George’s #MYFIT Story

SVPT is proud to present #MYFIT – a celebration of our clients who live a fit and balanced lifestyle.
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#MYFIT is not about a 6 pack or a bikini body, it’s about showing that fitness comes in ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, and truly is training to live a more full life. It’s not about young and skinny, it’s about showing that fitness can be a part of ANYONE’S life, regardless of age.
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#MYFIT celebrates clients who challenge themselves physically and mentally to move better, perform better and live better. #thesvptway
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We are grateful for George sharing his story:

“Balancing life will always be a struggle. Between running a business, having a family, attempting to be a good role model for my kids, and trying to be a good husband, there is not always a lot of time to look after myself. It becomes very easy to sacrifice my own well being for everyone else’s.

With 40 on the not so distant horizon, I was finding myself getting frustrated with my lack of energy, irritability, inability to deal with daily stress and my changing body shape. I decided that I could not rely on someone else to fix this for me. I had to do this myself.

I had gone to gyms casually in the past but I knew from previous experience that I would need someone to help push and guide me if I ever wanted to stick with it. I was pleasantly surprised to find SVPT was not only close to my office but also very well reviewed. I sent the owner, Shara, an email describing who I was and what I was looking for. I received a very quick reply and was set up with an assessment appointment right away. I met my new trainer, Brittany, and quickly connected with her. I wish I could say that the next few weeks were enjoyable, but they were not. The workouts were designed specifically to push me and they did. I found myself sore and completely drained after every workout in the early stages.
It was after the first month when I started to have those feelings of not wanting to do this anymore that I started to get compliments from my wife and those I worked with.

My energy levels were increasing, my sleep improving, my snoring substantially reduced and my physical body was changing for the better. I was finding myself better equipped to handle the ups and downs of my day and still have energy when I get home to spend with my family.

I have been going to the SVPT diligently, twice a week, for almost a year now. It has become such a part of my routine that I can’t imagine not doing it anymore. That one hour, twice a week that I get to have just to myself is a real blessing. For me, going to the gym is not about getting a six pack and all those other gym stereotypes. I go to the gym to challenge myself, improve my confidence and improve the lives of those around me by taking care of myself so that I can take care of them.

The first step was the hardest but I am grateful to Brittany and the crew over at SVPT for making this a powerful experience for me and for continuing to push my boundaries.”

George's MyFit

MEAL OF THE MONTH FROM REVIVE WELLNESS: Asian “Spaghetti” and Meatballs

Asian Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs SVPT

Have you spotted “noodles” in the produce aisle yet? Beets, sweet potatoes, and zucchinis have all been spiralized into noodle shape for those looking for a lower-carb, or more vegetable-heavy diet.

Asian “Spaghetti” and Meatballs

Makes 4 servings (4 meatballs and ¼ cup noodles per serving)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. ginger, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp. panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
  • 4 cups zucchini noodles
  • 1 cup red pepper noodles
  • 2 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. chili flakes (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Combine turkey, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, 1 Tbsp. hoisin, egg, and the bread crumbs. Mix well and shape into small meatballs.
  3. Place onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.
  4. While the meatballs are cooking heat the remaining oil in a large wok.
  5. Add the zucchini noodles, the pepper noodles and allow to cook for 8 minutes, or when they start to soften. Add the remaining garlic, ginger, peanut butter and 1 Tbsp. of soy sauce. Let the noodles continue to cook.
  6. While the noodles are cooking, and the meatballs are done cooking in the oven, remove the meatballs from the oven and place into a fry pan and cover the meatballs with the remaining soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Allow the sauce to glaze the meatballs.
  7. Serve the meatballs on top of the noodles and Enjoy!

 

Nutritional analysis per serving: 331 calories, 18 g fat, 30 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate (11 g available carbohydrate), 3 g fibre, 515 mg sodium

 

Created by Revive Wellness Inc.

Now try the ‘Move of the Month’ on their blog!

