GPT TRACK – Long Sprints and Hurdles
We are the parents of a track athlete who wanted to achieve her full potential in track, so we set out to find someone who could help her. The search for a qualified trainer was frustrating. We found people experienced in certain pieces – strength and conditioning, speed, injury prevention, event technique, recovery, etc., but we could not find a trainer experienced in pulling it all together. Then we found Matt Gardner. The result? State champion in her event, with the best time ever recorded by a high school athlete in the state in her event. She achieved the goals she set for herself in her sophomore year of high school, and is now thrilled to be running Division I track at her dream college.
Matt did an incredible job of identifying her strengths and weakness, and designing a plan to work on all of it. Matt understands all aspects of athletes’ training needs. If you are an athlete, at any level, who is determined to perform at your full potential, you won’t find a better coach.
Colleen and Bill Stanton
GPT TRACK – Short Sprints and Jumps
I have been an athlete of Matt’s for over three years working with him during the summer, indoor track season, and between seasons. During that time, I have made significant improvements each year. As a high -school senior I was able to win the 100m, Long Jump (conference record 23’5″), and place 2nd in the 200m while also anchoring the 4×100 at my school’s conference meet.
One of the most important aspects of Matt as a coach is his attention to detail in technique and understanding how to progress athletes over time. When I began seeing Matt as a younger athlete, I had very little knowledge of how to run, jump, or lift correctly. His patient coaching at the track and as a strength coach in the weight room helped me develop into a versatile and successful athlete.
Matt also sparked my passion in physical health; he’s taught me what it means to be a healthy athlete by not only teaching me how to warm up, train, cool down, stretch, but also manage stress, sleep, and eat healthy. No matter the topic or question, Matt has the ability to give an educated input, which is incredibly helpful for athletes. Meanwhile, while he’s giving excellent advice, he’s also incredibly compassionate and friendly with his athletes. It’s easy establishing a relationship with Matt, and having a mutual understanding between athlete and coach is pivotal in both athletic progression and enjoyment of the sport. Matt has a natural niche in transforming himself from a coach to a mentor because of his genuine interest to help other people.
I attribute my success in athletics to Matt. He gave me the tools to become a better athlete, but more importantly, taught me what it means to be a healthy person. He has coached me to be the healthiest and best athlete I can be, but has also given me tools to live a healthier lifestyle when my athletic career comes to an end. He is the best coach I have ever had, and I know he is the best person I have ever encountered when it comes to any aspect of athletic training.
Nick Schutz
Lawrence Academy ’15
GPT TRACK – Middle Distance
Coach Gardner is an exceptional coach and mentor in that he combines a high level of intellect in all aspects of Track and Field with an insurmountable passion for the sport. His commitment and dedication to individual training are exemplified by his carefully-planned and specific workouts, his genuine care and attention, and his desire to see the best come forth from each athlete he trains.
I first met Coach Gardner when I joined the Dover-Sherborn Track and Field team as a middle-distance runner my junior year. As the head coach at the time, he not only introduced me to the sport, but showed me how to excel. His precise warm-up routine, deliberate workouts, and nutritional knowledge enabled me to reduce my first 800m time of 2:32 to a personal record of 2:00 at the Massachusetts Division 4 State Meet, my last race of the season. I found that with Coach Gardner, I never took a step backwards; each race, I achieved a new personal record, sometimes by a few tenths, sometimes even by a few seconds.
Feeling that I could continue this incremental success, I pursued individual training with Coach Gardner during the winter of my senior year following my fall soccer season. I found myself rapidly developing into a track runner with Coach Gardner, who designed workouts to target all aspects of my running, from my sprint form to my aerobic capacity. The hours we spent training indoors consistently reminded me of Coach Gardner’s pure dedication to the sport; I knew that my success mattered to him as much as—if not more than—it mattered to me. Though Coach Gardner was not with me during my senior season at Dover-Sherborn, the skills and competitiveness he taught me led me to great success. During the season, I was able to qualify for the state meet in the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1 mile races. I placed 1st in the 800m at the Tri-Valley League Meet, 3rd in the Division 4 State Meet, and 9th in the All-State Meet with a personal record of 1:57.6 in the 800.
Though I didn’t have Coach Gardner yelling at me to “Relax!” or “Slow!” or “Speed up!” from the sidelines during each race of my senior season, I did have a set of invaluable skills at my disposable, along with a few things of value outside the sport itself. For one, I had learned how to manage my time more efficiently. I had also developed a complex understanding of my limitations and my ability to chip away at them. Above all, I found a passion unparalleled in my life—one that was undoubtedly inspired by Coach Gardner. What I love about running is not necessarily the competition between others and myself, but the internal battle I have during each race that enables me to perform better than I ever have in any prior instance. I owe Coach Gardner for his encouragement and assistance during the past two years, because without him, I am certain I would not be the athlete, let alone person, that I am today.
