Now a days, all the rage is online training and virtual coaching.  Whether it be because of the pandemic, or because the advances in technology are so tantalizing, we cannot help ourselves, there is a movement towards these new mediums.

I am a fitness professional, and at times I feel as if I am an assembly line working staring at the robot (or peloton) about to take my place.  But I also know that there is something about my services and expertise that will NEVER be outsourced, or automated, so I can still sleep easy at night knowing I will not go by the way of the Doo-Doo.

Consider for a moment the internet, and its never ending amount of fitness resources available to anyone at any time.  Most of this is free and very easily accessible.  If you think about it, its almost a wonder anyone even pays for a trainer when they can find the exact same exercises, programming and hunky guy or gal explaining it to you for free on the internet.  You can pause, rewind, and digest the content at any pace you want, from the judgment free comfort of your home or personal training studio if your fortunate enough.

Yet I feel zero threat from these videos.  These videos have been out longer than I have been in the profession, yet I only see increased demand for trainers and their services.  How can this be?

==>These videos lack the interaction and stickiness factor needed to make fitness Stick (credit to Malcom Gladwell for the term).  Without stickiness, they do not create lasting change, do not deliver results, and end up floating around cyberspace delivering no more value than click bait for the rest of time….

Recently, fitness tech has unleased some new competitors on the scene, and they are very formidable indeed.  I will be the first to tip my cap and acknowledge that some of these platforms have really created some wonderful content that is scientifically accurate, and the delivery is very energetic.  The graphics and streaming have come a long way.  The idea of working out at your own schedule is so enticing…

Yet my demand is still growing by the day… how?

In my opinion –>

There is definitely no shortage of fitness content in this world, but what is at an all-time shortage are some very real and personable traits.  Commitment, accountability, engagement, trust, value, friendship and work ethic are things that just do not come through the screen, never have, never will.   All the conveniences that modern day fitness technology offer us come with a double-edged sword.  Without any real personal commitment to a schedule, an appointment, or your trainer, it becomes so much easier to turn off the screen or ignore that watch telling you to move.  Its just human nature.

Without the personal engagement, it simply does not mean as much to you.  You can just blow it off.  (yea you may be letting your virtual group or instructor down, but it does not approach the level of discomfort that letting down people you see weekly at your gym creates!)

Even the most successful people in the world must work on time management.  They must work on building habits of journaling, accountability and fitness.  It is not easy.  Fitness is not easy, and that is part of the reason I have a career that I am confident will never go out of style.

-The Real value of having a human trainer is this:

“In addition to holding your feet to the fire on days when you would rather “sleep in”, “just go home and relax after work” or “don’t have the energy or time” I offer other benefits that tech cant compete with.  I am here to help you, learn about you, and develop a rewarding relationship that benefits us both.  I am here to be your friend, who sometimes must provide tough love.  I enjoy learning about my clients and their unique abilities (this job has introduced me to so many wonderful individuals).  I am here to coach you in real time, provide feedback, keep you from injuring yourself, and make you laugh and enjoy working hard.  I am here to push you beyond what you would ever achieve on your own.  I am here to help you develop lifelong fitness habits that will positively impact you in every area.  I am here to help you live a long, independent, pain free life.  I am here to help you…”

I appreciate you taking the time to visit my webpage and read my blog, but if you are serious about your fitness and want real change, lets visit in person and talk about the next step.

Always remember, “work Smarter, not harder.”

Thank you, Your Trainer,

Alex

To be honest, I hesitated even making this post.  I did not want to stir up feelings of fear and anxiety that might not have even previously existed in many clients.  I did not want to plant this seed in an innocent mind.  In the end I decided that the pro’s of making this post outweigh the con’s.  If I can get even one person to step into the weight room that was previously unwilling to, than it is worth it…

We all have fears.  They range in scope and severity.  Fear and anxiety in the weight room are things that we can and will overcome together.  This is what coaches are for, to help you overcome any barrier you may encounter in your fitness journey, to push you beyond your comfort zone to achieve results you didn’t think were possible.

Some of the most common fears expressed (most times in a non verbal form… yes your facial expressions give you away)  from clients are relating to injury.  The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) and several other governing bodies have published findings regarding injury rates due to weight/resistance training.

The ACSM has different categories (ranging from strain and sprain to catastrophic: including sudden cardiac arrest, injury requiring hospitalization and death).

The research shows us that minor injuries are the most common, but they can be greatly reduced when a professional is monitoring the exercise session.

Catastrophic injuries are extremely rare (even though they are often publicized {most of the time an undiagnosed preexisting condition causes the catastrophic injury, the stress of high intensity physical activity just exacerbated the condition}).

