See What People Are Saying About Water And Rock Studio

I wanted to thank you for introducing me to a whole new way to train, one that pushed my limits to their extreme. The workouts totally kicked my butt in a way that made me feel great about myself and my abilities. I was able to achieve incredible results with your tailored program that fit perfectly into my busy schedule.  In a short period, I was able to increase lean muscle mass, drop my body fat percentage, and visually see the results of all that sweat. Thanks to your program, I’m stronger and faster than ever, and I expect my upcoming race times to improve exponentially.

- Steve Perkins


I studied ashtanga yoga with Suzanne for two years and absolutely had a ball. I began taking yoga classes for stress relief and found that Suzanne’s instruction helped me learn more, grow stronger, and feel more centered and happy than I could have anticipated. Suzanne has an amazing style as a teacher – calm, cheerful, encouraging. She’s good at offering individualized instruction within the class setting, so that both as a novice and as a more advanced student, I could have challenges and modifications that were right for my level of practice. I definitely built skills and deepened my practice more under her guidance due to the friendly way she invites her students to challenge themselves and the way she makes class such a pleasant place to be. I was sorry to move away and leave her classes, and I would recommend Suzanne to anyone looking for a wonderful yoga instructor!

- Andrea Reese


I studied self-defense with Japheth for two years and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done with my time. I had a job that required fieldwork in remote locations, and as a petite woman, I wanted to gain the skills to feel confident with that. The class was a mix of jiu jitsu, Thai kickboxing, crossfit-style strength training, and law enforcement techniques for weapons defense. Classes also drew on incidents in the news and on scenarios students raised. Japheth does an amazing job of balancing all those topics with the needs of individual students, including longer-term students like myself, drop-ins, mothers and teenage daughters, and those who have experienced assault. Despite the serious grounding, he has a knack for making class friendly, hilarious, and encouraging. I really don’t know if there’s anything else like it. I would recommend that anybody study self-defense with Japheth.

- Andrea Reese


Hi Japheth,

Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate not only the half-hour complimentary personal training session, but also the 8 sessions during March and April with you.  Even though the time was short, I think you were very helpful in the following ways:

introducing me to practical resistance training exercises (using my own body, weights and the kettleball, rather than machines) that addressed two or more areas of the body at once;
explaining why/how each exercise was beneficial;
emphasizing the importance of sleep;
recommending sessions with the nutritionist (Mae) and reinforcing her recommendations;
sharing your personal experience with adrenal stress and pointing me toward the saliva stress test; and
answering all my questions patiently.
But most of all, I want to commend you on your engagement in your work and your obvious dedication to your clients and the health field in general.  I have watched other trainers who are easily distracted (or bored) and don’t pay attention to the way their clients are performing the exercises.  You not only suggested exercises appropriate for my physical abilities, but also made sure I was doing them properly.

Thank you.  Pat

PS.  I also appreciate the referral to the Paleomg.com website–some great recipes.  Hope you tried the coconut pancake and fruit compote one on your in-laws.

- Pat Mosenthal


Japheth,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of the help you have given me in reaching my personal fitness goals.  While I do have work to still do, I am confident with your guidance and support I will be able to achieve these goals. I am excited that presently my clothes are too big for me, and I really can’t wait to buy that whole new wardrobe!

Thanks!

- Angela Hollandsworth


Japheth,

In the last few months you taught me a more efficient way of working out and I have seen the results.  I have   met the weight loss goals I set and made new goals which I have now exceeded.  You’ve been motivational and knowledgeable while keeping it fun.  Thanks!

Funny one, but true.

In the last few months you have gotten me up before dawn, had me boil more eggs than I thought possible, made me live on egg whites and leaves.  My wife doesn’t like you.  My kids don’t understand where all the ice cream went.  My pants don’t fit, my shirts are baggy and I only have one belt with one notch left.

Thanks! See ya in a month.

- Bobby Peterson


I have been training with Japheth for over 6 months and the results have been amazing! I have not only seen a difference in my body and muscle tone but in my overall health as well.  He is not the type of trainer that will just give you a good work out, he will ask you about your day, if you’re stressed, if you’re sleeping well, what you ate and much more. He is interested in your overall health, not just in the 1 hour workout.  His knowledge is unbelievable and his workouts will make you push your limits. Training with him has been a life changing experience in every way.  I have never felt more toned in my life!  I had lost 65 lbs 5 years ago and have been able to maintain it.  I have done kickboxing and weight lifting for the past 3 years but the results I have had these past 6 month can really show.  Before people would tell me that I looked skinny, especially after my weight loss but lately I get “you are fit”!!  What??!!  Fit??!!!  I have never thought of myself like that and with Japheth my body has changed to a more fit and healthy body type.  Thanks J!!!!

