Frequently Asked Questions

Me fumbling as I try my best to make you laugh, feel comfortable, and get to know you.

The BIG goal of this session: to see if we will be a good fit. If you hate my personality, the way I look, the polo I wear, you'll leave and never come back. I can have the world's best programming, but if I don't make you feel comfortable, it won't matter. 

If you like me, we will understand your goals a bit more, see where your fitness levels are, and start crafting a personalized plan. 

Taking into consideration injuries and mobility issues, we will perform basic postural and strength movements such as push-ups, squats, planks, rows.

Next, the prescription. What type of plan will best suit you? How often should you exercise? What should you expect from our coaching relationship? 

The last part of the session will involve discussing a potential coaching relationship. If we decide to work together, prices and schedules. 

All kinds! Green, purple, orange, burgundy!

While I am open to having a conversation with almost anyone, we don't make good fits for everyone. 

My most successful clients are those who: 

• Want more control over their health and confidence over their fitness
• May be uncomfortable going to a big, impersonal gym
• May not have a lot of experience working out 
• Need personalized support from a qualified coach
• Need a 'break' from their crazy day
• And, of course, those who want to look better

There's no specific age group, but my client age range is 18 to 80, and the average is around 40.

You'll be in enough pain from my jokes that you'll forget about any injury you have.

First, we have to know what type of injury it is. Some injuries are lifestyle-related, sports, and/or genetics. 

Because I have the privilege of working with general fitness people, I have extensive experience with postural, lower back, and knee dysfunctions. And luckily, I haven't sent anyone to the hospital... Yet.

In fact, I am happy to report that many of my clients have experienced relief from their non-life threatening issues, such as back spasms, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and knee pain.

After all is said and done, my clients and I have discovered one predominant aspect of pain: a lot of it can be improved through proper strengthening. 

There are many reasons to consider personal training. The most resounding reason is this: accountability. Do you think people change their behaviors depending on who is watching or involved? If you said yes, then accountability can help modify your behaviors for the better. I've seen MANY people modify their behaviors with just the IDEA that someone would monitor them. Ultimately, you're investing in the most effective, efficient route to an improved you.

You get a coach. Maybe some corny jokes, too. Unless you work with a trainer at a gym, you won't receive personalized attention, accountability, and actionable steps to help you reach your goals in the most efficient way possible. 

A smaller consideration for you but a big one for trainers is this: having to compete for space and equipment with gym members who are paying WAY LESS than you. 

Good and tough question. I used to be a trainer at a big, commercial gym, and I did well there. While there are may be many reasons why you'd want to hire a coach at a private spot, the biggest is this: so you don't have to train at a big, commercial gym. Many of my clients come to me because they enjoy the atmosphere of a private spot more.

What, asides from my coolness, confidence, and charm? You want more reasons? When asked what separates me from others, my clients tended to use two words: comfortable and engaging. My clients said I made them feel comfortable and not judged from day one. I also engage with my clients at a level where they feel genuinely cared for.

Sure, many people get great results from my programming (just look at the reviews). They get great workouts. They feel better after they're done. But according to my clients, they feel "valued".

While there are many reasons why someone may lose motivation, two big ones my clients identify with: not knowing what to do and competing interests. There are many programs out there promising this or that, but they won't deliver anything if you don't stay the course. Coaching can help because it tries to take out a lot of the guesswork: you show up and work, the coach takes care of the programming. 

'Competing interests' simply means anything else that competes for your time and mental energy: work, hobbies, family. If you have a stressful work or life situation, it'll be harder to stay motivated, because motivation is a mental resource that can be depleted. Have you ever just wanted to lay down and do absolutely nothing after a hard day? That's motivation (willpower) depletion. 

It's normal to lose motivation when stressed, and you shouldn't feel marginalized when you want to take it easier. The role of the coach will be to personalize a program taking your life situation into account. 

Athletic-based strength and conditioning. I take the training I did with the U.S. military and sports, and adapt it to the general fitness population. I find this type of training accomplishes a few things: it keeps my clients strong, mobile, agile, and more confident. 

I also incorporate a belly-full of core work because most of my clients come to me with postural and lower back problems. 

Because my service offering is personalized coaching, I am not a 'boot camp'-style class. High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a method of training, which I use in my programs. 

Almost any exercise program will work if you're out of shape. Seriously. The body will kick into overdrive to 'adapt' to stresses, and it sees exercise as a 'stress', even though it tends to be a positive one. It's less about the actual workout program, and more about sticking to it. Good coaching can be the difference between sticking to a program and slipping. 

What's also crucially important is how you're coached. Many people view trainers as musclehead gym junkies who were athletes and only drink protein shakes, yell at their clients, and can't count. While I can't count, I make every effort to make my clients feel comfortable each session. I've noticed the more comfortable I make my clients feel, the more motivated they are and the harder they work. As a result, they see better results. 

