I started training with Matthew in December 2009 with the aim to do better in endurance sports, specifically triathlon races. I have been participating in endurance races like marathons and triathlons since 2004. After years of participation, race completion is not the main issue, but the challenge is to gain speed and achieve better timings. As an avid triathlete himself and representing Singapore in international triathlon races previously, I was very assured that Matthew would be equipped with all the experience, knowledge and skills to help bring my endurance racing experience to the next level.

Matthew has the innate ability to identify strengths and weakness of his clients. His meticulous training plans ensure that I am well prepared for races I’ve signed up for. Not only is he knowledgeable in the physical aspects of endurance racing, he is also very well versed in the psyche of an endurance athlete. In my time training with him, I find myself becoming more focussed and confident in races.

Triathlon is a sport that requires an individual to devote much time and effort on trainings. Matthew’s dedication in training his clients is best reflected in his training sessions that start as early as 530am on weekdays and even earlier on weekends. He also goes the extra mile to help in making sure that I race with the best and most efficient equipment in triathlon races and is selfless in spending his own private time to help set up my racing bicycle. He is most up-to-date and current on the latest race specific gadgets and is generous in sharing this knowledge.

In my time training with Matthew, I have experienced tremendous improvement in my race timings and very confident that he can help bring me to an even higher level in terms of performance. In October 2011, I was able to achieve 13th position as an individual in the 50km duo category of The North Face run and this is despite suffering from a foot injury a few weeks before race day. This amazing feat was made possible by his knowledge on rehabilitation and muscle release and his strong assurances and encouragement.

And in December 2011, I achieved my Personal Best (PB) for the Standard Charted Marathon 21km category at 1:52 which was 6 mins faster than my previous PB at the Sundown Marathon barely just six months ago.

His vast knowledge and meticulous nutrition planning during the race was a major factor in helping to achieve the PB timing.

I highly recommend Matthew to people who have the desire to perform better in races or who simply want to keep fit whilst doing endurance races.

I was always having backache easily after childbirth and also feeling tired most of the time. After one year of giving birth to my third child, my weight did not reduce and my backache was getting from bad to worse. With a busy work schedules & having to look after 3 kids, regular exercise is out of my mind.There is practically “no time”. Then one day I was contemplating between signing up with a Gym or with a slimming centre. After some thought, I decided to sign up with a Gym instead for long term benefit. Generally overall well-being & stamina are also one of the concerns. My husband supported my decision & even paid for my 1st training package.

When I first started training with Matthew, I did not put much expectation that having a trainer could help. However, after experiencing a good sweat out during each & every training session, my mindset changed. Matthew patiently explains how each exercise helps certain part of my body and how I should control my muscles to have the maximum effect of each exercise. He is very professional in his training and “customizes” his training to suit the condition of my body. He knows when to push me and knows when my body needs a rest. He can even tell when I was having too much snacks & needed that extra calorie burn. Training with him was never boring as he always comes up with innovative & interesting exercises that pushes me to my limit. A limit that I myself never ever thought I can reach. For a person who never every completed 2.4 KM run in school, it is my biggest accomplishment to be able to complete a 10K run. I’m so proud to tell all my friends & even my kids that I did it! My kids look up to me & have since then asked me to participate in their school run. That really makes my day. When Mathew first asked me to run the Great Eastern 5KM run, I told him it is a “mission impossible”. He gave me the assurance that I can do it & started customizing the right training programs to train my stamina and perseverance. After a few 5KM run & later the 10KM run, now I can confidentially run the 10KM without a second thought. Who knows I might be running a 21KM run next year.

Now that I have been with Mathew for 5 years, I still do feel body ache after certain training sessions but the “refreshed” body & mind after training overtakes the pain I was “suffering”. I feel “younger” & healthier & my backache is gone.

I would like to thank Mathew for giving me a healthy lifestyle. Without him and having to balance my busy professional schedules & family, I believe I will become “lazy” again and will be back to the lifestyle when I said “no time” to exercise. He is indeed a true friend!

I had attributed the pain in my knees and upper back as part of getting old. I had given up my casual running, become resigned to the fact that my deteriorating flexibility and high cholesterol were here to stay.

