personal_trainerIt goes without saying that a well thought out customized training program sits near the top of the list for being successful in your endeavours to looking good naked. Based on your training history, current health and fitness status, previous and/or current injuries and obviously your goals, a trainer or strength coach will design you a personalized program. Having said that, the trainer shouldn’t give you exercises that:

  • a) you couldn’t do,
  • b) add to current areas of pain,
  • c) put you in at-risk positions, and
  • d) take you further away from your goals.

However, there is more to it than what exercises to do in the gym.
 

The Personal in Personal Training

 
There are other pieces to the puzzle that are also inherently important when working toward your goals with your health and physique. The phase personal training implies one-on-one training; however, the meaning goes much deeper than that. The personal in personal training more so reflects what you bring to the table.

Improving your current state of health, wellbeing, strength level, energy level and happiness with your naked body takes time, effort and dedication to see results. It also takes a great team. Every time I get a new client, we form what I like to call the dynamic duo.

I can provide the guidance, motivation and awesome programming, but you need to have to these qualities to ensure your road to success isn’t so bumpy.

Here are my top 5 ingredients for success:

1. Drive /drīv/ – To push propel or press onward forcibly – reaching your health and fitness goals requires constant drive and a push in the right direction. A lack of drive can leave you sitting in the dust.

2. Intensity /inˈtensitē/ – Exceptionally great concentration, power, or force – a lack of intensity in the gym will slow your progress toward looking good naked. Leaning over the stepper or lifting too light won’t be enough stimulus to force your body to adapt. The intensity doesn’t have to be over red-line, but you need to feel slightly uncomfortable. Programming recovery sessions and getting 7 to 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep a night are just as important as training at a high intensity, so make sure you have balance.

3. Effort /ˈefərt/ – A vigorous or determined attempt – this is similar to training intensity. Your effort should force your body to change and adapt to the training stimulus. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at or if you have old injuries. Strive for that training effect in every workout. Bring the effort and notice your body change.

4. Discipline /ˈdisəplin/ – Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviour, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement – your new pattern of behaviour might be drastically different from the life you’re used to living. Focus on changing one habit at a time so it’s not so daunting. You’ll also be more successful.

5. Consistency /kənˈsistənsē/ – Conformity in the application of something – probably my number one must for progress. Consistent training, consistent nutritional habits, and consistent lifestyle choices will lead to change. Starting and stoping your workout program or eating well for one afternoon and poorly for the next day will not add up to success.

All of my most successful clients have brought qualities 1 though 5. If one’s missing, I’m afraid to say the results haven’t been as pronounced. When signing up with a trainer, coach or class, make sure you’re carrying your end of the deal for maximal results.

Thanks for reading. My intention wasn’t to scare you, but to make you realize, us as trainers, don’t have a magic wand (although that would be very cool!).

-JK

I joined JKC because I wanted to better care for my physical health, but didn’t really know how, or where, to begin.  Seeking help from a trainer seemed like a wise choice, and I had heard great things about the staff at JKC. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate exercising.  So, I’ve only ever tried sticking with a gym routine twice in my life.  Each experience consisted of me wandering around, not knowing what to do, and settling for an elliptical machine or something else that seemed comfortable and non-threatening.  Each session was the same, and I felt like I was wasting my time.

Each session at JKC, however, is specifically crafted for me.  I don’t have to think about what to do, because I’m told what to do.  I don’t have to worry about how to do things properly, because I’m shown (sometimes multiple times!) how to accomplish each task.  I don’t have to be concerned about slipping into a comfortable routine, because Jon and Thomas won’t let that happen.

I’m 40 years old & started training at JKC in 2015. The gym I was working out at closed and my husband recommended JKC. JKC meets you where you are in your fitness journey and tailors the work to help achieve your goals. I’ve trained with Jon & Thomas pre pregnancy, while pregnant and now post baby and they have helped me enormously to stay fit through all life phases.

I joke with the guys often that I’ve seen no change in my fitness level since joining the gym, but the reality is I’m in far better shape at 40 than I ever was at 30 thanks to them.

I recently turned 40, and I have been training at JKC since the summer of 2020. My partner Michael had already been training at JKC, so it came highly recommended. We had set up a home gym at the start of the pandemic, but needed to mix it up after the first lockdown. JKC differs from other gyms because of the personalized workouts. Jon, Thomas and Craig are great at challenging me to do more than I would on my own.

I chose JKC because I row/coach teams in the St. John’s Regatta and was looking to add strength training to our program. My wife is also running friends with Julia, so I got to meet Jon a few times and heard lots of good things. I like JKC over other gyms because of the level coaching I receive and the gym atmosphere. The energy in the gym helps me through the tough workouts.

I’ve been weight training on and off for years but never really had a specific goal or target in mind so routinely stalled out, plateaued or stopped training all together. Before I joined JKC I was definitely in a fitness slump and needed something to motivate me and get me back on track. I did a bit of digging online, looking at various personal training options and gyms around town but JKC seemed like the best option by far. I’ve tried big box gyms and other personal trainers in the past but none of them have had the perfect combination of goal specific fitness programming, welcoming and supportive environment, and the knowledge and passion to back it all up that you’ll find at JKC. Jon and Thomas are great to work with, they know how to motivate you if you’re having an off day and are well versed in all the different ways to make your muscles burn! I also have noticed some major improvements in my deadlifts since I started with JKC and was really happy with the result.

As Seen On: