Signing up with Onur is one of the best decisions I've ever made. It's definitely the best money…read moreI've ever spent.
When I met Onur, at age 42, I felt like I was already pretty serious about my health, and had been for almost a decade (after being on autopilot since high school). But after seeing some immediate results, I'd plateaued 5 or 6 years ago.
At the risk of sounding like a cliché, I'd tried every gym and type of class, both in NYC and LA: HIIT, yoga, pilates, Crunch, Barry's, SolidCore, etc. I also wasn't sure what I should be paying attention to when I ate: calories, carbs, proteins, sugars? It felt like everyone else had learned these things years ago, and I hadn't.
When I decided to shake things up at the start of 2026 by springing for a trainer/coach, I did a ton of research and met lots of people. Onur immediately put me at ease, not only in the amount of time he spent getting to know me (probably twice as long as anyone else), but in the types of things he asked: thoughtful, probing questions that reminded me of therapy as much as anything.
It felt like Onur really wanted to learn about me and my lifestyle, and why I was making the decisions I was making, in a holistic way. When I outlined my goals, he pressed me to be specific and honest (and called me on it when I gave easy answers). Then he told me what it would take, and how long, to achieve the main goal I'd set out.
But he also assured me he could get me there.
I'll admit I was nervous: Committing to a trainer was a meaningful amount of money and time. But as Onur pointed out: How much money and time had I already spent without achieving my goals?
I shouldn't have been nervous. Onur put together a comprehensive plan for my fitness and diet that went through set phases, as outlined in some of the other reviews. And within weeks, I started seeing results again -- for the first time in years.
Part of this came about because Onur is almost freakishly knowledgeable. Among other things, he's a stickler for form. (I learned that I was doing many exercises incorrectly, despite years of Barry's classes and lots of reading on my own.) By the same token, if a machine wasn't available, or I was sore, he was knowledgeable enough to pivot on a dime and devise a new way to work out a particular muscle group. I also ask a lot of questions, and in 6 months, I never asked Onur something that he didn't know or couldn't find out; not only that, but he usually responded to my texts within hours.
But more than that, Onur is deeply dedicated. Like when I went on location for a month, for my job, Onur looked up the gym near my Airbnb and came up with a workout using the equipment (and time) I had there. He also recommended meal prep based on what I could get delivered.
And Onur doesn't just care about your fitness and diet. When I first met him, he emphasized that, first and foremost, he was a coach. At the time, I assumed he was using "coach" and "trainer" interchangeably. But Onur improved literally every aspect of my life, from the way I slept, to my confidence level, to breaking me of bad tics when I spoke, to dealing with career and relationship stress. (He even recommended me to another client of his for a job!)
The whole time, he was rooting me on and holding me accountable, either with encouragement or tough love, depending on what I needed that day. That was invaluable, especially on days when I wasn't motivated to work out or wanted to solve my frustrations by eating junk food.
Just as important: Onur always worked around my schedule and found the time to see me, even if I only had one free hour in a day.
Ultimately, even folks who didn't know I was working with a trainer started noticing that I looked better. And in the end, I met my goal, right when Onur promised I would (losing 20+ pounds in the process).
I've recommended Onur to literally everyone I know who's looking to make a change in their lives. And if he's taking new clients when you reach out, I'd encourage you to take the leap, too. There's literally no one else I would spend an hour writing a review for!