DAVID NICKUM is my personal trainer. At age 73, after a long stretch at a different gym, and several rounds of Physical Therapy with various providers, I can easily state that he is the best of the best in his field. I have improved more, and faster, under his guidance than with anyone else. Improved, that is, from a dislocated right shoulder, and a damaged left shoulder from long ago; from chronic lower back pain; from on-and-off sciatic pain; and from general weakening of the muscles in my arms, legs, and trunk. (When my left-side sciatic pain became acute and virtually unbearable last summer, David wisely suspended my sessions until I had undergone minimally invasive spinal surgery, which was entirely successful.) DAVID'S attitude is serious and relaxed at the same time; he is able to put a client at ease while conveying that this is serious and must be taken seriously. His storehouse of knowledge is formidable, a vast array of different exercises from which he can pick and choose on the spot to deal with the immediate needs of the particular client at that time in the client's life. If a problem emerges and prevents the client from working well in one area, DAVID can turn "on a dime" and lead the client to a different regime. For anyone who wants a personal trainer of the highest calibre, I can recommend DAVID NICKUM without the least hesitation. Jonathan Chaves Professor of Chinese The George Washington University