How Real Fitness Programming Builds Strength And Confidence

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Welcome to There is a Method to the Madness. My name is Rob Maxwell and I'm an exercise physiologist and personal trainer. I am the owner of Maxwell's fitness programs and I've been in business since 1994. The purpose of this podcast is to get to the real deal of what really works and most importantly why things work. Hence the name, There is a Method to the Madness. Before I get to today's show, I want to thank Jonathan and Lynn Gilden of the Gilden Group at Realty Pros. They are committed to providing the highest level of customer service in home sales. Why don't you give them a shout and figure out what your home is worth? 386-451-2412. What is happening, everybody? Coach Rob here to give you some hopeful, helpful information in the world of health and fitness. I hope everybody has caught up with the podcast and listened to the last two about how to be a good personal training client and then how to be a good personal trainer. And then you put those two things together and hopefully you have a lot of success. I believe personal training is absolutely one of the best ways to get in better shape. I just really believe in personal coaching. And uh, you know, I'm 60 years old now, I've been doing this 31 years, so it's not like I really need to push, push, push for business because I'm very happy and grateful to say that I'm busy. It's just simply the truth. I mean, personal coaching really, really works. So on that note, I'm going to move into some of the programming that I believe absolutely works because uh I think it's important to put the information out there and have a good conversation as to what works, why it's worked, why I believe it works. So uh put on your seatbelt and let's get ready for that. So let's begin with talking about why that I say the programming has worked. Because it's been 31 years of being in business, and uh I've had clients all through that time period. And uh, you know, I'm writing a uh another book right now basically on the program itself, mostly because I really just enjoy putting my thoughts down on paper. It's a good meditation for me. And um I was thinking about all of the clients I've had for like over 20 years, and I was writing about how like if somebody doesn't make five or ten years, like they're really short timers. So, you know, I I don't think a business is going to have that kind of longevity of customers if what they're doing isn't working, and uh, you know, I just why would anybody continue to spend money over and over and over again if it wasn't helping them? I I really can't see any reason why somebody would. I mean, everybody, you know, values their money and uh their time, so I just don't see why they would. And so with that being the case, I believe that's why I can say that the program that I come up for everybody absolutely works. And um, you know, I also want to clarify that nowhere have I ever said it's the best program around because there I don't believe there is such a thing in the world of health and wellness right now, grifters, which we have so many of them out there selling everything. I'm not even gonna list some of the products, but with all the stuff being sold, including really programming, I mean, there's so many grifters out there trying to tell you what you need to do to get healthy and well, you know, and it's really no different than the old-fashioned snake oil salesman. We're just seeing it in different forms. So I'm not gonna do that. Like, I don't believe there is a best way to exercise. I think there are many great ways to exercise. I think there are many great strength training programs. So, you know, I just keep it as simple as the program that I come up with people works because that's the most important thing. So when I say it works, what does that mean? Well, I already stated that people aren't going to continue to spend money. Recurring customers are not gonna continue to spend money if something isn't working for them. So, what is that working that I'm talking about? I mean, through the years, what I see is people getting stronger, which is so critical for health. I see people improving their activities of daily living. That's like one of the big goals over the last decade, which I'm totally on board with, meaning that people want to be able to enjoy the things that they want to do, whether it be running, playing specific sports, playing with their grandchildren, running errands, you know, whatever it might be, being able to maintain a high quality of life. And there is no better tool to do that than strength training. There's absolutely no better tool than strength training on that. So I see that over and over and over. I mean, I really wish I had $10 for every time somebody says, you know, I wasn't able to do able to do that before, now I'm doing this again. And that's a good feeling because I feel it myself, like I'm able to do things, continue to do things that I want to do. And I know I owe that to a well put together and consistent strength training program. Longevity, I mean, that's another thing that I see works. I