MEET NELSON CHONG

Founder of FTI and creator of the R4 Method

Nelson Chong, founder of Functional Training Institute

Longevity is not simply about adding years. It is about protecting the movement, confidence and independence that make those years meaningful.
Nelson Chong

27+ years working in fitness and movement

Worked with people aged 6 to 98

Creator of R4 and the DZMR Therapy Balls

From engineering to a life in movement.

Nelson began his career in the semiconductor industry before moving into fitness. Across nearly three decades he progressed into senior leadership within a major fitness organisation, then founded Functional Training Institute. He has since worked with thousands of people, from 6 to 98 years old.

Nelson founded FTI as a place where people of different ages could receive support shaped around their own lives — from adults living with pain and families seeking help for a parent or child, to coaches and athletes developing greater capability.

At FTI, Nelson developed the R4 Method — Review, Release, Retrain and Results — to give the team a consistent way to understand what limits how someone moves, address the restrictions behind it, rebuild strength and control, and carry that progress into daily life.

He also invented the DZMR Therapy Balls and created the Dual Zone Myofascial Release module they belong to — the release work that sits inside R4's second stage.

Mentorship

Alongside client work, Nelson mentors people moving into coaching, working coaches who want to build a more sustainable career, and practitioners who want to understand FTI's approach to pain and movement. Programmes, dates and eligibility are discussed through an enquiry.

Explore coach mentorship