A 'No-Nonsense' Approach

For two decades, I have been a personal trainer at local gyms.  I realized from the beginning of my personal-training career, I would never train staff because I would spend a ton of energy coming up with their program, and I felt that they wouldn’t come back with the same kind of energy.  For some reason, staff members, even though they understand the end goal, have a harder time than private clients applying themselves day after day … after day.

Briana came to me and said she wanted to get herself in shape, lose weight and become a successful personal trainer. I told her I usually don’t train employees, however, I would allow her to buy a ten-pack and see what happened.  I told her that if she were not serious, I didn’t have time for this.   I trained her for three weeks, three times a week.   After the first ten-pack was over, and she was geared up and ready, I decided she was serious about making a change.  I told her we would go package to package based on her commitment, and, if at any time, she didn’t work hard, train seriously and do as I said, I would drop her.

I pushed her pretty hard.   She took whatever I gave her.  One day, on the leg press, as I sat on the machine along with multiple 45-pound plates, and I told her 15 reps, she gave me a look that said, ‘I can’t.’  I told her, if you want to be a successful trainer, you can’t have a client doing something that you can’t do.  She exceeded 15.  That was the moment I knew I could and would help her.

We went through a lot of different scenarios for weight loss and muscle strength.  Overall, the variety was what worked best.   We went with the flow and when we found something that worked we stayed with it.

Steve B.

Steve B.

After her first 60-pound weight loss, I decided it was time for her to hit the road.  I had trained her for this moment, and, even though her first initial run was tough, she started to go out on her own.  It was a proud moment in my book.

Not only did I help Briana lose the 100 pounds, I have seen her grow up from an insecure overweight child into an innovative and successful personal trainer.  She has developed the ability to have her own clients and get her own business.

And I’m a no-nonsense kind of guy.