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The Downside of Tech Fitness

An Observation by a Fitness Professional

Nowadays, all the rage is online training and virtual coaching.  Whether because of the pandemic or because the technological advances are so compelling. We cannot help ourselves and are moving toward these new mediums.  I am a fitness professional, and at times, I feel like 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 way of the Doo-Doo.

Personal Trainers in the Digital Fitness Age

Consider for a moment the internet and its never-ending amount of fitness resources available to anyone.  Most of this is free and very easily accessible.  If you think about it, it’s almost a wonder anyone even pays for gym trainers when they can find the same exercises, programming, and hunky guy or gal explaining it to you for free on the internet.

Human Touch in Fitness Coaching

If you are fortunate enough, 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.  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?  

The Unwavering Demand for Personal Trainers

I will be the first to tip my cap and acknowledge that some of these platforms have created some excellent 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 on your schedule is so enticing.  Yet my demand is still growing by the day… how?

The Human Element in Fitness

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

The Indispensable Role of Personal Trainers

Without the personal engagement, it does not mean that much to you.  You can blow it off.  Even the most successful people in the world must work on time management, building habits of journaling, and accountability.  It is not easy.  Fitness is not accessible, which is part of why I have a career I am confident will never go out of style.

The Invaluable Human Connection of Personal Training 

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 can’t compete with.  I am here to help, learn about you, and develop a rewarding relationship that benefits us as your friends, who sometimes must provide tough love.  I enjoy learning about my clients and their unique lives (this job has introduced me to many wonderful individuals). To coach you in real time, I’m here. Provide feedback, keep you from injuring yourself, and make you laugh and enjoy working hard.

Elevate Your Fitness Journey with Personalized Coaching

I am here to push you beyond what you would ever achieve.  Always ready to help you develop lifelong fitness habits that will positively impact you in every area of your life.  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, let’s visit in person or at Smart Strength Growth and Conditioning and discuss the next step.  

Always remember, “work smarter, not harder.”

Your Trainer, 

Alex Harris

Thank you.

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Visioning… a Life Changing Tool

What is visioning?

Visioning has been used in this world in countless definitions and ways, but it is better kept simple to me.  

It is putting your mind in the future and then looking around your world, feeling, tasting, touching, hearing, smelling, and any other senses you can consider incorporating.  It puts us in a future state, allowing us to create the environment we desire to achieve.  When we put those feelings down on paper and describe what our world looks like in the future, we have created a vision.   

It is a place where the goals we have set for ourselves have finally materialized.  And we can understand what it will feel like to accomplish our dreams.  

People often use visioning for business or material wealth.  Promotions, new houses, cars, and success.  But do not limit the power of visioning to just those things.  At Smart Strength, we use visioning as one of our tools to help our clients reach the desired health and fitness levels.  

How does visioning work?

Most people have heard of the law of attraction.   Some people believe in the power of positive energy.  Visioning lies somewhere between the two.  When we truly take the time to write out a detailed vision and we commit to that vision, something magical happens.  Your vision will start to manifest. 

Our minds control our whole world.  It is the gatekeeper to what and how we perceive everything around us and our actions.  When we commit to our vision, over time, we only focus on things that will help us fulfil our vision.  We start to consciously and unconsciously attract only things that will make our vision possible.  This is the mechanism for which visioning works.  

An additional benefit to visioning with the best trainer in Albion is that when we start to have our vision come true, our dreams realized, we feel as if we have already been there, and it is much more comfortable.  Putting success in your mind’s eye before it does happen is very comforting and calming to the mind.  

Athletes often practice this, dreaming about what it would be like to win their respective championships.  So when the pressure is on in the final minutes, the mind remains calm, knowing it has already been there; it knows what to expect. 

Visioning and Fitness?

Why would a fitness brand talk about such intangible things as visioning?  How many reps does a vision help me complete?  How does a vision help shrink my waistline?

Good questions- all I can say is DO NOT underestimate the power of this tool.  

What a proper vision will do, when committed to, will provide the overarching theme of why you are investing in fitness in the first place.  

It will keep you committed during all those tough workouts, the early morning training sessions, and the late night and weekend workouts that are so hard to drag yourself too! 

What you envision, if done correctly, will manifest…. If you aspire to change your fitness, body, and lifestyle, you need to envision what it will look like in the future….  This is one of the best motivational and preparation tools we have possible!

