Intensity. That is what this blog post is about. This blog post is going to be fun. It is all about my former client, Ryan. Why is he a former client? Unfortunately for me, Ryan has his own business in California. And when that business needs Ryan’s attention, other priorities get kicked to the curb. One of those priorities would be me. 🙂
Ryan contacted me in February 2013. Ryan was what I like to call an “established” client. By that term, I mean that he worked with other trainers before. He had done many different types of training from Crossfit to kettlebell training. But his intensity in those programs was well-known. So when someone with Ryan’s background comes to me, I need to be cognizant that he already has a good background in exercise.
Ryan had basically fallen off the horse. He had gained 35 pounds and was feeling miserable. Most of that weight was around his gut. He had borderline high cholesterol and a history of family heart disease. He needed that spark to get him back on track with his health and to be healthy for his recently newborn son.
So why am I referring to Ryan as a personal trainer’s crush? First off, just look at that “after” picture. He is the first client to send me an “after” photo with his shirt off! (I like giving him crap about that…in fact, my new nickname for him is Sexy Beast!) 🙂
Seriously, Ryan already had a lot of equipment in his garage. He basically had a mini gym. He had kettlebells, some dumbbells, BIG medicine balls, suspension straps, a pull-up bar, etc., etc.
And over the course of the year that we worked together, he kept adding more stuff!
Ever hear of battle ropes? If not check this out. He actually bought these and they were much thicker than those in the video. He just upped the intensity by buying thicker ropes. THAT was a lot of fun!
Now my other clients may be offended by this statement, but Ryan is, by far, the single most intense client I have ever trained. I am not saying that my other clients don’t bust their butts, but Ryan took his intensity to a whole new level.
Ryan did my 30-minute routines just like everyone else. The difference is that Ryan would essentially go as fast and as hard as he possibly could. Those 10-second breaks were just that. And everything that I threw at him he would do without complaining! Do you know how rare that is? (Okay, I do remember him questioning my sanity a few times about what I wanted him to do.)
The other thing that stands out is if there were around 2-3 minutes left in a session, I usually will just say, “we’re good” depending on how hard the has client worked.
Ryan would have none of that.
Even after I just basically kicked his ass, made him sweat like no one’s business, and had him physically shaking from fatigue, HE WOULD ASK FOR SOMETHING ELSE TO FINISH THE SESSION! Most of the time, it was grabbing those battle ropes and going to town.
That is what I call intensity!
There were times that I questioned myself and thought that maybe I was taking it a little too far. But Ryan pushed through and made sure that he finished every set to failure. Not just some sets…EVERY…SINGLE…SET.
Thus, Ryan made me develop a little personal training crush on him. 😉
But training Ryan alone did not get him to lose the 35 pounds. He changed his outlook on his diet too. He realized certain foods were making him feel like crap. He got rid of all the processed stuff and started eating real, unprocessed, wholesome foods. He turned me on to a lot of CSAs and local farms/ranches that only produced real foods coming from the source.
He also worked out on his own as well. Ryan only met with me 2x/week for 30 minutes each time. But he would grab his kettlebells and do his own routines when I wasn’t there. He was dedicated to changing his life.
I am happy to say that after we stopped training in January of this year, Ryan has kept at it. Even though he is much busier with his business, he still finds time to fit exercise into his schedule. And he continues to eat the right way.
That is what a personal training crush is all about right?
It was DEFINITELY a great experience training Ryan. He is the epitome of what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. And I am very comfortable calling him a friend. Thank you, Ryan!
You can check out Ryan’s testimonial here.
Onward!
Dennis Blair
Core Fitness and Nutrition