The prevalence rates range from 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 1.5 million- depending on which governing body you reference, which age group you analyze and which gender you consider (males are twice as likely to suffer a catastrophic event, and no that is not due to having a smaller brain, but rather an increased likelihood of a cardiovascular event).

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=hhosAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=ACSM+resistance+training+injury+prevalence&ots=lkA7ZE0ZQz&sig=bGEaAv-iDqGmCGvJyqGCZxZkfmg#v=onepage&q=ACSM%20resistance%20training%20injury%20prevalence&f=false

Another fear that clients experience is fear of failure.  Failure in the weight room comes in a couple forms.

Failure 1 is coming up short of our fitness goals; of failing to properly execute a lift, or failing to hit or exceed a Personal record.  A good coach and a proper perspective can help remedy these fears very quickly.

Failure 2 is a different kind of experience.  This is reserved for the moderate to advanced weightlifter.  It is the failure to complete a rep at maximum exhaustion.   Pushing your reps to failure is a learned skill.

Examples of this type of failure include: falling down while trying to attempt a barbell squat, failing to extend on a deadlift, or inability to press the barbell up from your chest on a bench press.  These are uncomfortable and scary when you first experience them.  However, these are manageable with a spotter and an experienced coach who can walk you through and ensure your safety while performing maximal lifts.

I guarantee that max day will become your favorite day after you have gotten over the failure butterflies.

Smart Strength was designed to make the fitness experience fun, exciting and rewarding for all.  If you have any comments or reservations, please let us know, or feel free to make a suggestion.  Do not let these barriers keep you from training in the weight room any longer!

This is why I earned a B.A. from Albion College in Exercise Science

This is why I earned an M.S. from Michigan State University in Exercise Physiology

This is why I have worked in premier training facilities in East Lansing, Ann Arbor and New York City

This is why I have trained under some of the best mentors in the business

This is why I started my own company, Smart Strength

This is why I do what I do,

To help you

Your Trainer,
Alex

We do not coach like this at Smart Strength…

Uncomfortable?-

1  Exercising can be uncomfortable at times (Squatting with a barbell across the back is something that immediately comes to mind),it can makes us mentally uncomfortable too.

At Smart Strength we do not preach, nor follow the adage, “No pain, no gain.”  We do not believe that it must hurt to be effective.  We do not even believe or prescribe Burpees…

We are not here to intimidate or make you mentally uncomfortable.  Our coaching is all about making exercise fun and enjoyable.  There is always 2 way communication, so if you ever have anything on your mind, please let us know so we can accommodate it ASAP.

We are educated in our fitness.  If a client does not like a certain lift, is not able to perform the exercise, or simply does not feel like doing that sort of thing today, no problem.  We can always modify or substitute an exercise for something else that accomplishes the same goal.  Variety is the spice of life!

What else do clients find uncomfortable about working out?

2  Something that is uncomfortable (sometimes downright painful) is DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).  This is the soreness and pain of our muscles a day or two after working out.  However, if programmed and managed correctly, it can be greatly minimized.

Every person has a different pain tolerance, and a different perception of this pain.  Many newcomers are shocked at the feeling of soreness and pain of muscle groups that have suddenly been brought back to life.

DOMS is perfectly normal, natural, and to be expected.  In almost all cases, it will subside in a few days.  As we continue to train, the DOMS will become less and less severe.   Ice, Ibuprofen, a proper diet and good sleep will help you overcome these initial bouts of DOMS.

To help minimize the negative effects of DOMS, we always assess new clients to see where their current fitness levels are, so we do not over prescribe exercises or administer too great of a load on the muscles initially.  We respect each clients susceptibility to DOMS and work tirelessly on our programming to ensure we deliver a great workout, without causing extreme DOMS and pain.

Once you have committed to a workout routine for an extended amount of time, you will rarely experience DOMS, and it may even bum you out that you haven’t been sore in a while… I know it seems crazy, but I hear this comment a lot from experienced clients.

DOMS- delayed onset muscle soreness.  On the left is a sample of normal muscle tissue at rest (control group)… as the images progress from left to right, it shows the damage to the muscle tissue following bouts of exercise…  (this is what happens to our muscle fibers at a microscopic level, after a heavy bout of exercise… notice how much damage and distortion of the usually repetitive muscle tissue occurs… this damage is partially why you are sore for a few days after an intense workout, the more intense the workout, the more severe the DOMS response is). 

3  Another source of discomfort is not knowing what to do in a gym.  We will call this Gym confusion. So many machines and contraptions can be overwhelming and intimidating.