The mind controls the body; put your mind in the best possible position to win so the body can follow. 

DO NOT underestimate the power of these tools… if you are curious to learn more, please get in touch with me…

If you are curious about visioning and want to learn more, I highly recommend watching this video. 

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

Always remember, work Smarter, not harder. 

Your Trainer, 

Alex

 

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We Are What We Repeatedly Do…

Excellence, Therefore, is Not an Act, But a Habit…  – Aristotle.

So many of us have seen this quote on walls in the classroom, in the boardroom, and sometimes even in the bathroom… but do we ever actually take it to heart?  

Do we ever commit to an excellent act and rep it out so often it becomes a habit?  

If you have mastered this concept, more power to you. Stop reading and enjoy your wonderful life; you have made it.  

If you have not been able to turn your acts and attempts at fitness into a habit of excellence, then read on… Smart Strength can help. 

At Smart Strength, We Make 3 Commitments to You!

  1. Consistency
  2. Crush your goals, and have fun doing it
  3. Competency & Independence

Consistency

We understand that building a strong, healthy foundation requires ongoing effort. So, our fitness instructors ensure consistency in your fitness journey. We’re not just about quick fixes but about making lasting changes that enhance your life.

Crush Your Goals and Have Fun Doing It

Achieving your fitness objectives should be exciting, not a chore. At Smart Strength, we make fitness engaging and enjoyable. We’re not only here to help you meet your goals but to ensure you have a blast while doing it. Say goodbye to mundane workouts; say hello to a fitness experience like no other.

Competency & Independence

We empower you with the knowledge and skills to take charge of your fitness journey. Our professional gym trainers in Albion guide you and equip you with the competency and independence to make informed choices and thrive independently. It’s about lifelong fitness education, not just temporary results.

When you begin your journey with Smart Strength, you directly invest in your health and future.  

We will do everything possible to turn your one-off acts of fitness into a sustained habit of excellence through our 3 commitments to you. 

If you or someone near and dear to your heart needs help with these areas, please click on the link below and schedule your free assessment today.

www.smartstrengthprogram.com

Let me help you make a habit of fitness stick…  It’s too important, not too!

Work Smarter, not harder

Your Trainer,

Alex

“A successful life is not created through flash & pop, but rather through the ability to get knocked down and back up again.  Every Damn time! “

 

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Forged in the Pursuit of Excellence in Fitness

What is in a name?

Name- Smart Strength 

Origin: {Born from a journey through several cities}

Purpose: {to discover what the Gym training are doing and what makes them successful}

Method: {extensively studied the exercise and health habits of these highly successful and thriving businesses}

Outcome: {Learned from the mentors of the best facilities in the big cities/ Learned programming and exercise prescriptions to create success for clients/ Learned how to create a community of high achievers}

Mimicry is the greatest form of flattery. 

I have implemented the best practices of all these world-class facilities in one place.  Smart Strength

I have borrowed the teachings, re-created their prescriptions, and designed a functional and elegant facility to help you have the best fitness experience.  

Us versus them….

If you want to gain a leg up on your competition, check out Smart Strength.

Our Best trainer in Albion trains you physically and mentally 🡪 . You will become stronger physically and mentally. 

Here, you will learn the techniques that the ultra-successful use

And you will be handed their playbook

You will be coached, step by step, throughout the journey

You will take your game to the next level

This is what is in a name…

All the thought, all the training, all the travel, all roads have led to this….

We Are.

 

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Why Do We Preach, “Work Smarter, Not Harder?”

Mastering the Art of Team Defense: The Power of Communication

It is a saying I heard back in middle school at a basketball camp. The context was how to play excellent team defence. For you sports junkies, this makes sense. The best defensive teams, much like our dedicated fitness instructors, are great communicators. They know how to play smarter, not harder. They know the angles, they know when they can sag off, they know where their help is, they know when they have to get up in someone’s face, and they know precisely when they can be lazy.

Strategic Efficiency in Team Defense: Balancing Effort and Rest

Simply put, they know when they have to work and when they can borrow some time and get some rest. That is the true magic in team defence, not constantly spinning your wheels and going 100 mph, but working in short, high-intensity bursts when needed. 

