As a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer, I have had the opportunity to help hundreds of clients enhance their strength, build muscle, tone their bodies, improve one’s balance, and help create a body to make everyday living more manageable.

In my opinion, strength training has to include some basic fundamentals, which I find to be very important:

Proper Form

It is essential that when you’re going through a particular exercise, you need to understand how to properly execute that movement. Paying attention to proper form will help you avoid injuries. Our goal with strength training is to build a healthy and stronger body and not to damage it.  When I have clients do squats for an example, I give simple instructions of how to go about doing that movement. I tell participants to sit their butt back as if they’re going to sit down on a chair, keep their chest lifted (I want to read any writing on their shirts), never let your knees go past your toes or cave inwards, and drive through their heels as they come back to their starting position. This is just one example of many.

Listen To Your Body

Everyone is different and we are all on our separate journeys to health and wellness. Just because I am able to stay in a plank position for an extended amount of time, I don’t automatically expect my participants to be able to. If he/she is not able to do what I am asking for, my goal is to get them there over time. If a participant tells me that a movement bothers them, I tell them to listen to their body and modify the intensity of the movement. It’s important for me to check in and see if we can identify what could be causing the pain such as improper form. I am not a doctor, so I never give medical advice.

Stay Committed

Becoming stronger, leaner, toner or whatever your goal may be, will take time, effort and dedication. It is natural to want to see results quickly, however, it may take a few weeks or even months to see the progress that you are hoping for. The challenge is to stick with a sound, effective and safe program for optimal changes.   

Find What Brings You Joy

I find that if you are not connecting with any particular workout regimen, you are more than likely to give up on it. Find a training program that excites you and one that is attainable and fits your lifestyle.  

Stay tuned for additional information on different ways to strength train from the comfort of your own home or while on the road.