When I first met Matthew I had very modest fitness goals. I wanted to stop my decline in flexibility and to get back in to shape (since I could no longer run) to see if I could gain control my cholesterol. As I worked with Matthew and he began to learn my real problems, we tackled them one by one. I learned that much of my ailments were a result of sitting at a desk all day long. He worked on my balance, strength and flexibility with all kinds of crazy and creative exercises. As the pain subsided and my strength returned I was able to start running again. I gained so much confidence in my fitness level that we began training for a marathon. Saturday morning workouts began at 5 am. They were very challenging but having a fitness goal made all the difference. We ran up and down Mt Faber, along ECP, Singapore Zoo and MacRitchie Reservoir. Matthew always kept it new and interesting. He also has excellent knowledge of equipment and nutrition. Last year I finished both the Sundowner and the Standard Chartered.

Another benefit of my improved physical conditioning was my Cholesterol. Having been on Cholesterol medication since my late 20’s I had given up hope on getting it into the “normal range”. I had always been a healthy eater and never been really overweight. My elevated levels have always been attributed to bad genes. With Matthew’s training I achieved a level of fitness that I never had before and although I am still on medication, I have been able to get my cholesterol into a “normal range”.

I have now been training with Matthew since 2009. I continue to learn and enjoy the training. The team of personal trainers are dedicated to educate themselves and their clients in pursing their fitness goals and I highly recommend them to anyone. 

Although Matthew Pinkston has only been my PT for a short period of time (4 Months), I must say that the transformation I've seen in myself has been spectacular to say the least.

When I decided in December 2009 to participate in my first Ironman Triathlon in Perth, Western Australia in the following year, I told myself that I'll need a PT who'll be able to guide and at the same time psh me to my limits to make sure I can achieve accomplish my goal.

When I first read Matthew's qualifications on the wall, I was totally impressed and I knew immediately that Matthew ws the one person I can count on to help me achieve my goal.

After we sat down and discussed my goal for 2010, Matthew mapped out a training programme for me that'll help me achieve my target.

Since mid-December 2009, Matthew has been designing a strict training programme for me that has worked on my upper and lower body's core muscles.

That was last year, December 2009. Since then, I have competed in a series of races that I had planned in advance. The results speak for themselves, I have broken all my own records.

MR25: MacRitchie Reservior 5 laps, 2008 (7:20hrs). 2009 (6:20hrs)
Men'sHealth Urbanathlon: 1:05hrs
Tokyo Matathon: 2009 (3:53hrs), 2010 (3:41hrs)
Singapore Biathlon: 2009 (1:29), 2010(1:24hrs)
Aviva Half-Ironman: 2008 (6:50hrs), 2010(6:26hrs)

To most people, the improvement may be a mere 5-10 minutes, but for epople who take part in these races, we know that the difference between 1 minute could mean being ahead of 30 others participants, And when i check the results at the end of my race, that feeling of accomplishment is so immense that I know all the effort I've put in during my training was totally worth it.

I started training with Matthew Pinkston in late September 2010. At that time, I was only looking for a trainer to help me with strength training to prepare for my marathon at the end of the year. I set a goal for 5 hrs 30 mins for my first marathon in 2010. But training with Matthew has made me faster and I ran my first marathon in 4hrs and 23 mins in the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2010.

This year, I set 2 goals for myself. I wanted to run the San Francisco Marathon in less than 4hrs and 15mins, but I was apprehensive because it was a hilly course. I was not aiming for a Personal Best. However, Matthew didn’t accept that, he had faith in me and was sure I would do well for this race. He prepared me for the hilly race course by putting me on training runs at Mount Faber, Fort Canning Hill and Bukit Timah Hill. Although the training runs were tough, my legs got stronger and my stamina for hilly runs improved. I finished the San Francisco Marathon 2011 in 4:04:47, which was a much better time than what I set out to achieve.

My second goal was to be able to run a sub 2 hour half-marathon this year. I have tried to do it in the past but have never been able to do it. However, the training under Matthew has made me better and faster and I was able to do the Army Half-Marathon this year in 1:50:49.

Under Matthew’s training, I was able to run the NorthFace 50km duo women race in 2:53:56 and came in top 10 (8th position), for women.

I improved significantly from my first marathon time and did my second Standard Chartered Marathon in 2011 this year in 4:01:34 and am in 22nd position among Singapore women.

I ended my year well in 2011 by running the MR25 Ultramarathon in a timing of 11:24:30 and came in top 10 (8th position) among women.

