Sunday, December 18, 2011

My New Training Options: What they are and how it all works!

  We have almost reached the New Year and with it's arrival brings the addition of new training options that I will be offering.  Please refer to my previous blog post for the price list.  I wanted to describe the different levels of service so you can find the right option.  I must once again mention that these options will not be available at the Ashland YMCA. 

  All new clients will be required to fill out a health history form and sign a personal training agreement.  The other requirement will be a fitness and movement assessment, which allows me to understand what fitness level you are currently at, and also if you have any muscle imbalances, flexibility restrictions, compensation patterns, or injuries.  This is important information for me to know when it comes to designing your workout.  It allows me to know what level of intensity will be right for you, and what specific exercises will be most beneficial or should be avoided.  I think the biggest problems with workout programs that don't have any elements of personalization is that they don't take into account what exercises should be avoided.  If someone has shoulder impingement problems and the workout has them performing a military press, you can't just scale back the sets and expect it to work for them.  The exercise should not be done in the first place.

  Premium training sessions are one hour in length and they allow me to cover every aspect of a well rounded training session.  They typically include a dynamic warm-up, power/agility exercises, functional strength training, core exercises, metabolic training, and flexibility/mobility drills. The way we delegate time for each mode of training depends on your goals and what is revealed in the fitness assessment. 

  Basic training sessions are 40 minutes long and cover the same aspects as a premium training session, but there must be more urgency in the pace of the session.  Also, certain areas of training will either be shortened or not show up in every workout.  It's even more important in the basic session to identify the critical areas of fitness you need to work on the most.

  Economy training sessions are 20 minutes in length and will provide you with a great workout, but will have very limited personalization.  These sessions will be centered around the concept of metabolic training, a combination of both endurance and strength training.  I will have a particular workout in mind for the day and it will be adjusted accordingly for you depending on the fitness assessment results.  You will be responsible for your own warm-ups and cool-downs.  It has been proven in numerous studies that a short and intense workout can provide significant fitness gains and improvement of health.

    Drop-in training sessions will vary in length and only be available at the spur of the moment.  When I have open time for training or receive a last minute cancellation, I will occasionally communicate what type of session is available to you through my e-mail list, Twitter account, and Facebook page.  These sessions will be deeply discounted and sometimes even free.  The first person to respond that they are interested in the session, will get it. You must have a current health history form, signed personal training agreement, and fitness assessment on file to be eligible for these sessions.  You may want to get cleared for training just so you have an opportunity to take advantage of these sessions from time to time.

   If you are looking to improve your performance for a specific sport, I would recommend the premium or basic options.  If you are seeking fitness gains and better health while on a tight budget or you like workouts that are quick and to the point, then economy training may be the best choice for you. Ultimately, I want to make it possible for everyone to afford training and I hope these new options will help people enjoy the benefits of a well designed training program.

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