One thing we talk about frequently at IFAST is fascia; the shrink-wrap that unites all of our muscles and creates fluid human movement.

But trust me – it’s not the easiest thing to grasp!

For those of you that want to learn more about fascia, here’s a great article to help you out. Enjoy!

Understanding Your Fascia

MR

Call me whatever you want.  Personal Trainer, Sports Performance Coach, Strength and Conditioning Specialist…all just variations on a theme.  Regardless, I have achieved a level of authority by devoting myself to the study of human physiology and how it responds to various forms of exercise.  It’s what I do.  It’s who I am.

Before I got where I am now, I was like most people.  Probably a lot like you.  You might be an athlete, a fitness-enthusiast, or just “testing the exercise waters” with some exercises at home.  You’re also probably downright confused by all the conflicting information you read in various books and magazines and watched on TV.

How many diets do we really need?  Can you really flatten you abs in just 8 minutes?  How can some little plastic gadget that I can buy for 4 easy payments of $19.99 make me look like the model on TV?

As I look back on my own fitness education, I keep saying to myself…

If I only knew then what I know now!

Haven’t we all said that to ourselves at one time or another?

Wouldn’t our lives be totally different if we could have taken advantage of the advanced wisdom we gain from living our experiences?

There’s a saying that I heard a long time ago when I was a kid…

“Knowledge is what we gain from our experiences, Wisdom is what we gain from someone else’s experiences”

It never struck me how powerful a message that is until I really started to pursue my own personal fitness goals.

Fitness is much like any other form of education.  You can take the harder road and try to learn it all yourself, or you can take the easier road seek out a teacher.  Someone who’s been there before.  Studied the details.  Knows what works and what doesn’t.

In this case, we’re talking about a personal fitness trainer.

Now I’m not saying you can’t get to where you want to go without a personal trainer.  That would be silly.  Everyday, many people successfully achieve their fitness goals.

Unfortunately, in the reality of the world we live in…most fail.  Not because they don’t make a valiant effort, but rather their efforts are misdirected by the bad information provided in the popular media.

Recently, I sat down and tried to list all the possible advantages a fitness enthusiast or an athlete can gain from hiring a personal trainer.  I had a pretty good list if I don’t say so myself, but as I looked it over (and sprained my shoulder patting myself on the back in celebration), I realized that this was MY list of advantages.  I was looking at things from the perspective of a fitness expert.  I don’t see things as you do.

So I asked the other experts…my clients.

I asked them what the advantages were to hiring a personal trainer.  Here are the top 7 advantages they gave for hiring a personal trainer:

“You give me an objective eye.”

This came from a client who has spent some time educating himself a bit.  He had already achieve a better than average level of fitness and set many personal fitness records, but he wanted to get to the next level.  He needed the outside perspective.  He understands that even the best need a coach.  Tiger Woods has a coach.  Michael Jordan had a coach.  We all need a coach to remind us to live up to our potential.

“You make me workout when I don’t want to.”

Geez, you read that and you’d think I’m some kind of ogre.  Can’t you just see me standing over my fitness clients with my whip (hey, no dirty thoughts allowed!)?  What she really meant was that by hiring me, she was more compliant to her exercise and eating programs.  Keeping regular training appointments kept her on track.  After all, consistency is the key to making lifestyle adjustments like regular exercise.

“You make me accountable for doing my best.”

I thought this was kinda neat.  This came from a client that I don’t see every week.  She’s been at it a long time.  She also knows that if she doesn’t keep up with our predetermined program, I’ll know it.  She takes exceptional pride in accepting the challenges I set for her and achieving her goals.  She also mentioned that if she knew I wasn’t going to be there at our assigned date and time, she’d be on the couch eating potato chips and drinking Pepsi.

“I feel totally safe to push myself as hard as I need to.”

I really liked hearing this response.  I’m very protective of my clients and take great pride in teaching proper exercise mechanics.  Because of this, my injury rate sits at a comfortable 0%.  Nothing is more disappointing than to hear of someone getting injured while trying to improve their aesthetic appeal and their health.

“You motivate me.”