Matthew is a top trainer and is skilled at recognizing the strengths and weaknesses in his clients, and using their strengths to overcome their weaknesses. Also, just as importantly, Matthew knows how to encourage and coach his clients to push themselves and attain their goals. Matthew’s encouragement and belief in me helped me to set my goals higher than what I thought I could achieve for myself and to always have faith and belief in myself. His commitment to his clients is exceptional. He is fully committed to helping his clients achieve their goals. I have been injury free since I started with Matthew Pinkston.

Matthew Pinkston gets my highest recommendation as personal trainer.

I started training with Matt a few months after I broke my left collar bone in 2010. It was one of the best decisions I made! Though I train regularly with him, he never fails to motivate and inspire me. Being a competitive road cyclist, Matt has helped me tremendously in many ways...both physically and mentally ...to be able to achieve, majority of my aims and goals.

I am a competitive person, and when I race, my aim is always to do well and get on podium. My training under Matt is customised. We have a discussion about my goals, and the training program consists of exercises that will help me achieve them. Although I have been competing for several years, I am still learning so much from Matthew. At most training sessions, I learn something new... nutrition, cycling issues and even mental training.

This year in 2012, I’ve competed in 6 road cycling races. In most of these races, I have achieved podium positions, that is, top 3. My biggest and most important race this year is the Tour de Bintan. Having just recently completed it, I managed to come 2nd in a very tough 45 women's field. Being one of the favourites for this race did put some pressure on me. However, the reassurance and encouragement I received always gave me confidence in myself that I will do very well, without stressing myself mentally.

In October 2012, I was invited to join an all Women's team in the Philippines (they were willing to sponsor me to travel there) to do a tour race for them. The experience was both memorable and awesome!! The exciting news recently is that I have been invited to race in Australia next year. The training that I do with Matthew not only caters for improvement in my cycling events throughout the year, it also helps with other daily activities. It involves lots functional exercises that do not involve heavy weights, and also helps with core strength and stability. I am confident that training with Matt will definitely get me what I want. Thank you very much, Matthew!! Also thanks to the Integrated Movement Solutions..a great place to train.

2011 Achievements
1st in Century Ride Malaysia (July)
1st in Changi Series Road race Singapore (September)
3rd in King of Mountain race Malaysia (October)
1st in Tour of Bintan Indonesia (November)

Prior to training with Matthew, I was pretty much resigned to the fact that I might not ever run again. I have had a long standing problem with my right knee and after going through periods of activity followed by pain and swelling in the knee for almost 8 years, I finally succumbed to going for my first knee surgery in June 2008. I had a tear in my right lateral meniscus and part of the meniscus had to be removed. After surgery I was back to limited activity and again struggling with swelling and pain after my very short runs. In December 2008, just 6 months after my first surgery, I had my second. This time for persistent pain and swelling that would not go away with rest or medication. I was told that the cartilage in my knee was very badly worn down and that I had “50 year old knees”. My orthopaedic surgeon suggested that I should give up running and join them on the golf course instead.

I did not think I was quite ready to give up just yet. After the surgery I was back to a workout regime consisting largely of resistance training and stability work. I was able to slowly get back to running intermittently on the treadmill but not outdoors as the unevenness of the roads would result in pain and swelling after. In January 2010 I sprained my right ankle, so that put all running to a grinding halt. Despite rest and continuous work to improve the stability of the right ankle I was not able to run any more. Any attempts to run, resulted in immediate pain in my right knee.

In April 2010, I decided that integrated movement training was something that I needed to help me get back to running again. I must say that I was not hopeful considering my failed prior attempts at getting back to painless running.

Training was targeted at strengthening the lazy muscles that were responsible for supporting the knee as well as those around the hip and buttocks. All my areas of weakness were identified and worked on. I was impressed at how specific and individualized the training was, as my previous personal trainers had never put that level of thought into getting me back on track.

After training with Matthew Pinkston for three months, not only did I begin running again, I completed a 10km race in July 2010. I have remained pain free even after my long runs. My knee does not swell up any more. On 15th Oct 2011, I ran and completed 25km in the 50km Duo Northface Run event!

Thank you for giving me the ability and the freedom to run again. My friends who know how I’ve struggled with my injuries are amazed at the results. I have been recommending to my friends and my patients because I am so confident that you can help them to achieve their fitness goals.

Twenty years of playing squash had left me with injured knees. The knee caps are worn out and the bones in the joint are grinding against each other. Often, I would feel pain when I walk. Swollen knees are also common. If I have intensive physical activity such as a game of tennis, I would walk stiffly the next day.