mean, you know, I don't know how true it is. I mean, I know that statistics kind of bear it out, but I mean, I've had clients through the years say, you know, I don't think if I'd be doing this all these years, I'd still be alive. And, you know, I don't know if that's true or not, but I know that people in their 90s said it, and I know people in their late 80s said it. So I'm gonna take their word for it. I just think that strength training absolutely helps us with that. All cause mortality, we call it. Uh, and you know, that's what I've seen through the years. I mean, I've had clients literally up to 99 years of age before. I mean, clearly there are a lot of things that they were doing right, you know, and there's genetics and all these things, but like I see that through the years. I see people working out with me in the gym and continue to stay healthy and do the things that they want to do. I mean, I've seen people look better after training, you know, just takes a month or so, a few months at the most, and you start looking at them and you go, wow, you know, you you look better. You have better tonicity, you you carry yourself better, your clothes are fitting better, you look more confident, you're staying upright. I mean, that's another way that I can say that uh it works because I see it with my own eyes. And then people telling me they feel better, that it's one of the best things that they've done. I mean, I hear that almost all of the time. So when I say it works, that's what I mean. And so when we look at the benefits of strength training, this is the stuff that I'm talking about. I mean, there are so many benefits to strength training. So that's what I see. And I just name the ones that come up often, the ones that I see that are so important. Let me add to that the people that have lost weight and lost body fat, and again, added tonicity, gained muscle because they were, you know, strength training now, raising their metabolism. So again, I see that all the time. So that's what I mean by it works. All right. So what makes it work? I think a big critical component to it all is programs. I think it's very, very important to distinguish that word. So the name of the business is Maxwell's Fitness Programs. I made it sure, I made sure, I mean, I was young when I came up with the name, but I made sure that it was very inclusive because I don't believe in just being a gym. Number one, I'm not a gym. I have a location where I train my clients. There is a big, big difference between the two. And and secondly, I don't believe in just boot camp style workouts. Like I know some people maybe look at it that way, you know, they meet their trainer, and maybe the trainer's more like a friend, and they do some kind of tough workout together. And, you know, that's that's great. Like I said, I don't believe that there's a best program, but I definitely think there are programs that work, and I think there are programs that are better. But like I don't know that that's necessarily best where you're just kind of like burning calories together a lot. Like you're working with your trainer and they're just helping you burn calories by basically filling up your 30 minutes or 45 minutes or hour, whatever it is, workout with just like busy work. You know, is it better than nothing? Most likely. I mean, that's probably better than you know, doing some unproductive things, but I don't believe in that. I believe in programming. Like I believe in making sure the person is doing what they should be doing. So I think that's a critical component as to why it works, because I don't look at it just like, oh, well, you know, go see the personal trainer and pay them for your 30 minutes or pay them for your 45 minutes or pay them for your hour, and now they're gonna keep me busy for an hour. And then the next day they're gonna do something, or two days from that, they're gonna do something similar, but maybe a little bit different. Like maybe this day they'll, you know, go to a spin class, maybe the next day they'll do a yoga class. I mean, whatever, but it's in my opinion, not the best way to have personal training. I I believe in programming, like I say it all the time, you know, my my common frequency working with people is two to three times a week. My common duration now working with most people is going to be about 30 minutes because I believe that's where we're gonna get a very, very effective strength training program. So let's just maximize that number out. We're we're talking 90 minutes a week. So if that's all the person did for their week, they're probably not going to get overly fit. Now, they will get stronger, don't get me wrong, that's going to be pretty much all they need to do duration, time, intensity-wise, for their strength training. But there's a lot more to getting in better shape than that. And so the bulk of the time is going to be spent strength training in a workout. Absolutely. I believe that's very, very, very important. But programming means that the trainer is making sure the person knows what to do in between, how many days a week they should be doing their cardiorespiratory exercise, what mode they should