"If Hollywood has a best kept secret in New York, it is Peak Performance."

"Curiously, I love training with Joe Dowdell. I say "curiously," because, three times a week, he orders me to drag up to fifty pounds of weight on what he calls "the sled" across the gym floor, puts me in steel contraptions that closely resemble torture devices, and makes me run, row, kick, and punch until I sweat profusely and gasp for precious oxygen. He claims to do all of this for my health. It turns out, he's right. After working with Joe for over a year and a half, I have never been stronger, more integrated, or more energetic. And unfailingly, despite all of my protests, I feel significantly better after working out than I do before. Somehow, Joe manages to make the experience of getting pushed to my physical limits fulfilling and (eek!) fun."

"The summer of 2011 was huge for me and it was spent in NYC. Luckily, I found a great trainer in Joe. The short time we spent working together was invaluable. Joe’s program, assistance and friendship helped propel me into an All Star season. Joe definitely is one of the top three strength coaches I have ever worked with. I would definitely recommend him if you want to reach your Peak potential."

"Joe, you’re like a symphony conductor with exercises."

“I was privileged to work with Joe and his team at Peak Performance whilst training for "The Hobbit" over a 2 year period. I continued that work for "Hannibal" which required different criteria and have maintained a training regime with Joe, even when I am on a different continent! Joe is great at tailoring the training for specific goals, which are both realistic and achievable. In addition, he has great colleagues who collaborate in the field Nutrition and Physiotherapy. Aside from this he's a great guy and a pleasure to work with.”

“Life on the road as a musician can be pretty grueling. Fortunately, for me, I found Peak Performance and my trainer, Joe Dowdell. Under his guidance and their care, Peak Performance has become the perfect antidote to my hectic lifestyle and I always look forward to returning to NY and my workouts. Oh, and by the way, I have to disagree with Claire, the chocolate-peanut butter protein shakes—kick!!!”

“I began training with Joe Dowdell at Peak Performance in preparation for my photo shoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Because of the high profile nature of the Swimsuit Issue, I wanted to make sure that I was in the best shape possible for the shoot. Therefore, at the suggestion of my agency, I met with Joe and we began working together 3 days a week. In addition to our training sessions, he referred me to a nutritionist, which was also a tremendous help in my preparation. By utilizing a combination of strength training, interval training and proper nutrition, I was extremely pleased with my photos for the issue.”

"I have had the pleasure to train at Peak Performance Sports & Fitness Center. During this time, I have worked with Joe Dowdell to prepare myself for several feature films. Joe has taught me a great deal about the importance of proper exercise technique and in the process has helped transform my physique. I felt so comfortable and confident in his abilities as a trainer that I even sent my mother to train with him”

"I have been working out with Joe for about two years. I really like training at Peak Performance because it is smaller and more private than most gyms. Each client is with their own trainer, which makes it so much easier to be focused on the exercises. Also, since I travel frequently, he designed a specific workout program for me for when I'm on the road. Now, when I'm traveling, I can go to the gym and feel more confident that I am performing my program correctly. In fact, he has taught me so well that I'm even teaching my boyfriend how to perform some of his exercises better.”

"I really wasn't into training when I first heard about Joe. My friend, Ines Rivero, was working out with him and she convinced me to try him out. I'm a very lazy person and it takes me forever to get myself into the right mood to train. I always seem to find something more important or urgent to do. Now, everything is different! I go to Peak Performance and see Joe 2 or 3 times a week—and I feel great. It's not just about the shape of my body, but it’s also the way it makes me feel. I can now say that I am a stronger and more disciplined person as a result of training. What I like most about training with Joe is the way he trains me. He is calm and quiet. He explains to me exactly how and why we are performing each exercise. Also, what is important for me is that as I travel a lot and it is quite difficult for me to stay in a routine, but he manages to keep me going.”

"I began training with Joe Dowdell at Peak Performance in preparation for the Victoria Secret Runway Show in Cannes, France. Since I was going to be wearing the most revealing of outfits in front of a live audience-not to mention the millions of people watching a live broadcast over the Internet-I wanted to make sure that I was in the best shape possible. I have always enjoyed working out, but I must admit it was quite different training with Joe. His knowledge and understanding of strength training and conditioning really impressed me. Through our combined efforts, I feel that I was able to exceed my expectations. At one point, I was performing 4 to 5 Chin Ups by myself. I would recommend Joe and Peak Performance to anyone who is looking to take their training regimen to another level.”

“I began training with Joe at the suggestion of my agents, Carol and Kwok (Marilyn’s Model Mgmt). I was going to the gym everyday; doing nothing but cardio and wondering why my body wasn’t changing. After watching Joe’s clients lifting weights, dragging sleds, hoisting Kettlebells and performing various other exercises, I decided it was time for a change. Over the last year, I have trained several times per week with Joe and both my agents and I are extremely happy with the results.”

“I rely on Joe Dowdell to keep my butt in shape! His expertise, experience and motivating energy keep me on track and coming back to him religiously. I have tried every type of exercise out there and his combinations of strength training and cardio blasts have given me the results I have always hoped for. There is not a better trainer out there.”

"Boxing with Joe is fun if your idea of a good time is throwing punches until you collapse; getting helped up off the floor for some more intense training by kicking the heavy bag until your legs feel like bricks. All the while, the clock seems to stand virtually still. Finally, we finish everything off by pushing an iron structure, called the Prowler, across the gym 4 times as if I were training for the Super Bowl! Fortunately, for me, that's my idea of a GREAT time! And, the best part is I get to return the favor by putting him through an intense Yoga workout.”

“I have been working as a model for 10 years and it has always been a challenge for me to stay in perfect shape. After having my baby, I was anxious to get back to work, but I was also worried about how to get started again. From the beginning, Joe has been a great trainer and coach. Not only did help me get my body back in shape, but he also helped me regain my confidence. He guided me through a mixture of strength training workouts and cardiovascular routines. His advice on how to eat properly was really extremely helpful since I was still breast-feeding during the first three months of our training. Now, my daughter is 19 months and I am a size 4! Ironically, I am smaller and leaner than before my pregnancy! I feel healthy, strong and happy to be working out with someone of great competence.”

“Joe is one of the best trainers I’ve ever had!!! PERFECT! Obrigado Joe.”

“I live in Brazil, but I was recently in New York for six weeks to train and coach. During that time, I had the privilege to train with Joe Dowdell at his gym, Peak Performance. The training was amazing—very intense and extremely motivating. I was exposed to many different training techniques and methods that I had never used before. I will be returning to NYC in January 2011, in order to prepare for my next MMA fight. I am really looking forward to having his guidance through an entire training camp. I know it’s going to give me a tremendous advantage in my next fight.”

"I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Dowdell 2 years ago after my coach Vitor Shaolin introduced me to him at the Peak facility. At the time, I was an amateur MMA Fighter and BJJ competitor. I knew I needed to add a few things to my arsenal in order to make it to the pros. One of the biggest and best additions was working with Joe and his amazing staff at Peak Performance NYC. The first year Joe helped me get 3rd place in the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu federation World championship. Joe has not only turned me into a better athlete but is also a great friend who is always truly concerned with the well-being of all his clients. I always feel at home when I’m at peak. Looking forward to reaching my peak with Joe and becoming a world Champion in MMA. Thanks you Joe and all the staff."

"For the past four years, I have been lucky enough to train and become friends with Joe Dowdell. Not only has he whipped me into shape for my work as a model, but he has also prepared me for the numerous marathons and other crazy adventures that I like to do. Although I have definitely complained about dragging the sled across the gym floor, and could possibly be one of his most difficult clients, I have to say he is an excellent trainer and I am extremely happy with the results. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is interested in getting into great physical shape."

“I’d never done remote training before but I'd heard great things about Joe from his previous work with other athletes so I decided to give it a shot. And honestly, I couldn't be happier with my experience. In the three months that Joe and I have worked together, I've increased my strength, improved my conditioning, and feel ready to roll for my upcoming season. The program was easy to follow; Joe always made himself available to answer my questions and he monitored my weekly progress while also making adjustments when necessary. If you're looking for great programming from someone with a ton of high-level experience that can also help guide and motivate you along the way, I can't recommend working with Joe highly enough.”

“Joe Dowdell is one of the most knowledgeable trainers I’ve ever met. His methods are driven by science-based and he’s very professional. Because of him, I’m in the best physical shape of my life and my lifestyle has changed to maintain those results for the long run. He’s been a life changer!”

"When I decided that it was probably my last chance to fulfill my childhood dream of going to the Olympics for Women’s Windsurfing, I was a 32 year-old investment banker at Goldman Sachs in New York, and I had been away from the Olympic windsurfing circuit for 15 years. I was in decent shape for a Wall-Street banker, but nowhere close to being an Olympic level athlete in one of the most challenging disciplines for the Beijing Games. Olympic windsurfing requires the endurance level of tri-athletes, tactical skills of sailors, and technical abilities of professional windsurfers. My extensive search for a trainer that would help me get there physically led me to Joe, who far exceeded my expectations and goals.
With a highly customized program of strength endurance training 3 times a week and cardio endurance training 6 times a week, Joe made me look, feel and perform at the top of the world Olympic level women windsurfers in less than 6 months. I was even skeptical in the beginning with the short 45-minute sessions, but the results were amazing… My body fat dropped from 25% to 14%, my sustainable heart rate (85% effort) increased to 175 for 45 minutes (target length one race) and my strength and endurance allowed me to train for 6 hours on the water (I could barely handle 15 minutes when I first started), and most importantly I won my national trials by a significant margin and became a credible competitor especially with my fitness level. I could not have done it without Joe’s unique, creative and efficient training sessions both in person, while I was in New York, and over the mail while I was travelling the work with the circuit training and racing."

“From the very first time I stepped on the mat, I have always respected and craved the discipline of training. I understood at a very early age that training does not stop on the mat, and that if I wanted to be a World Champion, I would have to be just as disciplined off the mat as well. For the last 15 years I have always been in top shape but then I met Joe Dowdell. After our first couple of sessions, I realized how much more I needed to do to improve my training regimen. It was not only Joe’s extensive knowledge in transforming my body that got me hooked, but also in reforming my state of mind toward training. His attention to detail was unlike anything that I had encountered with any of my previous trainers and it far exceeded my expectations. But what really separates him from everyone else,
is his hunger to make you successful, no matter what your goal is. And, since I’m
always hungry, and so is he, it makes for a very powerful combination. I have always trained hard, and fought hard, but with the tools that Joe has given me, my newfound advantage over my competitors is that I train so hard that my fights feel easy.”

“Nothing compares to the feeling of having your hand raised in victory over an
opponent… and nothing compares to the feeling of the hand down in defeat. In my
lifetime, I have experienced both. What I now realize makes the difference is not only the talent and the heart… but more importantly, the blood, sweat, and tears poured over hours upon hours of training before the fight. I started training with Joe Dowdell over one year ago. And in that time, I have never lost
one struggled, and every limit pushed. But I know that when I walk into the ring, every punch will be harder, every kick higher, and every takedown faster. He is simply the best there is. And if you want to be the best, you have to train with the best.”