TG: Hi Robert, thanks for being interviewed.  Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

RB: I started personal training initially out of one of the Fitness First health clubs in Queens Park.  I worked there as a freelance personal trainer for 2 years and really enjoyed my time there.  This gym was a hard gym to find clients in as most of the clients couldn’t really afford personal training but I managed to still get a 30 hour week of personal training on a regular basis here.  At the same time as working there I hired a personal training studio by the hour just off Baker Street where I trained one or two clients, this studio is actually where Power plate began and they shared an office with this studio.  This studio was tiny and had very little equipment it was at this point I decided I wanted my own studio at some point.

TG: Can you tell us a little about your studio?

RB: I opened Personal training studios W10 in 2006 as I wanted a place to train my clients from Notting Hill and Queens Park.  Personal training studios W10 is hired out to personal trainers by the hour and I am a personal trainer here to.  Personal training studios W10 is open 24 hours a day and we regularly train clients at 11:00pm and later.  Personal training studios W10 is a popular personal training location for businessmen and women who want to train in peace after a hard day.

TG: What do you think is the biggest myth in health and fitness?

RB: Just picking one is hard, but I would say my number one would be how often you need to workout, most guys think that if they workout 6 times a week they will get the best results, this is not the case, I tend to workout for 40 minutes at a time 3 times a week which for bodybuilding I find keeps me at the optimum level of muscle growth.

TG: What are your top 3 weight loss tips?

RB:

TG: What are the most common barriers that your clients have to sucsess and how do you overcome these?

RB: Time is always the main factor, this is what most people say holds them back, everyone has time to workout each week its just that it’s not a main priority so they never come around to doing it.

TG: What should someone look for when choosing a personal trainer?

RB: When looking for a personal trainer go on reputation, personal training testimonials are very important check out their testimonials on their websites.  Don’t get caught up on qualifications I know of many bad personal trainers who have loads of qualifications, experience I always think is more important but qualifications are essential to.  There are a huge number of bad personal trainers in London just doing the job as they think they can do a few hours work and make a good living from it, they often have no qualifications or experience so be warned.

TG: What are the three most important traits a personal trainer must have?

RB:

TG: Can you tell us a little about what you have on offer at your studio?

RB: At Personal training studios W10 we offer one on one personal training in a private luxury environment catering for most fitness and weight loss goals.  What ever time of day you want training we can train you.  The gym has parking right outside the door at 50p an hour so is easily accessible and the studio is available for exclusive hire so you can train in peace.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you?

RB: We are currently looking to launch another Personal training studio in Mayfair in the next few months and we are launching an online supplement store soon to go live on our site.  If you are a personal trainer looking for a studio to work from then please come down and check us out, its an affordable studio to workout of and most of our trainers have been working here for years.

TG: Thanks for your time Robert, and we wish you all the best for the future!

TG: Hi Malcolm, thanks for being interviewed. Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

MA: I started at a Fitness instructor in September 2000 at Holmes place, Nottingham. I held the positions of Personal Trainer, Gym Supervisor and then Fitness Manager at the club.

In January 2006 I was promoted to Regional Fitness Manager covering 14 clubs from North London, Essex, West London and the North.

In November 2006 I then took on the role of Regional Fitness Manager for Virgin active when they acquired the Holmes Place business, I covered all of the Northern and Essex clubs (16 in total)

In January 2008, I was then promoted to National Personal Training Manager for Virgin active, the position I currently hold, managing the strategy for PT across 72 UK clubs.

TG: What would you look for in a personal trainer?

MA: I look for personality first and foremost, technical skill and knowledge can be taught…a desire to help and a commitment to get a client the result they crave is most important to me

TG: What are the top 3 traits of a great personal trainer?

MA: 1) Confidence & tenacity (without arrogance)
2) Passion & energy for people & life
3) Disciplined and organised.

TG: What differences can a good Personal Trainer make in a clients life?

MA: Everything….a client wants or needs to change, the client puts their trust in a better future with the help of a PT. When a client hands over money, they receive absolutely nothing, how many times do we pay £300-£500 and only receive a plan, a dream? Very rarely,…there is a lot of trust put in a Personal Trainer, trust that we will help change and improve/lengthen their life…..a good PT takes that responsibility seriously…..that level of accountability makes a real difference.

TG: What is it that a personal trainer can give a client as opposed to the client working alone?

MA: Regular Motivation, un-parrelled support and clever coping strategies. These 3 factors help maintain focus, belief and confidence of success.

TG: What are your top 3 tips for weight loss?

AH: 1) Healthy balanced diet is the most important factor
2) Regular cardiovascular and resistant training
3) Variety – most wt loss clients get bored and de-motivated quickly…..if the sessions and weeks are varied, clients stay committed for longer and longevity is critical

TG: How important is it that an individual sets themselves realistic weight loss goals?

MA: Crucial, weight loss isn’t about quick fixes, it’s about building an exercise and lifestyle habit with understanding good, regular nutrition.

Long term goals are critical in understanding why the client wants what they want, realistic short term goals keep them on track and help understand what works and doesn’t work

TG: What would you do to get the nation back on the road to health if you were the Prime Minister?

MA: I would focus my attention on our children first and foremost…prevention is much better than cure and if we are to make a long term impact we must promote regular activity along with a healthy diet from an early age.

VA offers family memberships and there are lots of things for our Junior members to get involved in….If we can get families active, then we would kill 2 birds with one stone.

TG: What role do you think that the chain gyms have to play in helping communities get fitter?

MA: I think they have their place in providing a rounded offering to all, however I don’t think they are critical in getting communities fitter as they may not be ‘local’ enough for the majority…..health clubs are inclusive and have everything under 1 roof, however if a community needs to improve then simple non gym activities like walking, team sports or day to day activities like walking the dog or gardening are sound ways to make a real difference.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you Malcolm?

MA: I plan to continue to grow the Virgin Active Personal Training product and program to be the best in the World, we have over 650 Personal Trainers and the best employee model in the business….I want to recruit and train the best in the industry, who subsequently help more and more VA members in achieving their lifelong goals.

TG: Thanks for your time Malcolm, and we wish you all the best for the future

Lee is the creator of an awesome site called fitnessvenues.com this site covers all aspects of health, fitness, nutrition and wellbeing.  The site is packed full of reviews, articles, a forum, and listings of health professionals and gyms.  It is a great resources for anyone into health and fitness.

We talked to Lee about how the site came about and what the future holds for fitnessvenues.com.

TG: Hi Lee, for those of you who don’t know you, you are the man behind FitnessVenues.com.  Can you tell us a little about your background in the wellbeing and personal training industry?

LM: I have been interested in health and fitness since my teens. Because of this I enrolled onto a health and fitness degree and then a post graduate course in Exercise Physiology. It was during this course in 2000 that I came up with the idea of setting up a health and fitness web site with the primary idea that the site could point people to local health clubs and personal trainers. I understood though that to get people to the site I’d need to pad out the idea with fitness, exercise and weight loss content.

TG: So what got you started on the idea behind fitnessvenues.com?

LM: Well, I create then sold a very popular health and fitness web site in 2005. To be honest that site wasn’t everything it could have been … I had to manage the web site in an archaic way, including having trainers and gyms email me with their details, which I’d then cut and paste into a very basic directory. Also,  if I ever added a new page or change the site in any way I had manually change ALL pages of the site to show new pages and then upload the WHOLE site again onto our server!

