As a personal trainer, have you ever asked yourself that?  If you want to be successful, you should.

I believe what makes us different from the D.A.D.’s is how we use our knowledge.  Personal training is not just about selling sessions like many corporate companies lead you to believe, it is about having a successful client.  Or at least that’s how it should be.

Listen trainers, if you want people to recommend you and come back to you, train them properly and prove to them that you are worth it.  Don’t B.S. them with sales tactics and deals, use cold hard scientific facts that you can guarantee the results with!

It is proven that you are a vital part in your clients  success!  They have obviously come to you for a reason; they are missing a piece of the pyramid.

This is my “Personal Trainer Success Pyramid.”

• Can: you have to ask your clients, can they achieve their goals?  The answer is yes, they can.
• The want: do they REALLY want to achieve their goals?  That should be an immediate yes without any doubt or hesitation!  And if it isn’t, there lies the problem.  If they don’t have the motivation to want to then they are missing the second link to their success.  We always say that we are the motivator for them but really they should be motivating us!
• Trainer Knowledge: If you, the trainer, lacks the knowledge to help your clients reach their goals, then you are a missing link in their success.  Please, please, please if they ask you to help them become a fitness model, know how to get them there!  It could be the end of you if you don’t.  The easiest way to drown your business is the lack of knowledge.  Use your brain and the science that we have through physiology and methodology to get your clients to where they want and need to be!   This, to me, is the second most important piece to the pyramid!
• Attitude: the MOST important part of the pyramid!  If your attitude or your clients attitude is wrong, then being successful is impossible.  This is where you as a trainer can help as well.  If they have a negative attitude one day in the gym, find ways to help change it!  Clients, if you have a bad attitude you are only inhibiting your success… you have control over your attitude, not your attitude over you!

Conclusion:

Don’t just be a personal trainer trying to sell session. Be a personal trainer striving for results with your clients!  Use the knowledge available to you to help your clients succeed!

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Welcome to the world of maturing females! I swear someone just yelled that at me!!!

I came to realize a few months ago, that each year my body changes, whether i like it or not! It changes in weight. it changes in shape, and it changes in almost every aspect it can change. I keep asking myself the same question… WHY ME?!!

Well, lets see….

1. I’m almost 28. which means my bone structure is changing.

2. It’s not just me, it’s every woman changing from pre 20s to later 20′s early 30s. (and so on!)

I guess i knew this would happen, as I work with clients/athletes of all ages and sizes and go through the same things as them. They’ll say “emily I fit into these pants a few years back, and I can’t seem to fit in them now, but i’m leaner” … Yes… it’s all too familiar! I ask Matt the same question “Matt.. why aren’t these pants fitting me anymore! I wore them last year in off season” clearly realizing i’m setting myself and him up for an answer that is probably not going to go over well with any female or spouse! Of course i’m going to tell my clients something along the lines of “you shouldn’t be trying to fit into clothes you did a few years ago, or try to aim for the same weight as you were when you were 18! Its unrealistic” Yet why i do I sit back and expect myself to stay the same for ever? Disbelief? Perhaps, denial is more accurate i think!

As youthful yet maturing PRO figure competitor, i think it’s completely natural for the body to take this course of action, and completely natural for me to feel this way! I’m getting a more mature, feminine frame. My body is finally holding dense hard muscle, and i’m sure my bones are shifting to bring me into a normal “woman” stage of life. Not that it means that I’ll be ready to be pushing out babies, it’s just that my body is ready! Mentally is a different story, however i think we as women get way to hooked up on a “number” or a “size” instead of just clearly looking at ourselves in the mirror naked and accepting our body looks great as it is.

I focused last year on a number for show time, and it completely threw me off. A number i wanted to try to beat in my own weight. Was it smart? Absolutely not! Was it a learning experience.. absolutely! As my body matures, it’s going to change. That’s a fact!

It wasn’t until i looked in the mirror today (actually just a few moments ago) that i completely accepted “hey i look good” no matter what weight i am! (which btw, i am leaner than last years off season, but some how weigh more!!! hrmmmm!!) and am actually completely happy with my current state! It’s taken me a few years to learn to accept and actually like being “thick” as some of my friends call it! lol! Clearly meaning they like me with a little more weight. Something i would once take an offence to is now a compliment, as i can’t expect to look like “SHREDDER” all year long!  (want and expect are two different things here!!)

I think a big thing for young women who might be going through this same stage as myself right now is to know that its common, and no matter what weight you are, you need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror with little to no clothes on and be satisfied. If your old clothes dont fit you, go buy new ones to flatter and compliment your shape! I can’t tell you how many pairs of pants i have to buy 2 sizes bigger to fit my legs, and get every other aspect of them altered! Find a good seamstress.. she’ll be your best friend, and make the world of a difference! As time changes, so do people, bodies, fashion and your perception on your image!

