Let's Build Efficiently

Lean muscle building can get expensive. You have that gym membership, personal training, and of course food. You can't build lean muscle without the proper nutrients from food. I can give you one food which is very cost efficient and very high in protein. Tuna is a cheap fish that has a very high protein source. It contains 20% of your protein intake and has the essential oils that contain the healthy fats you need. Also, tuna contains little amounts of creatine that can create strength for you. If you buy it in bulk you will have enough to make at least 20 meals. Now how efficient do you want your muscles to be? Get tuned in with TUNA!

How Do You Train?

I see it every day in the gym. Rows of members line the cardio area. The ellipticals are full. The treadmills are packed. Every bike is in use. And on all of those pieces of equipment, the tv's are on, headphones plugged in, and people churn away happily, watching Sports Center or catching up on the latest episode of Real Housewives of Blah Blah Blah. For the last eight years I've witnessed this. Many of the same people. I recognize them because they look exactly the same as they did eight years ago. No progress has been made. No changes in their bodies. Some look even softer than they used to.

On the other end of the gym, I see the same group of lifters that I see every day. I know them pretty well because they're here 2-3 hours a day, five days a week. Mostly they fill the flat benches, or take turns doing bicep curls in the squat rack. They're top heavy because they don't have an actual leg day. But they spend 15 hours a week in the weight room. They're dedicated. So exhausted at the end of their marathon sessions that they're too tired to put their weights away or wipe down the equipment. So tired that they need to drop the dumbbells they were using on their fifth set of concentration curls or kickbacks. They have to let everyone know how hard they're working.

What do these two seemingly opposite types of gym-goers have in common? They lack something that is a key to success in any type of program, whether it be for fat loss or muscle gain. They lack intensity. They not only lack intensity, they drain the intensity levels out of the room. Whether it be the slow, monotonous grind on whatever piece of cardio equipment that happens to have HD channels on the tv monitor, or the long social gathering in the middle of the weight room, interrupted only by a quick set of the chest/bicep/tricep exercise of the day, these groups will never make the progress they seek. They'll blame it on genetics or an injury that set them back. I hear it every day.

It has nothing about the amount of time you spend in the gym. It's what you do with that time. Spinning your wheels on the elliptical for an hour, or pounding away on the treadmill until your knees ache over a long period of time will have the opposite effect of what you're looking for. High cortisol levels, inflammation, oxidative stress (which causes decreased reproductive size. Sorry, guys.), and a compromised immune system are some of the things you have to look forward to.

Intensity is defined as exceptionally great concentration, power or force. Think about your last workout. Does this definition fit? Did you give everything you had? Were you focused on having the perfect set, or breaking a personal best in a lift? Did you push through when you thought you didn't have anything left in the tank? Did your training partner/s motivate and inspire you to be better? If not, you need to rethink how you train.

Many of the clients I have train with me two to three days a week sometimes for 30 minutes at a time. In these sessions we get more done than either of the above groups. And they see progress. They know they've been worked. At the end of the session they're ready to quit. They push themselves to the limit, and then raise that limit and go farther. They deadlift, they squat, they do big, complex movements followed by intense conditioning intervals. They leave it all on the gym floor, and have a sense of pride and accomplishment. This is how I train myself and this is what I expect from my clients. No matter their age or ability level, I get the most out of them as they can give. No less. And they have fun doing it.

I challenge you to make a change. Instead of spending an hour doing steady state cardio, spend 15 minutes performing sprint intervals. Turn off the tv and push yourselves. Instead of spending three hours getting in 5 half assed sets, push the sled for 20 minutes as hard as you can. Put forth some effort and you'll see positive changes. It's gonna hurt and you may want to throw up or cry, but at the end of the day you'll be healthier and stronger, both physically and mentally.

Matt Kovacs
Fitness Director

The Assessment

Although all of the Personal Trainers and Strength Coaches out there are certified and should have the same basic knowledge of how to train clients, we all have our own opinions, theories and styles that we believe are the best way to help our clients reach their goals. The one thing that shouldn't be different, but often is, is the assessment. In my opinion, this is the most important step for your possible new client. This is when you start to develop a relationship with this potential new person in your life and figure out what this person is really looking for, what they are interested in, and most importantly, what this person actually needs.

Step one is to never let your new client wander around the gym looking for you. This makes you look unprofessional and just like another “trainer” on the fitness floor. You are not just another “trainer” to this newcomer of the gym…you are THEIR trainer! If you have never met this person yet, do the best you can to be available and easily noticed as soon as the person enters the gym. Once you have met, do the best you can to make your new client as comfortable as possible. Chances are he/she is gong to be extremely nervous.

Step two of the assessment could be the most challenging part of the process. What questions should I ask? Does this person already not like me? Do they really want to be here? These are only a few of the thoughts that will run through your head as the assessment starts. Let me offer a few hints for the new coaches out there. You should already have all of the questions and what you want to say ready to go. If you made yourself available, a conscious effort not to let your client wander, and made this new person comfortable there should be no reason they won’t like you. As the coach, it is your job to make this person want to come to the gym and show them the benefits of hard work.

