Testimonials

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Emily

When I first came to Slav, I was at a low point in terms of my physical fitness. I hadn’t been to the gym in over five years, and my stamina was practically nonexistent—I couldn’t run 200 meters without gasping for air. Every workout felt intimidating, and the idea of getting back into shape seemed overwhelming.

But something shifted at the start of 2025. I decided I didn’t want to continue feeling stuck and unhappy in my body. I made a commitment to myself and booked a personal training session with Slav—and from that very first session, things started to change. Slav didn’t just give me a workout plan; he gave me belief. He pushed me in all the right ways, tailored the training to my ability level, and celebrated even the smallest victories with me.

As the weeks went on, those sessions became something I looked forward to. I started adding group classes to my schedule whenever I could. At first, I was nervous to train alongside others, but the community that Slav has built is so welcoming and motivating. You’re never made to feel like you’re behind—only reminded that showing up already makes you a winner.

Paired with a healthier, more mindful approach to eating, my body has changed dramatically—but more importantly, my confidence has soared. I feel lighter, leaner, stronger, and more in control. I’ve even surprised myself with how much I’ve grown, not just physically but mentally too. Fitness has become something I genuinely enjoy, not a chore I dread.

This is still only the beginning of my journey, and I know I’ve got more to accomplish. But one thing I know for sure: I wouldn’t be where I am today without Slav. His guidance, consistency, and encouragement have been absolutely game-changing.

If you're even *thinking* about getting started on your own journey—whether it's your first time or your first time in years—trust me when I say Slav is the person who will get you there. He sees potential in you even when you don’t see it yourself, and that makes all the difference.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Oliver

"Slav has been phenomenal throughout my fitness journey—highly knowledgeable, with a great sense of humor. When I first started, I lacked confidence and understanding, unsure of how to train effectively. With Slav’s guidance, I’ve built a strong foundation, gained a deeper understanding of fitness techniques, and made remarkable progress. My strength, endurance, and overall confidence in the gym have improved significantly, and I’m now achieving goals I never thought possible. Slav has played a key role in transforming my approach to fitness, and I would highly recommend him to my friends and family!"

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔

Kaye

✨ I just started PT sessions with Slav in May, yet even in this short space of time I am already blown away with what I have achieved so far, with his expert guidance and friendship. I had been struggling with my mental health recently, and my confidence was at an all time low. Anxiety was ruling my life, and in turn I wasn't taking care of my body and well being. I decided to be brave and reached out to Slav for some personal training, and I can honestly say that it was the best decision I've made for myself in a very long time.

Right away Slav made me feel relaxed and at ease, and from the very first session he encouraged me and made me feel like I was capable of doing hard things! I have found myself looking forward to each workout, I've discovered a new passion for boxing, and I'm taking on heavy weight lifting and enjoying every minute! All with Slav's unwavering support and valuable tips on correct form and safety.

Slav is a big character, super friendly and is accepting of all - no matter how quirky or awkward you may be! Thank you Slav for your continued support, I'm so excited to see what I can continue to achieve! ✨️

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔

Kate

I met Slav when I joined Elements in July 2024; I started with classes first and then moved onto PTs. There are no words to describe Slav; but he is the most inspirational and motivating person. My fitness, confidence and love for exercising has just grown and grown since working with Slav. I’m running faster than I ever have in my life, I’m taking up challenges I never thought were possible and I’m achieving more than I ever believed.

Slav gets me; he knows when to push me, when to support me and sometimes when just to listen to me. PTs are my favourite time of the week and I know no matter what mood I’m in when I start; I’m ready to take on the world when I’m done.

I love all the classes; I’ve actually turned into that person who gets up at 6am to go to the gym before work 💁🏽‍♀️ and enjoys it! As cliche as it sounds; Slav’s built a family at the gym. I’ve never felt more supported.

My New Year’s resolution was to complete 1 fitness event / competition or race a month; I’ve done 10kms, 10 milers, a half marathon and 3 singles Hyrox. And Slav has supported me, trained me and got me race ready every single time. I remember texting him whilst in Barcelona in April; and him saying ‘Who would ever thought you'd travel to Spain with mum to compete. How fucking awesome is this…’ Very fucking awesome.

Slav; thank you. You know what it means and I know what it means. Here’s to the next challenges, the next PBs and seeing what else we can do!

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔

Jaymie

PT write up thing.....

