MEET THE BEST TRAINERS IN WEST CHESTER
LYNN APRIL
Lynn, by trade, is a biologist. She spent 2008-2019 working in an immunology lab, but left that career to turn her side hustle (Fresh April Flours) into a full time job. As an athlete from a young age, Lynn has always carried an interest in fitness and health, and utilized strength training and spinning through both of her pregnancies. It only made sense to turn her experience into a focused specialty at Bent On Better. Lynn is a certified personal trainer and a certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach. With her pre/postnatal fitness program, Lynn hopes to help moms who want to maintain their athleticism through an adaptive and transformative approach while pregnant and help them get back into their athleticism safely postpartum.
Professional Facts About Lynn:
- Bachelor’s degree in biology
- NASM Certified Personal Trainer
- Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Certified Coach
Extras:
- Lover of coffee, cheese, sprinkles
- Favorite exercise: hinges
- Favorite creation: Joey and Jonny
- Full Time Job: Food Blogger (www.freshaprilflours.com)
MATT APRIL
Matt founded Bent On Better in January 2015 after realizing there were not enough fitness professionals who truly cared about their clients’ success and their journey to a stronger, happier, and healthier life. Matt made it his mission to make fitness fun, to make strength beautiful, and shift the mindset from “weight loss” to “healthy weight management.” When Matt is not working with the team or coaching the B.O.B. members, he’s a full time work-at-home dad with his 2 little boys Joey and Jonny.
Professional Facts About Matt:
- B.S. from Millersville University
- N.A.S.M. Certified Personal Trainer
- Started in 2010 coaching athletes ages 7 - 18
- Functional Movement Screen Specialist
Extras:
- Placed 1st in Powerlifting (2016)
- Lover of sushi & decaf coffee
- Music: 80s/90s/00s hip-hop, rock & pop, boom-bap, & heavy (HEAVY) metal
- Movies: Wedding Crashers, Cool Runnings, All Marvel Universe Movies
- Completed two Half Marathons (2021)
LAURA HUFF
All About Laura
Laura joined the Bent On Better family as a member in Fall of 2018 and the coaching team in Fall of 2023. Laura served in a variety of roles in education and recreation for almost two decades before taking the leap into fitness. Laura has an extensive injury history, ranging from arthritis in her knee from her years in volleyball to a degenerative disc in her back and more. She attributes her current physical and mental health to her work at B.O.B. with the coaching team. Laura was inspired to coach others through whatever challenges may face them in their lives, much like the B.O.B. coaches did for her. She currently lives In West Chester with her husband, Steve.
Professional Facts About Laura:
- Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education
(Millersville University)
- Master’s degree in Sport Management
(Millersville University)
- NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Extras:
- Favorite Color: Orange
- Appreciator of all kinds of music
- Loves singing, baking, and all things volleyball
- Favorite Exercise: Bench Press
NICK APRIL
All About Nick
Nick joined the Bent On Better team in September 2018. He combined his passions for movement science, strength training, and education with his medical expertise as an athletic trainer and made it his mission to teach people how to live, move, and exercise pain-free. He currently lives in Chester County with his wife, two dogs (Butterfly and Brandy), and two cats (Jersey and Morris).
Professional Facts About Nick:
- Master’s degree in Kinesiology [Concentration in Athletic Training]
(Temple University)
- Bachelor's degree in Athletic Training
(West Chester University)
- StrongFirst SFG1 Certified Instructor
- Retired Athletic Trainer (2016-2022)
Extras:
- 100% plant-powered vegan since 2020!
- Lover of craft beers and coffee beans
- Enjoys listening to rock, metal, and jazz
- Favorite book: Meditations (Marcus Aurelius)
- Favorite exercises: Kettlebell Swings & Turkish Get-up
BOBBY NICKELS
All About Bobby
Before joining the B.O.B team in January of 2024, Bobby worked in the fitness industry for 8 years as a certified strength & conditioning specialist. After graduating with a BS in Exercise Physiology, Bobby began his career as a performance coach, specializing in sports-performance and weight loss. Throughout his journey, Bobby has managed and coached at multiple gyms in the Philadelphia region. He has experience working with a wide variety of clients, ranging from the general population to professional athletes. Bobby has played sports his entire life (mainly football and swimming), which initially led to his passion for strength training. He believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of their past experiences with fitness, and knows that it will improve their quality of life far beyond the gym. He currently lives in Chester Springs with his fiancée, Jenny, and his cat, Oliver.
Professional Facts About Molly:
- BS in Exercise Physiology
(St. Francis University)
- NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
(CSCS)
Extras:
- Loves the outdoors: fishing, hiking, camping
- Hometown: Pittsburgh - GO STEELERS!
- Favorite Exercise: Deadlifts
MOLLY JANSCO
All About Molly
Prior to joining the team in Winter of 2021, she was a student athlete at DeSales University where she led her team to the NCAA tournament, for a third time, as the only captain and senior in 2020. Molly grew up loving sports (basketball, soccer, softball, and track and field) which lead to her passion for fitness and nutrition. While at DeSales she had the opportunity to work with Lehigh University and DeSales University’s Strength and Conditioning Programs. She currently lives in the Exton area with her sister and their dogs (Checkers and June-Bug).
Professional Facts About Molly:
-B.S. from DeSales University in Sport & Exercise Physiology
-Working towards obtaining her C.S.C.S. certification
- Functional Movement Screen Specialist
Extras:
- Has a passion for cooking and baking
About The Aprils
Hi - My name is Matt!
I’m the owner & founder of Bent On Better in West Chester, PA where we specialize in PRE-hab fitness and health + nutrition coaching.
Our Mission:
To make strength beautiful, fitness pain-free, and healthy weight management simple and sustainable for busy adults.
We are a family owned and operated local gym, Bent On Better was originally created by me (Matt) in December 2014 (launched in January 2015) as an online resource for health, fitness, and overall wellness. After college, I was stuck in a job I didn’t enjoy, which overtime led to poor mental and physical health for me (and even those around me). I was working part-time as a trainer (and a MANny, yes, you read that correctly, a man-nanny...ask me about it, some of the best memories of my adult life to be honest, the family was amazing!).
After realizing there were not enough fitness professionals who truly cared about their clients’ success and their journey to a stronger, happier, and healthier life, I made it my own mission to make fitness fun, to make strength beautiful, and shift the mindset from “weight loss” to “healthy weight management.”
With the support and encouragement from my life partner, spouse, and now business partner and co-trainer Lynn April (writer behind Fresh April Flours), Bent On Better is now (one of) our full time job(s), (when we’re not working with the B.O.B. team, or training, we’re full time work-at-home parents to our 2 little boys, Joey and Jonny).
When I say family owned and operated, it’s not just me and Lynn, but also my brother Nick April who is here full time. But we can’t forget our super terrific training team family: Laura, Bobby, and Molly!
Collectively, we exist as an answer to anyone who has ever tried a boot camp boutique, big box fitness centers, clubs that are open 24 hours a day, free access classes with a bajillion people in them, anytime fitness workout DVDs, fad-diets (or a combination of the aforementioned things!), and did not have success (or just flat out did not enjoy the experience). We are essentially just a small group of personal trainers who want to make personal training fun, PERSONAL, and for real people who can see real results accomplished with their fitness goals (and maybe some free weights).
Sound good? Click the link below and let's chat!