Step three of the assessment is determining what made him/her finally join the gym, getting them started off on the right foot, and what your new client is really looking for. The hardest part for most people is admitting that they need to join a gym and start working out. Most people don’t like the feeling or the pain of working out, so there will be at least one reason, usually more, that this person is now seeking your help. Sometimes they see a picture of themselves and don’t like it, or maybe a friend has said something and the person didn’t like it and wants to make a change. Those are two of the more popular reasons, but those may not always be the reason, or there could be a bigger reason they have now joined a gym and are too embarrassed to say it. For example, a young male is looking to burn fat and gain muscle. To an ordinary person, that may mean he wants to improve at sports, or get faster. But to you, the professional, maybe he is getting bullied in school and wants to be able to stand up for himself, or maybe he’s trying to impress someone he likes. One more example is an elderly person comes in and says “I want to work on mobility.” Again, to an ordinary person, that could mean they are having trouble moving around, or just walking is painful. The first thought that would come to my head, the professional, is maybe they have a new grandson/granddaughter in their life and they would love it if they could get on the floor and play and not worry about not being able to get off of the floor.

Setting goals is a huge part of the assessment. You need to have something to work for and be able to achieve. In ALL of my assessments I make my client set short and long term goals. I believe the short term goal is the most important, so I help them set it. To be honest, all of my clients have the same short term goals. I believe the short term goal is the most important because he/she needs to start off right and make sure they are actually coming to the gym. So, the first goal I have them set is “getting into a routine of coming to the gym.” The gym needs to be a part of their schedule. I always make the comparison of the gym being like a business meeting, you have to go to see the benefits. It’s not always fun, but it is necessary. The next goal I have them set is “good decisions.” That means eating healthy, making better/healthier everyday decisions, and learning how to choose the gym over going out. Food is probably the one thing that will make or break you. I’m not a nutritionist, so I won’t go into how to eat healthy.

The long term goal is where it can confusing. This is when you ask your client what they are looking for in the end. They will probably have a laundry list of things they want to have happen. Your job is to pick the most important and most achievable goals they spit out. Along with picking the best ones, your job is to interpret what they actually mean. After we agree on the long term goals I always end with saying “There’s a difference between what people want and what people are willing to do.”

The fourth and final step to the assessment telling and showing your new client how you’re going to help them achieve their goals and why you are the best option for them. Everyone will have their own styles and ways of doing this last part. I normally start off by performing the FMS (Functional Movement Screening). This shows the areas that are weak and unstable. From there, I will introduce my new client to functional training and kettlebells.

Those are four of the basic steps/tools every fitness professional should be performing in an assessment. Obviously, you will go into more once you get to know this person. But, at the very least, those four steps should become apart of your everyday assessment.

Bryan Wehman
Personal Trainer

100 Days til Summer Challenge

March 15th will mark 100 days until the first day of summer. It will also mark the first day of the 100 Days til Summer Challenge at The Club at Morristown. For the first time at The Club, a team competition will take place between members, guests, and whoever else wants to be involved. With the help of the entire Training Staff, contestants will be challenged to lose weight and improve their lives. You don't have to be a member of The Club at Morristown to compete.

This isn't your typical 'Biggest Loser' competition. Contestants will be assessed on an individual basis, with a focus on mobility, flexibility and range of motion. In order to get the most out of the 100 days, you have to be able to perform the movements before you're just thrown into the fire. You will learn the movements, develop better flexibility to perform the movement, and learn any inbalances you may have to better help you perform the movements.

Each week, contestants, who will be divided into teams, will have the chance to attend an exclusive Boot Camp class led by one of The Club's Trainers. Following the class will be a nutrition seminar by our Certified Nutritionist Jesse Jeffers. All contestants will be assessed on their progress on a weekly basis by the Trainer they are assigned to as well. Following each Boot Camp will be a team weigh in, based on percentage of weight lost for the week.

Weekly prizes will be awarded for the contestant who loses the highest percentage of weight for the week. Among other prizes, free sessions with a Trainer will be awarded. The Grand Prize Winner will receive, among other prizes, a voucher for a weekend at the Borgata in Atlantic City.

There will be special pricing on Personal Training, exclusive to contestants. All packages can be purchased at a reduced rate, and there will be Small Group Training rates available if you'd like to train with your team. To reach your full potential with this contest it is recommended that you work with a Trainer at some point. The knowledge and guidance you will receive will be invaluable, not only to help you in the competition, but you will take that knowledge with you long after the challenge is over. Nutrition Consultation packages are also available at a discounted rate.

For only a $25 fee, you will receive 3 months of special classes, assessments and consultations with the chance to win some great prizes, and more importantly, get your body ready for the beach. Sign up today at the front desk, or call 973.644.9590.