Always a physical mover from a very young age, Marvin took a big leap and chose to dedicate his life to training hard as an athlete. In a quest to marry his love for sports and dance, Marvin enrolled into and graduated from a highly acclaimed professional dance school in Winnipeg and is now reaping the rewards of many years of disciplined rigorous daily training as he presently continues to perform and train as a dancer while working and managing a successful Pilates career as a high-level instructor at the Toronto Athletic Club.
Dance led him to discover a fulfilling second vocation in life where he wakes up every morning and lays his head down at night knowing that his chosen career has brought good energy to the world, by helping others to become healthier, stronger, happier, and to walk taller and prouder through the wonderful practice of Pilates. He hopes that this energy will carry on its positive work through the people he has helped as they live their own personal lives to commit their actions to the betterment of society and to promote respect for this planet and for all its people.
EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Manitoba
- STOTT Pilates Full Comprehensive Certification
- Ron Fletcher Pilates Technique Certification in Mat, Reformer, Chair & Barrels, Towel
- Yoga Exercise Specialist, East to West Yoga
- Barre Beautiful - Barre Instruction
- Professional Dance Artist, The School of Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers/Royal Winnipeg Ballet School
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE HE'S EVER RECEIVED:
"Don't think about the impossibilities, think of the possibilities."
FAVOURITE WORKOUT SONG:
"Seasons of Love" from the muscial RENT
FAVOURITE CHEAT MEAL:
Slow fire pit roasted Asian suckling pig, especially at a Filipino family celebration
TESTIMONIALS:
“Have you ever trained with a professional athlete before? Well you’re in for more than your money’s worth when you opt to train with Marvin. Marvin is known for his skilled training, infectious energy, his even keeled temperament and his sense of humour.
“With Marvin, you get everything and then some. As a professional dancer, he comes from a world where his colleagues are highly attuned to their bodies. This added experience to be trained by a professional Dancer is the nuance that is unique. You will not only get eye opening corrections and cueing that push you to the best of your limits, you will also get an anatomically solid, well thought out program customized to your own body. In a very short amount of time, training with Marvin has given me more strength, muscular tone, increased flexibility and improved co-ordination. The workouts are always fun, challenging, innovative and engaging! My core is the strongest it has ever been and I stand taller, longer and fitter thanks to Marvin.” – Baiba St.John
“I started Pilates training with Marvin over 2 years ago. I can attest that the physical gains I have experienced have had unbelievable functional impact on my day to day life. I have him to thank for this. I am stronger, leaner and have the endurance to get through a demanding lifestyle that takes a significant physical toll. Marvin is truly a fitness rockstar! He is capable of explaining the exercises in a way that is both simplified to any individual, but can also describe movements using technical terminology and identification of exact muscles and muscle groups - something that has been vital to my personal progress. He understands the kinetics of body movement in a way to facilitate proper oversight and graduated training. In addition to this, he is kind, humble, encouraging and a gem of a person. I am lucky to have discovered him.” – Dr. Nisha Kanani, BSc., M.D., FRCPC
“After turning 50, I found it challenging at times to give my partner a competitive match on the squash court. Muscles didn’t seem to react as responsively as I wanted them to. Different parts of my body seem to be weak and vulnerable to injury as well. I got the sense that I needed to do something off court to try to address these concerns but wasn’t sure what to do especially given my time constraints. So, I decided to give Pilates a try and asked Marvin to develop a mat routine that I can use as a pre-game warm-up. Marvin set me up with a routine over private sessions. Well worth the investment. After I started to do the routine, my body was much more stable and responsive on court, and felt better after a match. It was night and day. Thanks Marvin!” – Peter H. Baek
“I have been Pilates training with Marvin for several months now and am very pleased with the results. Marvin has the right mix of strength and flexibility training and at my request has focused on my core muscles which has resulted in much more back comfort as a result. I am now able to participate in activities I felt uncomfortable doing before and my recovery from an injury has moved along more quickly as a result of his training. Marvin has also been very good at giving me the appropriate exercises to do when I am not Pilates training with him.” – Anonymous Head Toronto Financier