Exercise Won’t Give You a 6-Pack

Weight loss (fat loss) is the #1 reason people seek out a personal trainer. (Note: there is a difference between weight loss and fat loss, and most people want the fat loss, so we will continue with that phrase). And we will also note that everyone has a 6-pack, it’s just a matter of if we can see them or not.

If your goal is fat loss, a good personal trainer will stress that fat loss starts in the kitchen, and exercise should supplement your fat loss goals. We stay in our lanes. We are not registered dietitians, and while we can give general advice on how to improve your nutrition (drink more water, eat less processed foods, cut back on sugar, eat more whole foods, fruits and veggies), we are not experts in what exactly you need to create the safest and most effective environment in your body for fat loss.

(Side Note: In my opinion, if a trainer pushes you to try the latest and greatest diet trend out there – Keto, Paleo, etc. – or pushes you to buy some type of shake they sell – RUN for the hills. Personal trainers should be teaching you exercise, fitness and physical activity – not selling you diets and shakes.)

So with nutrition being the single most important variable in fat loss, why is there such a focus on exercise? People are misinformed thanks to the internet, and continually think that they can out-train bad nutrition. You can’t. Exercise isn’t going to burn off the bad food or excess calories you ate. In fact, the whole “burn up to 600 calories” per workout (and for 72 hours after!) is bunk. It’s misleading and has been proven by science to be inaccurate for years…decades, in fact.

This is why you see so many personal trainers peddling nutrition, because they KNOW that it’s crucial in their clients’ journey to getting results (fat loss). You often see “fat burning workouts” or the best “fat burning exercises” all over the internet. Well, sorry…but it’s all BUNK.

Do you burn calories when you workout? YES. But not as much as you think, and not enough to be your one and only fat loss strategy. The quantity of calories you actually burn in a workout session is lower than you’ve been led to believe, and the extra calories you burn from exercise only account for a small part of your total energy expenditure during the day – somewhere in the range of 10-30 percent. The remaining 70-90 percent comes from your resting metabolic rate, the energy used to carry out the host of physiological processes that are constantly occurring in the body. (Be wary of activity trackers, as they tend to overestimate the caloric burn from these processes.)

Do you continue to burn calories for many hours or even days after your workout? NO. Depending on the specific type of training you are doing, your metabolism stays elevated post-workout for about the length of time you trained, but not much beyond that. And certainly not for days! And at this point, I am sure HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has come to mind, which is one of the most popular fitness trends being marketed as purely a fat burning workout, especially in the Edmonton fitness scene. The science has been out that true HIIT can definitely improve V02 max, and improve blood sugars. However, the energy expenditure is just not enough because of the duration of the session. True HIIT sessions (and that is where you are literally working at your MAX heart rate for the work periods) are only meant to be done for anywhere from 10-20 minutes. While many studies show that HIIT can help with fat loss (negligible) than other forms of exercise, the biggest factor in that was, of course, nutrition and appetite suppression (nutrition!).

I would add (as a shameless plug) SVPT Fitness + Athletics has NEVER ever marketed or sold so-called fat burning workouts, fat burning exercises, weight loss shakes, or any kind of supplements. We have never made false claims about training to entice clients into our gym. And we have been successfully in business for 10 years.

We take pride in refusing to spread inaccurate information. We don’t even believe in putting an emphasis on exercise for burning calories. We put the emphasis on quality movement that will benefit your health and your life. We know that if you want to lose fat or have long term weight loss goals, it is all about the food! This is why we partnered with dietitians to help our clients navigate those waters. It’s the best way for them to learn the most effective ways to lose fat and keep it off over the long term.

BUT WAIT…does this mean you don’t have to exercise to lose fat? NO. You still need to exercise so you can do ALL the things you want to in life. So you can be independent. So you can prevent injury. So you can golf into your 70s, or hike into your 60s. So you CAN LIVE A FULL LIFE. Exercise shouldn’t be a punishment to burn off something you ate, or earn something you want to eat. Exercise should be your tool to live life to the full. Exercise GIVES life. Exercise improves health. And when you improve health, you improve quality of life.