- Marhilda Morales


Training with Japheth’s group took my workouts to the next level. I was already at a pretty good fitness level after working at it to lose 25 lbs of post-pregnancy weight over 9 months, but had reached a results plateau doing the “same old routine”. The combination of Japheth’s nutrition advice and high intensity cross training workouts helped shed ~3% body fat and simply increased my lean body mass. I have been teaching group fitness for almost 20 years, and have spent much time doing hour + workout sessions, including training for marathons and triathlons. These days, I am actually spending LESS time actually working out yet I am in the best shape of my life!

- Jeannie McLaurin


With Suzanne as my instructor, I learned Yoga can be fun. She encourages her students to push themselves while teaching them the proper forms, postures, and techniques. After just a few sessions I felt the difference in my posture and flexibility. I also found the breathing techniques help calm me when I’m feeling stressed out.

I have learned so much taking self defense classes with Japheth. His enthusiasm for teaching and extensive knowledge in several disciplines makes me look forward to class every week. It’s the one class I don’t want to miss. I get a great workout while learning a valuable skill.

- Lisa Smith


Japheth:

I have been taking self-defense with Japheth for about 5 years. Japheth is a excellent coach who’s experience and expertise are evident in every class. He easily adjusts to beginner and experienced students, allowing individuals to get the most out of each lesson. The techniques Japheth teaches are always effective and the format of the lessons allow for real-world context.  As a female, I can definitely say that I am more comfortable and confident in any given situation because I know how to defend myself. In addition to classes being extremely useful in a practical sense, they are also very enjoyable. Japheth makes learning self-defense fun, while still building strength and teaching valuable skills.

- Micha Rhodes


Yoga with Suzanne is always a wonderful experience. Suzanne’s combination of soothing tones and joyful energy make for a unique class that is both relaxing and energizing. She offers challenges for every level while guiding the class through poses and positions in an empowering way. Taking classes with Suzanne always leaves me feeling balanced, centered, and expanded.

- Micha Rhodes


For more than two years, I worked with Japeth as a student of his while training crossfit, Jiu Jitsu and Mauy Thai.  He is a phenomenal coach.  His attention to the mechanics is impeccable. He has a ton of patience and to be so good at what he does, he’s extremely humble.  He always maintained a high degree of professionalism.  I would strongly endorse Japheth for any coaching, teaching, supervisory or leadership position.

- Al Bess


When I met Japheth Brubaker –  I was still recovering from being hospitalized with viral meningitis, had peaked out at 194lbs with 30% body fat, with no real exercise for 20 years. Japheth created a program to gradually improve my health while still keeping it fun and adopted exercises to accommodate for my busy job with 20+ international trip yearly. He inspired and motivated me to take daily vitamins and improve my eating habits with less carbohydrates, and to increase sleep. Working together was absolutely instrumental for me to become healthier! The exercises and eating habits give me extra energy and help me also while traveling. As of the morning I am writing this – my weight is 161lbs,  with 16% body fat!

- Rikard Lundqvist


Japheth has been a major catalyst for me to improve my health – and life! From day one, he promised me results and I saw them in a matter of weeks by following his customized, cutting-edge health and nutrition instruction. The way I see food and exercise has dramatically shifted after feeling and seeing the fast improvement on my health, strength, and sense of well-being. With my busy work schedule, Japheth was the perfect trainer choice for me, since he focuses on reaching optimal health through a holistic approach. I noticed right away how Japheth sincerely cares about all of his clients and continually encourages balance and happiness in all areas of one’s life. I’m extremely motivated to continue down this path to better health and I am not sure how I’d ever find another trainer like him!

- Camille Lakhani


As I sat in the doctor’s office examination room, I couldn’t believe what I heard the nurse say, “Ma’am, you might want to wear this paper gown for larger people.”  I didn’t even know that the paper gowns came in different sizes but sure enough, there they were, hidden in one of the secret drawers or as I will forever call it, ‘the fat person drawer’.  The humiliation continued as my doctor revealed my lab results.  Cholesterol – over 300.  Sugar – borderline diabetic.  Body fat percentage – 46% – yes, half of my body was pure fat.  Stress levels so high that he feared I would have a stroke at any moment.  I blacked in and out of the conversation until I finally heard him say, “You are going to die if you don’t do something about your health.”  Die?  I’m only 41 years old and sure, I enjoy eating 8 cupcakes at a time but come on – die?  Furthermore, he suggested the lap band surgery. “Surgery?  No way.  I ate my way here and I am going to do this the hard way.”  After ditching the fat person paper gown in a fit of violence, I immediately drove to the gym.  I had been a member of Lifetime since 2009 but I could count on one hand the number of times I had actually worked out there.