Join Our Fitness Team: A Humanized Approach to Wellness  

This analogy has some cross-over to what we do at Smart Strength. Over the years, I have adopted a training philosophy that tries to humanize fitness. At Smart Strength, we want you to be a part of our excellent team defence against inactivity and poor health. We aim to maintain constant communication with you and push you at times. Moreover, we want you to enjoy the fruits of your fitness labour, take some time off, and boast your strength to your friends and family!

Embracing the Lifelong Fitness Balance: Consistency Over Burnout 

The idea is to learn the ratio of the balance of fitness and make it a lifelong commitment. No one can go 100 mph all the time. The burnout factor is genuine in fitness, and we acknowledge this. We find consistency and healthy habits, guided by our expert personal training, consistently outperform the binge and short-term efforts many people think are fitness. Our trainers want to see you for a lifetime, not just a few weeks before spring break. We want you to learn and live the motto: “Work Smarter, Not Harder.”  

The Calculated Approach to Success

Grinding yourself down is only sometimes the correct answer. Sometimes, continuing to push and struggle is not the right call. Sometimes, a calculated approach is more valuable than a herculean, never-say-die effort.

The Power of Coordinated Effort in Smart Strength

I need help to admit or write. I have been an athlete and a fitness instructor, and preaching that effort is not the answer seems unthinkable. But the truth is, sometimes more than all the effort in the world is needed. Sometimes, the effort can even be harmful if an effort is applied in the wrong direction. Effort alone is not the answer. Coordinated effort is the key. The collaborative effort is, at its heart, Smart Strength.

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5 Reasons Why People Buy Fitness…

Improved Quality

With regular exercise guided by experienced fitness instructors, 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, work, personal, and romantic life. These will prosper with an improved quality of life… The old saying tells us, “Garbage in 🡪 , Garbage out.”…. Well, the opposite is also true.  “Gold in 🡪 , Gold out.”

Less Cost in Use

With the guidance of experienced gym trainers, you gain increased energy and focus and 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 become trained, we can accomplish more every day.  

Less Downtime

The result of increased efficiency is more time available for the things you 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 dedicated to your true passions.  

Greater Dependability & Reliability

This is the ultimate payoff!  It is what all the other steps lead to.  We are all chasing this, 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, you will be successful no matter what you do.

From Fitness to Dependability

Achieving an improved quality of life through regular exercise and experienced guidance is a journey. The journey ultimately leads to more excellent dependability and reliability. You enhance your quality of life by consistently investing in your physical and mental well-being. And can build the foundation for success in all areas of life.

Please visit http://www.smartstrengthprogram.com/

Work Smarter, not Harder, 

Your Trainer, 

Alex 

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Fitness Club In Albion: The Best Trainer Guide

Lifting weights and losing weight?  What is the connection?

So often, we assume that the only benefits of visiting a fitness club in Albion are increased size and strength. But working with the best trainer in Albion for personal training 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).

Unlocking Hyperplasia: A Lesser-Known Path to Muscle Growth

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). So essentially, we are born with all the muscle fibers we will ever have; we must grow and strengthen them through resistance training.

The Metabolic Marvel of Muscles: Fueling Your Health and Vitality

The known health benefits of having a solid musculoskeletal system are widespread. Still, one benefit that often escapes people’s understanding is how much energy muscles need to consume to stay healthy. Muscles are metabolically active tissue, meaning they need a constant food source to survive, let alone contract and move. This may seem common sense to you; think about how much food a giant bodybuilder consumes versus a small, inactive elderly person.

Muscle Metabolism: Your Key to Effective Weight Loss

But consider the resting metabolic rate of the muscle. As you lay in bed sleeping, sit at your office doing work, or drive around doing your daily chores🡪 , if you have more muscle mass, under the guidance of skilled fitness instructors, you burn 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 more remarkable ability to burn off excess calories instead of storing them.

Smart Strength: Your Path to Effective Weight Loss

That is where Smart Strength and a well-crafted resistance training program led by the best trainer in Albion 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 excellent benefits that resistance training affords.

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The Importance of Reviewing Your Goals

And here we are February. The weather is cold and unrelenting. The Superbowl has come and gone. January and the promise of a new year have long faded from memory… but let me stop you right there!

My Role as a Trainer in Goal Achievement

Moreover, my role as the best trainer in Albion is to challenge you and demystify what it takes to be successful in the world of fitness and the big game they call life.