Unfortunately, gym culture has taken on a life of its own, with special lingo, acronyms and clothing styles…..  We do not embrace the CrossFit culture here, we do not judge the style of clothing you wear, we do not endorse gym selfies, heck we don’t even have mirrors in the facility.

What we do offer is scientific education on exercises.  We will orient you on equipment and take the time to coach you to everything you need to know to become a weight room veteran.

Your program may seem like a different language in the beginning, but after some training and education with your coach, you will be able to read and write gym-speak fluently!  It may even spark an interest in you that you never knew existed…

When we drop the anxiety of exercise, we discover the joy it can bring, and our results greatly improve!

Work Smarter, not harder,

Your Trainer,

Alex

If you are new to the Gym world and weight lifting, it can be intimidating, uncomfortable and even scary at times.  This is totally normal.

These posts will address the common concerns of clients and try to highlight the facts over fears of weightlifting at Smart Strength.

Gym Intimidation- I can remember vividly the first time I entered the high school weight room as a husky, uncoordinated middle schooler.  In addition to my own uncertainties, I had to face the “cool kids” of the school throwing around iron and looking Fly.  It was extremely uncomfortable and made me so nervous I was sick to my stomach.  I am guessing most of you have had a similar experience somewhere along your fitness journey.

These types of scenarios often act as barriers of entry into the weight room.  We recently conducted a survey of what people do and do not like about working out.

The top 2 things people feared about working out were “working out in front of others” and “feeling judged.”  Simply put, almost everyone has these concerns about the weight room atmosphere.

I have observed from my own personal experiences and at every gym that I have worked, this is a common theme, especially for newcomers to the weight room culture.  That is why when building Smart Strength, I wanted it to be different.  I wanted to eliminate as many barriers of entry as possible for potential clients.

We have created a very intimate setting.  We only offer personal training or small group training sessions as to ensure the most comfortable atmosphere possible for our clients.  Our coaching is the industry leader in being professional, personable, and respectful of each individual client and their abilities.  We are here to help.  We are here to do whatever we possibly can to see that you accomplish your fitness goals.

When I coach a client, I make it my personal responsibility to be as welcoming, understanding, and relatable to them as possible.  I develop strong relationships with clients by working hard to really get to know them.  There is no room for intimidation at Smart Strength, and we work daily to rid anything that might create an intimidating atmosphere to our clients.

If I am ever the source of intimidation, please rest assured I am not meaning to be.  All you have to do is think of that Chubby, uncoordinated middle schooler, and BOOM, intimidated no more 😊  Oh and I also used to rock a Pineapple haircut with 3 inch bangs, so rest assured, no judgement here…

Your Trainer,

Alex

So often we assume that the only benefits of lifting weights are increased size and strength.

But lifting weights to lose weight?  No way, that is a cardio and diet thing right….

Wrong.  Here is why.

As Humans when we stimulate our muscles through resistance training, we traditionally see Hypertrophy ⇒increased size in our current muscle fibers

There is another way to increase muscle mass Hyperplasia ⇒which is growing more actual muscle fibers, but as I said this does not account for much human muscle growth.

The larger our muscle fibers are, the more forcefully they can contract (strength) but they also require more energy to support this increased size.  That is important and will be discussed later.

Essentially, we are born with all the muscle fibers we will ever have in our lifetime, it is up to us to grow and strengthen these muscle fibers through resistance training.

The known health benefits of having a strong musculoskeletal system is widespread, but one benefit that often escapes peoples understanding is how much energy muscles need to consume to stay healthy.

You see, muscles are metabolically active tissue, which means they need a constant food source just to survive, let alone contract and produce movement.

This may seem common sense to you, consider how much food a large body builder consumes versus a small inactive elderly person…

But consider the resting metabolic rate of the muscle.  As you lay in bed sleeping, sit around at your office doing work, or while you are driving around doing your daily chores if you have more muscle mass, you are burning more calories the whole time, not just while exercising, but while resting!

The key here is to slowly change your body composition to be made up of more FFM (fat free mass) such as muscle, so you have a greater ability to burn off excess calories, instead of storing them (Fat mass).

Refer to the illustration above and compare the RMR % of Muscle vs Fat (20% vs 3%)  Muscle burns many more calories at rest than fat.  This is why we need to change our composition from Fat mass to FFM. Smart Strength and a well-crafted resistance training program will help.

Combine this new source of energy expenditure with a carefully managed diet, and you are on the best path to lose weight.  Not to mention gain all those other amazing benefits that resistance training affords!

Work Smarter, not Harder

Your Trainer,

Alex

This is a concern that many of my Female clients have when starting a weight training program.  If you are not one of these Females, more power to you… there are no right or wrong body types or images.

