Personal Training

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. The key to hiring a personal trainer is not only to make sure they are certified but to also make sure you get along with that person. Sit down and have a conversation about your goals and what you want to accomplish. Everybody is different and respond to trainers differently. Hiring a personal trainer is a personal decision and you will share personal issues with this person. You want to feel you can trust your trainer with your health and your secrets.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Not that this is an inside secret, many of us know to eat healthy but I don't think the majority of us truly understand what this means. You can workout everyday and eat terrible and you will NEVER lose weight. Food quality and portions are the most important aspect to losing weight, exercise just helps us to lead an even healthier lifestyle and keep off the weight. Now, maintenance is whole different topic.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I pay close attention to my clients. I am very attentive and listen to what my clients need. I don't work for a corporate entity, I can be flexible and meet my clients needs when it comes to time and money. I offer flex payment packages that allow people to pay for the training they need.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is watching not only the physical transformation but the emotional transformation. The confidence that grows while training is amazing and it makes my job that more worthwhile.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Can I do just cardio and lose weight? Yes, you can do only cardio and lose weight, the problem is once your body gets to a certain point during a cardio routine, you can begin to burn muscle as well as fat. Muscle plays an importan role to healthy living. Muscle burns fat, so adding a strength training routine to your cardio routine will help with faster results. And at the same time, living a healthier lifestyle.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I believe my current customers already know this, but potential clients don't. I want customers/future customers to know how much I really care about their success. I truly take a vested interest in my clients and go out of my way to make sure they have every resource they need.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Yes, my certifications through ACE and ISSA require that we take continuing education, also known as CEC's. ACE requires that I do this to renew within 1 year and ISSA within in 2 years. Also, being CPR certified, I have to renew that every 2 years.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. This questions is worded a little strange. I'd like to make it more personal. I currently have a female client who is training for a figure competition (body building). This has been a lifelong dream for her and has tried a couple times before to do it on her own. We are going on 12 weeks now and she has never made it past her first month. She has built muscle she's never had, lost weight and is the smallest she has been in a very long time. Her confidence has increased and she is getting more attention than ever before. She will be participating in her first competition in November 2010. I am extremely proud of her!

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. My pricing is somewhat complicated. I am set up so that my clients can purchase packages. These packages range from the introductory package of $149.00 for new clients only to a 10 pack at $650.00 and it goes all the way up to a 30 pack. You can purchase an individual session for $80.00 a session. I'm sure in seeing this you can see that it makes more sense to purchase a package.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. I would first suggest that they shadow another personal trainer to make sure they have an idea of what it is like. Every profession has this "idea" of what it could be until you actually do it. If you find this is something you like and would like to pursue then I would suggest looking into the different certifications available to you. There are many, you may want to take a look at the testing peramiters to see if they fit your testing skills. Everyone tests differently; some of these tests you can take online, some in a classroom and some in a computer. Once you get certified, I would try working at a 24Hour Fitness or a Bally's. This will help you learn your job better by working with fellow personal trainers.