Love love love working with Stu. I have never had a trainer be so focussed on technique.He is such a great manner, never pushes you past your limit and very respectful of injuries. I always walk away feeling like i have abs of steel as my core is so engaged. I actually have started feeling it in normal life, it is great. (even sitting here typing this)would recommend him to anyone who wants to know how to engage the correct muscles, engage their core and feel fantastic.I can now squat deep than i ever would have thought possible, reckon i do the best deadlift in my entire gym :) and all in such an educational way that i will keep with me for the rest of my life.

Before I started training with Stu I hated squatting. It never felt 'right' yet squats were the star of every single program I followed at the gym. After 1.5 years of avoiding them in favour of alternatives, I eventually realised that the only way to get good at squats is to squat...but I needed someone to coach my form.Finding an expert I could trust, having to travel too far or pay too much were major factors for me to consider when I started searching. I quickly found The Squat Mechanic webpage which was informative and definitely gave me the impression that he was the squat expert. Fortunately for me, my boyfriend bought me my first set of sessions and it was a complete fluke that the expert also just happened to train in my hood.Since I started training with Stu 8 months ago, I have much better form. I feel confident that Stu understands my physiology and makes corrections and suggestions that are right for ME and not just generic cues. He'll attend to something small again and again and again and is always thinking outside the box on how to improve my performance. I know that that he's not simply there to watch me work out and keep me accountable - he's making me a better machine.What keeps me training with Stu is the fact that he is absolutely the loveliest guy in any gym anywhere. He's not a bro, he's passionate and dedicated and I love that he's constantly seeking further education to improve his services. I feel attended to, cared about, and like he's rooting for me. He never berates me, always believes in me and gives me positive reinforcement.For me, the benefit of training with Stu is the results we achieve and how supported I feel on the pursuit of my goals. Even though I'm focusing on weight loss at the moment my lifts are still improving every week. I went from never squatting at all to being less than 15kg away from my goal of being able to squat my bodyweight - and only 5kg away from my dream of hitting a 100kg deadlift. When I train with Stu he gives me all the tools I need to make those results achievable and this is something I could not do on my own, nor have I experienced with other trainers.If you’re looking to go beyond a superficial interest in your fitness, are struggling like I was and want to deep dive into the minutiae of your performance then you’ll absolutely value Stu’s time the way I do and I’d push you through his door if I could.

I have been learning from Stu on and off for about the last two years; in November 2018 I completed an intensive 3 month mentorship with him, and have been attending workshops and mentoring sessions on the regular since then.My goal was to build my confidence as a trainer through learning how to diagnose and identify faulty movement patterns, linking movements to anatomy and physiology, discussing specific client’s needs and unique presentations and exploring different exercises and movements and how they may or may not be appropriate for clients; basically I want to become a better trainer for my clients.I had just finished my cert III/IV and was a little lost with how to proceed. The internet is overwhelming and there’s a lot of misinformation out there. I needed someone I could trust to help me filter through all the noise. I knew Stu was going to be a major player in that role for me.From the start I found Stu really accessible; he was friendly and approachable and I felt comfortable with him. His knowledge was amazing, and the way he explained what he knew made the information easier to understand and also apply. One of the key differences between Stu and other trainers that makes the difference for me was the idea of regress to progress". Stu is not afraid to strip down the movement to it’s component parts and make sure everything’s working properly before putting it back together. His approach improves quality of movement to improve quality of life

Hi, I'm Jess Wolter and I have worked with Stu on and off since late 2016. Stu was one of my teachers at Sage Institute. After I completed my Diploma of Personal Training there I did some personal training with him and later attended the odd Q&A session and his Squat Mechanic Core 4 Workshops in Core, Squat, Deadlift and Push/Pull.In the beginning, training with Stu was the most effective way I could learn and understand more about the body, how it moves efficiently, how it best responds to different ways of training, how fueling affects your training and mindset. Being able to directly apply it to myself and feel the changes either instantly or further down the track was the best learning tool at that stage. I really set me up to pass this information on and really relate to my clients and their restrictions.Personally Stu helped me with some postural work including correcting my tight shoulders and winged scapular. He helped me activate my lower traps, release pec minor and overall strengthen my back so I could get the most out of my pull ups. Stu also helped me perfect my Squat and Deadlift by teaching me about internal core activation and how important that is to stabilise the hips and the lumbar spine while lifting. We also activated and strengthened Glute Med and Adductors to stabilise my legs/knees during my lifts. Activating and strengthening these areas was so effective at generating strength, balance and stability in my two major lifts that I was able to build up my 1 RM's much faster and with more confidence.When I was being taught by Stu at Sage I could see he was very passionate about what he does and I really appreciated the fact that when we went through movements he had so many more reasons, and communicated how to do the movement and why in so much more detail. I saw his wealth of knowledge and I wanted to learn more than what was taught in the curriculum.The Squat Mechanic Core 4 Workshops and the odd Q& A sessions he’s run over the last few years have been great opportunities to do exactly that. I’ve always been happy to hear of all Stu's knowledge and the continual feedback has kept me progressing further and further. I’ve always learnt something new from him no matter how many times I attended the workshops or training sessions.Before I met Stu I hadn’t started to think about personal development in any serious way yet. I had only read a few books on personality traits that taught me about myself and how to utilise traits like introversion to my advantage. If I wanted an opinion I would ask my friends or my previous personal trainer. Since starting with Stu I have found myself wanting to develop my skills further in a more structured and serious manner to build up my own business and personal brand.What has kept me working with Stu is his attention to detail, the way he explains the HOW and WHY of what he teaches, and his supportive and caring nature. His passion really shows through his work and whether you work with him as a client or a mentee, he will find a way to help you move better, lift with confidence and explain things in a way that you will understand - even if you're not from a gym background.Stu is passionate about helping people move well with confidence and without discomfort or pain. He strives to educate his clients and mentees on how the body works, and why it is important to move well and keep your body strong and mobile. I feel his approach is to create a healthier mentality toward exercise and to create a WANT for a healthier, stronger and more mobile body with long term benefits. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to learn from him and support his ideas and ethos.