No way! You really want me to annoy you any more than I would during our sessions? Just kidding. I check in with my clients on an almost daily basis to see how they're doing and if they're having problems, and I HIGHLY encourage them to do the same. 

Absolutely. Many people train on their own and are successful. YouTube and Google are rich resources for people who don't require or desire the partnership of a coach. I have helped direct people to resources even though they didn't end up using my services.

It could be. But it may also not be. Budget concerns are certainly valid. Obviously, we don't want to break anyone's bank. 

On the other hand, I have clients who train privately 2-3/week, and say a $200 gym membership is expensive... Because they rarely go there. My belief is how much value you receive from a product or service. If you think it's very important to have a coach who cares about your health and helps you achieve your goals, would the price be worth it?

FOREVAAAAAAA. 

While not all goals will take the same amount of time to achieve, I highly suggest all clients get involved with a 12-week, structured program. This length of time allows ample time to see and feel significant results. 

Generally speaking, it takes people 12 weeks to achieve realistic goals, and 6 to 12 months to reach loftier ones if consistent. 

Regardless of goal, I recommend a minimum of TWO days of resistance training (lifting weights). It doesn't necessarily have to be with a coach, but it should be focused, structured, and intense enough to yield results.

Lifting would constitute anything that requires heavy objects such as dumbbells, kettlebells... Even yourself. 

This is different from the 'how many days should I lift' question, but it's an expansion. I highly suggest all clients, regardless of goals, to exercise a minimum of FOUR days per week. This includes lifting and some form of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, biking, hiking, swimming.

Length and intensity of resistance training sessions are highly dependent on the client's fitness levels. For people JUST starting out, no more than 30 minutes. For those with some experience, 45 to 60. 

How quickly you experience results will depend on what goals you want to achieve and how committed you are. For example, if you want to just feel better, the FIRST session. If you want to lose weight, the FIRST week. 

OF COURSE! Now get on the floor and give me 20! Just kidding. This is actually a stereotype of trainers that does more harm than good. My goal is to provide constructive criticism in a way that won't make you feel uncomfortable, judged, or berated. 

I also believe the novelty of yelling while you're doing pushups wears off very quickly. This isn't the military. 

Exercise selection will largely depend on goals and fitness levels. I believe there are thousands of exercises, but not all of them are created equal. I only use exercises that have been proven to work time and time again. These include:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Push-ups
• Rows

You must participate in a free intro session to start your personalized plan. From there, you'll have two options:

• A 12-week personalized plan where you meet with your coach a certain number of times per week
• Paying for sessions individually

It goes without saying that I'd prefer people to be on a consistent program for 12-weeks, but I understand if people would rather pay as they go, though individual sessions will be more expensive.

Basic nutrition recommendations and programming will be included in all 12-week programs. This includes:

• Shopping lists
• Eating out
• How to set up meals
• Cooking at home
• Supplements

Some clients may want EXTRA nutrition attention, so those will be an additional charge. After all, my funny jokes come at a price.

Hrm. You can slap me as hard as you want. Good question that often leads to frustrating answers. I'll go over three things here, though there are more. 

Firstly, before you start on a coaching relationship, setting expectations is paramount; extremely important. This cannot be understated. Coaching is not a magic bullet. While coaching generally leads to better results than no coaching, setting realistic expectations that take into consideration your situation will spell success or 'failure'. Losing thirty pounds in a year, not a month, is more realistic. 

Secondly, once realistic expectations are agreed upon, setting a schedule designed to help achieve those goals should be followed. More often than not, clients don't see results because of lack of consistency. Any program can work if there's follow-through.

Finally, genetics. We are all different: looks, height, etc. It goes without saying how our bodies look and respond to exercise can be influenced by genetics. Speaking about genetics will be an annoying yet required topic during your journey.  

No doubt. If you don't give me your money, I will do everything in my power to make you feel guilty until you do. I may even call my kids (or puppies) to appeal to you! Just kidding. I wouldn't call myself pushy, but I am a salesperson. What am I trying to sell? Myself, and a better, improved version of you.

My approach to proposing my services is one of guidance and support. I will not willingly pressure you to invest in anything that isn't of your best interest. On the other hand, I will ask you questions that serve to determine how motivated you are to achieve your goals. After all, the best motivation is an image of a better you. 

While I'll make every attempt to ensure total satisfaction, I also understand my services (and personality) aren't for everyone. If for whatever reason you're not satisfied within the first 30-days, I will offer a full REFUND. 

About half. I got them for cheap. 

I think most people do not leave reviews. If they do, they're more likely to leave negative ones. Based on my experience, I think many people don't leave reviews not because they don't WANT to, but because they don't know what to say.

My clients' reviews are based on a series of questions I ask them to answer to make things more streamlined. In no way, shape, or form, are the reviews fake.

This is something I've thought about for a long time. After much consideration, the answer is no. It's even more surprising given I am a military veteran. Everyone, regardless of profession, is important to my business. Giving people different prices only invites drama and unnecessary questions.