I've been having PT sessions with Slav for some time now (** I have no idea how long.... do you know when we started? Obviously delete this bit 🤣) and he has helped me massively with my overall fitness. The main thing I wanted to improve initially was my strength and conditioning and I wanted to do this safely, I have made huge improvements in this area but way way more than that. Slav has supported me with the physical aspects but also our sessions have helped my mental state immensely which is a huge benefit to me. He has worked with me post surgery to re-introduce exercise at a safe steady pace to ensure I dont jeopardise my recovery.

Slav has helped me to prepare for various events including triathlon and more recently Hyrox and Hybrid NW, I do often wonder how I let him get me into these crazy challenges but I guess I secretly love the pain and suffering! Slav has shown me that I'm capable of way more than I thought was possible including a big PB at my recent Hyrox event.

Slav has created an amazing community of Fitness Gangstas who are one big supportive family, his leadership and values cascade through the team and I'm proud to be part of it.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 @gracen90

I started PT sessions with Slav in November 2024 to help with general fitness and form. Since starting Slav has helped me progress beyond belief as well as build up my self confidence 🙌🏻

When I first started Slavs classes I could barely do any of the exercises- burpees, squats, sled, wall balls. 🤣Zoom forward eight months later and I’ve had my first experience of a Hyrox Relay race at Cardiff with plenty more planned in for later in the year 💪🏼

All of this is testament to the amazing community that Slav has created from classes that are welcoming, friendly and non judgemental to PT sessions that specially adapted to your goals and needs. But the special thing about Slav is his skill of getting to know each of his class/PT members and adapting his approach to get the best out of them!

Thank you Slav!

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 @nikki

After rejoining my gym and taking classes, I began to realise I needed goals to keep motivated and see improvements. Having Slav as my PT has given me so much motivation but also has inspired me to achieve much more than I thought I was able to do. Physically and mentally I can do so much more and feel the healthiest and fittest I've ever been (and I'm very near retirement!). He pushes me to achieve more than I ever realised I could do but at the same time listens and understands me, making every PT a further step towards even more personal goals! Thanks Slav! X

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 John

My Gym Journey

What can I say all my life I was the weak, skinny and shy nobody, when I met Slav I was very Shy, as I was ashamed of how I looked, after a couple months my confidence skyrocketed with his incredible coaching, he gave me a piece of his mindset, and even after suffering 2 injuries to my chest and knees, I still tried my best to come back stronger than I did before, the journey has been full of ups and downs but I didn’t have a doubt in my mind Slav would get me through it all, and now recovering from my knee injury, hopefully now we can push forward and get to that goal

Coach thank you for always believing in me after all the times I couldn’t make it due to work, all the times my pec and knees gave out, and all the cheesecakes 😉, I can’t wait to see where this journey goes

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Sian

I began my fitness journey with Slav in January this year, having felt for some time that I wanted to feel better about myself generally. So many people recommended Slav, as well as my partner, who has known him for many years.

At the beginning, I was very nervous about exercise due to having a health condition, and I pretty much feared the gym environment, feeling overwhelmed and unfamiliar with it all. This quickly changed within a few sessions with Slav, who completely understood my worries, and he worked with me to give me exactly the right balance of support and enough of a push to build my independence. He has helped me tremendously with my confidence in and around the gym, both the equipment and exercises, and I’m now 5 months in, loving exercise and the gym! I genuinely look forward to our weekly PT session, and it guides me for my week’s work outs. Slav would probably say I talk too much in our sessions, but he’s so knowledgeable about everything and is very solutions led, so he’s a great sounding board on life as well as a brilliant PT!

Physically and mentally I feel in the best shape I’ve been in for many years, having lost some weight, began toning up, and allowing myself some time each week where I can just focus on myself!

I cannot thank Slav enough for his help and support, as he has transformed my attitude towards - and confidence in - exercise! With his encouragement I’ve even started running and am up to 5km!

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Beth

I started slav to get fit for my sisters wedding. But ended up doing some amazing things that I never thought I'd ever be able to do.

When i started doing slavs classes about a year ago, I used to struggle getting through a 45min class I can now do slavs class followed by a personal training session.

Some of the things I have achieved since having slav as a personal trainer are as follows:

● Ran my first 8km

● Did my first 5k park run

● Ran my first 10k run

●Did my first hyrox doubles

● Ran my first half marathon

●Booked to do my first solo in hyrox

I have also got two 10k races booked in the diary for the year and actually signed up to do a marathon next year.

This is all down to slavs motivation and determination to do the best he can do in this own personal sporting events which is always incredible the things he can accomplish 🙌 he has definitely inspired me,aswell as some of the incredible fitness gangstas to start taking fitness more seriously and see what my body is capable of achieving once I get my mind behind me.

