Why IFAST Rocks #2 – The Programming

Last week we discussed one reason why IFAST rock. In case you missed it, here’s the link:

Why IFAST Rocks #1 – The Beginning

So you’ve gotten assessed (or gone through your Learn to Burn intro bootcamp class) – now what?

The next step is on our end – it’s time to develop a program that’s geared to help you achieve your goals.

Let’s start by discussing the semi-private side of things.

Program Design for Semi-Private Clients

Once your assessment has been completed, we have a ton of information about you.

We’ve discussed your specific goals, and what you want to accomplish from training with us.

We’ve determined what you’re really good at, and perhaps most importantly, what you’re not good at.

Now you’re probably thinking, “why is that important? Why do you want to find my weaknesses?”

It’s a great question, and one that not enough trainers think to ask.

Regardless of whether your goal is to build muscle, shed body fat, or simply get stronger, we all have weaknesses – chinks in the armor, if you will.

And while these things may not manifest themselves early on, what happens is the longer you train, those little issues creep up and become big issues.

It’s like a 20-year old car you keep in your garage. If the only time you drive it is to go 20 miles per hour to the grocery store and back, it will probably run a long time without any issues.

However, if you take that same car out and drive it down a quarter-mile drag strip, or attempt to drive across the country in it, any little issues you had before are sure to show up.

This is why the assessment is so valuable – we figure out what issues you have early on and head them off at the pass, so that you can continue on the path to success for as long as you’d like!

Too many trainees never achieve their goals because somewhere along the line they get injured or beat-up. At IFAST, that’s never an issue.

Program Design for Bootcamp Clients

The next question becomes, “how do you customize the workout for bootcamp clients?”

With 15-20 people training at a time, the programming in a bootcamp is never as individualized as a semi-private client.

But that’s ok – if you follow some basic rules.

First and foremost, you have to know and understand where most people are weak or have the most issues. In this case, almost every client we assess can use more strength in their upper back, core, and the glutes and hamstrings (think backside of your body).

The need more mobility, or motion, in their upper back, hips and ankles.

So we take that knowledge and skew the program in that direction – in other words, we’re always going to do more work for those problem areas.

Furthermore, the programming is never one size fits all. Instead, we have a “base” exercise that will be the starting point for the workout, and then we also have a progression and regression for it.

So if the “base” exercise is too challenging, we have an exercise you can move down to that’s similar to the first but more appropriate for you.

If the base exercise is too easy, we have an exercise you can move up to that will be more challenging and in-line with your needs.

Quite simply, bootcamp doesn’t have to be mindless or cookie-cutter – you can absolutely make it a safe and effective way to achieve your fat or weight-loss related goals.

So there you have it – the second reason why IFAST rocks.  Come back next week for our 3rd installment in this series!

All the best

Mike

Why IFAST Rocks #1 – The Beginning

I’m often asked what separates IFAST from the rest of the pack.

How are we different that other gyms?

What do we do differently?

How do we get people to literally come from all over the world to work with us?

It’s a great question, and I’m going to do my best to explain “Why” over the course of several blogs.

If you’re unfamiliar with IFAST, I’d suggest you read this first; it will give you a little insight as to who we are and what we have to offer you.

But at it’s core, we are a provider of fitness training services. This can be further broken down into three categories:

  1. 1-on-1 personal training,
  2. Semi-private training (small-group) training, and
  3. Bootcamp (large-group) training.

I won’t even bother spending much time on the 1-on-1 personal training, as that’s the least important component of our business. Not that’s it’s ineffective, but it’s the most expensive option to the consumer, and not the best use of our time as trainers and coaches.

When you start at IFAST, either as a trial semi-private or bootcamp member, first and foremost we want you to feel welcome.

Here, you’re part of a team – something special.

Our semi-private members start with a total body assessment. Here we look at anything and everything – your typical daily diet, your body composition, how well you move through all the various muscles and joints in your body, and of course, how you perform basic movements like squatting, lunging, push-ups, etc.

This assessment typically takes up to an hour, and our clients rave about how thorough and educational this assessment along can be!

