Cubs Biomechanics Expert and Fitness Trainer Opens Gym On Burlington

Last week, Western Springs welcomed another new business. On Saturday, Shawn Sherman of P2 Training Systems, moved into his newly remodeled 1,700 square foot gym in the lower level of 821 West Burlington (the former site of Legacies and Lace).

The move is a homecoming for Sherman, who opened his first personal training business in September of 1998 in a Field Park storefront. “I’m excited about coming back to Western Springs,” he said, “I love the small town feel—our first business was here.”

The business will be home to four personal trainers, a performance coaching lab for athletes, and open space for small group training.

Sherman’s specialty is in a field he calls “Applied Biomechanics”, an offshoot of his experience with Muscle Activation Technique (MAT™), an injury prevention and rehabilitation system he pioneered in the Chicago area. “I was the first person in the Midwest to offer MAT™,” he said.

With over a decade of experience under his belt, his techniques continue to evolve, “We identify and correct the weakest links in
movement so the client gets more out of exercise and restores normalcy to movement.”

For kids, P2 Training offers a generalist approach, “There are so many things out there for children,” Sherman said. “We try to develop well-rounded athletes with a combination of flexibility, strength, coordination and agility to get them ready for any sport."

Sherman’s formula has also proven effective for high school athletes and college teams at universities including, Oakland (Detroit), Valparaiso University, and Purdue.  Most notably Sherman has worked with several professional athletes.

From 2004-2009, Sherman was the biomechanics expert for the Chicago Cubs, working with the team to improve performance. Pitchers Carlos Zambrano and Kerry Wood were two of his clients.

“About four years ago Kerry Wood had a rotator cuff injury—an MRI was inconclusive,” he said, “I told them [doctors and trainers] which muscle was affected, and they confirmed a 70% tear [in that muscle] in a second MRI days later.”

Fortunately for his clients, Sherman makes time for more than just the pros.

After her second child, Western Springs resident Patty Ptacek was plagued by chronic back pain, stymieing her active lifestyle.

Through Sherman’s ongoing treatment, Ptacek’s pain is now managed and she has gone back to many of her former activities. “Shawn's methods are very intuitive as to how the body works,” she said. “His determined where my weak patterns were,and then worked with me to strengthen those weaknesses. I have been pain free for several years due to Shawn and the work he has done with me.”

While his clients boast of his near magical ability to treat pain, he insists is methods are purely scientific. “It’s my passion to take on clients that have chronic pain and get them more functional and fit than they have ever been," he said. "I can re-empower them and give them a new lease on life.”

Aside from his years of experience, Sherman offered another reason for his ongoing success, “I show people I care,” he said. “Caring about people is where it all starts.”

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