Here is why you still need to exercise, regardless of your goals:

  • Joint health
  • Muscle strength, growth and maintenance\
  • Improve blood pressure
  • Improve blood sugars
  • Improve mood
  • Decrease stress, anxiety, fatigue
  • Improve attention
  • Improve sleep
  • Cardiovascular health
  • Prevent disease and illness
  • Resilience
  • Independence
  • Longevity
  • Vitality
  • Resilience

….the list is extensive and can go on even further. Essentially, we just move less than we did 50 years ago.

Exercise is excellent for health and wellness; it’s just not that important for fat loss. So don’t expect to lose a lot of fat by ramping up physical activity alone. If your workouts are soul crushing every day in an effort to “burn more calories” or “burn fat” to get to your fat loss goals, you are actually doing yourself a disservice. Not just that day or that week, but long term. The hormonal ramifications of soul crushing workouts every day are huge, not to mention that you are also risking burnout and injury.

With all of that said, it’s still awesome to challenge yourself with a really tough workout every once in a while. It simply has to be programmed properly – both to occur at the right time, and to include movements that won’t get you hurt. This is where seeking the advice of a fitness professional can help you.

If weight/fat loss is your goal, please seek the help of a registered dietitian to learn about food, proper eating habits, and your caloric range to help you get to your fat loss goals safely and effectively. At the same time, realize the genuinely incredible health benefits of exercise. While exercise is still an important part of the fat loss puzzle, remember that it shouldn’t be the ONLY piece.

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

MEAL OF THE MONTH FROM REVIVE WELLNESS: Cashew Salmon

Cashew Salmon

Makes 4 servings (1 salmon fillet, 1 cup broccoli and ½ cup rice per serving)

Ingredients:

  • 4 salmon fillets (4 oz. each)
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ cup cashews, crushed
  • 4 cups broccoli
  • 2 cup brown rice, cooked

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Combine maple syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and salmon into a plastic bag and allow salmon to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or 2 hours in the fridge.
  3. Once marinated, place salmon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press the chopped cashews on top each one.
  4. Drizzle the olive oil over the salmon and bake for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli florets until softened.
  6. Serve and Enjoy!

 

Nutritional analysis per serving: 437 calories, 16 g fat, 31 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate (38 g available carbohydrate), 7 g fibre, 262 mg sodium

 

Created by Revive Wellness Inc.

Now try the ‘Move of the Month’ on their blog!

What is Kinstretch?

“You need your joints for your whole life. Make them better.”
– Jeff Schlotter, SVPT client and Very Smart Guy

This insightful quote by Jeff, one of our dedicated and hardworking clients, captures in a nutshell what Kinstretch aims to do. Kinstretch is a system of training designed to improve body control, mitigate injuries, improve joint health, and promote the physical longevity of your body. It is meant to improve your ability to move skillfully and make whatever physical tasks you do in your daily life easier – from gym workouts, to getting on the floor with your kids (or grandkids), to vacuuming the house, to climbing in and out of your vehicle.

But what does this look like in practice? And how can Kinstretch help you, as an individual?

Imagine this scenario: your 11-year-old daughter asks you to come kick the soccer ball with her in the backyard. You do…and find that you feel stiff and locked up, and afterward your hips and back ache like crazy. What seems so easy and natural for her is incredibly taxing on you.

Or this: you need to do some maintenance work around the house that requires kneeling on the floor for a long time. You start working, only to find that your knees and ankles just don’t bend enough to allow you to kneel down low. You end up having to constantly get up and back down again as your legs and back get fatigued trying to find a position that works.

Or one that might be familiar to a lot of SVPT trainees: you have been working with your trainer for a while now and feel that with his or her guidance, you have mastered your squat technique. But you still have a hard time getting good depth and sometimes you feel a nagging pinch in your hip. Or maybe you just can’t quite seem to get your technique on your rows right – despite good instruction and lots of practice, your shoulder blades seem to have an inability to do what you want them to.