From this assessment, we’re able to craft the best possible training program for you. When we combine your needs (which are revealed during the assessment), and pair them with your goals, we can create a holistic and focused program that is guaranteed to help you reach your goals in a safe and effective manner.

The approach to bootcamp is a little bit different. Since we’re in a larger group environment, we don’t necessarily have the ability to customize the workout to the same degree we would in a semi-private setting.

On your first day of bootcamp, you’ll go through our “Learn to Burn” introductory class. Here, our one and only goal is to get you acclimated to the program and ready to train.

We begin by taking you through the exact warm-up you’ll be following during bootcamp, making sure you’re doing things exactly right to help you improve your flexibility, mobility and alignment.

After you’ve gone through the warm-up, we take the rest of the time to coach you up on the primary lifts you’ll be performing. While we can’t teach you every single lift or technique we use, we can give you the “big rocks” in the form of movement patterns (such as squatting, lunging, pushing-up, etc.) to make sure that when you start training you’re doing things right.

Take a look around and let me know how many other gyms out there are taking their clients through a full-scale assessment – BEFORE they’ve ever paid a dime.

Or, call up a few bootcamps and see if there’s any pre-camp instruction – to make sure you’re performing the movements correctly and getting the most out of your training.

Quite simply, we do more before you’ve ever really “Trained” with us than most gyms and trainers do in the first month!

To wrap this up, I’m assuming two types of people are reading this post:

  1. Current IFAST clients who are loving the program, and reaping the rewards, and
  2. People who are sincerely interested in IFAST, but have yet to give us a shot.

Those of you that know me know the type of person I am. I make decisions and ACT.

It might get me in trouble sometimes, but I’d much rather take action and get started on the path to success and figure it out along the way.

Don’t labor over this decision any further. If you’re reading this blog, NOT a member of IFAST, and not getting the type of results you want, you owe it to YOURSELF to take action TODAY.

Give us a call at 317.578.0998.

E-mail us at indyfast@gmail.com.

But quite simply, don’t take one more second thinking or dreaming about what could be.

Make it happen – contact us today.

All the best

MR

 

December IFAST Testimonial

We’ve been lucky to have some great testimonials over the years, and we take pride in the satisfaction our clients get from training with us.

Here’s yet another testimonial from a couple that’s been working with us over the past year. Enjoy!

———————

As a middle aged couple with aches, pain, and stalling progress, we decided to join IFAST as distance clients.  At the assessment, weaknesses were identified and we learned things about ourselves we never knew.  Bill even spent extra time tweaking my squat form which made months of pain disappear instantly.  Looking back, our nine months with IFAST was probably the best investment we have ever made for our health.

Beginning with Mike and Zach we learned new things each session and the warm ups alone were priceless.  We both feel great and continue to make progress.  My hip pain and tendonitis went away and my big lifts went up.  I was able to add 100 lbs to my powerlifting total in just four months.  Also, as a military officer, I achieved 94 out of 100 points on my physical fitness test, my best score in two decades.

Beth feels great and loves to train.  She recently hit her goal of 225 lb. conventional deadlift and does dips and chins without assistance. Beth increased her bench press by 20 lbs. in the first four months.  We’re both pain free, more energetic, and enjoying life.  Our golf game even improved with our new core strength and stability. We can’t thank the IFAST team enough and recommend their training for everyone. Thanks IFAST!

Bill and Beth R.
Indianapolis, IN

———————

If you’re serious about making 2012 your best year ever, you owe it to yourself to see how the IFAST team can take your physique and performance to the next level.

Shoot us an e-mail at indyfast@gmail.com, or give us a buzz at 317.578.0998. You won’t regret it!

All the best

Mike

Check out the new site!

Nothing special to post this week, but I wanted to throw something up for those of you who check in your RSS feed and don’t always show up on the site.

Obviously, we’ve been working hard to clean and brighten up the site, and I think we’ve done a great job! Many thanks to IFAST member Allen Tucker for all his hard work.

Regardless, take a look around and if you see anything that’s weird or out of place, please let us know!

All the best

Mike

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone, just a quick post today to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

Make sure to take a step back to realize how blessed we truly are, and let the people in your life know how much they mean to you.

Take care and we’ll “see” you next week!

All the best

Mike

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