The Discipline of Goal Setting

One of the most important skills I have discovered is the discipline of goal setting. But goals are only as good as the piece of paper they set on, or the keystrokes they have saved if you do not review them…

Time Stamping and Goal Review as Your GPS

Time stamping and reviewing your goals brings them to life and allows us to accomplish them because this is the most neglected step in goal setting.

How to Implement an Effective Goal-Setting Strategy

This is a challenging habit to develop, so let me share and review my goal-setting strategy with you. I hope you can adapt a similar process and make it stick.

Preparing for Success

The process for creating my 2021 goals began in November of 2020. This is when I take my first stab at what I want to accomplish, what I must complete, and what I strive to achieve. I throw it all down in a rough draft and then step away for a few weeks.

Goal Setting Strategy

Mid-December, I return to my pile of goals and then break them into categories: Personal, Smart Strength/ business, and Personal Financial. Once I Organize my list, it makes organizing my thoughts on each goal easier. After you have created your categories and placed each goal in the correct bin, take a break.

From Ideas to Actions

I take my categories and work through each goal, making them SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). Now that a goal is in its proper category and is SMART, I know my time frame for each goal, and I can start to plot out a way to accomplish each goal, either in my head or in my planner.

Sealing the Deal

I imagine many people have attempted or even perfected steps 1-3…. But the most crucial step binds it together and completes the feedback loop. Review!!

Monthly Goal Reviews

At the end of each month, I make a note in my planner to review my goals list for each category and score my progress. By keeping my goals and progress fresh in my mind, I am inclined to work daily to accomplish my goals, even if I did not purposely set out to do so.

Goal Maintenance

It is important to remember that the goals you set just 6 weeks ago are only worth something if you continue to work for them. Goals are living documents that need to be updated and even revised periodically. You can set your review timeframes as you see fit, but remember that they need to be frequent enough to evaluate progress and make corrections if you need to catch up.

Navigating the SMART Review of Your 2021 Goals

1st edition/ 2021 goals 🡪 Organize/categorize 🡪 SMART Review/ Update

This process is more important than ever. Most people abandon their goals for the rest of the year in February. This is a sensitive and critical point in your journey to success. So carve out some time and make your goals review a priority! As a personal trainer in Albion,  I will help you in this field.

The Power of Regular Goal Review

You will not regret the time you spend on yourself and reviewing goals. Something magical happens when we develop vital goals, bind them to paper, print them off, and stick them on our wall, and then schedule time at the end of each month to re-assess and evaluate our process towards accomplishing our goals…. So they just might come true!

Get Ahead in Your Fitness Journey

If you are interested in more topics like this, please visit www.smartstrengthprogram.com.

Schedule Your Free Assessment

Check out the blog or schedule your free assessment today…

Spoiler Alert

Spoiler alert: we spend a lot of time talking about your goals!!

Your Trainer, Alex

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SS Times 32nd Edition

SS Times

September in the mitten state is the best time of year!  Moderate temperatures, fall foilage, the last fleeting glimpse of summer heat but shorter days.  Its pure Michigan.  As we get our last trips in before school and reality settle in, we applaude the dedicated ones that stick to their fitness routines and maintain the life promoting benefits of strength training and stability.

We were fortunate enough to be invited sailing by one of our awesome clients!  What a great/ physical sport.  The pros make it look so easy, take it from me, its not!

We always appreciate referrals.  Our business runs on them.  If you know someone who is looking to make a positive change in their habits and improve their mental and physical health, please mention us.  If you have had a positive experience with us, please let them know that too!

We applaud you for making fitness and health a priority.  We look forward to seeing you and hearing all about the camping, boating, golfing and vacationing stories that make living in Michigan Pure…

Thank you all for trusting Smart Strength with your health and wellness.  We appreciate each one of our customers.

We have added 3 new members to the Smart Strength family in the month of August (Jon, Craig, Gary).   Welcome! 

We now have 59 active keycard memberships and 27 small group training members.

**For new members- Treadmill Code is 1277.  iPad passcode is 302302**
If you ever have questions about equipment or Pelotons, please let us know so we can give you an orientation.  

Please be sure the door latches closed behind you when leaving the facility.  

The expectation is that if a client and trainer are working together, they will control the music selection.  Otherwise, if you would like to change the music, just ask or pick up the iPad from the office.
Please return it to the charger when you leave the facility.