Whether you have thick legs, wide hips, or a full booty that’s hard to fit into any pants… these are our genetics as women, and there is only one thing we can do about it, which is make the best of it, bring it’s full potential and accept the curves! Body image is huge in society, male or female. By learning to accept these changes, we’ll only become more aware of our bodies and accepting of changes to happen in the future!

Emily Sterling

Most people’s issue with exercise is mustering the motivation to go to the gym, start running and show up for a trainer on time. Everyone knows how much better they feel afterwards, but that still doesn’t always get us off the couch and into our workout clothes.

Obviously, we need to find out what works for us. Can we wake up in the morning? Will we be too tired after work? These things are no news to anyone. However, we are going about the whole process in the wrong way.

Like dieting, if exercise becomes something “we have to start tomorrow” or we have to drag ourselves to do because the doctor said so or to be thin and in shape, we’ll never incorporate it into our lives on a long term basis. No one likes “having” to do something.

The answer is to do exercise for the sole purpose of feeling better. Don’t make it something about counting calories or counting minutes on a treadmill. Find something that you can manage and that makes you feel better. Wouldn’t we all love to live on a beach so walking every day would be joyful instead of something we dread.

Like eating, exercise can’t be your best friend or your enemy. You weren’t “good” because you worked out, and you weren’t “bad” if you didn’t. Somehow, find a healthy relationship with exercise so you are happy to have it in your life. For me, yoga is my salvation. I used to spend hours on the treadmill or spinning class which made me manic, anything but relaxed, and I ate much more than usual because of the intense workout. Many people gain weight when they are working out like this because the increase in calories consumed exceed those burned.

This isn’t to say not to do cardio. It is only to say that what works for one may not work for another. Perhaps you enjoy swimming or walking to work. If you can commit to that a few days a week, you are bettering your life and not stressing because you can’t do something 5 days a week.

This week I did yoga almost every day. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately, and I actually crave it. Yoga is an inexpensive massage that gets your body leaner and more healthy than anything else I can think of. I like that I do it as a gift to myself and not a chore.

After a year of not getting on a bike, I took a spinning class the other day. I had so much extra energy, wanted to enjoy dance music and simply felt like it. Although it isn’t my exercise of choice, on that day it gave me what I needed. On vacation, I sometimes surf, snowboard or hike. Some weeks I’ll do nothing at all and let my body rest. I can handle these breaks because I have a healthy relationship with exercise and will always go back.

Find what works for you, makes you happy, isn’t a chore and that you can really incorporate into your life long term.

It is called the SurfShelf Treadmill Desk!!

You can purchase it online at amazon or surfshelf.com!! Its about $40.00.  Now no one has any excuse!!

Happy Friday All!!

I am excited to say that I am training my first athlete for a production show in Vegas called Le Reve!  She is an amazing athlete to begin with but man watching her go through the strength and conditioning program I have for her is even more amazing!  Our studio has put together a strength and conditioning room complete with a rope to climb, punching bags, and a bar to hang upside down to do sit ups with and several TRX’s!!

I have her out in that room, which has no air conditioning by the way, to help condition her body for the altitude difference which she will experience in Colorado where the audition is held.  She has to go through an incredible battery of exercises and tests which are to climb a 10 foot rope using her arms only (legs in pike position as she climbs up and down the rope, in a controlled arm over arm climb and then ascend), 45 seconds of non stop burpees, hold plank on the exercise ball with her feet on the ball both in the push up position and with her calves towards the ground and belly up, hands behind her, then do the same but a side plank!! She also has to perform 14 pushups 4 ” from the ground, weighted squats with 20% of her total body weight (20 in 30 seconds), Horizontal jump squat which she needs to clear 4 ft…she can do 7!!… hanging ab crunch, hamstring stretch, swimming test,  and a choreography test…all in one day!!

Needless to say even when shes tired she gives it her all and I am so proud to be helping her reach her goals!  I look forward to marketing nationally to help those in need of strength and conditioning training for these types of shows!

I will keep you updated on her progress and soon get a video of her going through the actual test and pictures of the new part of the studio!!!

Have a great day San Antonio!

This training process is best done by super-setting exercises – such as a ball squat and a dumbbell shoulder press or bicep curl – keeping the mind and body responding quickly and to keep the heart rate up. Functional training also helps with balance and coordination; as people age they tend to lose these skills slowly, but by mimicking certain skills and activities they have an effective way of maintaining or even surpassing their previous balancing and coordination abilities.