For those that have this fear, please read on…

Somewhere along the line, we have been told that this “bulking up” is an inevitable byproduct of weightlifting.  “People that lift weights, especially heavy weights, get bulky.”  That is an observation not founded in science.

This type of thinking is a major deterrent to many females, and unfortunately this false information prevents many women from participating in weight training.  This association also keeps many strong females from engaging in some of the most productive and beneficial exercises, such as deadlift, squat, and some variation of pressing.

Everyone wants to feel better and move better, but we do not want our bodies to change into some unrecognizable bulky and “manly” figure.  Rest assured, it is possible to enjoy a robust weight training program, and not turn into a muscle-bound hulk.

SO how do we weight train without bulking up?!  Proper Science and application…

When Smart Strength designs a program, it is designed just for you.  We will talk about your goals and what you want to achieve.  From there, we craft a program that will best help you reach your desired outcomes.

Throughout years of schooling and personal training experience, Smart Strength has developed a large toolbox for which it can craft a workout routine to accomplish any type of goal.  Not only does Smart Strength have many “tools” (exercises and lifts) but it also has many ways to implement those “tools.”  Sets, Reps, tempo, rest ratio are among other variables that will help the “tools” deliver the best results.  Combine this with our attentive and hands on coaching and you have a recipe for success.

Any exercise scientist or health professional will tell you, lifting weights, when coached properly, provides multiple positive health benefits.  When prescribed properly it can reduce fat mass, increase lean muscle mass, and create a lean, strong look… exactly what some of my female clients are after…

It is through the “proper exercise prescription” that we are able to utilize weight lifting as a calorie burning, muscle toning tool.  Not a mass gaining, hypertrophy inducing body bulker…

Let the principles of Science and sound exercise prescription guide you to your desired results- not social media scientist, celebrities, or uninformed observers.  I look forward to scheduling an assessment with you and hearing your goals.

Work Smarter, not Harder

Your Trainer,

Alex

5 mental reasons why you need to be working out:

We all have differing reasons why we workout, and why we value our fitness.  So often we just talk about the surface level benefits of why people workout.  We talk about shedding lbs., about slimming our waist sizes, and about getting toned up for the beach vacation.  These are all great, and I am not lessening their value at all.  But this post is dedicated to the deeper, often misunderstood benefits of working out and creating a healthy lifestyle.  These are often thought of as indirect benefits of fitness, but in fact, they are just as real, measurable, and tangible as the circumference of your biceps.

1.Routine- Some of us like the hustle and bustle of an unpredictable schedule.  I am not one of them.  Humans are often creatures of habit.  There is nothing that ingrains a productive and successful routine more than having a regular fitness schedule.  Even if you are continually active in your job, a specifically designed fitness routine will help deliver the best results and put the mind in its comfort zone.

2.Positive self-image/positive feedback- Like it or not, most our minds default to negativity as our natural state.  In our society we are always judging, always comparing, always wanting more.  Fitness helps combat this.  Working out routinely is a lot of work, but it is also a lot of accomplishment.  This gives us a positive image of ourselves and give us positive feedback as we accomplish our goals and see improvement along the way.

3.Devours excess negative energy- One of the most beautiful things about working out is that it takes up energy.  A lot of it.  Often, we are restless when we try and sleep, we cannot shut our minds off, we simply have too much energy left in the tank at the end of the day.  One of the best remedies I have found for this problem is good old fashion hard work.  Therefore one of the most important benefits of exercise is improved sleep quality.

4.Improved cognition/physiological benefits- I will not bore you with peer reviewed scientific journal research but realize there are boat loads of studies on exercise and cognition as well as the health benefits of exercise.  They are overwhelmingly positive findings, as you would expect.  From personal experience, my brain is at its finest when I am exercising regularly… I would bet yours is too.

5.Provides community/support/connection- This is more important now than ever.  The last 6 months have been challenging to say the least.  For anyone who values their gym and their exercise routines it has been especially hard to cope with life devoid of our favorite part of the day.  Gym’s offer a unique community for many of us, and that has all but disappeared.  I must admit, I have been rocked to the core personally by this.  But I do feel the changing of the tide, and great things are just around the bend.  Stay strong, this too shall pass.  I look forward to creating a new, flourishing community at Smart Strength.  Please come join me.

Work Smarter, not Harder.

Your Trainer,

Alex

Improved Quality

⇓

Better performance

⇓

Less cost-in use

⇓

Less downtime

⇓

Greater Dependability & Reliability 

For those of you that do not understand my caveman hieroglyphics, let me explain…

Improved quality- With regular exercise you will see an improved quality of life.  Things that contribute to this are: improved sleep quality, increase in energy, improved cognition, improved eating patterns and improved mood and happiness levels.

