Personalized Training Programs vs Cookie-Cutter Programs

Hi! 
I still can’t quite figure out my way around this whole starting out a blog post thing.. How am I supposed to start here? Hey, how’s it going? Yes, no? Help!

Since I can’t quite figure it out, I’m just going to jump right in – maybe someday I can make my opening a little more seamless…  I wanted to touch on something today that I feel is very important, and that is personalized training!

To anyone new to the world of fitness (and even some veterans), it can all be a bit intimidating at times; there are so many training plans out there, and more diets than I can count.  Everywhere you look you see a new workout routine, a new way to lose 5 pounds fast, some new miracle diet – and you can quickly become consumed with them all – which is the best, which works the fastest, which one will give me a butt like hers?  Here is the problem, they all work – well, most of them anyway.  But they won’t all work for YOU – in order for anything to work well, it has to be tailored to each individual based on that person and their goals.  You can achieve whatever end result you want, you just need to change your habits to reach that goal.  A lot of people start their health & fitness journey by getting some cookie-cutter training and meal plan – this may work for awhile, but eventually you will stop seeing results and may end up doing more harm than good – this is because you are using a plan made for someone else, not for you.  Your body is different than anyone else’s, and in order to get a result (no matter what that result may be) you have to know what your body needs.

My goal is to help people learn about their bodies and make plans based on them, that are realistic and they can follow and continue to see results for the long term.  I want to help people change the way they see health and fitness and guide them towards a healthy lifestyle, not just a month long crash diet.  Will a month long crash diet work, absolutely, but what happens when it’s over?  What happens after the diet when you go back to old habits?  You lose all of the progress you've made, and probably end up with a crashed metabolism to match the crash diet… But if you adopt a healthy lifestyle, you can continue good habits, and continue to see progress – and once you reach your final goal, it is maintainable – you have changed your habits and are able to keep the body you want with less effort, because it is a lifestyle.  I struggled with this for a long time, especially when I was competing – I would “bulk up” to 150+ pounds in my off-season, only to turn around and cut down to 115 on stage.  It was a constant rollercoaster, and although I looked good on the outside my health was in shambles.  But when I finally stepped back from the stage and focused on my health as a lifestyle, I was able to maintain the body I wanted, all year – not just when I was prepping for a show.  And now – it is second nature, it comes so easy that it doesn’t even feel like work anymore.  

If you are ready to start your own journey to a healthy lifestyle, let me know, and I will be glad to offer a helping hand.  I am not going to send out mass training and diet plans because that’s not what I believe in – I want to get to know you individually, and personalize a plan for you.  I want to help you reach your goals, and become the best you possible.

Before I go, I  wanted to share this awesome article I found on Bodybuilding.com yesterday – ladies, this is a good read for any of you, whether you are just starting out or if you have been around awhile - there is a ton of great information:
The Female Training Bible

That’s it for today, but keep checking back – I am just getting started, and I have a lot to share! :-)

-Nicole