To whom ever is in pain and out of shape: This letter is my recommendation on the highest level for an amazing master personal trainer and physical therapist, one Octavio Perez, trainer at The Bally's Sports Center in Hollywood, CA. I cannot say enough about the incredible skills and expertise of this man, and not in one discipline but many. He is not only a skilled personal trainer with expertise in all manner of machines and devices, but is a master Pilates and Yoga expert as well. He also has that rare quality of empathy that allows him to work with his clients at their level, guiding them to progress at a pace that encourages them to want to continue and not become discouraged when they "have a bad day" or can't quite do as many reps as they did last time, feeling sure, with Octavio's help, that they will be able to next time. Many trainers I have known in the past often made me feel that I had "let them down". Octavio only built me up. And with this empathy, I feel like he essentially saved my life. Being older and with bad knees, I had mostly given up on physical exercise thinking I simply would never again have any core strength or flexibility. He proved me wrong and for that I am truly grateful. For anyone needing a new "lease on your physical life", I highly endorse Octavio Perez and cannot wait for my return to Los Angeles to continue his phenomenal training. Very Sincerely, John Pritchett C.A.S. motion picture sound mixer and pres. of Indep. Media Svcs., Inc. Independent Media Services, Inc. 5114 Balcones Woods #307-157 Austin, TX 78759   When I was initially looking for a trainer, I was looking for someone who was: - Informative and encouraging (the drill sergeant style doesn't work for me), and - Worked with mature men and understood how to work with mature bodies. Octavio is excellent in both these areas and several more. If I tell him that I can't do a certain exercise because I've pulled a shoulder muscle, he'll suggest other ways to work the muscle group that avoid injury. He has a serious depth of knowledge about physical training and is always taking classes in new workout techniques. Octavio constantly revises my workouts. He's never boring. I really need to emphasis the last point. Octavio is so much fun personally that I often find that I worked out harder than I intended because he made the training session so much fun. Only a very gifted trainer knows how to do that. Octavio is terrific and I recommend him. Mike Lyons