SINCE 2005
About Xelf Fitness in Hamilton, ON
Built On One Idea
A Hamilton strength studio built on one idea: that exercise should be something you enjoy, not something you survive.
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FOUNDED IN HAMILTON
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COACHES & THERAPISTS
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FOUNDATION PROGRAM
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DAYS A WEEK
OUR STORY
Flex, Backwards
While our name is flex backwards, our approach is straightforward. Xelf Fitness is your foundation to build strength and improve your mobility, endurance and life.
Xelf is the word flex spelt backwards because we believe that lasting results come from within.
Strength training has had a bad rap for many years that it's all about getting big muscles and losing weight and getting skinny. We are here to show the world there are so many other benefits to strength training and when you learn to focus on those aspects, you fall in love with it.
We have never been a weight loss gym and we like that philosophy. We have helped many people lose weight and become very healthy through lifestyle habits and strength training but it is rarely the sole focus.
We work on empowering you to build a healthy relationship with exercise and achieve your fitness goals. We commit to always making this a place where that is possible for you.
“We empower people to live active lives they enjoy.”
LEADERSHIP
The People Who Built This
Damian Lockhart
Founder & Assessment Specialist
Damian has been a Fitness Personal Trainer since 2000 and founded Xelf Fitness in 2005. His lifelong relationship with exercise, nutrition, and seeing others struggle to find their balance has been the driving factor behind his passion to help others become Empowered Exercisers. Damian graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Kinesiology from McGill University in 2003, where he worked as a fitness consultant during his studies. The hours spent in the gym showed Damian that everyone functions at a level of increased energy, heightened mood and improved confidence during and after exercise. Damian received his ACE Personal Trainer Certification from the American Council on Exercise in 2004. He went on to become a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with the NSCA in 2006. When he was young, Damian pursued fitness through soccer and basketball, but it was not until his post-secondary studies where he came to fully appreciate how exercise can be used as a tool for people to love and improve their lives. After graduation, Damian began working as a personal trainer for a mainstream fitness centre but was dissatisfied with their coaching approach, which focused more on sales and an external, temporary approach to fitness. Damian personally crafted and created the Foundation Program and the Empowered Exerciser Membership — which are unique and impactful programs that greatly support people to live an active life that they enjoy with Functional Strength Training as their foundation. The goal is to guide, coach, and inspire people to live in shape instead of always trying to get in shape. The Xelf Foundation Program and Empowered Exerciser Membership is the place to start for beginners to resistance training or anyone who has not yet succeeded at exercising consistently long term. Damian is very passionate and dedicated to his angle as a Fitness Professional who enjoys most, the opportunity to teach and inspire the in-active and yo-yo exerciser population. His talk is called, EMPOWERING YOU TO BENEFIT GREATER FROM EXERCISE. If you would benefit from motivation and a realistic bigger picture of how you can live the benefits of exercise, you must attend his next presentation. He sees personal and professional value in constantly educating himself through literature on mind, body, soul, exercise and nutrition. Damian is also a: Accelerator Lifestyle Coach, Certified C.H.E.K. Institute Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, C.H.E.K. Exercise coach. Damian is motivated to bring a well-rounded approach through his experience and education to others who seek improved health, energy, athletic ability, everyday movement ability, and a better body that they can experience more joy through.
Omar Qubaia
Owner & Operations Manager
Omar has been an exercise coach with Xelf Fitness since November 2014. While his own relationship with exercise has remained strong over the years, what has evolved most is his ability to help others build a healthier, more positive relationship with fitness. After experiencing the benefits of strength training firsthand, Omar came to believe that getting stronger can open the door to so much more. When people feel stronger, more capable, and more confident in their bodies, they are more likely to return to activities they once loved—or discover new ones they never thought they could do. That idea sits at the heart of Xelf’s mission: using strength training as a foundation for living an active life you genuinely enjoy. For Omar, creating lasting results starts with changing the way people feel about exercise. The goal is to help members feel empowered walking into the gym rather than discouraged, intimidated, or forced. He values Xelf’s individualized approach to coaching, built around compassion, empowerment, and acceptance. A major part of that approach is Xelf’s Measure–Monitor–Manage system. By consistently measuring progress, monitoring performance, and managing each member’s program, the coaching team can ensure people are getting the most out of every session while also showing them how far they have come. One of the most rewarding parts of coaching for Omar is watching someone go from feeling shy or intimidated in the gym to becoming confident and independent. Teaching proper technique, building strength, and helping members better understand their own bodies allows them to develop skills they can carry with them for life. Xelf’s friendly and supportive environment makes that process even easier by surrounding members with coaches and like-minded people who want to see them succeed. Since his first day at Xelf alongside Damian, Omar has shared a vision of growing the company into something bigger while never losing what makes it special: a place where people feel comfortable, supported, and rewarded for their effort. He believes that experience starts with the coaches—how they make people feel, how they help them recognize their progress, and how they show members that every session is helping them gain something. For Omar, the ultimate reward goes far beyond simply getting stronger. It is the independence, confidence, comfort, improved movement, core stability, posture, and overall quality of life that members develop along the way.