be doing, what intensity they should be doing. Some people need help with their diet. I mean, a lot of people need help with their diet. Now, I'm not overly big on working with people on too many diet issues anymore because it kind of burned me out. Because most of what people need to do regarding weight loss is going to be at home. Like they really need to eat better. There's no question about it. They need to learn to eat better, and you can't outrun a poor diet. I literally wrote a book about that. So we can't do that. Now, I've also seen a lot of people struggle with weight loss, and it gets very, very frustrating because they don't really want to do what I suggest. Now, that doesn't mean I don't ever help people with weight loss anymore. I do, but I absolutely don't prefer it like I used to anymore. So I still will work with people on their weight loss, but it's definitely not my preferred thing to do. That's why I wrote a book called You Can't Out Run a Poor Diet because I give it to them for them to read and get them to understand the concept that if you want to lose weight, energy in has to be less than energy out. Now, having said that, there's a lot more to health and fitness regarding diet than losing weight. If we don't eat appropriately, we're not going to get all of the benefits that we can get from a strength training workout. So if you're eating a crappy diet and fill in the blank however you want to determine what a crappy diet is. I don't have the time in this podcast to tell you, but I think you know what crap foods are. And I'm pretty sure you know what healthier foods are. If you're eating a crap diet and you're strength training, you are gonna still get some benefits. Again, I'm not one of these all or nothing type of people. You know, you will still get some benefits, but you're not gonna maximize your benefits unless you're eating right, unless you're eating the best of your abilities most days of the week. I always tell people to try to eat 80% well, 80% of the time. If you do that, you're gonna get a lot of benefits. So absolutely have to help people with their eating choices, whether it be what they eat before a workout, what they eat after a workout, what they eat during the day, give people food lists, tips, and all that stuff. So programming is a lot more than just meeting your client at the gym and taking them through a strength training workout. There also needs to be the homework and making sure that the person is doing what they're supposed to do. I tell people all the time when I meet them for a consultation, you know, I'm very picky about who I pick up as a client. I want to make sure that the person's gonna be successful. If they're working with me and they're not successful, that's a reflection of me too. So I absolutely don't want that. So I'm critical. I ask a lot of questions. I try to figure out how malleable a person is. I want to find out are they coachable? Are they gonna listen? Are they gonna do what I need them to do? And if they are, I take them as a client. If I don't, I don't. So I'm very, very careful about that when I work with somebody because I want somebody to be successful. So once they come in and I get them on a program, again, I want them to be successful. I want them to be walking around at Publix, and somebody comes up to them who they haven't seen in a while and they say, You look great. You look like you seem like you feel better, you know, your face is glowing, you're walking better, you look better. What are you doing? Oh, I'm I'm seeing this trainer guy. I'm going to this guy's program and it's working. Like, that's what I want. When people go to the doctor and they get better lipid profiles, and their weight maybe is better, and they look stronger, and their blood pressure is better, all those things. And the doctor says, What are you doing differently? Oh, I'm going to a trainer. Like, that's what I want. I want that. And if I'm not getting that, I have a problem. Like, yeah, I literally will fire somebody if I feel like they're not getting any better because I don't want that. I mean, it's boring for me to do the same old, same old all the time, and they're not a good reflection of what I'm doing out there. So I really want them to be successful. So having said that, it goes beyond the two to three times a week that I meet with them. There has to be a program that they're given, that they're told, either verbally or in writing, or both. In my case, I like to do both. I like to print something for them and then continue to ask them about it when I see them. And everybody's program is gonna be different. That's why it's called personal training. Like everybody's a little different. Some people don't need much of a cardio plan because they're already doing it and maybe they're doing too much. If anything, maybe I'll tell them, hey, you don't have to do so much. So some people don't need all of that, some people do. So it just depends. Some people, I'm gonna have to be like, look, here's your cardio plan. I need you to do 30 minutes, five times a week, walk at blank pace. Let me know every time you come in whether you've done that. Like some people