So, I spent some of the money made selling my first site to develop a health and fitness site which could be run in a more automated way. So now people can add and manage their own listings AND view stats on their listings and I can add new content that automatically appear on the site. Not only that but FitnessVenues.com also includes online quizzes, interactive tools as well as up-to-date news and much more.

TG: How long was the site in development and what kind of hurdles did you have to overcome?

LM: I started FitnessVenues.com in August 2006. Up until July 2007 the site simply listed health clubs and personal trainers. Enrolling personal trainers and gyms was hard work – cold calls and lots of discussions about why listing on FitnessVenues.com was a no-brainer … all listings are free.

Adding content to the site was a little harder still. I came up with the idea that personal trainers and other industry experts could contribute stories and content in exchange for better coverage of their business on FitnessVenues.com. This idea worked. So now FitnessVenues.com has a wealth of writers and contributors who all benefit from giving us content because time and again we send them quality business leads.

TG: What do you feel sets Fitnessvenues.com apart from other fitness based sites?

LM: FitnessVenues.com is everything a fitness site should be – interactive, relevant, up-to-date and interesting. What separates us from the rest is that we add ‘news’ stories almost daily, which means we are up to the minute in terms of health, fitness and wellbeing news.

As our listed businesses are concerned we drive quality business leads to their services for FREE as well as giving them full access to their advertising stats – impressions, web click numbers, emails sent via FitnessVenues.com (and more) … something NO OTHER web site does, not even the likes of Google.com!

TG: What is the best thing about your job?

LM: I have created many sites in the past, some in and some outside the fitness industry and the real thrill is creating something from scratch that people really appreciate and interact with – FitnessVenues.com now has a readership of over 80,000 + users a month

TG: What does an average day in your life look like?

LM: To be perfectly honest working solely in the IT industry holds very little interest for me. Sure I enjoy watching the site grow in terms of pages, readership and income but as the site is full automated I found the site needed very little management. So a few years ago I trained to become a primary school teacher. So my typical day sees me teach 5 and 6 year olds. Needless to day, as you can imagine, each day is very different … not to mention full of laughs and endless entertainment supplied by the children.

TG: I have been particularly impressed with the forum, I have been a member for a few years now.  What is the future for this particular aspect of your site?

LM: Well, the forum, for me was a little disappointing. It hasn’t grown as rapidly as I’d have liked. Sure, some people do post – you for example, but not enough people interact with the forum to make it a place for people MUST visit and post Q & A’s.

So, I’ve decided to focus user interaction in comments within stories. In the very near future users will be able to post their comments on any story that interests them. This, I hope, will keep discussions alive and allow stories to grow organically based on the comments users make.

TG: What are your top tips for weight loss?

LM: Weight loss is all about calories in versus calories used. You can exercise until the cows come home but if you eat more calories than you burn you won’t lose any weight at all.

TG: What would be your top three tips to improve your overall levels of wellbeing?

LM: I believe wellbeing is all about the mind so I’d suggest the following:

1. Exercise & eat healthy foods – it makes you feel good, gives you energy and helps you to focus on mental tasks.
2. Get enough sleep. I personally need 7 – 8 hours a night.
3. Expand your experiences – meet new people, go on holiday to somewhere different, eat new foods.
4. Set yourself achievable goals and reward yourself when you reach them. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 lb, as soon as you do go out and buy yourself some new clothes as a reward or go out for a meal at your favourite restaurant.

TG: What’s in store for the future of the site?

LM: Good question. I have new ideas all the time, some good, most not. However, I think over 12 months my main aim will be to expand the site in terms of content – more stories and new channels etc rather than investing in site development.

That said, as mentioned before I will be developing a ‘Add your comment section to each story. But in terms of cost, this is a relatively cheap update.

TG: It has been great talking to you Lee, good luck for the future!

Tom Godwin: May I first of all thank you for giving up time in your busy day to take part in this interview.

TG: Let’s start from the beginning, what got you started in the Personal Training Industry and wellbeing in general?

JR: It is pretty simple, I got my OTR/L degree and was practicing in hospitals for many years. I saw a lot of people, but most never got better. Insurance companies dicated what we could and could not do and we could not do more, lets say that! So I started to personal train on the side and really started to fall in love with it. I did NSCA, NASM, etc but really found myself looking for more. It was good stuff and is, but I needed more mental stimulation. Then around that time, a good friend of mine named Jason Waiton introduced me to Paul Chek’s information, etc and that was the beginning of the itch I could never scratch! I first watched Scientific Back Conditioning and was blown away with the depth of information and the comrehensiveness of it all. I was hooked!

TG: What first attracted you to studying with the Chek Institute?

JR: Plain and simple…I loved how confident Paul was and that he only had a 9th grade educating. I had a degree so I felt I could match up to that…at some point! As well, I looked into other institutes, but no one had as comprehensive approach as theirs…..looking not only at the physical, but also at the nutritional and lifestyle. Most, actually all other organizations…..such as NASM, NSCA, MAT, etc do not go into the Holistic Approach, which means Whole Person.

I know some people think Paul is a cocky asshole, but that is one way to look at it…he is just confident because he walks the walk and talks the talk. When you meet him and understand what he has done and what he knows, you understand that it is just confidence, not cockiness.

TG: What do you feel the major differences between a Chek Practitioner and a fitness professional who has trained with another education provider?

JR: Well, that is a judgement call as there are some who are very educated and good at what they do. But I would have to say the main difference is that every CHEK practitioner practices what he/she preaches….they live it 100% of the time as you cannot give what you don’t have. Some say we are cocky, but I saw we are confident, gleaming and vital expressions of health. Typically what you judge you are expressing hidden personal needs.

If you go to any conference, seminar, etc and there are 300 people there, you will be able to pick the CHEK Practitioners out without them even saying anything. I know that is a big statement, but it is true. I speak all over the world for them and some of the most put together, healthy, vital, compassionate, and confident people I see our CHEK Practitioners. Another main point is that most, not all in the industry talk talk talk, but they never back up what they say or even understand the true meaning behind what they say. Everyone talks movement, which is great, but we understand anatomy, how the body works mechanically, chemically, neurologically and hormonally.

TG: What would you say are the best aspects of being a personal trainer and being involved in the wellbeing industry?

JR: Educating others and teaching people how to help themselves! I do it every day, but as well, I am able to learn from people all over the world every day. What is better the University of Life!

TG: Who have been your major influences within the industry?

JR:
1. Paul Chek and the entire CHEK Institute. This was a major and has been a major influence on who I am today.

2. Dr. Timmins and BioHealth Diagnostics. This is what got me started in Functional Medicine 6yrs ago and today I work with people all over the world helping them with hormonal, detoxification, immune and GI system dysfunctions.

3. Janet Alexander and Chris Maund….two CHEK Faculty members who taught me the beginnings of what I know. I still consult with them here and there.

4. John McMullin…this guy is amazing. He is a Holistic Health Coach and Intuitive from Ohio. I worked with him every other week for about 2yrs working on myself in order to work through my past bullshit and my current issues in regards to myself, relationships, my own thoughts, my business and so forth. I love this guy!

5. My parents….for 100% supporting me along the way and never doubting any decisions I made!

6. My wife….she is great at what she does and I have to say I learn compassion from her each and every day. I learn about myself though my experiences of myself while around her….she humbles me, teaches me that there is more to life material things and she grounds me each and every day. I thank her everyday for joining my life and teaching me that it is OK to be me 100% of the time!