After training with Matthew Pinkston for a year, I still have some pain. BUT there’s a huge difference now. I can enjoy physical activities such as race walking, bushwalking and trekking without resulting in swollen knees and without sustaining another injury. I can walk down stairs pain free, something which I’ve not been able to do for a long time.

Despite this injury, I was determined to press on with physical activities. Granted I may not be able to play squash seriously again although I’m passionate about the game. Because I was a competitive player in the ladies premier grade, I trained at high intensity almost every day for 20 years, each time for 3 to 4 hours. I played through the pain and went through many physiotherapy sessions. In my mid-30s, my sports doctor said my knees were 60 years old.

I remember the day 12 years ago, when I decided to hang up my squash rackets. I’d an especially tough match. The next day my knees were painful and swollen. I couldn’t walk properly and my hips were stiff and walking was difficult. I didn’t want to end up in a wheelchair and made that painful decision to retire from squash. I then worked out with a personal trainer and took pilates and gyrotonic classes. Although my muscle and core strength and stability improved, my knees would still be painful and swollen after intense physical activities. I also had to undergo surgery on one knee to repair the worn out knee cap.

It was frustrating because my choice of activities were limited. I also feared picking up another injury to my ankles or other parts of the body. I couldn’t do the activities I enjoyed such as trekking and race walking. If I persisted, there would be pain and swollen knees.

All this has changed since I started training with Mathew a year ago. For the first two months, he worked on rehabilitating the knees, mainly ironing out the knotted thigh muscles that have built up from years of playing squash. He continued with specific exercises to reactivate lazy muscles in the legs, buttocks and hips that were responsible for supporting the knees.

What I like about Mathew’s training is that he’s systematic. I like it that he explains the training programme and how it will help me.

Since I’ve started race walking, I could not improve on my timings for 2.4km and 5km. Matthew’s training helped me shave off a couple of minutes. I’ve been amazed at how hard I’ve been able to push myself without worsening my knee condition and sustaining another injury.

I have been training with Matthew since 2008. Before I trained with him, I always go to gym and do classes and I have not seen any significant improvement in terms of body weight and it’s getting very boring doing the same routine over and over again.

Beginning of training is not easy, and the fact that I have to wake up very early which I am not used to and do all the exercises that I never been done before and he motivated and pushed me to the max which what I needed and each training will have different training exercises and he also making sure that I do it correctly to be risk-free.

I also started to do more outdoor exercise such as running and cycling and go into triathlon. From not being able to run continuously for 10km, and thanks to Matthew’s encouragement, gradually I went into half marathon, short distance triathlon, and in 2010 I had completed my first full marathon and also did Mega Tri middle distance (1km swim, 65km cycle & 18km run).

Matthew also helps me whenever I have some muscle pain after exercise and guides me on how to release the tight muscle after my run or cycle which is one of the best solutions I ever had and shared with my family and friends whenever they have pain or injury.

He also advises me on how to eat healthily and it stays in my mind until now whenever I have my meal and drinks.

Training with him will always be tough, and yet fun; even though waking up early in the morning is hard and laziness kick me each time; but after the session it will be the time where I am grateful that I force myself to wake up as it does make my day feel different afterwards and I always feel refreshed and happy.

Thanks again to Matthew for making my life healthier and to put up with my “morning stoned face” in my training day.

After a fabulous early 2012 in terms of exercising by being able to complete the Japan Oxfam 100km event in good time and health, a patellar tendon injury a few months later due to a fall during a trail run had virtually stopped my exercise program. Several doctors in Japan and subsequently after moving to Singapore had recommended surgery or sessions with an orthopedist. I opted for the orthopedist route but I found the few here that I had seen in 2013 to be overweight and unfit themselves, and felt they were simply going through the motions with me. Results were not great as I was not terribly motivated in working with them. This is not the case with Matthew.

Matthew is thorough and absolutely lives by what he preaches in terms of rehabilitative exercises. I have been going through an exercise program with Matthew now for a month and the results are fantastic. He finds a way to ensure you understand the exercise and its purpose in aligning (or re-aligning in my case) the appropriate body muscles in integrated movements to ensure the best use of the body in maximum efficiency and power.

Not only does my injured knee feel much better but I am progressing step by step towards my first triathlon and marathon in 2014. As a very active person all of my life I feel that most of my previous training regimens have not been holistic and with Matthew, we are building a solid foundation upon which will not only allow me to meet my short term goals but also put me in better stead for the long term in terms of a healthy body.