Functional training is also important because these exercises promote core strength which not only helps with stability, but also posture and alignment. The core is an integral part of the body that sometimes gets neglected in exercise programs. Functional training is a double whammy so to speak – it builds strength in your core while in the same movement building strength in the targeted areas. People often hurt themselves by straining to pick up a heavy item, or twisting their backs. Functional training helps train your muscles in these similar movements, constantly working your abdominal muscles to assist with stabilizing your spine – helping to prevent injury!

Most women are not looking for big muscles or to be stage ready; they want to be lean, strong, and healthy.  Functional training provides just that if done correctly and with a sensible, clean eating plan.

If you’re looking to begin this type of personal training, let me know how I can get you started on the right path.

So, to demonstrate how much I am just like you (and hopefully to motivate you into action), here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about me.

Number One: I despise cardio
I think it is from the devil himself! I will do it if I absolutely have to but if I don’t, I refuse.  Example: When I am prepping for a competition I will do whatever it takes to I look my best, which includes cardio. It is great for the cardiovascular system and fat lose but I like to think that I get my heart worked out enough when I throw heavy weights around.

Number Two: I don’t like vegetables
I force myself to eat them because I know the health benefits of them but I’d rather eat a cardboard box than cooked veggies!

Number Three: I’m pretty much addicted to an energy drink called A.C.T
I ask my clients to stay away from caffeine and those kinds of energy drinks but I justify this one because it is ALL natural and it only costs $1 a day. I basically have to have it or I am a cranky ol’ lady in the gym. It actually makes me smile and get excited when I think about the next time I can drink one!

Number Four: I used to have an eating disorder
I was bulimic and anorexic. My nickname back in ’05 was Mary Kate Olsen (bad, I know)! My awesome personal trainer and mentor (my mom still calls her my second mother) helped save my life would call me that; jokingly and in love of course. I would just shake my head and say, “yep, that’s me..” because I had accepted the fact that I needed help and it didn’t hurt to joke about it because I was on the right track to get my life back in order. I had reached out for help in time and I will never regret being honest with myself about that situation. Now I am healthy and happy for it.

Number Five: I wish I could cook for all of my clients
Some of my clients think they can fib to me about their diets and lifestyles.  Not exactly. I know when they have been eating well and when they haven’t – their bodies tell the story! Most individuals don’t realize how much I do care about their goals. If I could, I would cook and pack all of my client’s meals for them so that they would REALLY know what true clean eating was and how fast it would help them reach their goals. If only there was enough time in the day!

Number Two: You are not seeing results with your current workout.
If you are similar to the millions of people who exercise consistently without achieving the results you desire, hiring a personal trainer is a good idea. A trainer will scrutinize your work out regimen, diet and goals. Changes will then be implemented where needed, helping to build an effective workout and diet plan personalized specifically for you.  This will jump start your body and your motivation.

Number Three: You are in need of motivation and accountability.
Personal trainers come with a built-in motivation system; this is part of the package you receive when you hire a trainer.  Your monetary investment in a personal trainer is coupled with an investment of your time.  The hardest part of beginning a new regimen is personal accountable, but the feeling of accomplishment after a tough personal training session is a worthwhile reward.  Along with increased motivation comes accountability; even on the days you don’t workout, you are well aware of the questions your personal trainer will ask: “What did you eat today? What have you eaten since we last trained? Have you kept up with your schedule?” Knowing these tough questions are waiting will make it tougher for you to become lazy and apathetic.

Number Four: You are bored with the same training routine.
If you are experienced in the gym you probably have not considered working out with a personal trainer.  Hiring a personal trainer is a good idea if you want or need some diversity in your training. A trainer can offer new ideas to challenge your body and will introduce you to new exercises that will move you forward in achieving your goals. Even if you don’t train for three months, but opt for a “refresher” course, you will feel refreshed in your efforts and have a few new “toys” in your bag with which to play in the gym.

Number Five: You need a good Challenge.
This is closely related being bored with the same workouts.  When you get bored, the tendency is to slack off.  Hiring a personal trainer can motivate you to boost your sets and push past those mental blocks.  Personal trainers drive you to challenge yourself by lifting heavier, working out longer and doing exercises you would never do on your own. Many professional athletes hire personal trainers because they know a trainer will challenge them more than they could challenge themselves.

Number Six: You don’t know how to exercise correctly on your own.
Many individuals desire to go into the gym and perform a work out by themselves with the knowledge that they are performing the exercises correctly and effectively.  Hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions can be a good experience for learning the correct way to exercise as well learning more about the muscles used in those exercises.  The trainer will also teach you about correct form in an effort to help prevent exercise-related injuries.  You will be amazed the lessons you learn from a few personal training sessions.

