Absolute Health & Performance

I had two sessions recently with Josh Gordon. He is a tremendous soft tissue therapist who goes about his work with a great deal of care precision and passion. On top of that, the energy he brought to the sessions made me feel comfortable which made the experience very enjoyable. A brilliant treatment in which I came away feeling lighter and more more refreshed. Thank you Josh!

Had a fantastic experience with Josh for remedial massage, he’s super friendly, knowledgeable and thorough! The best massage I’ve had in Melbourne so far. The other guys who work there are also really lovely, I’ll definitely be back again, thanks guys!

This is no ordinary gym filled swole bros and personal trainers. The staff here are welcoming, friendly and most importantly highly qualified, knowledgeable and professional. The equipment and facilities are high quality and well maintained. Located in the heart of the court district in the CBD its convenient for public transport. And food. All the food is nearby.

I spent the last ten months working with Steve from Absolute Health and Performance to return to competitive powerlifting after a two year break. Steve was flexible and responsive and his knowledge of strength training was apparent from the first time I met him. He put effort into building rapport with me and he was invested in my goals. In the middle of preparing for my first competition I ended up having emergency surgery on my hand which impacted my ability to hold onto a barbell. Steve adjusted my programming to maintain my strength and re-establish my grip. With his support I was able to get my best competition total and win my first sanctioned powerlifting competition within five months of surgery.

The staff at Absolute have great knowledge of the body and how it moves, and they design tough but fun workouts that push you and build your strength and confidence in what your body can do. I've been going here for the past 6 months and am so pleased with the small group-training classes and the support given during the workouts:) Highly recommend this place!

Joel has been great to work with, highly recommended. He resolved my ongoing back pain where other physios were just giving me a very generic treatment that wasn't working.

I'm really sorry to write this. Please note, that this review is of the how the clinic is run and not the health providers. The health providers that I have seen that work there are excellent. When I rang to book, they asked for credit card details but did not say why. When I asked, thy gave me no reason, which was incredibly suspicious. I found out later that they have a cancellation charge for less than 24 hours - which I think is fine - but they wouldn't tell me that when I asked, or the reasons for the credit card. I spoke with the management about this issue, and they didn't really listen to me or could see there was an issue. However, I did attend because I wanted to see my health provider who had moved there. When I arrived, I waited on a chair in front of the entrance and was highly visible to large amounts of people walking along the busy street just a couple of metres away, with no privacy. As I sat there, an acquaintance walked past and saw me and put their head through the door and kept asking what I was doing there. I don't think they meant harm, just being curious, but they obviously didn't understand that I would prefer some level of privacy when I see a health care provider. If you were a famous sportsperson and they sat you there, you could be spotted easily, which could be career damaging. The waiting area was very noisy, making it uncomfortable and difficult to think. This is especially annoying, as when people are dealing with their health, a level of anxiety is common, and this amount of noise and distractions was very unsettling. I made a comment about this lack of privacy and the clinic said that they would ring me again to talk about it, but to be frank, I'd had enough and felt that I shouldn't have to deal with all that just to see a clinician. There were so many unprofessional practices that I didn't have any trust in the clinic. Again, I have seen some of the providers there, and they are all top of their game and excellent clinicians - it's the clinic management that I have real issues with.

I recently had a running assessment at Absolute Health & Performance. I was unaware of how poor my running technique was and how this had likely correlated with several injuries over the years, including 2 knee surgeries. My running assessment package included slow motion filming of my technique, a range of exercises to address strength and movement, along with a structured and easy to follow plan moving forward.

We have now come up with a strategy to address my technique and strength issues, with these changes being relatively easy to implement. In the past month since making these small changes I have recorded my best 2km time trial time, and feel confident leading into this football season that I will remain injury free. I would strongly recommend the running assessment package at Absolute Health & Performance for not just runners, but people in team sports that involve high amounts of running

I am a huge advocate of Absolute. I first discovered them through seeking soft tissue therapy for an injury. In discussion with their massage therapist, I learned that my programme at my local gym was not structured to achieve my goals, and was actually the cause of my fatigue and back pain.

This led me to trialing a coaching session with Steve, and I have never looked back. Steve constructed an Olympic weightlifting programme for me that was interesting, varied, and I started to see consistent improvement. I am now 4 months into the programme and it has been the most successful 4 months of training in my life. I exceeded the goals I originally set for myself, and I have never enjoyed training more.

Having had coaching at many different gyms, I can confidently say the team at Absolute are a level above everyone else. The team are personable, the gym has a great atmosphere, and above all, there is a strong culture of care for their athletes. That care translates into achieving goals while minimising risk of injury, which to me is the most important thing for an athlete. Give them a go, you won't look back!

