At one point or another at least several times in our lives we all make a commitment to getting healthy, joining the gym and working out. While our motivation may be high that particular New Year’s Eve, before our champagne even loses its fizz, we are already deciding that we might be better off saving that resolution for the following year! I am guilty of this too having started and stopped at my attempts to get healthy. With more of my life behind me than ahead of me and after several major changes in my life this past year, I decided the time to get serious is NOW! Living with HIV, nearing the big 5- 0 and recently making my relationship with a much younger guy very official, I began looking at those things in my life to help improve the quality of it. One of those things was to quit smoking (which I am proud to say I have done) and the other was to get into shape. Now I have no delusions about being a body builder or looking like I am twenty again. My goal was and is to simply be as healthy as I can be. With that in mind I joined the gym and made several lifestyle changes. Knowing that I have joined the gym before only to go several times and leave with little else but a severe case of “intimidation”, I realized I had to do something different. Watching my roommate’s amazing transformation of the past few weeks, I was most moved by her motivation and where it was coming from. Physically, she is already a different person. Having lost over 30 pounds in the last two months, she seems to be so much more energetic and has gotten great health results. Mentally, she is determined more than ever to keep up with this life change. She began her journey with no expectations about specific weight loss or anything else. She merely wanted to get healthy! Her new secret weapon: a PERSONAL TRAINER!. Following my roommate’s lead and advice, she introduced me to her personal trainer, Aquil McNair and I decided to see what the benefits of having a personal trainer would be!

D.M.: Thanks for sitting down with me Aquil! First and foremost, could you please share the benefit of having a personal trainer with us?

A.M.: The greatest benefit to having a personal trainer is the fact that the workout is customized to a client’s specific needs. A very careful assessment is the first thing that I do as a personal trainer with each client. We discuss expectations, limitations and from there, we work together on creating a regiment that fulfills the needs, gets results and is very “do-able”. When meeting a client for the first time, I make sure to take measurements and have them perform a five minute physical test to gauge their strengths and weaknesses. We discuss where they should be depending on their age and weight. I also discuss equipment as most people walking into a gym for the first time can feel intimidated, as you stated earlier and feel lost in the sea of equipment. This can be the beginning of creating a negative or discouraging experience and lead to a person giving up. Its important to also educate the client so they feel empowered walking into the gym. A personal trainer is able to introduce the equipment to the client explaining its specific purpose and how to acclimate it into their workout. Another benefit is that I am able to also assist a client with an injury leading towards their recovery.

D.M. : How does having a personal trainer differ from the trainers that various gyms offer?

A.M. : There really is not a huge difference but gym management is looking for quantity rather than quality when it comes to their trainers getting clientele. Their pay is based on how many clients they have. They are encouraged to service many clients making a close, personal relationship with clients difficult. Without that close relationship, it is difficult to work specifically to that client’s need. A personal trainer should be able to cater to the needs of his/her client and really work with that client as much as needed. Also, a personal trainer has the ability to work with their clients either at a gym, their home, and a park or rec center as well. I prefer to work with the clients in an environment that not only meets their goals but is most comfortable for them. I am often able to provide specific equipment if needed.

D.M.: What are some of the most common misconceptions about working out?

A.M.: The most common of all misconceptions is that a person ONLY needs to work out to change their bodies for the better. This is WRONG. First and foremost, it all begins with a person’s diet. You can do all the ab workouts you want but unless you change your diet accordingly, you will not get the results you want. Diet and nutrition are a MUST when designing a work out program to affect healthy change. You cannot continue to eat as you normally do when you begin a workout regiment. Nutrition is the key to getting fit and transforming your body. It involves not only what you eat but how much you eat and the timing of your meals. Working out is breaking down your muscles. After a workout you need to feed your muscles as they are depleted and crying out for nutrients. It is important to get that protein back into the muscle to repair them. I take the time to discuss proper nutrition with my clients when we discuss their goals so that we are on the same page. Reaching a desired goal must include new and healthy eating habits. Another example of a nutrition misconception is that all carbs are bad for you. This is not true. A few other misconceptions are that lifting weights will get you “cut” and weight lifting for women will get them the same muscle mass as a man, and that taking supplements is bad. A big misconception that many do not realize is that doing hours and hours of only cardio will give a client a lean body. Cardio is a basic and good but will not allow them to achieve that goal on its own. I have found that many of my clients have tried again and again on their own to get healthy and often give up feeling defeated when they are not getting results. Coming to a certified personal trainer like me has helped them achieve their results. Whether you start up with a trainer and move on by yourself or stick with that trainer as you move ahead is a decision that an individual can make as they form a new healthy regiment achieving their desired results. I allow my clients to become empowered so that they have control over their bodies in a way that they were not able to do so before.

Well there you have it folks. In a nutshell, getting healthy is more then just looking good. In a community where we value personal appearances so very much, it is also important to not forget your overall health. I struggled myself when looking at prices of a personal trainer and have found that cutting out a cup of Starbucks coffee each day or even the monies I am now saving by not smoking are invested much better in something like a trainer who can get me to my healthiest. Think about that the next time you get some disappointing news from your doctor or find yourself feeling less then good a majority of the time and just cannot find the motivation to go to the gym, etc. Aquil has graciously offered an additional 10% off of his service fees which are already lower then most others I have priced out. Just mention this ad when contacting him for your discount. As you can see from his picture here, he practices what he preaches and is the picture of great health!

You can contact Aquil at: aaramc8@gmail.com or Q-Body on FB

Pricing is as follows:

$35 for initial assessment

$45 for one full hour of training

OR

$220 for six training sessions

OR

$400 for 12 sessions with the 13th session free!