I tried to do my best to keep it short but yanno I talk to much 😂😜

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔

Jody

Slav is a great PT highly recommend very professional and hard working. Slav is very easy to get along with thoughtful and polite. I've been working with Slav for almost 2 years now and had some great progress. He is very encouraging and always on hand with good advice.Also it is hard not to be impressed and inspired by his own personal feats. Thank you Slav.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔

Anastasia

I got to know Slav in mid-January 2025 when I began attending his classes—which, I’ll admit, seemed a little intimidating at first. But from the very first session, I was hooked. Slav has created a truly supportive community of incredibly hardworking and inspiring people—regardless of age, gender, or background, everyone shows up and gives it their all.

I began personal training sessions with him in April, and he has impressed me at every turn. His deep experience, genuine care, and no-excuses approach—balanced with an understanding of our individual health needs—make him a truly rare coach. Since training with Slav, my body has done things I never imagined it could. I’ve taken up running (after many failed attempts in the past), and I’ve even signed up for my first-ever fitness competition as an adult!

Slav is an absolute legend. He leads by example, taking on extreme challenges and competitions despite his own health limitations—and in doing so, he shows us again and again that we too can do impressive things. I’m so excited to continue this journey with him and to see what the future holds with his steadfast support and guidance.

Or

I joined Slav’s classes in January 2025, and from day one, I was blown away by the energy and community he’s built. What first seemed intimidating quickly became the highlight of my week. Since starting PT sessions with him in April, I’ve made progress I never thought possible—running regularly, gaining serious strength, and even signing up for my first adult fitness competition!

Slav leads by example, constantly pushing himself while supporting each of us with genuine care and no-nonsense guidance. He’s not just a coach—he’s an inspiration. I can’t wait to keep growing under his guidance.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Warren

Back in January 2024, I was searching for a personal trainer after suffering a serious knee injury. I needed to rebuild my confidence, return to fitness, and shed a bit of weight. That’s when I met Slav through a friend—and that introduction changed everything.

Slav didn’t just guide me through training sessions; he became a mentor, a source of unwavering support, and a friend I could turn to for advice. His expertise, encouragement, and belief in my potential gave me a renewed sense of purpose.

Eighteen months ago, running 100 meters felt impossible—I would’ve needed oxygen just to catch my breath. But now, on June 7th, 2025, I’m competing in my first Hybrid Games, with many more to come. The transformation has been unreal, and I owe it all to Slav.

Thank you for everything—your dedication, motivation, and friendship have been truly life-changing.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 @jake

Having dropped 20kg by weight training and light cardio, I decided to join my first Hyrox class at Elements. The first group training with Slav, I couldn’t even make it through the full session without a break, I had to sit out for 10 minutes because I just wasn’t fit enough to keep up. My 5k time was somewhere between 35 and 40 minutes, and I’d never done a long-distance run outside of team sports. I was starting from scratch with my cardio in particular.

Since then, I’ve started PT with One Step Closer, and the progress has been unreal. Just a few months in, I ran my first 10k in 51 minutes. I’ve completed a half marathon in 1:59. My 5k is now down to 23:16.

I competed in my first HYROX event in Manchester (doubles) and finished in 1:19. Since then, I’ve done Cardiff Doubles at 1:10, followed by a relay event on the same day in 1:12. I'm set to do the HybridNW events and Hyrox Birmingham later this year.

Overall, I’m stronger, fitter, faster, healthier, and I’m only getting better. This journey has been about more than just fitness for me; it’s been about proving to myself what I’m capable of with the right coaching, support, and mindset. Slav has kept me consistent and motivated which has also helped me in my worklife too as I believe fitness has a massive mental impact. Slav is awesome and I'm proud to work with him but also call him my friend!

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Mel

The "T" in PT definitely stands for Therapist. 💪🧠

I first trained with Slav at PadFit pre-pandemic, but it was during those dark COVID days—when gyms were shut and we were training in the garden and running across the bridge of DOMs—that our PT journey really began.

Since then, wherever Slav goes, I follow.

Progress over the past 5 years hasn’t been a straight line. Life, motivation, and everything in between got in the way. But Slav has been the anchor that’s kept me from drifting too far from fitness. He always finds a way to pull me back in.

He gets me—knows when I’m truly struggling and when I’m just whining, and he pushes me exactly how I need.

