matHEW benvie

Matt is the owner and Head Personal Trainer at Evolve Fitness. Growing up, he always wanted to be a gym teacher and a coach - it just didn’t seem like there were any other options. He had teachers, and more specifically, coaches who went above and beyond the call of duty to help him become a better athlete and also a better person. While he knew they didn’t want anything in return, he knew what they really wanted was for him to do for others what they did for him. While at St. Francis Xavier University working towards his Human Kinetics degree, Matt was able to obtain a personal training certification through CPTN. He started working boot camps and then moved to one on one and smaller group training. It wasn’t until he sat down with his favourite Professor, Angie Thompson, that he knew he wanted to be a personal trainer forever. Angie knew how much Matt loved teaching and coaching, and told him that personal training is really like one-on-one teaching. Matt ended up finishing at St. FX with a B.A. in Human Kinetics, but took away so much more. He did achieve his goal of becoming a coach, by coaching the Bantam boys rep basketball team in his last two years of school. He also formed lasting relationships with professors and students that have continued to shape his life. He is devoted to helping all of his clients reach their goals in and out of the gym. Matt says, "there is no greater feeling then seeing someone get results right before your own eyes." At Evolve, he will focus on each client’s individual needs and create a program that will bring them to their goals. He offers expertise in weight loss, toning, weight gain and sport specific training.

MITCH BENVIE

Mitch is a personal trainer at Evolve Fitness. He graduated in 2008 from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Although he enjoyed Kinesiology, he took a special interest in Nutrition and still enjoys keeping up with anything and everything fitness and health related. Like his twin brother, he always looked up to his coaches growing up, and fully expected to become a teacher and coach. After spending a few years teaching English in South Korea, he came back to Halifax, started training, and realized that it was the perfect fit for him. Mitch says, "there is no better feeling than interacting with great people every day and helping them to succeed and reach their health and fitness goals." Leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle is of the utmost importance to Mitch, and he tries to instill this in all of his clients, making himself available inside and outside of the gym to ensure they always are on track to making the right decisions. Mitch is energetic and passionate about being the best trainer possible. Whatever goal that needs to be reached, Mitch is here to help you reach it.

Alan dalton

Alan has been a personal trainer at Evolve since 2014 and is currently the Head Instructor for the Evolve Fitness Forever program (although he still dabbles in leading the occasional boot camp).

He completed his BSc. (Honours) in Kinesiology at Dalhousie University in 2009. During his time at Dal he played varsity soccer, was the tiger mascot, and began to gain a keen interest in adapted physical activity. In his 3rd year, while taking the “Physical Activities for Persons with Disabilities” class, he created a wheelchair sport which won the Motrin “My Game, My Pain” National competition, and began to play (and later coach) wheelchair basketball. These experiences also shaped his honours thesis topic, which tested different change of direction and speed tasks for use in wheelchair basketball player assessment.

In 2011, Alan moved to Newfoundland to complete his MSc. Kinesiology at Memorial University. His thesis project centered around simulation technology for the training of offshore workers. It was during the long hours behind multi-screened computers that he realized he was not built for the “desk life” and moved back to Halifax in 2014 shortly after graduation.

Since starting with Evolve, Alan has worked with clients of all fitness levels but has found a niche working with the aging population. Certified with the Functional Aging Institute, he is determined to help everyone who walks through the door have a great but safe workout and keep them moving strong through their golden years.

mike mackey

Mike Mackey (pronounced Mac-kee), the import from Newfoundland, isn’t just another pretty face among the many pretty faces at Evolve. He brings more than a decade of experience in health and fitness education to the team - from child/youth recreation, to fitness facility management, to five years of personal training, Mike has a wide array of expertise and interests when it comes to exercise and health. While training for the RCMP in 2010, he found a sincere passion for exercise and injury rehabilitation, resulting in a career change and a move to Halifax to complete his BSc in Kinesiology at Dalhousie (2015). A keen interest in baseball (among just about every other sport) motivated him to return to pursue a Masters in 2017, focusing on shoulder biomechanics in softball and baseball pitchers.

Whether it’s athletic performance, a return from injury, or just getting started with exercise, Mike’s knowledge, professionalism and friendly demeanour is a fit for just about anyone!

Qualifications and Professional Development: BScK (2015); MScK (c) Dalhousie University, CSEP Certified Personal Trainer, EIMC Recognized Exercise Professional, Standard First Aid and CPR, DTS Kettlebell Foundations, TRX Group Training Certified, NCCP Multi-Sport Coach

ALYSON BARNHART

Aly Barnhart started doing boot camps at Evolve in 2015 and made the smooth transition to fitness instructor/personal trainer in the summer of 2018. Aly is originally from Herring Cove (just outside of Halifax) and comes from a large family - she is one of six children! She grew up playing soccer and ringette and competed in cross country and track and field. In addition to her athletic abilities, she is also a talented musician; She likes to sing and play the piano. Aly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and completed her personal training certification through CanFitPro in 2017. She’s in the process of completing her Precision Nutrition Certification and is enjoying learning more information that will benefit Evolve members. Aly enjoyed being a client at Evolve but loves being on the coaching side even more, especially when she helps clients realize what they’re capable of. She loves the intimate community setting that Evolve provides, where she’s able to learn everyone’s name and help them reach their individual goals. Aly’s mission is to help people realize that fitness can be fun and that it doesn’t have to be a strict regimented routine - she will help you get healthy and fit and have fun doing it!

KEESHA CROSS

Keesha is a fitness instructor at Evolve Fitness. She graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in May of 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics with a major in Kinesiology and a minor in Health Sciences. While at St. FX she worked as a Student Therapist and was able to receive training in Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries. A major focus of hers is to ensure everyone can perform their workouts in a safe and effective manner, to avoid injuries and to work around any limitations.

Growing up she has played multiple competitive sports including Fastpitch, Basketball and Volleyball. Healthy living and exercise has always been a big part of her life and she is excited to be able to work in a field that allows her to share that passion with others.

Keesha is certified in Emergency First Aid & CPR/AED. Since working at Evolve she has become a Certified Functional Aging Specialist. She is passionate about helping people live a long and healthy life which she can accomplish through instructing Evolve Fitness Forever, as well as Bootcamps.