Brett Stevens Tri-Valley Conference Champion
Dover-Sherborn High School ‘10
PERSONAL TRAINING
Master’s Athlete
I’ve been a personal training client of Matt Gardner for the last 3 years. During that time, I’ve significantly increased my strength, power, stamina, and overall flexibility. More importantly, I’ve been able to remain almost completely injury-free despite paying competitive squash ( a very demanding sport) 3 times per week and weight training twice a week.
Matt tailors his training programs according to each client’s unique needs and goals, which is great because no two clients are exactly alike. He knows when to push and when to back off and can also quickly tell what’s hurting and what to do about it. Additionally, if sport injuries occur, he is a complete genius at developing recovery programs and is deeply skilled in understanding and applying all aspects of rehabilitative therapies.
Matt is extremely experienced with clients of all ages, including older athletes like myself (age 53). Largely due to his efforts, I recently achieved a top 10 national ranking in my sport so as they say, “the proof is in the pudding”.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you would like any additional information on what Matt can help you achieve. He’s not inexpensive (nor expensive), yet he’s worth his weight in gold.
Curt Kohlberg
President Kohlberg & Associates
BOBSLEIGH
Matt Gardner was first recommended to me by a previous coach, in preparation for my try-out for the US Women’s Bobsled Team. I was told that Matt had a similar training philosophy to what I had been working with the summer of 2008, and that he was willing to work with me throughout the 2008 tryouts, as well 2008-2009 Bobsled Season. After our first few conversations, I knew that I was in great hands. From the very beginning, Matt was very effective in communicating with me and focused on the details of my training everyday. Although I was moving to Lake Placid, NY to live at the Olympic Training Center, and Matt was based out of North Carolina, my training never suffered the distance. Matt’s knowledge base, dedication, creativity when solving problems, and adjusting workouts around injuries and training facilities, definitely propelled me to succeed during my first bobsled season!
Matt understands the demands of training at the elite level, and is completely confident in developing and fine-tuning the skills I needed to compete for bobsled: speed, strength, power, and explosiveness. Matt went above and beyond when training me. In addition to providing me with regular workouts, he provided detailed explanations, and video examples to make certain that I was always understood my training, even when I was traveling and competing in a different country. Matt also provided me with valuable advice on recovery, including when to take supplements, cold tub, stretch, and get sports massage therapy and chiropractic treatments. He also gave me guidance throughout our Team Trials process, which is very political. Matt was always available to help, and I am very grateful for the support he gave me!
Matt Gardner has a very exceptional combination of skills, and when you unite that with his enthusiasm for sports and competition, he has what it takes to give any athlete a competitive advantage! Matt’s comprehensive training style and dedication to help me compete at an optimal level, was vital to my success of becoming a competitive member of the US Women’s Bobsled Team!
Jamie Greubel
USA Bobsled
OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING
I trained with Matt for 2 years before being admitted to the United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC) for Olympic Style Weightlifting. I can confidently say that without him I would not have made it to the level I have. He has helped me with many aspects of my weightlifting career. From working countless hours with me every week on technique, training, and development of the Olympic Lifts; to his coaching and knowledge of other general lifting techniques; to teaching me about sports medicine and how to take care of your body (stretching, rolling, mobility, diet/supplementation, recovery, and integration of sports therapy); to educating me about the field of strength & conditioning through his vast knowledge and experience; I was very lucky to have in Matt a complete coach. Due to everything he has taught me over the years, he has given me the tools to be successful in all aspects of being a weightlifter at the USOEC.
Other then his vast knowledge of sports and S&C he is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and someone that truly cares for and gives his all for his athletes. He is not like most strength and conditioning coaches that I have met. He is very detail oriented and wants to invest the time it takes to create truly elite athletes and in the process help his athletes develop skills that help them beyond just sport. If you are an athlete that is willing to work your hardest and invest in improving to your highest potential Matt is the right coach for you. He will work his hardest inside and outside the gym to get you to the place you want to be. As an athlete and friend of Matt Gardner’s I have the highest of respect for him as a coach and person and would recommend him to any athlete that wants to be successful in their sport.
SWIMMING
As a collegiate swimmer physical fitness is a top priority. After struggling with shoulder and hip injuries I sought out Matt’s expertise. After a 4 month program Matt helped me gain 20 Lbs of muscle and increased my general strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility tremendously. Not only is Matt an excellent trainer, he is also an excellent teacher. After going back to school in the fall I was able to use all of the techniques he taught me to help improve my swimming and physical fitness even more. This culminated in winning my conference championship in the 100 breaststroke as well as being a member of two conference championship relay teams.
Matt’s attention to detail separates him from most other trainers. His personal connection to his athletes makes him incredible to work with and extremely motivating. He will go out of his way for any one of his students. He truly cares about the success of all of his clients and if you buy into his program you will see the results you desire.
Jake Lichter