I spotted Japheth from across the gym and instantly knew that I wasn’t going to be able to outsmart him.  Yes, he would be my trainer (whether he wanted to or not!)  I thought our first consultation would be just that—an hour filled with me spewing all of the excuses about why I was fat.    “I have Hoshimoto’s Disease” (an autoimmune disease that affected my thyroid).  “I have a high stress job; I am a single parent.”  I have this.  I have that.  At some point, he stopped me and said, “Well, let’s get started working out.”  Working out?  Now?  “Ummmm.  OK.”  That was almost 11 months ago.

Japheth started me on a solid workout program – 4 days per week with him and 2 days on my own.  For those of us that are good at math–yes, that is 6 days per week!  During the first few months, I would come home and take a nap after my workouts and was in a constant state of fatigue.  I lost a few pounds in the first 3 months but nothing significant.  I cried most days through all of the testing as I heard things like, “Your fitness level is that of a 68 year old woman” but Japheth and I were determined to make this work!  He motivated me every day to keep going and even helped me celebrate my successes a bit (something I had never really done in life).  One day, he started probing me on what I was eating.  Hmmm…talk about getting personal.  Is nothing sacred?  I shared the details of my eating habits and he suggested that I cut out processed carbs.  Oh no!  Not, my beloved processed carbs???  They are my one true love.  They have stuck with me (in more ways than one) for all of these years.  They are what I crave most in life.  Yep.  They would have to go.  For 2 weeks, I walked around in a fog, forgetting where I was going while driving on the Toll Road, feeling like I was going to pass out during my workouts and most pronounced was the fact that I was a raging WITCH!  But, after 2 weeks of withdrawal from sugar and processed carbs, I felt like the sun finally came out and that I was actually going to be ok!  I wasn’t going to die!  During this time, I read an article that said that the human brain reacts the same way when one withdraws from sugar as it does to when one withdraws from cocaine. I have never done drugs but that statement made me weep because that is exactly how I felt–like I was withdrawing from a drug!  And, aren’t processed carbs and sugar a drug?  The weight started coming off a bit faster but still not as aggressively as it should be for working out 6 days per week!  So, I didn’t eat processed carbs and continued to work out hoping that my body would finally catch on to the program.

“Your cortisol levels have been so high for so long that you are in adrenal gland fatigue”, the nutritionist that Japheth recommended, said.  Cortisol – adrenal gland failure?  What?  I knew I was stressed out but how does your cortisol levels affect weight loss or the lack thereof?  I learned very quickly that Cortisol is the “stress hormone” and it has several important functions in the body.  Cortisol’s functions include blood pressure regulation, metabolism of glucose, maintenance of blood sugar, maintenance of the immune system, etc.   Your body usually has high amounts of cortisol in the morning, and this amount decreases as night approaches and Cortisol is one of the hormones released in your body during stressful events. Positive effects of cortisol release during stress include a higher pain threshold, a rush of energy, increased immunity and an improved memory. However, when the cortisol stays in your blood longer than necessary, it can have a more negative impact on your health, like weight gain.

For me, my cortisol levels had stayed so high for so long, that my body wasn’t producing it at the right times so Japheth and I adjusted my work out times to when my cortisol levels were at their highest – mid day.  No wonder my morning workouts were so taxing.  I was running on pure ‘mind over matter’.  When your body is constantly producing an abnormally high amount of cortisol, your normal cortisol production can be disrupted.  Since this hormone is responsible for providing us with energy, it also stimulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. Cortisol also helps your body release insulin and it increases blood sugar when you’re feeling stressed (this explains why my blood sugar is still high even though I don’t eat sugar). When the stressful event is over and you still have a high level of blood sugar, the excess glucose becomes stored as fat.  So, with this knowledge, we worked on reducing my stress and keeping my cortisol levels as low as possible.  Yoga, meditation and a proper ‘cool down’ post workout were incorporated into my regimen.  The weight was coming off but veeerrrry slooooowwwwly.