Number Seven: You are an athlete and training for a specific sport.
If you are training for a specific sport such as baseball, a marathon or tennis, a personal trainer can assist you by improving your physical condition without interfering with your training. A personal trainer can create a sport-specific regimen scheduled around your event and other training. The main focus when using a trainer for this purpose is to find one that is experienced in your sport and can train you accordingly. Not all personal trainers do sports-specific training.

Number Eight: You have an illness or specific condition.
Certain illnesses and conditions such as pregnancy, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, etc. can improve when you exercise.  Hiring an experienced personal trainer who works closely with your doctor can help build a program to help heal, reverse or stop your illness or condition. It is critical, however, to ensure your personal trainer has experience with your condition.

Number Nine: You like support and supervision during your workouts.
You may be knowledgeable with workout posture but require someone to support you for those heavy or partner movements. A personal trainer can help to correct your form if you get out of alignment.  Personal trainers are also able to be that support system you require and help you to maintain your goals with a quality training program.

Number Ten: You would like in-home training.
Personal trainers don’t just work at gyms or studios; they can also come to your home. If you would like to train at your home but don’t know where to start, how to use your equipment, or just don’t like to work out in a gym, a personal trainer is a great choice. The trainer can teach you how to use your equipment and introduce new equipment for additional training options. Your personal trainer will build a goal-oriented program specifically for you that can be done in the comfort of your home.

It all boils down to a delicate balance routine between sleeping, training, eating, working, studying and playing, but not necessarily in that order. My time management has to be precise and calculated or I am not able to complete each daily task. I literally live out of my day planner on season, but during off-season I am a little more lenient. In this article I will give you tools and advice on how to manage your time as a student so that you can be more efficient and organized in order to accomplish your competition goals with ease.

Day Planners: The Key for Prioritizing and Organizing
You have picked the date for your competition and it is in the middle of the semester…now what?  Take a deep breath and relax because going to school, working and prepping for competition is possible! The first thing to do, though, is get a day planner. You’ll need to write each task down and at what times they need to be started and completed. This will alleviate the stress of trying to remember everything, and will also help you to prioritize your daily responsibilities.

The next thing to define and outline are the top priority elements that must be scheduled consistently every week. The first, and a definite must, is food preparation.

Healthy Meals and Supplements Made Easy
Pick one day out of the week (mine is Sunday) to prepare all of your protein and carbohydrates so that you can “pack and go” without having to cook every single day. Also, place your daily food diary on your refrigerator as a quick reference for food preparation. Non-food items you will need for your prepped meals include Tupperware, an oversized lunch box, ice packs to keep meals cold and medicine droppers!

Medicine droppers? Absolutely! They are an ingenious way to store your flax and fish oil while on the go. In doing so, you remove the need to transport the entire bottle; your daily dosage can quickly and efficiently be measured.

I also suggest locating a microwave on campus that is in the proximity of your classes. This will allow you to quickly heat your meals and still make your classes on time. When eating, try to schedule your meals between classes – approximately every 2.5 to 3 hours. However, if you absolutely must eat in class and your professors give you a hard time, explain to them the importance of regular, balanced meals as a fitness competitor in training. They will likely understand and appreciate your dedication and discipline. If you are a trainer, sometimes this can actually lead to their interest in training with you!

Making Time for Cardiovascular Training
Now that you no longer have an excuse for eating poorly, let’s discuss cardiovascular training. Plan to do your cardio in the morning and/or between classes if you have a time slot open. If you have a break in between classes, I have found it easiest to take care of training at these times – especially since most campuses have a wellness center or gym. By using your time between classes wisely, you free up time at the end of the day to do homework or study. Clearly, this is why time management is key.

If you are like me and don’t have class at the same time each day, it might be a wise investment to purchase cardio equipment for your home. I have an old, inexpensive Schwinn stationary bike. I often set my laptop on the handlebars and complete homework while doing my cardio – multi-tasking at its finest! For me, consistency is key, and I try to complete my cardio at roughly the same time daily in order to ensure I stay with my routine and am not rushed.

Consistent Rest Leads to Endurance
It’s always best to go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on the weekends. This will keep you on track both mentally and physically.

Things won’t always be easy though, and life catches up with you. During testing time and high stress days, if you miss a work out, cardio session, or cheat on your meals, don’t give up or be too hard on yourself. Remember, tomorrow is another day and all the gains you make toward your fitness goals are cumulative. If you remain consistent and say focused, you will be very successful in your preparation.

Find what works best for you and stick to that routine. It will all pay off in the end!

Suggestions that help with time management:

• MINUTE Ready to Serve Brown Rice (Easy Recipe: Combine the brown rice and Star-Kist Herb and Garlic tuna, heat and eat!)
• KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki marinade! Marinade thirty minutes or over night and bar-b-que or broil.
• If you can’t seem to get all your vegetables in, substitute with a super food such as Green Vibrance.