THE TEAM
Coaches & Therapists
Sara Stein
Location Manager & Exercise Coach
As a Coach at Xelf Fitness, I'm passionate about helping people build strength, confidence, and a healthier relationship with movement. I believe fitness should feel empowering, sustainable, and realistic for each individual—not like a one-size-fits-all approach. My goal is to create a supportive environment where every client feels comfortable, challenged, and encouraged to keep progressing. Whether someone is brand new to fitness or looking to take their training to the next level, I enjoy helping them build habits they can maintain for the long term. For me, coaching is about more than just workouts. It's about helping people move better, feel stronger, gain confidence in what their body can do, and become the best version of themselves both inside and outside the gym.
Alison Pretty
Registered Massage Therapist
Alison graduated with Honours from Everest College and became a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) in July 2012. She worked at ptHealth in Waterdown for the first 5 years of her career, while simultaneously opening a clinic in her home. Alison even received the Hamilton Spectator's Platinum Award for Best Massage Therapist in 2017! Alison joined the Xelf Fitness Team in September of 2017 and knew almost instantly that she found the perfect fit for her approach to Health and Wellness. Working at Xelf is different than working in a traditional clinic. This is a business based on providing the best care for clients, not offering all services to everyone without a specific purpose. The staff is very apt at identifying limitations, modifying routines for health conditions or injuries and knowing when alternative therapy, such as massage, may be helpful. Being able to be on the gym floor with clients and offering helpful tips or being available to provide support is a rewarding component to Alison that is not available anywhere else. It has also given her a wider range of clientele which she enjoys because she likes to be challenged and continuously expand her knowledge. Whether she is treating professional or national athletes, babies, elderly, or anyone in between, Alison's approach is holistic and unique to the individual and provided with care and compassion. Alison considers herself a treatment therapist and gets great joy out of solving the puzzle that each individual patient presents. Relaxation is an important component of any massage but identifying the root cause of a patients pain and preventing further symptoms is always the goal. Alison is incredibly passionate about the health benefits of massage therapy and believes it is her calling to help transform people back to health.
Noah Paciocco
Exercise Coach & Kickboxing Coach
I graduated with a Diploma from the Health Wellness and Fitness Program at Mohawk College in 2016, which is also when I became a Certified Personal Trainer. I have worked at multiple gyms since then, including World Gym, Goodlife Fitness and Crunch Fitness, in which I learned all different styles of training, trying to find one that best suited how I trained and approached fitness with my style of training. This eventually brought me to Xelf in June of 2022 where I realized this gym is perfect for me and how I like to approach fitness in myself and in how I train my clients. The passion every one at this gym feels for fitness, for helping and motivating people improve their quality of life using resistance training and for having a genuine love for what they do made me feel right at home. I have been involved in sports and fitness my entire life starting from when I was 3 years old playing baseball, all the way up to my 12 years of Karate and Kickboxing when I won a gold medal at the WKC World Kickboxing Championships in 2012; and later, to 2014 when I was introduced to strength training for the first time, and it changed my life. Not only did it change my physical appearance, but it also changed my mental state on how I see myself. It created a sense of confidence I never had and the sense of accomplishment I felt for changing my way of life to revolve around fitness. I got into this profession to help and motivate people to fall in love with strength training and fitness and realize how many benefits there are to it which can improve their lives and become the best versions of themselves. There is no better feeling than having someone you work with tell me how amazing they feel, seeing all the positive changes in their day to day lives and loving the process of the journey.
