FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I must recertify as a Fitness Trainer every two years. I am able, through the International Sports Sciences Association, to acquire many different certifications with varying specialties. I currently hold certifications as a Fitness Trainer, (CFT) and as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist, (CSSC).
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
I began working out when I was 16 years old, (I am now 27). Somebody made an embarrassing remark about my stomach at a pool party one day which stuck with me for a while. I began doing crunches everyday. Eventually, I acquired a bench press for my room and began using that. Not too long after, I received a small cable machine and begin training on it routinely. After a while, I plateaued and joined a gym for about 2 years. I began to plateau here and was unsure of what else to do. One night, I saw an advertisement on television for a popular in-home fitness program. I purchased it and eventually completed it and was very happy with my results. By this time, I was 20 years old. Around the time I was 21, I allowed a few situations in my life to take precedence over my own health. As a result of this, by the time I was 23, I had gained 90 pounds, going from 170 pounds to 260 pounds. One night, I was going through some things in my apartment and came across a photo of myself taken after I had just completed the in-home fitness program from a few years prior. I felt quite ashamed of myself and made the decision to get back into the shape that I was in in that photo. I repeated the same in-home fitness program 2 times and lost 65 pounds. Not long after that, I purchased another popular in-home fitness program, did a full round of it and another half of a round afterwards and lost the last 25 pounds I needed to lose to reach my 90 pound goal. This took me about 11 months to accomplish. Around the time that I had reached 65 pounds lost, I made the decision that I wanted to help others feel as good as I felt. Just before I reached my 90 pound goal, I began taking a course through the International Sports Sciences Association to become a Fitness Trainer. I eventually finished my course and wrote my own program to test out what I had learned. With my program, I lost another 12 pounds for a total of 102 pounds lost. During the time that I was losing this weight, I was also doing a fair amount of soul searching. A few years prior to starting my fitness journey, I had not been in the best place with my faith. Along with developing my physical body, I decided to work on developing my spiritual body as well. I started my business, (Crossroads Fitness), as a way to thank God for what He did for me and to help others care for their bodies and live the way they were meant to.
- What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
I want my clients to know but I am in this to help them. I have struggled with this myself and I understand how hard it is to struggle with health and fitness. I also know what it takes to overcome this slumps and roygh patches that come with trying to reach one's fitness goals. This knowledge allows me to better assist my clients in their own fitness journeys.