ART OF STRONG, Oakland CA

Alex is just the best. I came to Alex with chronic pain in my knees, disillusioned since the pain had hampered my progress in the gym pretty severely. Alex met me where I was and tailored a strength and mobility program around my limitations. The results have been long-lasting in that I have less pain and stronger than I’ve ever been. The investment I made in my time with Alex was well-worth it as in addition to my body feeling better, I learned ways that to maintain/ improve my joint mobility on my own. That’s a resource that I will have for the rest of my life. Thanks, Alex!

Alex has been exceptionally helpful in helping with my back injury. He goes the extra mile in getting specifically to the root cause of your problem and is very knowledgeable and intentional in designing the exercise program to achieve results. Can’t say enough good things about him just do yourself a favour and book a session!

If I could give Alex 10 stars I would! As someone who has done capoeira for almost 25 years, I thought I understood what it took to keep my body healthy and recover from injury. It wasn’t until I started working with Alex that I really started to understand what joint health means and the unique work it takes to get your joints to do what your sport requires. As a physician, I can tell you that what I have learned from him has helped me be more in tune with the issues my patients deal with. He has truly opened up a new world for me, a new way to think about physical health. I could not be more grateful! He’s also patient, motivating and pushes me to work my hardest! In a super fun way!

Results! I think I've tried just about everything to address pain and injuries from my sport. Working with Alex has been by far the most effective. If you haven't tried FRC before, I'd highly recommend giving it a try. I started to see improvement after a few weeks, and 90% pain-free after 4-5 months.

I don’t recommend Alex; the $250 consult session I had with him in 2023 was a huge waste of money. First, he spent the 1st 20 minutes just talking about his philosophy (which I already read online) and he spend a mere ten minutes “evaluating” me and then didn’t give me any exercise advice, instead, he said keep doing your exercise but with more “intensity” I can’t believe I paid $250 and spent an hour listening to this guy’s arrogance. Complete waste of money! His yelp reviews were all Circa 2014 - I should have seen that as a red flag. If you have audacity to charge this much money the entire hour should at least be spent on the client not talking about yourself and your beliefs - what a joke.

Alex's expertise is deep and continually growing. He not only helps treat what ails you, but also teaches you how to better take care of yourself.as a life long grappler, I'm trying my hardest not to ossify into Tin Man levels of (in) flexibility as I age and Alex is equipping me with the tools to keep doing what I love doing (pain free).

Alex is an exceptional coach who brings a wealth of knowledge and an incredible passion for what he does. His support has been invaluable to me, consistently pushing me to expand my understanding of effective training. The results speak for themselves; I can confidently say that the benefits of his programs have been transformative. If you're looking for a coach who is committed to your growth, look no further

Who helps the somatic healers? Alex Nichols does! I am a certified yoga therapist who has significant training and experience working with people in the context of yoga. And wow, what a blessing to have Alex be there for me as I age as gracefully as I can and still need support in understanding my own body mechanics. As mindfully and well versed in somatic as I hope to be, I do not even come close to the wisdom and skills of Alex. He offers a comprehensive intake and so much education in a session it makes the head spin (but thank goodness not literally as we would need to address that issue, too) and meets me where I am at. I have had some lower back weakness over the years and he has helped me find creative ways outside of my yoga practice to strengthen and decrease the repetitive stress from teaching over the years. It has been a while since I had a session with Alex and I can only imagine how supportive and informative the next time will be. So very glad Art of Strong is here in Oakland again and so glad Alex synergistically combines both the art and science of body mechanics in his practice!

I sought out Alex to teach me how to do “mobility” better as a jiu jitsu athlete, and what I’ve learned I’m so grateful for.

What being fit, healthy, and in control of my body means to me has evolved a ton since I started working with Alex. Because of his instruction, I now get why joint health and control is paramount, and why active and directed force on areas you're repairing or building more range is so critical.
I feel super lucky to have found Alex and his passion for teaching. I now have a daily mobility practice for keeping my body happy and healthy. And now I actually believe I can do a sport like jiu jitsu for life. Thanks Alex!

Alex has been managing my S&C programming online as well as my acute, bjj related knee rehab. Having worked with Alex both professionally and personally for several years, his level of care and attention to detail is outstanding.

Being a full time instructor and competing often too has made my body need help. The answer wasn't extra conditioning or training more, the answer was working with Alex once a week and not just improving, but really owning the range of motion I had. After almost 17 years of Grappling it wasn't until I started working with Alex that I felt like I knew my body and was in touch with it. Recovery is faster, pain is less prevalent, and the chronic problems I use to have (ulnar nerve flair ups, back spasms, knee pain) all have been under control. CARs, PAILs and RAILs, you name is Alex knows it. Alex respects athletes as individuals and develops plans designed for each person. Thank you Alex!

Alex is an amazing trainer. He helped my hip and overall mobility. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Alex is that rarest of fitness professionals; a trainer with the knowledge to help any client in any stage of fitness with any goal. He is incredibly diligent, with an eye for small details which can make a big difference. I really appreciate how he focuses on functional and smooth ranges of motion. Healthy movement is the key to everything, whether you're looking to rehab an injury, help with chronic pain, increase your cardio vascular ability, put on muscle, or perform better at your favorite sport. On top of that, Alex is just a good and friendly dude; he's great company and has killer taste in music. I push EVERYONE I knew, regardless of their goals, to pay him a visit so that they can get stronger.

Alex has helped me reduce pain and increase strength in my shoulder and lower back through slow functional exercises that look silly but are extremely hard. I've been working with him for 7 months now and I can definitely see an improvement in how I perform in swimming and my other exercises that I do throughout the week.

He takes his role seriously and always gets me to put an extra 20% in for every time I see him

10/10 would recommend