Kristyn Morris
Exercise Coach
I graduated from Mohawk College's Health, Wellness and Fitness program in 2023 and first joined XELF as a placement student during my studies. While placements typically last just one semester, I quickly realized there was something different about XELF and asked to stay for an additional semester. That experience eventually led to me joining the team as a personal trainer. Having experienced a variety of gyms and fitness environments, I immediately appreciated XELF's unique approach to training. The combination of personalized coaching, supportive trainers, and an incredible community creates an environment that truly sets XELF apart. My own fitness journey has also played a major role in shaping the trainer I am today. I initially lost 100 pounds, but I didn't always go about it in the healthiest or most sustainable way. Along the way, I faced setbacks, learned from my mistakes, and gained a much better understanding of what it takes to create lasting change. That experience allows me to relate to clients who may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or unsure of where to start, and helps me coach with empathy, patience, and a focus on sustainable progress. I also have an extensive background in child and youth work, which has helped shape my ability to connect with people of different ages, abilities, and needs. I have a particular interest in working with special populations and enjoy creating safe, supportive, and individualized training experiences that help every client feel comfortable, capable, and confident.
Luke Riordan
Exercise Coach
I became a Certified Personal Trainer in 2024, but my journey into fitness started from a much more personal place. After dealing with a neck and shoulder injury, I began attending physiotherapy, which eventually introduced me to strength training as part of my recovery. What started as a way to get myself feeling and moving better quickly became something I was passionate about. I became fascinated with how much of an impact proper movement, strength training, and exercise could have on the way someone feels and functions in their everyday life. That experience ultimately pushed me toward becoming a trainer and helping others experience those same positive changes. After becoming certified, I started working in smaller gyms where I was able to get my footing as a trainer, develop my coaching style, and learn how to work with people with different goals, abilities, and backgrounds. I then spent a year training at Crunch Fitness, where I gained even more experience working with a wide variety of clients. As I continued to grow as a trainer, I knew I eventually wanted to go out on my own. More importantly, I wanted to find an environment where I could give clients the level of attention, care, and individualized coaching that I believe personal training should provide. That search ultimately brought me to Xelf Fitness. From the beginning, I could see the genuine passion and care that everyone here brings to their work. There is a cohesive mindset throughout the entire team helping people move better, become stronger, build confidence, and improve their quality of life. Being surrounded by people who are truly invested in their clients has created the kind of environment I had been looking for. That energy translates directly to the people we work with, and I'm proud to be part of a team that is so involved and dedicated to helping every client make meaningful, lasting progress.
Amber Pietzker
Holistic Nutritionist
I'm a Holistic Nutritionist dedicated to helping people make sense of their health without the complexity. I look at the complete picture, how your digestion, stress levels, and sleep all interact to help you build practical, sustainable habits that fit your real life. My approach is centered on deep research, dedicated support, and building a personalized roadmap so you can feel clear, energized, and strong.
OUR PROMISES
What You Can Count On
OUR VALUES
The Four Things We Hold To
Empowerment
Across all of our services, we are dedicated to empowering people to use exercise as a means to get the most out of life. With us, you will become an empowered exerciser.
Leadership
Our team members have all used movement and exercise to improve their own lives. It's because of their experiences that their passion and guidance is so successful.
Commitment
We are committed to building a strong relationship with you, and also committed to helping you achieve your goals. We're realistic, yet rigid with goal setting and expectations.
Individuality
We understand that you come with your own unique abilities and challenges, which is why we tailor our services to meet your needs and support your goals.
THE BENEFITS
Stronger At Home, At Work, At Play
Benefits At Home
- Lifting & carrying objects
- Climbing stairs
- Gardening
- Better sleep
- Improved mood
Benefits At Work
- Better posture
- Improved focus
- Reduced stress
- Increased productivity
- Stronger immune system
Benefits At Play
- Sports performance
- Greater energy levels
- Muscular endurance
- Improved mobility
- Increased flexibility
THE SPACE
Take A Look Around
COME SEE IT
Meet Us Before You Commit
Join us for a consultation to tour the studio, learn about the program and know what to expect.
