The pursuit of health and fitness can be confusing. It seems there is always a special program or some type of magical equipment that is being touted as the solution to your wellness needs. You start to realize it’s not so easy to decipher contradictory information and conclude with confidence which approach is the truth, or what piece of equipment will really improve your personal well-being and work for you. A television show or infomercial expounds about the latest great new diet, which is surely destined to set up for failure anyone who happens to follow it. A newspaper article reports the latest exercise trend. Then there’s the promise of the four-minute, total body workout. Another promotion attempts to lure you to a program that promises immediate results, with magical new technology that is "research" proven. Will these or any other hooks finally give you the success you’ve dreamed about, send you to the emergency room, or just leave you disappointed and frustrated one more time?

Quite often, attempts at enticement are driven by a marketing plan that doesn’t consider your real needs and best interest. And, regardless of how wacky or unsafe the program or equipment might be, the irony is that it could work for a while. That is, until you get bored, dissatisfied, or injured.

Personalized fitness training gives you an alternative to this mass market, impersonal approach to your fitness and health. At BodyMechanic Fitness, I will provide you with a sound program that is specifically tailored to your needs now, and we’ll amend it so that it grows with you as you progress and your needs change down the road.

The programs at BodyMechanic Fitness are a comprehensive lifestyle plan. Training includes instruction in resistance training (weights, dumbbells, tubes, bands, machines), flexibility (stretching), nutrition (eating sensibly without hopping on the diet bandwagon), cardiovascular conditioning, and functional training as well as sport-specific training if it applies to your goals. You will learn proper technique and the reasons why each of these areas of fitness is important. You’ll cross-train (change activities), and we’ll periodize (change how hard you work over specific time periods) your fitness training so you’ll stay interested, have fun, and keep the results coming. Rather than performing a flurry of mindless activity that gets you little more than sweaty, you will get a program that provides the maximum return for the goals that you set for yourself.

Although I know what I want to accomplish with your program, it would not be complete or as effective unless I also consider your thoughts, feelings, and opinions as I develop our individualized approach for you. Your input is critical in helping me design an ever-changing program that can meet your fitness, health, and nutritional needs.

BodyMechanic Fitness will give you results that go further than cosmetic. Sure, you’ll look good and obtain a healthy ration of body fat to lean muscle, which is a key measurement of health, but you’ll also get that "feel good" glow that comes from increased energy and a heightened state of overall health. You will become more agile and skilled in the sports in which you choose to participate. As you increase your fitness you will reduce your chance of heart disease and be much better equipped to manage stress.

To get these results, we will need your cooperation, enthusiasm, and steady attendance commitment. We must work as a team, giving 100 percent effort. (This doesn’t mean going all out during every workout!) Throughout your workouts, be straightforward and forthcoming. Tell me how you feel, voice your concerns, and ask whatever questions you might have. This is your personal training program, and the whole process works much better when you are actively involved.

To become highly fit you should schedule at least two training sessions per week. Eventually, you’ll progress to doing some type of activity most days of the week. You’ll b encouraged to do several of these activity sessions on your own. I’ll help you plan and schedule these workouts so that it’s easy for you to complete them on your own. And, don’t worry, I’ll never progress you too fast and will always meet you at your pace! After four to six weeks of training, if not sooner, you should start seeing some great results.

To sharpen the edge you get from efficient training, I will also periodically reevaluate your program. Constant supervision and adjustment are essential features of responsible fitness training.

In addition to discussing your situation, needs, and preferences, I pledge to work so that these needs and desires are satisfied. That way, BodyMechanic Fitness’s major objective—your physical fitness and personal wellness—become the edge you can live with.

Tracy can be reached at Tracy@BodyMechanicFitness.com.

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