Jax Liberty Fitness

Liberty Fitness is great! Rick is a very knowledgeable strength coach, encouraging, challenging, attentive. My strength and confidence have been greatly improved working with him. Strong recommend.

Before finding Jax Liberty Fitness, I found myself spending most of my time enduring heavy cardio sessions at the gym or piecing together a "weightlifting" workout last minute. Rick, the owner at Jax Liberty Fitness, invested intentional time teaching me proper form and gradual weight increase under the barbell. After spending a few months training in-person with Rick, I can now go to the gym on my own - confident in what I need to do and in my ability to use the weight rack (and more!). I've recently moved out of the Jacksonville area but still take advantage of Rick's expertise through his virtual coaching option. Rick programs my workouts and reviews video of my form to ensure I'm staying on track. I highly recommend Jax Liberty Fitness and am so grateful!!!

I’m so grateful for my time at Jax Liberty Fitness and working with coach Rick NesSmith. I first became interested in strength training as a remedy to help prepare my body for hip surgery. I believed if I could build strength it would help with my recovery. Rick was on board from day one, taking the necessary precautions to insure my safety and modify the movements as needed. I have a new found passion for strength training and I already feel the difference in my body. Thank you!

How do I being to express my gratitude towards coach Rick NesSmith of Jax Liberty Fitness? He is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the art of strength training and it shines constantly through his coaching. Rick has helped shape me into the strongest version of myself and has shown me that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought possible. Upon meeting Rick, I had a basic foundation in strength training but through our work together he has assisted me in taking that knowledge and skill set to a whole new level. Because of his expert coaching I now feel better equipped to move towards my goals confidently and with a new found passion for strength training. Thank you!

Rick NesSmith is simply an excellent coach. He pays attention to my body, understands my limitations and intuits my aspirations. In moving me forward confidently toward our goals, he helps me to understand and to trust the process of weight training that he has designed uniquely for me. Most importantly, Rick is results oriented, and among the results is that I look forward to training; it is enjoyable to learn to be a better steward of my body and my health.

Since working with Rick I have made significant gains in strength and overall fitness. His no-nonsense approach is founded in anatomical knowledge and a solid understanding of the mechanics of body movement and muscle physiology. He tailors programs to the individual taking into account all the unique aspects of each person and develops a training program which achieves optimal results. He is by far, the best strength coach I have ever worked with.

Rick is passionate, professional, and positive. His focus on strength for health works! I’ve seen it myself! And his focus on safe and effective technique helped build my trust and kept me coming back. The gym isn’t fancy. But it’s everything you need and proof that results are all about doing the work.Even though we’ve moved away from Jacksonville—for now—I still consider Rick a coach and a friend. And try to visit Liberty Fitness whenever I go back.

After listening to my neighbors Liz and Glenn rave about Rick @ JaxLibertyFitness for over a year, I finally signed up for a trial power lifting session in March 2021. As a physical therapist, I was instantly impressed with Rick's knowledge and training of anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology. Not only did he thoroughly explain and demonstrate power lifting movements, he also educated on what each movement was targeting and why it was important.Needless to say, I was hooked after one session. I persuaded my husband to do a trial as well and we have both been consistently going to JaxLibertyFitness to see Rick for 10 months now.Rick does an excellent job progressing training programs. After a work related back injury, I didn't stop training because Rick was able to modify my program for me and played a huge part in my recovery.I am so glad I am part of the JaxLiberty workout group. I feel stronger both physically and mentally. Rick is a fantastic trainer and has really fostered good camaraderie within his clients.

My wife had mentioned that some of our neighbors had started doing powerlifting and were getting good results and she wanted us to give it a try. I had spent years going to gyms and also trying heart-rate based total body group workouts and never really improved in terms of strength. I could improve my cardio temporarily but the strength improvement seemed almost impossible. After our first session with Rick - and him explaining why this form of exercise would benefit me more than what I’d been doing in the past – I was hooked. I’ve been training with Rick for 10 months now and am much stronger and my lower back is pain free for the first time in years. Rick does an excellent job of explaining the exercises and more importantly providing the “programming” for which exercises and weights I’ll do during each session. He is an excellent instructor and provides useful feedback during and after each exercise. Rick is also an exceptional motivator and does a great job working around any sort of ailment that I may be experiencing. I was initially concerned this might not work for me due to lifelong nagging joint pains (shoulder, knee) but surprisingly these have mostly subsided or went away completely. I was also apprehensive that at my age (almost 60) I may not see much in terms of gains but I am getting stronger faster than I initially thought I would. Additionally, the weekly routine of three sessions keeps me honest in terms of eating healthier and taking better care of myself. Lastly, the fellowship and camaraderie are above anything I’ve experienced with any other exercise routine. It is really a fun, positive group to be around. I feel like I’ve found something that will keep me strong and energetic for the rest of my life!

Rick's passion for training is evident in his commitment to his own strength and that is inspiring for those he coaches. His skill in correcting form mistakes and verbal cues are insightful and succinct. Rick embodies the idea of "lead by example."