Personal Training – My Story

I never thought I would be a personal trainer. Personal trainers just put people on treadmills and talk to them right? Boring! How can you get in great shape that way?

I spent my whole life being active, it relaxes me, calms my body and mind and helps me focus. I always feel better after moving. I spent my whole life trying different ways to move: farm chores, every sport I could find, CrossFit, martial arts, yoga.

After doing all those things, sitting on a treadmill isn’t something I want to do. And I definitely don’t want to make others do it.

I entered the training world after working as a consultant for a large company. I sat at a desk all day. I travelled a lot. I gained weight. I got high blood pressure. I didn’t like how my body felt. I didn’t like how it effected my mental state either.

During this time I started training regularly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other martial arts and loved it. It was so amazing to me the movements that the human body was capable of. It challenged both my mind and the body. Physical chess I called it. This was not boring, this was exciting, and I felt great doing it.

I needed to make a big change. But what could I do? Changing jobs was crazy? I had a “good job.” Well that good job was slowly killing me physically and mentally.

I left my consulting job, accepted a management and instructor position with the academy I was training with. I spent four years going barefoot, practicing and teaching CrossFit, martial arts, and yoga full time. During that time, I lost weight, my blood pressure continued to improve, and I felt great doing something I love. And most of all, I loved helping others get the same benefits I found from these activities.

But something was missing. I wanted to experience a more main stream approach to training so I could help people even more. I went to work as a manager and trainer for one of the biggest publicly traded fitness clubs in the country (Globo Gym in CrossFit terms). In some ways, I found what I expected, trainers putting people on treadmills or else putting people through bodybuilding workouts. But I found much more. Lots of trainers were also doing progressive things with workouts, metabolic conditioning, and functional metabolism work. And then something amazing happened. We had a lecturer come in to talk to us. He was some doctor who worked nearby. Well this doctor blew my mind. He talked about optimizing your functional metabolism in ways I have never heard of. He talked about being able to correct conditions many thought to be impossible. He referenced medical papers he personally published. Who is this guy? I need to meet with him.

I went to see this integrative doctor as soon as I could. And after being under his care for a few weeks I noticed tremendous improvements in how I felt and in my measurable health markers. During this time, he shared with me ways to communicate with my clients about their functional metabolism. The pieces of the puzzle now all fit!

The pieces of the puzzle fit because in working with this doctor, I learned what I can do to help my and my client’s functional metabolism. I also learned the importance of partnering with integrative doctors and other specialists to get results we never before thought possible.

Now I am a personal trainer. But I will not just put you on a treadmill. I will optimize your health and fitness in a way that engages your body and mind, is constantly varied, that will improve your strength, flexibility, and metabolic conditioning all at the same time. I can deliver that in any one or a combination of modalities: functional fitness, martial arts, and yoga.

I have spent my whole life dedicated to experiencing different ways to move. I take all of the most effective methods from everything I have experiences, and deliver it to you in a personalized comprehensive plan that includes movement, nutrition, and functional metabolism optimization.

I love helping people get healthier. I have had many of the issues my clients have, and am excited and humbled to see the amazing results that others have helped me get, and that I can in turn help others get.

No matter your age, health condition, fitness level, please contact me at any time if you feel I could help you optimize your health or if you have any questions. I would love to hear from you.

-Japheth