Because of Slav, I’ve:

🔥 Deadlifted 1.5x my bodyweight

🏃‍♂️ Run marathons

🚴‍♀️ Completed triathlons

🏋️‍♂️ And now I’m training for Deadly Dozen and Hyrox

If you’re looking for a PT who’s part coach, part therapist, all legend—Slav is your man.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 BEC & SAL

We've both been training with Slav for several years now—separately at first, but then he pulled us together for sessions, and honestly? It's been a total blast! If there’s one thing we can say for sure, it’s this: if Slav can survive training with two menopausal ladies who are sometimes fierce, often unreasonable, and nearly always defiant... well, he’s clearly built for greatness! Honestly, the man deserves a medal just for putting up with us.

But seriously, since we started working with him, we’ve gone on to crush some pretty epic challenges. We survived the brutal triathlon in The Roc (Google it—it’s like the triathlon version of a horror movie), we’ve both conquered multiple Hyrox events, and as a dynamic duo we even managed to finish 2nd and bring home a flag from Katowice, Poland (bonus points for it being Slav's hometown!).

As for me, I’ve done my first-ever Hyrox singles, and I’ve got two more lined up. Meanwhile, Bec's is bravely jumping into the Pro category later this year (pray for her, because she's going all in).

What makes Slav such a standout PT? Well, he doesn’t just train us—he trains us. His level of commitment to us, his business, and his own crazy challenges is beyond inspiring. He’s got the humor and patience to keep us going, and despite his own health restrictions, he continues to push himself—and us—toward greatness. Anyone who works that hard, who shows that level of determination, and still manages to make training fun deserves all the respect in the world.

So, if you’re looking for a PT who is tough as nails, laughs through the chaos, and genuinely cares about helping you become the best version of yourself—whether you’re looking to conquer a triathlon, compete in a Hyrox/Hybrid event or just get stronger—Slav is your guy. Trust us. We’d be lost without him.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Natalie

The 4th February 2024 was the end of a lifetime of fad diets, meal replacement bars and aimless workouts in the gym where I was achieving nothing.

I started my first block of 12 weeks on a personalised plan with Slav and more than a year later I can honestly say it has been the best investment in I have ever made.

The knowledge and experience this man has is incredible and with that it has lead me to drop around 10kg in weight, whilst still gaining additional muscle mass.

I never believed my body could achieve such things but with the correct guidance and encouragement I have outdone myself; and each session has remained enjoyable.

Having a PT who genuinely cares about their clients is vital and I feel I have that with Slav, & I know he’s as proud of his clients as we are to call him our PT.

Thanks Slav, you really are one of a kind.

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 Anne

First met Slav when he asked if I minded if he corrected how I was doing my weights. I then started doing his classes which were so good, no 2 classes were the same. I then started doing his hyrox classes till I broke my foot. Slav was amazing by adapting his classes whilst it healed (6 months). He then worked with me to get me fully functioning in hyrox classes. I started PT in ? looking for all round fitness, good technique and getting back to running. I’ve been coping with a knee injury and Slav has yet again adapted my PT and classes and helping me back to prepare for a deadly dozen comp and a hyrox doubles with my daughter. My ultimate goal is a hyrox solo. Slav motivates, inspires, encourages and makes me believe I can do what I want to do. All I can say is Slav is an amazing and caring PT. Thank you

🅟🅣 🅟🅡🅞🅕🅘🅛🅔 @sarahjb00

I’ve been an avid gym goer for many years, part taking in gym classes and trying my hand at different sports / classes etc from rugby to calisthenics and weight lifting.

Slowly loosing the drive and direction I wanted to take , my focus previously has always been about aesthetics rather than endurance.

I’ve know Slav for a fair few years and always had upmost respect for the challenges he sets and conquers.

Stupidly I let him convince me to part take in a new Hyrox simulation class for the first time convincing me I would enjoy it 😂 shock to the system that I didn’t know I needed

Sparked a fire within realising I wanted and needed to up my cardio endurance fitness and go down a different avenue of sport!

I needed planning programming and accountability to keep me focused and with his sporting background/achievements and drive I  knew Slav would be the coach I needed.

12 months into my journey with Slav behind me I’ve achieved so much more than I imagined, a new found love in running and competing and desire to keep challenging what my body and mind is actually capable of!!

For the first time it’s not been about aesthetics and with his help I’ve learnt it’s much more than looks , completion times and medals , it’s about being present and showing up when your mind is telling you otherwise and proving that you not only have the physical strength but also the mental strength to achieve wild goals 😜

The community support and encouragement through Osc and Slav as mentor/coach is unpairable