After 7-8 months of about 1 pound of weight loss per week, Japheth suggested that I see Dr. Heyman, an integrative doctor.  Sure!  I will eat dirt if you think it will help me!  After a month of waiting to see Dr. Heyman, I was finally able to meet with him and we discovered that I was mineral and vitamin deficient.  Magnesium and chromium, specifically, so we incorporated those supplements into my diet.  But, the most profound discovery was the results from the suggested food allergy blood test.  I had tried everything else, why not?  Well, why not, indeed!  I was allergic to 35 out of the 100 foods they tested!  I thought I was eating healthy but I was actually eating toxins!  Lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, sweet potatoes, barley (beer), onions, and eggs are among the foods that were causing my extreme fatigue and constant state of inflammation.  Once I was able to cut these foods out of my diet and focus on eating Paleo, the weight has been coming off at a much more rapid pace and I don’t feel the constant need to take a nap.  Thank God!  If you don’t know Paleo, you are missing out.  I had never heard of it until Japheth suggested it but it is the right lifestyle change for me.  Basically, if it doesn’t come from an animal, the earth, a plant or a tree—I don’t eat it.  As humans, we don’t need all that sugar and processed carbs.  We want it but we don’t need it.

Regarding the workouts, I am still working out 5-6 days per week and we were able to tap into the fact that my body responds very well to chaos!  The normal workouts that work for everyone else weren’t getting the results Japheth wanted so we “tried something new”.  Every day is a new adventure.  On “cardio days” – Zone 1 for 2 minutes, Zone 2 for 3 minutes, back to Zone 1 for 2 minutes, etc.  Cross fit workouts are my favorite workouts as they are short and nasty and I have proven to myself time and time again that though I feel like I am going to die for about 7 minutes, I never actually do.  I am especially happy on the days that Japheth works out with me as I so enjoy seeing him in pain along with me.  Pure bliss!

Today, I am 50 pounds lighter and a lot more muscular!  The fact that I know how to deadlift and strict press is impressive to me as well!  Cholesterol is around 125, Sugar is still troublesome but not borderline diabetic and I think that will reduce as I continue to work to keep my stress and cortisol levels down. My body fat percentage has gone from 46 percent to 28 percent!   Dance around!  Dance around!

While I still have 17 more pounds to lose (not that I am counting), I can’t believe how far I have come.  I am actually a success story!  But, it has not come easy.  It is the hardest thing I have ever done and these changes have saved my life.  Japheth helped save my life.  He hasn’t given up on me and hasn’t let me give up on myself.  He has helped me change in so many positive ways and I could never find a way to repay him except he might need to go to therapy now for having to deal with me and my intense personality!  “If something doesn’t work, we are going to try something else” is what I heard from him on a weekly basis.  For me, working out wasn’t enough.  He helped me find a full comprehensive approach to healthy living.  Now, when I eat, I ask myself – will this cleanse me or clog me?  When I work out, I remember that I have to keep it chaotic.  When I get stressed, I must meditate.

If and when you are ready to make the right lifestyle changes, Japheth will help you find out what works for you for as we know, one size paper gown does not fit all!

– Kathe Berryman Yamagata


I just wanted to thank you for the training and guidance you’ve given me over the last few months. This month, I have seen large enhancements in my physical performance and in my exercise repertoire. Just yesterday I was able to complete a work out of two-hundred pull-ups, among other sets, up from being able to do fifty or so when I started training with you. I am now able to perform multiple muscle-ups, consistently get my heart rate up to the high 180bpm during your work outs, lower my 2000 meter row time by almost a minute, lower my body fat percentage from 15% to 11%, and weigh the most I have during my life in a good way!  Not only have I learned in exercise regiments, but also in diet, sleep habits, recovery time, and stretching. I feel and perform like a stronger, more agile, and more complete athlete and am excited to keep improving even more. Thank you!

- Gabriel McCorkle


I want to thank you for opening my eyes to see what I was missing for the longest time in regards to exercise and nutrition. I have to admit when you first approached me about personal training, I was very skeptical. However since we have started working together in mid February I have reaped some tremendous benefits.  First and foremost, is that I feel great, 100% better than I did 4 months ago. I have since lost 20 lbs. while continuing to gain muscle. Your nutrition and diet knowledge is very beneficial as I have completely overhauled my eating habits and am now eating a much more balanced and healthy diet. My overall health and energy levels have also improved and my cholesterol levels have gotten significantly better. I really enjoy your positive attitude and the different excercise we have been doing. Previously I would lose interest and get bored with exercise routines but your constantly challenging me with different exercises and routines that keep me interested.

I looked forward to continued success and improved health while working with you in the future. Thanks again.

- Brian Butash

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