7. From there, I just read, take courses, study on my own, research. I love studying Chinese Medicine, Canadien Osteopathy, Functional Medicine and Physiology and Anatomy.

I am a very driven person and I do well studying by myself. I love to study on my own, learn and teach myself as I find it more rewarding. I am not under the contraints as…”you have to do it this way.” I take what I want and adapt everything into MY own approach. I find that taking certification after certification, class after class, etc, leads people far from THEIR path of what THEY want to become and down many paths of what all these teachers are becoming. They get caught up with “well he said this, but she said that,” which leads to too many cooks in the kitchen.

TG: What would you say is the most important attribute of a personal trainer and why?

JR: I think the most important things are to live it, study and learn about you so you can give what you have, someone who learns to ask the WHY question behind what is said and someone who is passionate about their profession.

There are a lot of “so called health professionals” that think eating like a bodybuilder and training to kick ass and take names is the way to go. I think that is the easy way to go and it does not take much skill. I feel that most have to understand that you have to treat and train each person as an individual, that not everyone needs bodybuilding, that kicking ass and taking names just keeps people like me in business and that most are in this business for the money. If you love what you do, the money will come. We have to change the energy behind the word personal trainer from negative to positive. Once people realize that success is not how many people you train, but how many people you actually help by treating them as an individual, it will shift.

TG: You are a faculty member with the Chek Institute, what does this involve?

JR: I teach Exercise Coach, CHEK Level 1, HLC 1 and HLC 2, plus speak at many conventions (IDEA, SCW, ECA, BAM, and more) all over the world. I travel and teach all over the US and Canada about 8-12 times per year. It is a lot and it is hard being away from my wife, my business, my rhythms, but it is worth it in the end as I love educating students and passing on the passion I have for what I do.

TG: What has been your most rewarding moment in the field of health and wellbeing?

JR: The most rewarding moment….that is a tough one….I would have to say everyday is. I love what I do and I thank my creator every day that I can do what I love and love what I do. It is not a job to me, it is a hobby. I get to learn from clients all day, study in my off time and get to grow each and every minute of it. We think we are in this to help and change others, but we are really in it so we can help and change ourselves….as your life and business are an extension of you!

TG: Your East West Healing You Tube videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/joshrubineastwest) are well known within the fitness world for their informative content, not to mention the great information on your website. Where do you get your ideas from?

JR: I get my ideas from clients I am working with, from past clients, from conversations I have with family and friends, etc. There is no rhyme or reason, whatever comes up that minute or day I put it on my YouTube list….which is about 25 deep as we speak. So I have a lot to say and there is no end in site.

TG: If you could only give someone one change to make to make a start improving their levels of wellbeing what would it be?

JR: Learn that is must come from within, that you can’t give what you don’t have and that you must get healthy to loose weight and not loose weight to get healthy. There is more to health than chicken, protein shakes and doing cardio til ya drop. Health is taking responsibility for oneself!

TG: So what does the future hold for Josh Rubin?

JR: My goals are simple:

1. To continue to teach for the CHEK Institute and begin to teach CHEK Level 2 in 2012 and CHEK Level 3 in 2013, which I am already assisting on.

2. To continue to market and grow our (my wife and I, she is a CHEKie too!) business, not with practitioners, but with new clients all over the world.

3. Continue to educate by coming up with some of my own seminars in regards to holistic health

4. We are working on a 5 part Ebook called…The Ultimate Holistic Weight Loss Program!

5. I am beginning in Sept 2010 to attend The Canadien School of Osteopathy in Vancouver to obtain my 5yr D.O. (M.P.)

6. To continue to grow and learn to love myself more and more each day

TG: Josh thanks so much for sharing with us!

It was a pleasure!

Have a look at Josh’s website at www.eastwesthealing.com it is packed full of great information and articles!

Helen Jones is the editor of FitPro Magazine, one of the leading industry publications, she has written for a large number of on and off line publications.

TG:  Hi Helen, and thanks for giving up some of your busy day to talk to us!

Thank you. I’m flattered to have been asked.

TG:  You are the Editor of Fitpro magazine (www.fitpro.com), what is your history in terms of writing for the fitness industry?

HJ: I’ve been in the industry nearly five years and have written for fitness websites such as YMCAfit, and magazines such as Australian Fitness Network. I focus most of my time writing for FitPro’s three magazines and the Virtual Magazine (www.virtualmag.co.uk).

TG:  How did you first become involved with FitPro?

HJ: I wanted to become a magazine editor from the age of 12 so when I left to school I moved to Dublin and got a BA in journalism, before returning to London to do various work experience. It was around this time I landed the job of Media Assistant at FitPro. Since then, I’ve worked hard and have a new-found passion for fitness too. It’s so satisfying to edit a magazine about a subject that really matters, rather than focusing on celebrities and make up.

TG:  What does the average day look like for you?

HJ: I get into the office around 08:30 and spend a bit of time replying to emails. Then I may have some articles to edit and send across to the proofreader. Mid-morning there could be a photo shoot or video taking place in the studio, and then I’ll be back at my desk doing some research. After lunch, I might edit a couple of the writers’ articles and then meet with them to discuss how to develop their content or style. Sometimes I’ll be out in the afternoon testing a new product or fitness class and then it’s home time.

TG:  How do you stay up to date with the goings on in the industry, any top tips?

HJ: Well I’m signed up to lots of press releases and newsletters. I try to get out of the office as much as possible too for new launches and to trial new things. I think it’s so important to attend industry events to keep up-to-date with what’s going on. I always attend Leisure Industry Week and FitPro Convention (www.fitpro.com/convention10) of course.

TG:  Who inspires you?

HJ: Professionally I’d say Morgan Rees, Men’s Health editor. Men’s Health does exactly what it’s designed to do, providing content laid out in a way men actually like to read. In the fitness industry I’m actually inspired by most of the instructors I meet. Especially presenters I meet at conventions – they all have so much energy and passion that it just makes me want to exercise as much as I can.

TG: What would be your top fitness tip for the average person on the street?

HJ: Keep changing your workout. Too many people do exactly the same thing day in, day out without challenging themselves. Mix it up – find a couple of sports you enjoy and fit them in around your varied sessions at the gym or in the park.

TG:  Who would you say are currently some of the top writers in the industry?

HJ: I like Jane Wake’s style of writing. Pete Cohen’s also very inspiring.

TG:  What is your opinion of the quality of fitness and nutrition based information that is out there in the mainstream magazines/publications?

HJ: I do get frustrated when I see that some are still recommending sit ups as the best way to get a flat stomach. The education is gradually getting better though, and as fitness continues to increase in popularity so does the quality of information out there. What Fitpro does is to take the latest research on exercise science, physiology, nutrition etc and present it in an appealing way for instructors and trainers.

TG:  How do you think that writers can make sure that quality information is getting out to people that need it?

HJ: I think they really need to stand their ground when editors ask them to write something they don’t feel comfortable with. Some will just put their name to anything to get a bit of advertising. We always use the highest standard of contributors in Fitpro and discuss the articles closely with them to ensure readers get the best possible information.

TG:  What does the future hold for FitPro magazine?

HJ: It’s a really exciting time for us right now as next issue we’re launching a fresh, new look magazine. Circulation has increased by 5% over the last six months so considering we’re not out of the recession yet and other magazines are struggling, we’re really happy with the success and hope to continue to grow.

TG: What does the future hold for you?

HJ: My focus at the moment is to keep improving Fitpro magazine, with even better content and design work, while increasing readership further. Aside from that, I’d also like to expand my freelancing work in various fitness publications and websites.