All of these scenarios represent situations where the body’s joints are not able to do what is asked of them by a particular activity. For whatever reason – typically years of limited joint movement, or old injuries – the joints lack the needed range of motion. This is where Kinstretch comes in! Kinstretch specifically trains the joints to gain back this lost range of motion, and equips your body to better handle physical tasks. If strength training with weights is preparing the body’s muscles to handle anything, think of Kinstretch as preparing the joints to handle anything.

So what does a Kinstretch class actually involve? At its base, Kinstretch starts with CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations). Among other things, CARs teach you how to move a joint through its full range of motion, without using any other joints to “help”. They teach you how to dissociate movement at one joint from movement at another joint, and to clearly distinguish the difference. This helps you to know where in your body your movement is actually coming from, where stress is being placed on your body during physical activity, and how to control your body to direct stress toward more desirable areas and away from less desirable ones.

With the solid base of body awareness gained from CARs, Kinstretch then branches out into various movement challenges. These challenges are designed to develop your ability to rotate, bend, and extend your joints with a ton of awareness, intention, and control. Each challenge aims to improve a specific joint function that carries over into real life. For example, our soccer parent above could develop the ability to extend the hip back into a good kicking position through a specific challenge that trains the hip’s ability to move backward. Our homeowner could develop better range of motion in the knees and ankles to allow for a comfortable deep kneeling position. And our gym-goer could, through specific Kinstretch training, develop the ability to squeeze that shoulder blade back during rows.

Kinstretch training is highly specific, quite demanding, and incredibly rewarding. It is also very scaleable and accessible. Whoever you are, whatever your life’s physical demands are, and whatever your individual limitations are – Kinstretch can help you. It can address your limitations, improve your movement, and reduce your nagging aches and pains. If the idea of having a better-functioning and more injury-resistant body that can handle a wide range of physical activities appeals to you, consider giving Kinstretch a try!

Erica Saunders, BPE, CSCS, FRCms, Kinstretch Level 1 Instructor

MEAL OF THE MONTH FROM REVIVE WELLNESS: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Makes 8 Servings (1 ½ cup per serving)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. chicken, diced
  • ½ cup wild rice
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ Tbsp. thyme
  • ½ Tbsp. basil
  • ½ Tbsp. oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups chicken stock, low sodium
  • 1 cup 2 % milk

Preparation:

  1. Combine all ingredients except milk into a slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
  3. Once the time is up and the rice is soft, add the milk and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Serve and enjoy!

*Make ahead of time and freeze for up to three months.

 

Nutritional analysis per serving: 132 calories, 2 g fat, 13 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate (13 g available carbohydrate), 3 g fibre, 186 mg sodium

Why Hire a Personal Trainer?

It’s simple — hiring an SVPT certified personal trainer can take out the confusion and guess work about proper training as well as reduce the risk of injury. In the long run personal training can help save you time and money all while getting you fitter and healthier, and living a fuller life.

  1. Assessment
    Many of you are doing exercises and programs that just aren’t suited for your body, fitness level, or goals. This is why many exercise and see no results.  Assessments can teach you about the imbalances, strengths and weaknesses in your body. Assessments help SVPT personal trainers create a program that is individually suited to you so you can train to your full potential, without wasting time and risking injury.
  2. Knowledge
    Hiring a personal trainer is an investment. During your sessions, you will learn the how and why to train effectively, efficiently, and safely. We educate you so you can take away as much knowledge as possible, so when the time comes you can train on your own, and do so with confidence. We expect you to leave the nest eventually, in fact that is our goal, is to have you feel so educated and confident, that you can train on your own. When you leave the nest it means we have done our jobs in teaching you how to train properly.
  3. Motivation
    We all struggle with training motivation at some point. A personal trainer can give you the extra little kick in the butt when you struggle. We can’t do the work for you and we can’t make you want it, but we can give you a little nudge in the right direction.
  4. Accountability
    Accountability is strongly tied to motivation. A personal trainer can keep you on track with your goals so you can get the results you seek. Life can get in the way, and usually the first thing to go is exercise. Consistency is the key to success, and having someone to hold you accountable can keep you consistent and on track.
  5. Goal Setting
    Sometimes we want everything all at once, but that is usually a little unrealistic and overwhelming. Our personal trainers can help you set realistic fitness goals that are achievable and in-line with your lifestyle, fitness level and budget.