This came from one of my athletes.  We get along great because I tend to look at things from an athletic perspective.  I know what he’s going through and I know when to “push his buttons” to get the performance he needs.  I think he’s going to be great, and I take great pride in being a part of his development.

“I learned faster.”

This lady is a real go-getter.  She does her homework when it comes to her personal health issues.  She always says that she could have gotten to where she is now, but thanks to me, she got there faster than she ever expected.  That’s quite a compliment.

“I got faster results.”

Sometimes I take on clients who have attempted to reach their fitness goals on their own as well as those who have worked with another trainer.  This client worked with another trainer.  Now I know that fitness enthusiasts who seek out the help of a personal fitness trainer are more successful than those who try to go at it alone.  I also know that there’s solid research that agrees (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Jun;32(6):  1175-84.).  It’s just nice to hear clients say that.

I find it fascinating that in every aspect of our lives, the impact of one person can make a tremendous difference.  That person is typically a leader, a teacher, or a coach.  Your personal fitness success is no different.

At one time or another we all get frustrated with our bodies.  Lack of exercise coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and less than ideal nutritional habits frequently result in the accumulation of more than our desired level of body fat.

Sometimes even though we’re working out to the best of our abilities and trying to eat right, our efforts still fail to get the results we’re looking for.

If you feel like you’ve failed in the past, it’s not your fault.

The popular media and companies interested in making a quick buck have flooded our culture with misleading and grossly incorrect information as to what really works in the battle against body fat.

Case in point.  For years, we’ve been told that aerobic exercise is an essential component of a properly designed fat loss program.  Based on current reaseach and real-world experience, however, aerobic exercise ranks very low in the hierarchy of fat loss promoting exercise.

Have you tried the traditional low-fat diets in your quest for a leaner body?

The thinking is that if I eat less fat then I won’t gain fat.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Does that mean we need to swing to the other extreme to the zero carbohydrate diet?

Not at all.  As with most instances, the answer is somewhere in between by understanding how proper nutrition impacts your personal physiology for fat loss.

So you see, it’s not your fault.  It’s not that you haven’t been working hard enough.

You’ve just been using the wrong technology.

All fat loss methods are not created equal.

Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training combines the best methods PROVEN by scientific research and reinforced by real-world results (insert link to testimonials) with a 3-stage exercise and nutrition program that guarantees your success.

Stage 1:  Utilize proper nutritional programming

Proper nutrition comes first as it forms the foundation of every fat loss program.  There’s an old saying the fitness world, “You can’t out-exercise a poor nutritional program” and nothing could be further from the truth.

Many have failed to implement a proper nutritional program in the past due to unrealistic demands.  Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training shows you how to quickly and easily implement our healthy and effective nutritional program including a simple method to improve your daily compliance to promote consistency and accelerate your results.

Stage 2:  Perform exercise designed to preserve muscle and stimulate the metabolism between workouts

In other programs, the “answer” to fat loss exercise is limited to being concerned about how many calories you burn during your exercise session.  Our unique personalized program is specifically designed to preserve your metabolically active muscle rather than destroying it like so many other programs.   In addition, your workout will elevate your metabolism to such a degree that your body burns even more fat between workouts.

Stage 3:  Effectively recover to allow you to put forth your best efforts

Most people don’t think about this one too much, but recovery from exercise is as important as your exercise program.  You don’t make progress while you exercise.  You make progress by recovering from exercise.  The exercise is merely the stimulus to create a response that results in the fat loss you desire.  Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training combines acute nutritional strategies and restoration systems to get your recovery started before you even leave the gym.

You’ll never out exercise a crappy diet.

You’ll fall short of your goals without exercise.

You’ll experience fewer results without adequate recovery.

Put them all together and experience success at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training.

Remember we’re the only gym in town that let’s your try before you buy.  We’ll give you 14 days free of charge and treat you like a lifetime member from day one.  We want to earn your trust and join in your success.

Go here to download your coupon for your 14-day membership including:

FREE!  Full use of our training facilities
FREE!  The city’s most comprehensive physical assessment
FREE!  Your personalized exercise program
FREE!  6 training sessions

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