TG:  Helen, thanks for sharing with us, and thanks for such a great publication!

I first become aware of Sean and his Underground wellness brand a couple of years ago when surfing around You Tube.  I  found the info awesome and Sean always presents info in a very entertaining manner.  Since then UG Wellness has grown to include a Radio Channel, Forum, Blogs, and much more.  If you have not seen his stuff you are missing out, well lets let Sean take it away!

TG:  Hi Sean, and thanks for giving up some of your busy day to talk to us!

TG:  For anyone who has been living under a rock for the last few years tell us a bit about your background?

SC: Well, I began as your ordinary fitness junkie. I’ve always been fascinated with our abilities to shape and change our bodies. This led me to study Kinesiology in college. After college, I continued to do study fitness and nutrition. Eventually, I stumbled upon some information that made more sense and was more effective practically with myself and my personal training clients. I embraced this knowledge and continue to study it today.

TG:  So what got you started in the Wellbeing industry?

SC: My career goal was to be a renowned personal trainer. I wanted to help others achieve their fitness and health goals. My friends always wanted me to help them with their fitness programs. They liked it, as did I. So I decided to make a career out of it. I personal trained full-time for eight years and recently moved on to help people achieve their goals in other ways.

TG:  What prompted your move from a more traditional approach to Personal Training and wellbeing in general towards a more holistic (alternative) view?

SC: I’m a common sense kind of guy. I refuse to do something over and over again and expect a different result. It’s insanity! After college, I was a Food Guide Pyramid advocate! Seven to 11 servings of grains, rice, and pasta!! My clients got fatter. A lot of trainers would blame the client. But the truth is that it’s not the client, it’s the information. The information is simply wrong.

I remember the stacks of books on my coffee table. I couldn’t stop reading. I had to figure out what I was doing wrong. Eventually, I figured it out. I learned that exercise is just a small piece of the fitness and health puzzle. We can’t change our client in 2-3 hours a week. Our clients need to address the real reasons why they are overweight, unfit, and unhealthy. They need to find the root cause, which lies in how they eat, drink, think, move, and live. Address those factors and you will have success.

TG:  You have a highly popular You Tube Channel, Underground Wellness (LINKED), what inspired you to start it?

SC: It’s actually a funny story that I’ll have to share with you privately. But to answer your question, I was following an online contest back in 2005 or 2006. The guy running the contest gave daily assignments using YouTube. I had no idea what YouTube was. I thought it was a paid service. I soon found out that it was free and decided that I would make videos about health. I remember the first one I did. The info was so wrong! But people actually were watching and subscribing. UW is actually my third channel. I started out as The Food Dude. Then, it was Food Dude TV. Underground Wellness just sounds so much cooler!:)

TG:  Who have been your major influences in the world of health, fitness and nutrition?

Todd Durkin: The guy showed me that I didn’t know jack about anything! He really motivated me to take it to the next level and educate myself. He also taught me how to present myself to people. I think he calls it contagious enthusiasm. If he didn’t hire me back in 2001, I probably wouldn’t be in this industry.

Paul Chek: He thinks outside the box. He says what he wants when he wants.

Reed Davis: That guy changed my whole outlook. His course gave me tools that are simply invaluable.

Josh Rubin: My newest mentor. Dude is just plain smart.

TG:  What does the average day in your life look like?

SC: Get up at 6 and answer email for an hour. Then, I put together protocols for that day’s scheduled clients. I consult on the phone for 4 hours or so. Go to yoga or the gym. Come home and read. Finish up loose ends. Working from home is awesome. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

TG:  What has been your most rewarding moment in the Wellbeing industry so far?

SC: The emails are the best. I get messages from people all over the globe about how much my videos have helped them. One that comes to mind was a message from a man who had been trying to conceive a child for some time. He watched my videos and started taking care of himself. He switched to organic food. He wanted to let me know that he was finally going to be a father. I cried like a baby. That’s the coolest thing ever. Touching people. It’s an inexplicable feeling.

TG:  You have had some awesome guests on your Underground Wellness Radio show, who has been your favourite so far and why?

SC: Hmmm…Sally Fallon rocked the house! I walked away from that interview knowing that that interview was simply classic. The Paul Chek interview runs a close second. Any time you can get Paul talking for two hours, you’re going to be blown away.

TG:  Just to be nosey, who have you got coming on the show over the next few months, new season coming up?

SC: I’m still working on the schedule, but I’m looking forward to Lierre Keith, author of The Vegetarian Myth. That show should be pretty controversial. Controversy sells!

TG:  You are an avid reader, always making suggestions to your You Tube audience on great books to read.  What are you reading at the moment and what is it about?

Right now, I’m reading Everlasting Health by Robert Bernardini. David Getoff highly recommended it. So far, so good. The section on vaccines is fantastic. I’ve got Health Versus Disease by Melvin Page on deck. I’ve heard great things about it.

But of course, I recommend How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy by Paul Chek, The Diet Cure by Julia Ross, and The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Wolcott. All are available in the new UW Library on the website.

TG:  If you could only give someone one piece of advice on how to improve their levels of wellbeing what would it be?

Get back to basics. Eat well. Drink water. Rid yourself of negative self-talk. Move your body. Live in line with nature. Being healthy isn’t that hard. You just have to want to do it. You have to reprioritize and find what’s really important in the grand scheme of things.

TG:  What does the future hold for Sean Croxton?

SC: Traveling. I want to lecture all over the world. An e-book. Coming soon. A legit radio broadcast. Maybe AM radio. Hopefully, a TV show some day. We have to go bigger. Thirteen thousand subscribers and 10,000 video views is a drop in the bucket. We need to go HUGE!

TG:  Sean, thanks for sharing with us! It has been a pleasure, I hope that one day you make it over to the UK.

Thank YOU, Tom!

If you have not seen Underground Wellness look it up here.

Reed is another of the amazing people that I have come into contact through Sean Croxton, Reed is a true pioneer of Nutrition and has an immense amount of knowledge. Well I will let him tell you more about himself, his FDN system and his views on nutrition.

TG:  Hi Reed, and thanks for giving up some of your busy day to talk to us!

TG:  For anyone who has not heard of you, can you tell us a little about your history in the Wellbeing and Nutrition industry?

RD: I was the Case Manager and Health Director at the Better Health & Wellness Centre in Poway California for 8 years.  I worked with a chiropractor as her clinical nutritionist and saw every patient.  I also ran my own bone density testing business and screened over 11,000 people for bone density problems.  Many of those people became clients for the purpose of improving their bone density and other health complaints, especially hormonal problems.  So I was fortunate to have a very high volume practice and the opportunity to do my own research.  I packed a lot of clinical experience into those years and was able to make my own observations about why some people would improve, and others would not improve, depending on what they did to address their complaints. So I developed a process of intake and investigation and protocol that has helped thousands of people, and now I teach that system, called Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, all over the world.

TG:  So what got you started your interest in Nutrition?

RD: 37 years ago I picked up a book called “Healing Ourselves” by an oriental medicine doctor.  It helped me adopt the view that we are responsible for our own health and not to rely on doctors.  I learned there are many signs and symptoms that western docs just don’t consider, so even though I wasn’t in the health and wellness business until years later, I kept my mind open, and searching and doubting (in a good way).  When I finally began researching people’s health, as a corporate human resource director, I fell under the spell of natural health and wellness methods once more.  At first, I was just trying to improve a company’s bottom line by keeping the employees healthy.  But, oddly (as fate would have it), that’s about the time I lost my executive position and decided to change careers.  I completed a nutritional therapy certification program with a doctor-friend of mine and that began the journey to where I am today.

