Mason Phillips

I first started working with Tom the summer after my freshman year of high school. I had just recovered from a torn ACL and was looking for a place where I could continue strengthening my knee, while also working out the rest of my body under someone who specializes in strength training.

The benefits I’ve gained from working out alongside Tom are Endless. My strength drastically improved from when I first got there and continued all the way through my time there as I became stronger than I have ever been on the mat. Aside from improving my strength, Tom has taught me a lot more. The lessons I learned inside the gym have helped me grow as a person inside and outside of the gym. Working with Tom teaches you dedication, commitment, and respect for others to go with many more valuable qualities.

The atmosphere at Toms is exactly what you would want in a gym. Everyone in there is there for a purpose and wants something out of it. You are often surrounded by people with similar goals as you and it makes the experience more enjoyable. Aside from working hard we also have a lot of fun in there. Tom was more than just a strength coach. I was able to talk to him about things going on in my life while still getting a hard workout in. At Momentum Performance, I connected with friends while making new ones along the way. Having now spent almost year in a Division 1 athletic program, I can say Tom prepared me in every way possible for what to expect in an elite weight room. Toms workouts and principles built an atmosphere that is structured almost identical to what I am doing in the weight room at a top college program.

I started working out with Tom after I finished my recovery from a torn ACL in which I took 9 months off of wrestling. Eager to get back on the mat I knew I would be at a huge disadvantage strength wise. I came to Tom looking for someone who could push me and structure my workouts around my sport for what I needed.

What drew me to Tom was his previous success with athletes. My goal was to eventually wrestle in college at the division 1 level and I knew Tom had trained kids who had gone there before. I stuck with Tom all throughout my high school career and eventually earned myself a scholarship to wrestle at the University of North Carolina. Without Tom pushing me every day and his continued support, I’m not sure if I would have made it to where I am today.

One special thing about Tom is his dedication to his athletes. There was a period of time where Tom would open his gym for me at 5:30am every morning to let me get my workout in. Following my early morning workouts, he would go on long runs with me in the dark before I left. Not only is Tom my strength coach, he is also a friend. He is always someone I can go to, to talk about things going on in my life and to help me through tough times. I’ve made tons of memories to go with the massive improvements I made in my strength and condition and I highly recommend Tom to anyone with goals and aspirations of being great in whatever they do.