Better performance- With improved quality, we will see better performance in all areas of life.  Think about how much your family life, work life, personal life and romantic life will prosper with an improved quality of life… The old saying tells us “Garbage in ⇒ Garbage out”…. Well the opposite is true as well.  “Gold in ⇒ Gold out.”

Less cost in use- With increased energy and focus, you become more efficient.  This efficiency continues to grow in every area of your life.  Think in terms of your automobile.  The tank on your car holds the same amount of gasoline, but with better fuel efficiency, your car can cover more ground.  When we are trained and efficient, we can accomplish more every day.

Less down time- The result of increased efficiency is more time available for the things you actually want to do with your life.  This may be one of the sweetest fruits of your labor.  Think of the memories you will make or the goals you can accomplish with more time solely dedicated to what your true passions are.

Greater Dependability & Reliability-   This is the ultimate pay off!  This is what all the other steps lead to.  This is what we are all chasing, whether we know it or not.  This is the true root of success in any area of life.  Being dependable and reliable is valued by humans universally.  If you can be dependable and reliable, you will be successful no matter what you do.

Work Smarter, not harder,

Your Trainer,

Alex

While reading my latest book, “Sell or be Sold” two chapters of the book really hit me.  They addressed why commitment was so important and how a positive attitude really is one of the most powerful traits in the world.

Commitment is a difficult concept to master.  It is as hard for me as anyone else. From writing blog posts to keeping my nose to the grindstone day in and day out, it has never been easy for me.  The harder the task at hand, the harder it is to stay committed for the long term.

But I know that nothing great can be done without commitment.  Committing is the first and essential ingredient to creating value.  It is how we stick our foot in the ground and change our direction for the better.  It is the thing behind the scenes of every amazing accomplishment.  It is the never ending, early mornings to make a dream come true.  It is how a business is built and grown for a lifetime.

Commitment takes work, day in and day out.  It takes a rock-solid mindset.  It takes effort and I will not stop working until you have the best possible results from Smart Strength!

Commit to clients, commit to excellence, commit to the best service and products in the fitness world.  This is my pledge, day in and day out.

Attitude is something we all chose every day and it effects the way we see the world and the way the world sees us.  More than any other virtue, attitude touches every aspect of life.  Everyone appreciates a positive attitude.  The world opens up for those that exude positivity.  Likewise, the world is a very gloomy place for those who carry the burden of a negative attitude.

Just think of your favorite people you encounter each day… I bet the one commonality they all have is a positive attitude.  And the people you avoid probably all share a negative attitude….  The power of your attitude cannot be overlooked. 

Attitude is so important it even effects our health.  Research shows that smiling, even if it forced, releases dopamine (the happy neurotransmitter).  Likewise, negative attitudes cause stress, releasing cortisol (one of our stress hormones) which stores fat and releases glucose into the bloodstream causing insulin spikes and overall making you feel less than optimal.

I must admit, at times I am forgetful of how important attitude is, and sometimes it goes negative.  But I am so blessed to be surrounded by the best people in the world who constantly beam smiles and positivity my way.

It is a never-ending process, but commit to a positive attitude, and your life will change for the better.

Work Smarter, not Harder.

Your Trainer,

Alex

We have all had it, and we are all chasing it… what is it?  Happiness.

When you think back to a moment when you were genuinely happy, or if you are currently happy, consider what factors led to this happiness.

I know for myself; true happiness comes from earning something.  Think about that statement.

Now recall your happy moments and think about if earning your success was part of what made you happy.

I believe that all people enjoy working hard and accomplishing goals.  Many a movie, song and inspirational speeches have used this theme to motivate and educate people about the fruits of hard work.

This belief has a physiological basis as well: all people have a built-in reward system that showers our neuro-receptors with Dopamine (the happy chemical) when we work hard and something that was a dream becomes reality.

One of the most rewarding and exciting things we can do is earn our success.  This applies to your fitness just like any other area of life.  When you earn your success, you will not only be healthier, confident, and energized, but you will feel that wonderful thing we are always chasing… happiness.

But the road does not end when you reach a goal or accomplish a major life event.  The true staying power of happiness lies in building habits, lifestyle choices that we control.  When our habits are sound, we increase the likelihood of reaching our major life goals drastically.  Live your life as an enterprise!

For more information on this topic, watch this speech on earned success and happiness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDH4mzsQP0w

I look forward to helping you earn your success.

Work Smarter, not harder.

Your Trainer,

Alex