Overall, I have been very pleased with everyone’s cleanliness and respect for the facility.  Cheers!  Keep up the good work.

REMINDER***  We have a 24 hour cancellation policy.  If you cancel within 24 hours of your session, you will be charged.  

**Attention/ starting January 2024 we will no longer be selling monthly keycard memberships.  You will be required to purchase either a 6 month or year long membership for keycard access.  Thank you for understanding **

 September Recap

-We completed 133 total sessions for the month of September.  (113 total for September ’22)
-We averaged 33.25 sessions per week.
-We are averaging 160 sessions per month YTD. 
-4,921 total training sessions have been completed at SS since opening in November 2020.
-1,478 sessions 2023 YTD.  1,725 Sessions were completed 2022 YTD.  *Compared 1,718 sessions in 2021 YTD.
–Erin sessions: 49 for the month of August *** 573 sessions YTD.
We are committed to excellence.  That is why for the next 3 months, Alex and Erin will be attending Dale Carnege leadership training.  We ask our clients to push their comfort zone every day, and we are doing the same.

We will never stop learning and growing, all in an effort to be the best trainers possible for YOU!

Curious, ask us about the course and we will be happy to share what we are working on and what we are learning with you!

We are putting the Smarter in Smart Strength!
!!!September is the best month of the year, not only because it’s my birthday month :), but because it’s the annual Mt. Baldhead Challenge!  The most extreme 10k in all the land.  Don’t believe me, just check it out!

Erin & Alex survived the challenge and will be ready to run the dunes next year!!!!
Are you someone that needs direction in the weight room?
Do you need a plan?
Do you need the accountability of an appointment?
Do you want to develop a lasting routine?Our 21 day trial is right for you. 
If you or someone you know needs to get healthier, we are the place for you.

$200 for an assessment, 6 training sessions and your personalized workout plan.  It might just change your life…
Want unlimited access to the premier fitness facility in the state of Michigan?

Our keycard membership is right for you.

Save your basement and garage from becoming a storage shed for dated workout equipment and mismatched dumbbells.  Let us do the work.

In addition*** Keycard/ Drop in memberships include UNLIMITED access to Peloton Bikes and Treads!  A $2500 value!
fitness club in Albion
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Find the Best Fitness & Mental Health in Albion

We all have differing reasons for working and valuing our fitness club in Albion.  So often, we talk about the surface-level benefits of why people work out.  We talk about shedding lbs., slimming our waist sizes, and getting toned up for the beach vacation.  These are all great, and I am gaining their value.  But this post is dedicated to the more profound, often misunderstood benefits of working out and creating a healthy lifestyle.  These are often thought of as indirect benefits of fitness, but they are just as real, measurable, and tangible as the circumference of your biceps.

5 mental Reasons Why You Need to Be Working Out

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 regular Gym training.  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 of our minds default to negativity as our natural state.  In our society, we are always judging, constantly comparing, and always wanting more.  Personal training helps combat this.  Working out in a fitness club in Albion routinely is a lot of work but also a lot of accomplishment.  This gives us a positive image of ourselves and feedback as we accomplish our goals and see improvement.  

3. Devours excess negative energy

One of the most beautiful things about small group training is that it takes up energy.  A lot of it.  Often, we are restless when we try to sleep, and we cannot shut our minds off, and we have too much energy left in the tank at the end of the day.  Good old-fashioned hard work is one of the best remedies for this problem.  Therefore, one of the most important benefits of exercise is improved sleep quality.  

fitness club in Albion

4. Improved cognition/physiological benefits

I will not bore you with peer-reviewed scientific journal research but realize there are boatloads of studies on exercise and cognition and the health benefits of exercise.  They are overwhelmingly positive findings, as you would expect.  From personal experience, my brain is at its finest when exercising regularly.

5. Provides community/support/connection

This is more important now than ever.  The last 6 months have been challenging.  For anyone who values their gym and exercise routines, coping with a life devoid of our favorite part of the day has been difficult.  The gym offers many of us a unique community, which has disappeared.  I have been rocked to the core personally by this.  But I feel the tide changing, and great things are just around the bend.  Stay strong, and this, too, shall pass.  I look forward to creating a new, flourishing community at Smart Strength.  Please come and join me.