will need that. Why? Because they're not going to do it. And I want them to do it because it is good for them. Some people you don't have to worry about at all. You say, you know, do your 30 minutes five times a week, try to keep it at a moderate tempo. They look at you and they go, you know, I do that all the time, right? Okay, so like that person doesn't need that kind of specific program. Everybody is different. All right, so moving on with the program. So, you know, I use science. I, you know, I'm I'm a field guy, like I'm pretty kinesthetic. Like, I think it's important to feel what you're doing regarding exercise and all that, but I'm also a number person, and it doesn't have to be like exact numbers, but I do believe that if you can measure it, you can manage it. So, a big part of my programming is that I like to do an assessment. I've gone back and forth on, you know, I'm I'm kind of a perfectionist, so I've kind of gone back and forth on different kinds of assessments. I mean, gosh, I've had them so intricate before and really technical, and you know, those are fine. And then I've had assessments where I'm working somebody out, and after I'm doing their vitals, like their blood pressure and their pulse, their saturation point and their resting heart rate, and those types of things, and then I do a workout with them and kind of see where their beginning weights are, and I assess their numbers and I've done it that way. But the bottom line is in the beginning, I like to assess where somebody is. It could be as simple as those things I just named, or are they able to do push-ups? And if so, how many? Are they able to squat properly? If so, how many in 30 seconds, whatever. I assess. I mean, it's a very important part of the process. We need to know where somebody is, and the better detail-oriented we are in the beginning, especially with postural stuff, because it is such a problem these days. So many people go to gyms, they get a trainer, and they start following a routine that somebody got off Instagram or somebody's doing that looks cool and all these exercises that look hard and everything. And then an expert trainer, exercise physiologist like myself or others, can look at it and go, Why are they doing so many pressing motions when they have such bad kyphosis in their upper spine? They should be doing the opposite. So it's it's stuff like that. Like you have to assess where is the person at posturally speaking, where are they at in their cardiovascular system, where are they at strength-wise, endurance-wise? Like we have to know. I like to put some numbers to it. Again, not everything could be measured, but we can do the best we can to measure. And so I start with that, because again, if you can measure it, you can manage it. And then the next part of my programming is goal setting. I don't always like I know generally speaking what their long-term goal is because they tell me, and that's one of the big key factors, is if I take them on as a client or not. You know, if they say, well, my ultimate goal is to just work out and have somebody to talk to when I work out, I'll be like, eh, that's not going to cut it for me long-term wise, because you know, I like to see people get better. It keeps me engaged in their program. So no. And by the way, nobody, hardly anybody has ever really said that. But they might come in and say, you know, I I see myself not being able to do the things I used to do. So I want to be able to do these things. Or I notice like my physique doesn't look like it used to. I feel like I'm flabby, my arms are flabby, you know, whatever. Or I'm playing sports and I'm not as good as I used to be. So I really want to get better. That's kind of like their overall long-term goal. And almost everybody adds the caveat to that, which is, and of course, I want to be healthier, which of course is part of the long-term goal. And from that, I'll establish some short-term goals for people. It could be be able to complete five push-ups if they can only do one in the beginning in four weeks, like be able to do five push-ups in four weeks. It could be improve on the beginning exercises by at least 25% by the end of the month, which most people can do. It could be possibly a weight goal, you know, here or there. Again, I like to stay out of that sometimes. If it's ADLs, it'll be be able to squat to a chair with my chest up before the end of the month. Things like that. So there's always going to be goal setting. And even with people, again, I've had for years and years and years. You don't always have to reassess when you're constantly assessing them in a proper workout. Like if you're doing a proper workout where you're sticking to it consistently and you're tracking the numbers, that's an assessment in itself. I told a client the other day who started maybe a couple months ago, and uh, you know, she wanted to learn how to work out. All those things already mentioned were part of her goals. And I said, you know, if you saw your beginning numbers from where we are now, you're gonna give yourself a huge pat on the back. Like right there, that's managing. The numbers. Somebody might start on the leg extension with 20 pounds and do 15 reps their first workout and think it feels really hard only six weeks later to be doing 50 pounds for 15 reps and tell me that it feels equally hard. And I'll say, Yeah, but you're using 30 pounds more than you used to. I mean, that's progress and that's really cool. Now I should add that eventually we are gonna peak. No question about there comes a point where we don't really raise those numbers anymore, and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with a peak. I like to set new goals because it I do it with myself. I've been training for over 40 years. God, I've been training for over 42 years. 