So now that you know the WHY, learn what you should be looking for in a personal trainer and check out our blog from January 2018 – “What Makes a Good Personal Trainer?”

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

T’is the Season for Maintenance

For many personal trainers, the month of December might be properly referred to as a “Maintenance Month.” December is typically filled with social obligations, and stress surrounding the holidays in general for clients.  Your regular routine and schedule goes out the window and all the holiday parties and gatherings mean you’re tempted to indulge in foods you otherwise would avoid and to also skip workouts.  As it is, committing to a regular nutrition and exercise schedule can be tough year round from life’s ups and downs, but the holidays in particular can exacerbate these stresses.

The holidays can bring about added stress from shopping, increased food preparation, house guests, frequent visitors, financial stress, more demands on time, and simply a change in schedule.  A change in routine, whether it is good or bad, equates to stress.  The biggest complaint personal trainers hear during this time of year is clients not being able to fit in workouts or stick to their nutrition regime, due to all the added obligations.

One of the reasons personal trainers and nutritionists really stress creating exercise and nutritional habits year round, is so when life happens, like the busy holiday season, the repercussions of missing a workout or indulging in holiday goodies will not set you back to square one.  In fact, if you are consistent  (not perfect) all year round, you might welcome the relaxed holiday season. Consistency year round allows you to have some time to just maintain, which might look a little more relaxed.

Let’s be clear — not being perfect does not make you a failure. All areas of our lives have ebbs and flows, which are necessary elements of life. The easiest way to understand this is using the term burnout. We all know what causes burnout – not enough balance and/or recovery. It’s ok to hammer away at something for a while, and it is just as ok to back off when you need to. And this might mean using the holiday season to do so.

Maintenance might be one of the least sexy words out there, but maintenance is about doing the little things in order to keep us at the same level, or not allow us to go backwards.  Just like life doesn’t need to be a continual march forward, neither does your fitness journey.  Sometimes we need to march in place when competing priorities are difficult to manage.  So you had to skip a few workouts for a social event or other holiday obligations? In the long run and the bigger picture of a year round commitment to a healthy lifestyle, this is inconsequential. Even 3 or 4 parties like this are not likely to affect your overall health if you are  maintaining a routine of health and fitness year round. Your batting average is still going to be high.   It also might be argued that a little break from your routine will help you appreciate it a little bit more when it comes time to get back into it.

So what does maintenance look like?  It’s just simply, marching in place, getting it done.  It can also be defined as keeping healthy and injury free, while not moving backwards – keeping status quo.  If you exercise 4-5 days a week in your regular routine, maintenance might look like 3 exercise sessions.  And should that get away from you, aiming to do any kind of movement for 30 minutes, regardless if it’s in your regime or not.  Any physical activity is better than nothing.  Walks, skiing, skating, etc. with the family are a great way to stay active.  You do what you need to do not go backwards and just maintain.  If you are not worried about maintenance during the holiday season, then use exercise as a great form of stress relief and a welcome break from the hustle and bustle.

This season the last thing you need is added stress.  Give yourself permission to maintain, do your best, and just enjoy the holiday season for all it has to offer.

 

Kristen Hansen, BA, CSEP-CPT, PFT-NAIT, NASM-CES, FRCms

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

MEAL OF THE MONTH FROM REVIVE WELLNESS: Mini Turkey Meatloaf

In preparation for spending more time in the kitchen(our theme for November) with the holiday season, we suggest doing some batch cooking and meal prep so that your regular meals don’t fall to the wayside. Try these mini meatloaves that you can keep in the freezer for the nights you are too busy or too tired for cooking.