TG:  Can you tell us a little about the FDN (Functional Diagnostic Nutrition) system?

RD: FDN is a system of investigation into specific pillars of health – the hormone, immune, and digestion and detoxification systems.  We order saliva and urine testing to determine what is malfunctioning. By going after the malfunctions, the client/patient rebuilds health from the foundation up.  FDN is a very scientific way to apply the inside-out approach that most holistic and naturopathic providers like to take.

TG:  What lead you to developing the FDN system?

RD: While studying and practicing ordinary clinical nutrition, I kept getting the feeling that I was more or less a supplement salesman.  I was very uncomfortable with that from the start, and it didn’t seem to help people all that much anyway. I found myself helping people to get off drugs and, along with chiropractic treatments, they improved physically. But it seemed they were required to buy a lot of stuff and, down the road,  many people still had their main complaints of fatigue, sleeplessness, lethargy, allergies, inflammation, skin, IBS, depression, poor mental focus and low libido type complaints. And for me, there was too much trial and error in the therapeutic nutrition model that I was using at that time.

One day at a seminar, I learned about some functional lab work we could order.  That opened up a whole new world to me and I started to order every test under the sun on as many people as possible. We ordered cartons full of test kits and I went kit crazy.  I also cleared the shelves of all products and told the staff and patients that from now on we were going to deal only with the underlying causes of disease, instead of focusing on symptoms.

So, eventually, a kind of detective work evolved that had me nailing down those underlying causes with just a few tests and a couple intake forms. I had some miracle cases and some not so good cases.  But many people completely resolved their long term chronic conditions and I finally felt like I was doing some real good in the world.

After I coined the phrase Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, and lectured on it for a few years, I was asked to develop the FDN Certification Course for health professionals.  It’s a very exciting course to take, its relatively simple to learn and presents a turn-key method or clinical model you can use immediately.  Basically, we’ll show you how to use functional lab testing to get to the root cause or malfunctions that need to be restored in order to repair in the body. And we’ll show you how to implement protocols that get the client to take responsibility for their own health results.

TG:  What do you feel clients will get from using a FDN practitioner over any other form of nutritional approach?

RD: As an FDN provider, the first thing you get is tremendous recognition from the client/patient that you are the first provider they met that offered them a way to discover why they are having symptoms.  Clients really appreciate that.  I mean, their eyes really light up when the test results totally match their complaints, and you are explaining functionally, why they have felt so lousy for so long.  We call that match up “clinical correlation” and we’ll teach you to get clients to this level.  The credibility you gain is very helpful.  Especially when a lot of clients have been told by doctors that it’s all in their head!

With FDN you walk your client through the intake and testing process step by step, and educate them on what the test results mean, and work together with them to make the necessary improvements.

So, probably the biggest advantage for an FDN are the tools that we use to identify the malfunctions of the organs and systems, plus the underlying and hidden stressors that caused the dysfunction.  Our detective work zeroes right in on the real problem.  Once you are working on the causal level, your clients will make significant improvements in the way they feel, and more often than not, actually resolve many common health complaints.

TG:  How easy is it for personal trainers to become FDN trained and how will it help their business?

RD: As long as you have a decent computer and internet access it’s really easy to take the course.  You can register online at www.fdnmanager.com and take all the lessons online at your own pace.  Once you get a log-in key, you can access all the lessons, videos, recordings and exams at your own convenience.  You should be familiar with MS Excel and Word and be able to open and save files to a computer.  The actual case files where I recorded the live consultation are incredible learning tools.

You’ll also run a saliva and urine test on yourself! And the course includes a mentorship program for a mock up client that we walk you through, plus your own first two real clients.  So besides the online course time, there is interactive time with a mentor that shows you the ropes.

You can charge whatever you want to dispense test kits and interpret the results and make your recommendations to the client.  Personally, I charge the about $200 per hour for FDN results and recommendations counselling, but I have graduates that charge more.  Many alternative doctors who don’t even offer FDN charge much, much more for their work.  I think that once you become familiar with the clinical model we teach, you’ll see your own way to increase your income using FDN and functional lab testing.

TG:  What does an average day involve for you?

RD: I work at my computer and phone, both day and night helping FDN trainees get through the course, working with my FDN Mentors and my webmaster, and my own researching and writing projects.  I stopped taking new clients a while ago but I refer new people to my FDN graduates and help them along. We have FDNers in 13 countries so far, so that keeps me pretty busy.  I also work one day a week for BioHealth Diagnostics Laboratory, assisting doctors all over the U.S. with test result interpretations and case management.  I spend as much time as possible at seminars or in teleconferences learning functional diagnostics.  And I also like to box and ride my bike when I get the chance.

TG:  Who have been your major influences in the world of health, fitness and nutrition?

RD: Well, there was the book by Naburo Muramoto I mentioned, I read that about a hundred times since I was 19 years old.  No doubt there are countless teachers and lecturers, but mostly I have to thank Dr. LeiLani Vidal, a really good chiropractor that taught me how to run a busy practice and for all the training we attended together over the years.  Dr. William Bailey, D.O., has been my medical director for about 9 years now and a good friend who mentors me on the medical side of things as well as the osteopathic side.  William Wolcott, the world’s leading authority on Metabolic Typing is a mentor and friend and co-researcher who prompted me to start the FDN Certification course. I’m especially glad he wrote the book “The Metabolic Typing Diet” which jumped off the shelf at me years ago and started our journey together. David Vaughan is one of the top clinical nutritionists in the world and developer of Foodpharmacy Software, he has helped me develop FDN. As well as Dr. Alan Weinstein a PhD and DC who has been very helpful.  I also have to thank Dr. David Singer, the most productive chiropractor in the world who taught me how to do lectures and health screenings, but also how to develop and stick to ones purpose in life.

TG:  What has been your most rewarding moment in the Wellbeing industry so far?

RD: I can give you many, many examples of the joy that one feels after helping a fellow being to completely overcome a long-term chronic health condition simply because we found the underlying cause, instead of just treating symptoms.

One woman was really depressed, because she was overweight, which was due to medication she was on for a chronic skin rash and hives. Once we discovered the cause of her skin problem, she got off the meds within nine days, then started losing weight and became her old cheerful self again.  It sounds simple to us now, but her doctor had told her that she had her choice – either take the medicine and accept being fat, or don’t take the medicine and deal with really itchy skin.  When she became depressed, he offered to write another prescription for depression!

Another woman was diagnosed bi-polar, plus overweight, plus severe acne. She was able to get off all meds, lose the weight and clear up her skin within 12 months and, no surprise here, her psychiatrist decided that she wasn’t bi-polar anymore!

I’ve worked with adults and children that overcame asthma attacks, migraines, obesity, sleep issues, CFS, IBD and many, many, very satisfying cases.

TG:  In your opinion how important is the link between nutrition and physical activity?

RD: Very important, critical in fact.  We all would agree that you must exercise to remain healthy and live a long, high quality life. In order to exercise properly, you need good energy production on a cellular level. To restore vitality, to condition the heart, to build your lung power and increase stamina, etc. – you must give the body all the nutrients that it genetically requires.  Just as importantly, we should refrain from eating or ingesting the things that are harmful and that eventually cause malfunction.  The wrong diet for your type, low blood sugar, foods that you are sensitive to, foods with chemicals — they are all very stressful to the body.  Even eating whole foods can be stressful when you have sensitivities to any of them, so part of FDN includes identifying those foods and additives and eliminating them.

