A health and wellness center that encompasses a wealth of conventional fitness knowledge paired with wisdom of treating the whole person- mind, body, spirit. Clean studio with a warm, welcoming trainer/coach.
Kala H.
Feb 2020
Dave Engen knows the body. Dave not only gives great exercises and sets that target exactly what your body needs, but he gives a great, thorough explanation of what exactly is happening to your body. He is able to target a specific pain I've had in my hip for years. Dave has given exercises and performed body work that made immediate and lasting impacts on me. I would recommend him to anyone who has a body issue and wants its remedied to its best ability. The dude is serious about his work and the results show.
Lauren O.
Nov 2017
Roots is a great gym. It's extremely clean and well maintained. There's lots of room, the lighting is great, there are indoor plants, and the coaching is the best in the city. The owner, Dave is extremely knowledgeable and talented and I love Aaron's small group classes.
Scott M.
Jul 2016
Dave's personalized approach to training goes above and beyond the majority of his peers. His unique and effective technique feels like movement competency. He sees each client in a unique light and designs the work around them. He's a great guy doing what he loves in a beautiful space. Do yourself a favor and get to know him.
Diane S.
Oct 2015
If you want to work with a trainer who will watch with arms folded and count reps, give you only exercises with which you're familiar, and leave you in a pool of sweat just for the sake of it because it makes him feel like a badass - Dave isn't your guy. And for good reason. Dave's going to get to know you as a person, not just your movement and fitness levels - and assess what the best plan of "attack" will be for each session. Whether more or less intense, different types of movement, etc. - your time is going to be tailored to you - not something everyone is doing that day who walks in the door. In fact, if I walk in exhausted from a very stressful day of work, the session may leave me with some soreness the next day, but it won't leave me flattened in a pool of sweat at the moment, because that's not what my body needs. I know, because it's happened. And if you work with Dave, don't be afraid to show up at a session feeling less than at 100% that day - you'll leave feeling better, just trust the process and be honest about where you, your body, and your mind are at that day. I've known Dave since 2005, and was a client of his for a few years on and off (as I needed the help) until moving away from SF. Upon returning - with new pains and a lower level of fitness than I once had - I decided to get back in touch to start training again. I knew if anyone could help me, it would be Dave. I had consistent, nagging SI joint pain for over a year, and after about a month of 2x/week sessions, I can confidently say that the pain is gone. And I'm talking a sharp twinge-y pain that I'd get just walking, not even initiated by trying to do something crazy. It was very frustrating. After 5 years CrossFitting, I'm glad to be back training with Dave to get my body moving differently again and with some better capacities. I can't wait to see how it feels to do some Olympic lifts and play some sports again (like tennis) with some newfound pain-free movement. Thanks as always, Dave.
Alison L.
Jul 2015
I've worked with Dave for the past year and have seen and felt an enormous change in myself. Dave has built a beautiful place at Roots, and I am so grateful for our work together! One of Dave's biggest gifts is his ability to meet individuals completely where they are without judgment. Dave has significant experience in helping clients achieve genuine and lasting wellness. He understands and models a truly healthy relationship to one's body through functional exercise and nutrition. Perhaps even more fundamentally, Dave understands the emotional, psychological and spiritual underpinnings to many of our difficulties that show up as health issues. Since working with Dave I feel the healthiest and strongest I've ever felt. I cannot recommend Dave more highly!
Reza Keshavarzi
Incredible
Angela Trinh
A health and wellness center that encompasses a wealth of conventional fitness knowledge paired with wisdom of treating the whole person- mind, body, spirit. Clean studio with a warm, welcoming trainer/coach.
Kala H.
Dave Engen knows the body. Dave not only gives great exercises and sets that target exactly what your body needs, but he gives a great, thorough explanation of what exactly is happening to your body. He is able to target a specific pain I've had in my hip for years. Dave has given exercises and performed body work that made immediate and lasting impacts on me. I would recommend him to anyone who has a body issue and wants its remedied to its best ability. The dude is serious about his work and the results show.
Lauren O.
Roots is a great gym. It's extremely clean and well maintained. There's lots of room, the lighting is great, there are indoor plants, and the coaching is the best in the city. The owner, Dave is extremely knowledgeable and talented and I love Aaron's small group classes.
Scott M.
Dave's personalized approach to training goes above and beyond the majority of his peers. His unique and effective technique feels like movement competency. He sees each client in a unique light and designs the work around them. He's a great guy doing what he loves in a beautiful space. Do yourself a favor and get to know him.
Diane S.
If you want to work with a trainer who will watch with arms folded and count reps, give you only exercises with which you're familiar, and leave you in a pool of sweat just for the sake of it because it makes him feel like a badass - Dave isn't your guy. And for good reason. Dave's going to get to know you as a person, not just your movement and fitness levels - and assess what the best plan of "attack" will be for each session. Whether more or less intense, different types of movement, etc. - your time is going to be tailored to you - not something everyone is doing that day who walks in the door. In fact, if I walk in exhausted from a very stressful day of work, the session may leave me with some soreness the next day, but it won't leave me flattened in a pool of sweat at the moment, because that's not what my body needs. I know, because it's happened. And if you work with Dave, don't be afraid to show up at a session feeling less than at 100% that day - you'll leave feeling better, just trust the process and be honest about where you, your body, and your mind are at that day. I've known Dave since 2005, and was a client of his for a few years on and off (as I needed the help) until moving away from SF. Upon returning - with new pains and a lower level of fitness than I once had - I decided to get back in touch to start training again. I knew if anyone could help me, it would be Dave. I had consistent, nagging SI joint pain for over a year, and after about a month of 2x/week sessions, I can confidently say that the pain is gone. And I'm talking a sharp twinge-y pain that I'd get just walking, not even initiated by trying to do something crazy. It was very frustrating. After 5 years CrossFitting, I'm glad to be back training with Dave to get my body moving differently again and with some better capacities. I can't wait to see how it feels to do some Olympic lifts and play some sports again (like tennis) with some newfound pain-free movement. Thanks as always, Dave.
Alison L.
I've worked with Dave for the past year and have seen and felt an enormous change in myself. Dave has built a beautiful place at Roots, and I am so grateful for our work together! One of Dave's biggest gifts is his ability to meet individuals completely where they are without judgment. Dave has significant experience in helping clients achieve genuine and lasting wellness. He understands and models a truly healthy relationship to one's body through functional exercise and nutrition. Perhaps even more fundamentally, Dave understands the emotional, psychological and spiritual underpinnings to many of our difficulties that show up as health issues. Since working with Dave I feel the healthiest and strongest I've ever felt. I cannot recommend Dave more highly!