Highly professional staff, focused and goal oriented classes. Really good if you're keen to hit fitness targets.

I began at Absolute Health & Performance with Dave almost a year ago to help with my recovery after spending a month in hospital. I had lost a significant amount of my lean muscle with autoimmune encephalitis and being semi-conscious. Since then he has continuously supported me with his extensive knowledge and holistic approach to my health. I am now 20 kg heavier with muscle than when I left hospital and stronger than I have ever been. I particularly notice the differences in my physique and when I play hockey. Absolute Health & Performance feels like a family every time I go in, everyone is so pleasant. I would thoroughly recommend them.

Hi everyone.
I didn't play soccer since May 2015.

Absolute health has returned to the field.
Thank you so much.

I’ve known Dave Smith for over a decade. I originally employed him when he was a young, but very knowledgeable and passionate Strength and Conditioner. To be honest, at that stage he was a little short on elite experience for our Company’s needs, but his attitude won him the job. However, within only a few short years he had earned the right to be selected as our ‘Head of Performance’, making him by far and away the youngest Head of Department within the Company.

Whilst I’ll always chose character over talent, whether that be selecting staff or athletes, it was very easy with Dave as he had both. He is hard working, reliable, feels an acute sense of responsibility to both his clients and fellow employees, and also has what the very pinnacle in any field have - a relentless drive to seek continuous improvement. All the while he also has a gentle empathy that makes him calming to know.

Put simply: in all my years of playing elite sport, working with elite athletes and high-performance professionals (which spans almost 3 decades now), there is no-one I would rather work with, or be trained by, than Dave Smith.

Andrew Willett (Former professional Rugby and Rugby League Player, Founder and X-CEO of Pure Sports Medicine)

The team are absolutely fantastic, got me into shape for a snowboarding trip and also helped me with my back issues. Highly recommended.

I came to AHP after tearing my hamstring for the third time in a season. Together Dave and James worked out the root causes of my issues which related to being seated for long periods of time due to Uni study and my running technique which placed an unworkable amount of strain on my hamstrings. Working closely with both I worked on flexibility, lower back issues and completely changing my running technique. I am now injury free and able to play football again.

Absolute Health & Performance is a highly professional organisation. The service provided by all staff members is of the highest quality, not just in knowledge base but also in care for their clients.
The location of Absolute Health & Performance is also very convenient and the atmosphere inside the gym is always welcoming and comfortable. The group sessions are fantastic, with the small group sessions allowing focused assistance from the trainer.
I highly recommened Absolute Health & Performance to all types of athletes and people looking to improve in all aspects of their health and performance.
Thank you to all the staff at Absolute Health & Performance, you are certainly helping me achieve all my goals

From performance coaching with Stephen to Sports Medicine with Joel, this place is extremely professional & simply gets the job done. I had some niggling injuries that we have ironed out with a holistic approach combining strength & rehabilitation work. Highly recommend.

Joe changed my life. He is one of the few practitioners of the Mckenzie method in Melbourne. I had a couple of sessions from him say.last year? After a handful, he said that's all I need. He wasn't trying to get sessions out of me, he wanted to get me better as quick as possible. And yes. Initially my back pain completely dominated my life. Today, it's no big deal. I am so thankful. I saw a couple of physios before him and they had helped, but back pain still ruled my life. I so grateful. I cannot recommend Joe from Absolute Health and Performance any more highly.

Love the holistic and functional approach to training and recovery at Absolute Health & Performance. Great team, experts in their respective fields. I've been training with Stephen for a number of months now and him and the team have been super supportive in helping me move towards my goals whilst managing chronic injuries. Training, Osteo, massage, Pilates, Physio all under the one roof = winning combo. Highly recommend Absolute!

I cannot speak highly enough of this place. The facilities are great and the staff are even better. I'm fitter and stronger than I've ever been and most importantly I'm seeing that translate into feeling healthier (mentally and physically) in every way. I can see the change in other clients there too. It wouldn't matter who you deal with but Dave has been a fantastic coach for me for a long time now - he's knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic. Steve does an amazing job running the class I go to. Each one is different, challenging and fun and there is a great camaraderie between the participants too. And James is a brilliant massage therapist. I don't know how he does it but I've caught myself saying "wow" after sessions as I feel the difference straight away. If you have any niggles or a big event coming up - do what I did and book in a few sessions with him - you'll thank me later!
Thank you Absolute Health & Performance

Brilliant coaching. Liz is amazing. Experienced and dedicated. I've noticed a huge fitness improve in less than 2 months. Great flexibility accommodating the crazy legal work hours. Highly recommend!