TG:  If you could only give someone one piece of advice on how to improve their levels of wellbeing what would it be?

RD: Realize that symptoms are a signal from the body that something is wrong.  If the red light comes on the dash board, most people wait a day or two to see if it goes off, then they take the car in to find out the cause.  But when it comes to our bodies, many of us ignore the symptom, even calling it normal. Or we just take something that makes us feel better for a while.  That is equivalent to unplugging the light instead of fixing the problem.   So if you can’t sleep, or have no energy or no vitality or you are overweight, or skin problems or just about any other problem, make a decision that you will find the root cause and don’t give up until you find it.

TG:  How do you see the FDN system developing in the future?

RD: The FDN system provides a model of health care that can be practiced and coached by well trained and caring people all over the globe.  We help others to restore normal function and return to normal health, and even maintain superior health!  FDN can add life to one’s years, not just add more years to one’s life.  Besides reducing medical costs, I see FDN as a way to improve quality of life in general.  By disseminating FDN knowledge all over the world, we may actually put some power into the hands of the people, and out of the control of those who would take advantage of us.

TG:  What does the future hold for you?

RD: I’m going to be pursuing my mission and purpose, which is to educate as many people as possible about FDN, so that they, in turn, may educate others.

TG:  Reed, thanks for sharing with us! It has been a pleasure.

Geralyn is an inspirational trainer, who over her career to date has done a lot of things.  She is well know on the media circuit, having appeared in many magazines and on TV shows talking on the subject of health, nutrition and wellbeing.  She also ahs soem books out and operates a well respected personal training consultancy.  I will let her tell you the rest!

Tom Godwin: May I first of all thank you for giving up time in your busy day to take part in this interview.

TG:  Let’s start from the beginning, what is your background in the wellbeing industry?

GC: I used to be a couch potato growing up.  Never exercised at all, never played on a sports team, nothing. I assumed I would just get fat and out of shape in adulthood.  But in college, I started working out.  I lost about 20 lbs, totally changed the way I looked at felt.  I fell in love with exercise and being in the gym.  After college, I worked in various careers outside of fitness, but I didn’t enjoy any of them.  Then I read a book entitled, “Do What You Love The Money Will Follow” by Marcia Sinetar.  I decided to spend my day doing what I love and I got certified to be a group fitness instructor and a personal trainer.  That was 18 years ago.

TG:  You have become somewhat of a media personality, with many TV appearances and having been featured in a number of magazines.  Can you tell me a bit about what started your involvement with the media?

GC: Years ago while managing a small facility in NYC, I would occasionally be asked to comment on a fitness topic or design a workout for a magazine.  Then I was approached to be on a TV Show developed by Prevention Magazine, then later one on The Fine Living Channel.  The more media work you do- as long as you do it well (and that means being a good partner with the media)–  the more likely you are to stay top of mind and word spreads that you’re a good resource. You end up in more and more people’s contact files.  Blogging and being on the internet help a lot, too.

TG:  You new book Fit and Female is now out, can you tell me what sets this apart from other similar books on the market?

GC: The book actually came out in Sept. 2006, but it’s still selling well three years later.  It’s a book about self acceptance, realistic goals and what a lot of women go through mentally relative to their body image.  I’m very honest about my own painful experiences in the book.  Many women have written me to say that they felt sure that they were the only one who felt this way and it was a tremendous relief to know that their experiences were common – and that a fitness professional has been through the same struggles and came through the other side.

TG:  Can you tell us a little about you Best Me Ever system, and how it came about?

GC: I wanted a system that would simplify fitness for the busy mom who feels she can’t take care of herself because her day is so chaotic.  I wanted to design an easy way that she could fit eating right, exercise and motivation into her day.

There are 3 separate workouts that can be done in 5 min segments, so women can do as much (or as little) as their time or fitness level will allow.  Plus I included a bonus “Target Toning” video – a quick workout that hits the areas women want to firm up the most.

The healthy eating guide is designed to demystify the idea of “dieting” and create strategies that fit easily into the active woman’s daily life.  To keep them on track, I have 2 audio CDs.  The first is a motivational CD to provide a “kick in the pants” when people are falling off the proverbial wagon.  The second is a relaxation CD designed to help reduce stress either before the day begins or at the end of the day before retiring.

TG:  What would you say is the most important attribute that a personal trainer must poses and why?

GC: To genuinely listen to your client and do your utmost to give them what they need, while educating them on things that they may not be aware of which can help their health and well-being.  Compassion would be number one…followed closely by staying up to date.  This field is changing every single day, if you are not constantly learning – you will be a dinosaur in the industry before you know it.  We all need to educate ourselves on an on-going basis to give the client the best possible service.

TG:  What would you say has been the high point of your career so far?

GC: I’ve had a lot of “pinch me” moments.  Being on The Today Show was one, meeting some of the giants in our industry and being able to speak with them peer to peer…but probably the best was last year when a group of my managers gave me a spontaneous outburst of applause, cheers and some standing ovations after a workshop that I’d organized.  It was an outpouring of support and emotion which let me know that they were very appreciative of the work that I’m doing in my “day job” as the head of personal trainer education for Equinox Fitness.

TG:  What would you say is the best part of your job?

GC: Sharing people’s lives with them.  I’ve been there when clients peed on a stick and found out they were pregnant. I’ve been a brides maid in a client’s wedding and a guest a countless others.  I’ve been at their kids’ birthday parties.  I’ve held their babies just hours after they were born.  It’s a privilege to share people’s lives with them.  To enhance their lives and to feel the love and appreciation that they have for the value you bring to them.

TG:  If you could only give someone one tip to improve their levels of health and wellbeing, what would it be?

GC: Be kind to your body.  Feed it nourishing foods, do things that make you feel better afterwards – not beat up and miserable.  Don’t go to extremes of any sort.  Make smart choices most of the time and the rest will take care of itself.

TG:  What does your average day look like?

GC: I get my son off to school.  I workout for about an hour cardio about 4-5 days/week (I love to run or hike if the weather’s nice) and 2-3 days per week I do some resistance training.  Then I’m at my desk most of the day working on projects for the department, doing media interviews some days. I have dinner with my family, help my son with his homework and get him ready for bed.  After he’s tucked in I usually try to work on a blog, or an upcoming project like the book that I am working on now.  I’m also a big Facebook person, too.  I love staying connected with people from all areas of my life.

TG:  What motivates you to go to work each day?

GC: The notion that I’m making the industry better in some small way both for individual trainers and their clients – and for the industry (hopefully) as a whole.  I get to touch the lives of more that 1200 trainers, who in turn impact the lives of thousands of clients.  To me that’s an honour and a privilege that I don’t take lightly.

TG:  Thanks for giving up some of you time to share with us, it has been awesome!

My pleasure!!  Thank you!!!

To find out more about Geralyn have a look at her website.

Leigh Peele is a Certified Personal Trainer and the mind behind the Fatloss Troubleshoot Book and Pod Casts.  This interview gives  you an insight into how it all came about and what the future holds, enjoy!

Tom Godwin: May I first of all thank you for giving up time in your busy day to take part in this interview.

TG:  Let’s start from the beginning, what is your background in the wellbeing industry?

LP: My technical qualifications are loads of certifications and CEU’s. My normal lead off certification is from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I am a particular fan of their teaching styles, but at the end of the day no certification is perfect.

I write for websites, my blog, and you might find me in a magazine here or there. I basically do the technical things I have to do so that I can work with people because that is what I love. I love helping people figuring out answers to the problems they are having.

TG:  I have been an avid listener to your ‘Ask Leigh’ podcast for a while now, it is awesome.  What prompted you to establish it?

LP: I get asked a lot of questions all the time. I got to the doctor, dentists, with clients, my friends, etc. Over the past year I just kept getting email after email of questions from people and I couldn’t keep up and I also was trying to figure out my new podcast format and it hit me that this would be the best solution. Now thought I just have more people writing in questions ha so I don’t know if it was a good idea after all

I like trying to give as much as I can to my readers and customers. So many fitness professionals like to hold their “secrets” for their products only. Funny, I don’t have a problem telling all my secrets and I still do fine.

TG:  Your ‘Fat Loss Troubleshoot’ e-book has been hugely popular, can you tell us a little about how this book came about?

LP: It started out as a message board sticky thread and then someone it has just evolved into this book and collection of programs and manuals. I was seeing these same problems and these same questions over and over again and no one was getting anywhere. People were just bouncing from method to method but not understanding what was at the base of fat loss in the first place. It was so frustrating for them and so I put together the book that basically teaches you how to “fish” for fat loss. It gives you all the details you need to know about it, how to troubleshoot various problems, and different programs you can use.

I am forever updating it and am pulling it again right now to add even more stuff. I am sure in 10 years it will be on par with Britannica.

TG:  If you could give one tip to a person who wanted to loose weight what would it be?

LP: Keep it simple. Too often I see people over complicate things and try to focus to much on supplements, weird training methods, or the next big thing. For thousands of years people have been losing weight the exact same way, a deficit. Everything else is about optimizing and for health. Get the simple down first and then learn how to spice it up.

TG:  You have worked with clients with all kinds of wellbeing goals (e.g. weight loss, endurance, post natal, etc…), do you have a particular favorite that you enjoy working with and why?

LP: One that asks questions. The clients that get the most out of me are the ones that use the time we have wisely and grill me. I look at working with me as a short term chance to get an education and change your life. I am not a rep counter and if that is what you want go log on to meetup.com.

So I like working with people that really want to learn and change their lives. I don’t want to get by on average, I want the billboard everytime.

TG:  What would you say is the most important attribute that a personal trainer must poses?

LP: Critical thinking and the discipline for self education. You are not going to learn what you need from one certification and you aren’t likely to get much more help in the gym.  You have to make a daily effort to keep up with new things that are happening in the field and get better at the tried and tested skills.

You know everyone has a different level that they want to be at and a different period of time it will take for them to get there, but if you give it your best in educating your then you are already ahead of 90% of them out there.

TG: In my opinion constant self education is vital to keep a personal trainer on top of their game.  What do you do to make you one of the leading personal trainers of the day?

LP: I read until I am tired, I train until there is no one left to work with, and I make it my life. To some degree this will only last so long because I am getting to a point of maintaining, meaning that it is mostly about learning about new information that is coming up. I had to spend so much time getting caught up that I am finally starting to get a little comfortable in the everyday. I won’t say I don’t have a life, but I will say that I went to my own personal college while working, and it isn’t easy.

If you really want to be good you have to read things something you don’t care about reading and train whoever you can get your hands on.

TG:  What would you say has been the high point of your career so far?

LP: Good question. You know I have had the luxury of quite a large number of clients of mine become trainers. I had this one woman I worked with who was 200lbs, stuck in a desk job, and a inch away from giving up on life all together. She turned it all around and no only lost all the fat and looks amazing, became a trainer and in college to become a physical trainer. It doesn’t get much better than that.

TG:  What would you say is the best part of your job?

LP: I know this is going to sound so scripted but I really never get tired of helping and inspiring people to change their lives. I know that I wouldn’t be where I am had people not helped me change the course of my life and I feel like in this way I am paying it forward.

TG:  What does the average day look like for you?

LP: Well right now I am doing something a little different than I normally do. Normally I am was working with clients locally doing private training or bootcamps. Right now though I am working with a friend of mine on training his staff and their clients to optimize communication to further results and it is amazing. The turn around in results for the entire club already is worth its weight in salt, no pun intended.

When I am not doing that right now I am finishing up my new project Body By Eats, doing the podcast, the blog, and trying not to get on facebook too much when I should be reading research.

TG:  So what does the future hold for you?

LP: My goal in person is to have my own facitiy, I don’t like bosses and will never work for one. That being said I desire my own shop so that is certainly apart of my future.

I also am going to be releasing Body By Eats in October and I am hoping it is going to really put a spin on a lot of things out there right now involving food.

TG:  Thanks for giving up some of you time to share with us, it has been awesome!

LP: Thanks for having me!

For more info on Leigh’s products and services click here.  Also if you are a I-tunes user look up Leigh’s hugely popular Fatloss Troubleshoot broadcasts.  To go with that there is the Fatloss Troubleshoot Book!

John Izzo is a role model for many personal trainers out there, he has lead the way in the industry for a number of years being top of his game in both the technical aspects of personal training but also in the business side.  For a number of years John has also helped to teach the next generation of personal trainers and help to give them a solid foundation of education and application to allow them to go out and make a positive impact in the lives of their clients.

John Izzo

Tom Godwin: First of all may I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule for this interview.

John Izzo: Tom, I’m flattered to be asked. Thank you very much for this opportunity.

TG: What first got you interested in the Personal Training industry?

John: Geez…I think it was my passion to better myself with these crazy looking metal things called plates and barbells…hehehe. When I saw improvements in my strength, appearance, and performance—I felt better physically and I had an optimistic outlook on life. That feeling was –and still is– addicting and I truly believe, what separates people from “living” their life versus “life living them”. When I was in my first fitness-type job, I was a YMCA fitness instructor working part-time while I was finishing up my undergrad degree. As for weight-lifting, I started weight-training at a local Boys Club, and then I joined a neighbourhood health club called Body-Force (no longer around). So by the time, I got my first “fitness job”, I was pretty familiar with exercises in general. During my stint with the YMCA, members were approaching me constantly for advice, opinions, and assistance. This was around 1998-99, and the personal training industry, as a whole, was just starting to take off. I enjoyed helping people in the gym with exercises or simply feeding them my advice. When I researched what a ‘personal trainer’ was…I kind of fell into it. I think you discover that the things you are good at seem to find you—rather than you find it.

TG: You are a very influential person in the world of personal training, maybe you could give us a brief outline of your background in the industry?

JI: I started lifting weights when I was 15. I purchased my first weight set from a department store and it contained cement filled plates. I built a pseudo-gym in my attic and worked out with my cousin. About a year later, I started lifting weights with my friend at a local Boys Club. I was a sponge to constantly learn the newest and latest techniques to make me stronger and leaner. I was working out constantly and taking numerous supplements, and reading tons of magazine articles. By the time I got to college, I had grown to 175 pounds and bench pressing 315 and squatting 420. I was athletic and decided to pursue a “health” degree because I wanted to learn more and more about how overall health is something that we can “control”.

Growing up, I saw old people become sick, or become sedentary. I thought that was part of life and that health was an aspect that we as a human species could not control. So with my undergrad studies, I wanted to learn more about how communicable disease, nutrition, physical activity, stress, and health-care affect our overall being. I figured if I can control certain factors in my life, my health and life could further be enhanced. In 2000, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Promotion. Shortly thereafter, I picked up my personal training certifications through ACE and NASM.

TG: Who have been you major influences within the industry?

JI: Oh gosh…there are so many. I actually started a blog post for the month of August outlining my top 10 most influential people in my life. As far as fitness industry—I would have to go with firstly, Juan Carlos Santana. When I first heard and saw JC speak –I knew he was the type of trainer we all wanted to become. He was energetic, compassionate, motivating, and empathetic. He was strong, knowledgeable, and he had a presence. He is the total package when it comes to being a trusted fitness professional. He knows how to talk to clients, deal with different people everyday—from MMA fighters to grandmothers—and he is a loving family man. I was fortunate enough to interview him and he was a great contribution to my website: www.IZZOSTRENGThtraining.com.

Other influences include Coach Mike Boyle. When his book “Functional Training for Sport” came out, it made me look at my own training in a different light. I really bagan to understand that you can train general population clients like athletes, as long as they are progressed appropriately. I’ve seen Mike speak 5 times and every time, I take something away that makes me shake my head and say “yeah, that’s it or that’s why”.

I really like Gray Cook. His FMS screens make my job easier. His work really influenced me to look at the ENTIRE body—not just the working muscles.

From a business standpoint, I think Alywn Cosgrove has really intrigued me. He has an undeniable business savvy about him and alot of it has to do with his content, his research, and how his audience digests his information. Year after year, Alwyn puts together great products that work and are scientifically sound. That is great for business and you can’t beat that.

I also like Eric Cressey—I love his writing! He puts out great info that is backed up by research and his real-world experience—and he practices what he preaches.

I also have some personal influences that have helped me be just an overall better person and professional.

TG:  Of your many achievements in the world of fitness, what would you say has been you best to date?

JI: I think my contributions to NASM’s (National Academy of Sports Medicine) textbook for the Introductions to Personal Training course. I think what makes it sweeter to me, is that I was contacted by NASM because they found some of my writings online—mainly through my book ‘Secret Skills of Personal Training”, and they enjoyed the information that I provided to entry level trainers. That is what I set out to do, is simply educate new trainers that step foot into the industry with really no clear “map”. I try to set their right foot forward to lead them into the direction that leads to long-term success as a professional. And to be recognized by NASM to help out with its mission was an excellent honour. It is a solid organization with really knowledgeable people at the helm. I support NASM as an education provider and advocate their curriculum because I believe it is the most complete and concise way to develop training programs.

TG:  What would you say is the most important attributing factor that a personal trainer must possess and why?

JI: I think it is important for trainers to become fitness professionals. And by that I mean is act professional. I meet too many trainers that have not become fitness professionals yet, because they carry themselves in a lackadaisical demeanour within the business. Many trainers—even online—make too many jokes, show less and less compassion, ridicule, or don’t carry a sense of understanding towards the general public—which consists of many of their potential clients! Many trainers are too engulfed with their looks, cell phone, texting, relationships, or they simply don’t know how to carry themselves around public. And lot of them, go into the field thinking that they can make their own hours, live freely, and become millionaires. But the sheer truth is, most live pay check to pay check and they don’t know why that is. If they can simply “tune-up” their character, and act in a more dignified professional manner, I guarantee their business will take off.

In order to become a professional and be referred to as a “professional”, it takes performing some self-inventory AND a little coaching. The situation with the industry today is, many trainers become certified and go off to work on their own–creating their own business. So, these new trainers don’t have anyone there to provide comparison, feedback, or critiscm. So I ask you: how do you grow as a professional when you don’t have a “business mirror”? Every working stiff needs a scale to measure their value in a profession. It is how you grow towards success.

I think I learned the importance of projecting a professional image when I became a manager. It made a world of difference, when I sat across a table with 4 different trainers and noticed that the education and passion to train was there—but the attitude was not.

TG: You have released a number of great Personal Trainer Education products, such as your ‘Eye of the Trainer’ and ‘Moving More Muscles’ DVD’s.  I understand you are in the process of releasing a new DVD, ‘The Shatter Proof Spine’ can you give us a little more information about it?

JI: Thanks for asking. Shatterproof Spine is my latest DVD product and my first in 2 years. I conduct workshops for trainers that are interested in learning information from reputable sources, and maybe are not familiar with seminars like Perform Better or big names like Cook, Boyle, or Cosgrove. So, I created a smaller-scale workshop format that typically gets up to a dozen trainers to attend. In my latest product, Shatterproof Spine, I talk about the issues I come across daily working with golfers with bad backs. I’ve seen it time and time again—where desk workers become prone to back pain and it robs them of life. It robs them of playing golf, playing with kids, or simply mowing their lawn. So, after reading alot of the materials put out by Start McGill, Shirley Sarhmann, and Dr. Larry Foster, I decided to condense it down into an easy to understand lecture and practical. During the video, I show slides of actual clients of mine, assessments, and exercise drills that I put together to help those with bad backs.

I think from a personal standpoint, it shows my growth from say 2 years ago. My public speaking skills have improved over the years and my use of powerpoint makes it easy for the attendants to firmly grasp the concept. You can check out a one minute video preview of the DVD here: http://www.izzostrengthtraining.com/Shatterproof_Spine_DVD.html

TG: You have a hugely successful blog (http://lifeofapersonaltrainer.blogspot.com/), where do you get your ideas for posts from?

JI: Thanks. My blog is really—exactly what I think about on a daily basis. It is a collection of things I deal with from exercise programming, client issues, meeting with other trainers, or personal thoughts that I put on paper. Sometimes, I get an idea for an article and it comes out in a blog post—and it usually consists of a topic that I find many people having a hard time digesting. In the age of the internet, so many of us are quick to recite word for word what “so-so” wrote or the latest research—but many don’t realize that once the program is developed, delivering it to the client, executing it, and maintaining it are a whole different story. I want to show that side of it. I’m not the only one, there are tons of fitness professionals that do what I do—and I think it’s important to show the “trenches” side of personal training. It seems there is too much emphasis on glam and money in this industry. If you really put your heart into something that you love, its not always sunshine’s and rainbows.

TG: What does the future hold for John Izzo?

JI: Well, I’m working on another project with NASM focusing on the business aspect of personal training. I can’t say too much about it, but I am co-writing some material with them. With the release of Shatterproof Spine, I’m hoping that the fires will really catch in the industry and consumers will find that my products are educational and there is nothing I make that “promises” you millions. I give you the tools—to make you better. If you can make yourself a better professional, the millions will follow!

I will continue to write articles for my website and other online publications. I am putting together a calendar for 2010 of interviews I will be conducting. I’m going to try to get some pro’s back on that really gave me a good stuff this past year. I would like to also follow up with another book. Secret Skills of Personal Training is gaining some steam, so I’d like to add more information to it with a follow up book. I am getting married in 3 more months, so my time has been dedicated to clients, lifting, and wedding plans—but as soon as things settle down, I plan on pursing my NASM-CES certification (corrective exercise specialist). So, things look…busy. But I don’t mind it. I like hard-work. It makes me feel like I accomplished something—just like snatching a heavy weight or hitting a PR. You feel good afterwards…

TG: Thanks for your time John!

No problem. Thanks!!

Now that you have heard a little about John, why not have a look at his awsome range of DVD’s and books that are a must in the collection of any personal trainer, or fitness enthusiast.  Find out more here.