Two-Week Test Drive

Subject: Lisa Lynn

Company: Lisa Lynn Fitness, Norwalk, Connecticut

Her Clientele. Lisa trains a diversified clientele: men, women and kids from 6 to 86 years old, including several husband-and-wife teams and groups of women. She works with clients in her home gym, at clients’ homes and over the Internet.

Training on the Internet. “I was computer illiterate 5 years ago; I never touch-ed a computer,” says Lisa. “In a 6-month period, however, I went from never even sending out e-mails to putting my entire business online.”

Lisa enjoys training on the Internet and finds that it helps her earn extra income. “I work with my Internet clients during time slots that my in-person clients don’t traditionally want or when I want to be home with my children,” she says. “Internet training also provides an option for my clients when we are snowed in, and they can’t get to me and I can’t get to them.”

Expanding to New Markets. Lisa always used to work the in-demand early-morning and evening hours for clients, but she has cut back on these hours to spend time with her children. To make sure she can still keep up her client numbers, she has focused on developing new skills so she can work with populations, such as older adults, who can train in off-peak, daytime spots.

Getting Fast Results. Lisa believes in a straightforward, multitiered fact-based regimen consisting of cardiovascular and weight training, stretching, and dietary components. (She’s certified as a specialist in performance nutrition with the International Sports Sciences Association—ISSA.) Her specialty is helping people lose weight and inches without spending hours in the gym. Her time-compressed workout is known for sparking physical transformations. She calls her approach to fitness training “maximum results for the time-crunched.”

When clients start training with her and they want to lose weight, she puts them on her “Two-Week Test Drive,” which helps them start exercising and eating very healthfully. “We live in a quick-fix society,” she says. “If clients don’t see results quickly, they don’t stick around. I tell them that the 2-week plan is to jump-start their fitness and that working out and eating nutritiously will get easier.”

She credits much of her training philosophy and weight loss strategies to her work and internship with Dr. Frederick Carl Hatfield, who is currently the president of ISSA. She worked with him doing scientific studies on weight loss and athletic performance.

Making a Difference. Lisa’s passion is helping people learn to truly empower themselves, whether she trains them in person or via the Internet. “My job is to give clients the tools to be healthy and fit,” she says. “I know that they will get better results if they are in charge. Trainers can inspire clients all they want, but in the end it’s up to the clients to do the work.”

Educating Consumers. Lisa is thrilled that she’s had the opportunity to appear on the Martha Stewart Living show 52 times to help viewers learn how to eat better, exercise safely and live a healthier lifestyle. Lisa began training Stewart after the multimedia celebrity saw her working with other clients at a local health club.

Biggest Challenge. “I absolutely love training my clients, but I also love spending time with my husband and kids,” she says. “It’s so difficult to juggle my home and work life. I also hate that I don’t have the time to help everyone everywhere who needs to learn about health and fitness!”

Why She Loves Her Work. Lisa was overweight herself and didn’t know how to change her habits to lose the weight, so she enjoys helping clients shed pounds and see positive results. “It is so cool to see people do well. That’s the best part of my job. I love when clients tell me, ‘My family used to eat red meat 6 days a week, but now we’ve changed’ or ‘I can now keep up with my grandkids!’”