One thing that has amazed me over the years is the realization of how little people have become accustomed to expect from their body in terms of results from personal training and exercise. By the time they get to me it is almost as if they have been conditioned to expect very little if anything in the results department. I find this very sad since I know the true potential everyone has within themselves if only they knew how to tap into it.
Most are quite surprised when I guarantee they will see and feel significant results within 3-4 weeks. Most never believe me when I tell them that their day 1 cardio workout, which is always grueling and difficult, will feel like a true joke when we redo it in 4-6 weeks. The truth is that the human body is probably the most amazing machine on earth and it ALWAYS gives you back what you give it…usually several fold. Unfortunately, most Americans nowadays never give their bodies much to work with and that is exactly what their body gives them back…..very very little.
Although I tell people 4 weeks, the truth of the matter is that if a client follows the individualized program parameters that I set for them, I can usually show significant, documented results within 1-2 weeks. In fact, my program’s proprietary Results Intervention System (5-2 RIS for short) is entirely structured around this concept! This is one of the reasons why my program gets such stellar results, oftentimes with individuals that have been struggling for results on their own or with trainers. Take home message here, two weeks is more than enough time to be able to judge whether a workout regimen is producing results or not….if it is not, change something! (You can read more about the 5-2 RIS system here).
So what is so unique about my program that gets my clients such significant, life changing results? Why is it that about 40% of my client base comes to me after having failed to get significant results with other personal trainers and fitness programs (thank you 24 Hour Fitness)? How can I be so confident that anyone that participates in my program will not only change how they look, but more importantly change how they feel both physically and mentally?
The answer is simply my approach. Unlike your run of the mill personal trainer, I am able to address my client’s fitness goals as a doctor first and a trainer second. Although the number one priority of most of my clients is to look better, my number one priority is always how I can make this person healthier. The wonderful thing is that if I accomplish my goal then I invariably always accomplish theirs too.
Here is a great example. One of my former clients, Roberto, came to me in May 2006 with the specific goal of losing a few pounds and getting healthier for his kids. A dedicated 37 year old father and husband, he had begun to notice himself getting winded quite easily from relatively mild exertion. He wanted me to help put a stop to this, “Downward spiral in health and fitness” that most American’s accept as the norm as they age.
Below is a graph of Robert’s first cardio workout on the Lyon stairs. As you can see he was able to accomplish a total of seven (7) circuits in the 25 minute allotted time with an average heart rate of 172 beats per minute and a maximum heart rate of 185 beats per minute. I truly wish I had a video of Roberto’s day 1 experience for you to see, so you could truly appreciate how difficult it was for him. After the first trip up he literally fell apart physically. Not only did he try and quit several times, but he also continually tried to use the railings as assistance by pulling himself up the stairs.
Two days after the first workout Roberto had his wisdom teeth extracted. This is significant because the procedure and recovery prevented him from working out for about a week. After his recovery he returned to the stairs for two additional 25 minute stair workouts on May 14th and May 17th. On May 23rd I had Roberto redo the day one workout so I could show him his actual progress after only 75 minutes of cardiovascular exercise in my program (3 workouts x 25minutes each).
Below is the graph of Roberto’s 4th workout in my program (green line) compared with his day 1 workout (red line). As you can see I had him perform the exact same seven circuits at the exact same speed and elapsed time. Note however, that his average heart rate dropped to 157 and his max heart rate dropped to 180. What was most amazing though was that about half way through the workout his cell phone rang and he proceeded to chat on the phone comfortably for about 10 minutes. Remember, this was the same guy who was literally dragging himself up the stairs just 3 workouts earlier.
Finally, the graph below compares Roberto’s 1st workout with his 4th in terms of the difference in time spent in the various heart rate zones. Note that by the 4th workout the red zone has been completely eliminated and the orange zone significantly reduced. Also note the emergence of a new green zone.
Tangible, documented, real world results with only 75 minutes of focused cardiovascular exercise. Are you already getting results like this with your workout routines? If so then congratulations and by all means keep it up. If not, then as I mentioned before you need to consider making the necessary changes in your program, trainer, or motivation level so you do.