Makes 9 mini loaves

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 ½ cup zucchini, grated, and some water removed
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
  • ½ cup onion, diced
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. oregano
  • 2 tsp. basil
  • 2 tsp. sage
  • 2 tsp. thyme
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • ¾ cup bradrumbs
  • 1 Tbsp. ketchup

 

Preparation:

  1. Heat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Combine all ingredients except the ketchup into a bowl and mix.
  3. Form the mixture into a ball then press into a mini loaf pan or muffin tin.
  4. Distribute the ketchup on top of each loaf.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

 

Nutritional analysis per serving: 142 calories, 2 g fat, 22 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate (7 g available carbohydrate), 1 g fibre, 76 mg sodium

No Trends, No Fads, No Quick Fixes

Some might say what we do at SVPT is boring.  From a certain point of view that is true, as we aren’t sexy, we aren’t flashy, and maybe the cool kids don’t dig us.  But what we are great at is teaching you to master your movement and build fitness that will ultimately make you a bad-ass in life…….for the long term, not just for the next 2 months.

There is no screaming at you, making you puke, or trying to crush your soul.   We believe in building you up, not breaking you down.  I mean, isn’t that the reason you started exercising in the first place – to feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally? No one likes to walk away from a workout feeling worse than when they walked in.

It’s not about being flashy or sexy, cool or stylish – it’s about building fundamental movement skills through challenging fitness fun.  Mastering fundamentals reduces injuries, slows aging, and builds a body that allows you to live a fuller life. When you move better, you live better.  Isn’t that what fitness is supposed to be about? Living a better and more full life, because you are physically able to.

We frequently get asked, “Hey have you seen the latest fitness trend _______ on social media?”.  We see it.  We have cringed at it, and we don’t do it.  We don’t get caught up in the latest social media phenoms.   (And we won’t name any of the current trends/fads out there, because this is not about bashing them, it’s about explaining why we don’t buy into them.)

Training trends and fads are usually the ‘latest and greatest’ exercise, system, or concept to gain attention in the fitness industry or achieve notoriety on social media.  However, just as the latest diet and fashion trends die off, training fads and trends will fade.  And after they fade, you will see many coaches and trainers reverting back to tried and true ‘boring’ systems, because they work.

Boring works.  Simple is genius.  So yeah, we are kind of geniuses.

While we do continuously educate ourselves about the “new” fitness trends, we have found that the common themes of most good fitness systems in our industry involve simplicity.  As we continue our education, we continue adding more tools to our training toolbox.  But more importantly, we learn through experience when it is appropriate to use those tools.  This would include knowing when to use non-traditional or “fancy” implements such as kettlebells, bands, chains, TRX, stability balls, etc. We also know when and when not to use more advanced training methods such as eccentric training, tempo, volume, etc.

A lot of the trends and fads can be effective (for a time), but it comes down to understanding if these trends and fads serve the client’s purpose and goals LONG TERM, because we want to see you continue with your fitness, not blast a 30 day challenge twice a year.  Quick fixes in fitness are just that – quick.  Often not long lasting.  Building fitness is a skill and takes time, just like any other skill.  If you are jumping around from trend to trend, you are more than likely risking injury and not truly building a solid fitness foundation. A foundation is what you need to sustain fitness for the rest of your life.

Great coaching, efficient programming, and good results will never go out of style. More importantly, they will never stop being effective.  Mastering the basics and building a foundation will never be wasted time, and learning quality movement will always be important.  It’s a matter of understanding when the basics can be modified to make them more challenging and fun, but still effective and safe…not a circus act to post on Instagram that will eventually make the Gym Fails compilation.

So when a client vocalizes their disdain for a certain exercise due to boredom or simply because it is a hard exercise, we remind them of the why.  Something wonderful happens when you explain to a client why they are doing something. They become empowered.  All of a sudden they do that exercise just a little bit better.  Ultimately our job is for you to feel confident enough to leave our little gym nest……FLY BIRDIE FLY!   Our job is to have you not need us anymore, and if we are constantly bouncing from trend to trend, we aren’t giving you the foundations to understand fitness and do it on your own.

You will notice we do not sell anything or push anything flashy, sexy, or trendy on you except good old-fashioned hard work, consistency, and sound programming.  That is the secret, our “secret”.

 

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC