A few months ago, Oak Harbor resident Spencer Peet realized he needed to lose weight.
Peet was experiencing health issues, and by his own admission, could barely tie his shoes. He bought a membership at Thrive Oak Harbor and started working out on his own. But after a few weeks, he wasn't seeing the results he had hoped for.
“All I did was make myself sore and not want to go back,” he said. “I really needed someone to help me get through a work out.”
Discouraged, but not defeated, Peet enlisted the help of an expert through Thrive's new 30-minute personal training sessions.
Peet was paired with Jason Mendiola, a certified trainer at Thrive Oak Harbor. The pair discussed Peet's current fitness state and his future goals.
“We talked about his physical condition, high cholesterol and injuries in the past. He'd broken his wrist and had bad ankles,” said Mendiola. “But his biggest concern was that he was overweight and had a high body fat percentage.”
Mendiola crafted a custom workout regimen specifically tailored to Peet's unique needs.
“We do a lot of intensity training anywhere from battle ropes to jumping jacks, with minimal rest between sets” said Mendiola. “I also added some strength and conditioning with free weights.”
In addition to providing the workout plan, Mendiola also helped teach Peet the proper technique for performing each of the exercises. So rather than just leaving the gym feeling sore all over, Peet feels sore in all the right places.
“The way he mixes things up, we're working multiple groups of muscles. And being just a half an hour, we have to get a lot of things in quickly,” said Peet.
In addition to gaining Mendiola's expert insights, Peet also benefits from having the accountability that a personal trainer provides: he's more apt to actually go to the gym when he has time scheduled with Mendiola.
And so far, the results have been encouraging.
“His conditioning is a lot better,” said Mendiola. “He's building stamina and endurance – especially muscle endurance. The progress he's made in a small amount of time is all a trainer could ask for.”
Not everyone clicks with their first trainer, but Peet and Mendiola have been a great match for one another so far.
“I wouldn't want anybody but Jason,” said Peet. “He keeps me motivated: always pumping me up.”
And for Mendiola, the experience has been rewarding, as well.
“His attitude toward the workouts is awesome,” said Mendiola. “He doesn't complain. He just gets it done, and follows it up with high fives and hugs with sweaty arms.”
Peet's results are not unique. There is a large body of research to confirm the benefits of working out with a personal trainer versus working out on one's own. Here are some examples.
After just two months, Peet feels more confident about working out on his own, but he plans to continue working with Mendiola in small group training sessions.
Are you hitting a wall in your workouts? Would you like to see if you can improve your conditioning?
Each Thrive Community Fitness location has a staff of certified personal trainers who can help you meet your fitness goals. Thrive is running a special through the end of the month for the Thrive Choice Memberships, which now includes free personal training, $0 enrollment and monthly dues of only $29.95. Click here to learn more.
Existing members can also upgrade to the Thrive Choice Membership and try out the new 30 minute training sessions by contacting the staff at their Thrive location.