What are you doing to Inspire the World to Fitness™?

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Tricks of the Trade: Your questions answered by industry peers

The main thing I do is to set an example. I try to practice what I preach to my clients and everyone I come into contact with on a daily basis.

At 47, I am very active in my personal life. I work out 6 days a week but don’t overdo it; my workouts last 30 to 50 minutes. I work out so I can play semiprofessional football with men literally half my age. I challenge myself to be fit, and I hope that people who see me figure that, if I can stay fit, they should try. As I tell people, life is about choices and being fit will give them more choices. I also believe that my passion for fitness inspires others.

Mark Grogan

Personal Fitness Trainer

President, MJG Fitness Inc.

Clinton, Utah

I absolutely love what I do and challenge myself by solving problems in my clinical work with special populations, physician referrals and postrehab clients. I try to make a difference in my clients’ lives by teaching them at least one new thing that helps them feel better (such as breathing correctly or stretching an overly tight area that causes pain) or listening while they vent on a particular day.

In addition, I try to share my fitness and wellness expertise with at least one individual every day. Because I am not only a personal trainer but also an instructor with many motivated exercise science majors as students, this is not difficult to do; I have worked with students from all over the world and contributed to their trainer knowledge. I run a beginning exercise science internship and teach nutrition, fitness leadership, community wellness, advanced exercise science leadership and more. I also keep in touch with my former students to see how their careers are going. Each student I train goes on to affect people’s lives. Many of them earn their bachelor’s or master’s degrees in exercise science. One of my former students even does bone research and is working toward her doctorate; she is making a difference for seniors with osteoporosis.

I have been in this industry for 20 years and plan on teaching in some fashion for another 20. I may be 50 years old and have a master’s degree, but I consider myself a lifelong student. I am always learning and improving myself to continue helping others improve themselves.

Tanya Fitschen, MS

Associate Professor of Health Education/Exercise

Science Program Coordinator

Western Wyoming Community College

Rock Springs, Wyoming

I inspire the world to fitness one person at a time. People sometimes find it difficult to wade through the vast amount of information from all areas of their lives, so, as a personal trainer, I give my clients (mostly women in their 30s to 80s) information pertaining to their particular goals and needs. I assist them in making healthy lifestyle changes that work for them.

I believe that, when participating in quality fitness programs, people feel better about their bodies. Feeling physically better lays the foundation for success in their personal lives, which inspires others to seek healthier lifestyles through fitness. As this awareness expands to more and more people, world fitness becomes a greater possibility.

Paula Ott

Owner, Energy in Motion

Huntsville, Alabama

I passionately share my fitness knowledge with clients and students and listen to them. I use fitness both to help people believe in themselves and to make them feel important. I aid people in focusing on small behavior changes that will help them achieve their health and fitness goals, and I create an environment where people discover their inner athletes and do not feel intimidated.

I also use my personal setbacks to inspire others. For example, within the last 2 years, I have had two surgeries: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and gallbladder surgery. Nonetheless, I completed my first triathlon 7 months after my ACL surgery and completed my second triathlon after having just had a gallstone removed.

I lost 15 pounds after joining Weight Watchers and quit my job of 9 years to find a less stressful life. I made these changes because fitness inspired me to believe in myself. When I hear my clients’ stories, I tell them, “I’ve been there and done that. Enjoy life and believe in yourself. If I can do it, anyone can!”

Kelly Jones, MA, ATC, CPT

Personal Fitness Trainer/Fitness

Program Coordinator/Group

Fitness Instructor

Westerville Parks and Recreation

Fitness Center

Westerville, Ohio

Wanting to improve my skills in teaching the advanced, biomechanically energetic art of t’ai chi, I added to my Saturday schedule a t’ai chi class that includes elements of personal training, martial arts and meditation. The class is held outside on a beach with a pavilion area that we use in case of rain or snow. I opened it to my existing clients as a bonus workout and offer it free to people who want to change but cannot afford my personal training services.

Brian Buturla

Director, National Qigong Association

Owner, Private Studio Personal Training

Norwalk, Connecticut

To change the world of personal training, I help not only my clients but also other trainers see the important details of muscle activation and alignment. I want them to understand that exercise success is connected not only to the amount of load lifted but also to the quality of the motion.

For example, one of my clients needs to focus on his shoulder blade placement: His shoulders roll forward, and his shoulder blades widen. This placement is something that I have been refining for a long time. He used to swim competitively and says that it is quite common for a swimmer to have rounded shoulders, but I train his shoulders to retract slightly to a neutral position. Mastering this movement is probably one of the hardest things to do in a push-up.

I ask my client to decrease his range of motion or the degree of depth in his elbow flexion as I lean forward into his movement, and my hands become part of his stabilization. My fingers curl around his upper traps or collarbones, and my thumbs extend down and lightly press into the base of his shoulder blades. My fingers smooth the upper traps as they move from a medial to a lateral position. I press my thumbs down to stimulate a small degree of external rotation, and he holds this position for the entire downward phase of the push-up.

He comes up, and his shoulders pop out again. I reach in, my hovering hands smooth his collarbones in a widening motion and I ask him to feel open in his chest. He maintains that position in the downward phase, and his shoulders “wing,” or “pop up,” again. This time, I ask him explicitly to keep his shoulders in the position that I am helping them feel. I say that I want to see him fix his own placement. My hands go by my side, and I retreat by decreasing the angle at which I lean in.

The message that my retreat creates is getting a positive response. My client now does the exercise with great form and without the assistance of my hands. As it continues, I ask him to increase the depth. I am looking for the level that will challenge his muscle activation and recruitment. I say, “Good. Lower,” and I retreat and watch. I am happy because I feel that his push-ups are becoming more intense.

I explore this type of reflection—interactive flow in personal training—in my doctoral work at Simon Fraser University. I am interested in not only the refinement of movement but also the extent to which my movements shape my clients’ level of engagement and understanding. In addition, I teach this philosophy to preservice physical education teachers at Simon Fraser University.