43. I probably started consistently when I was 17. I'm setting new goals. I mean, I think it's very important to be goal-oriented, and I can say there's areas in my last decade where I'm more fit than I was when I was in my 20s. So I mean, we can continue to improve, but I think goal setting is absolutely a very, very, very important part of a good qualified program. So from there, then I build the exercise prescription. And the exercise prescription sounds super formal, uh, you know, formal, and I mean, I guess in some ways it is. I mean, to me, it's kind of like second nature, but you know, we do believe in applying certain principles like frequency, intensity, time, volume, exercise selection. All those things need to be considered. Like a haphazard routine just isn't overly effective. Like just pulling a program off of Instagram or choosing exercises that you see people do and go, oh, I want to do that for my butt, or I want to do that for my arms. I mean, that's again, probably better than nothing, but

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(Cont.) How Real Fitness Programming Builds Strength And Confidence

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overall good use of your time. And very not well spent if you're spending the money for a personal trainer. And there are plenty of trainers that will placate you that way. They'll be like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you like that. I'll show you how to do that exercise. And you know, they look like the hero of the day, and you go home and say, hey, you know, he showed me how to do this. I mean, yeah, that's gonna happen, but I mean, then it's like the inmates are running the asylum. I mean, a good program doesn't work that way. A good program is built like for what you need, not for what you think you might need. You probably are not the expert. So, you know, a good program is going to have an exercise prescription that takes into account frequency, intensity, duration, volume, the exercise selection, the amount of muscle groups chosen, and how that's all going to fit into your workout and your capabilities. That is a huge part of it, and it needs to be time efficient and it does need to be simple, meaning that it doesn't have to be overly complicated. I have been fighting against that for the last 31 years, like all these new fancy exercises people do, and most of the time they just need to stick to the basics. I mean, here's a great example right here. You get a lot of times, you know, glutes have become the big thing again, and there's nothing wrong with that. Like, having strong glutes is critical, I believe, to posture and your ADLs. Like they are very important and they are very neglected. For example, most guys, when they're younger, when they squat, they don't go down very low or they don't go down low enough, and so they end up building up these huge massive quads because it's the quads basically from 45 degrees down to the top, is almost all quads. So they develop these huge quads and then they literally have a pancake butt. They walk around their Levi's, and you can't see any butt, right? And women are a little bit better because women tend to be a little more focused on the glutes when they're younger, so they kind of like do more appropriate exercise. I mean, we are pretty smart as human beings figuring out what works for us and what doesn't, so they tend to be a little bit better. But having said that, the glutes are still often neglected with most people, and they do need to be addressed. Strong glutes will take away a lot of back problems, strong glutes will improve your ADLs. It is important. Now, one of the issues with glutes is it kind of hurts the train, not hurts in a bad way, but it they're difficult. Like doing a good squat is difficult. So you'll see people invent all these crazy little silly exercises. I mean, you know, like glute bridges can be a great exercise and are a great exercise, but you see people now using all these tons of weights and loads for doing it. And I'm like, why don't they just learn to squat appropriately? They're doing all these exercises and they're just not squatting properly. And then you watch them squat and they can't even go down 45 degrees. Now, some people can't because they have joint issues and other issues. I get it. I still believe everybody can squat to the best of their capabilities and need to learn. But the point is we don't have to get away from the basics. And I honestly think the less, I mean, I hate to use the term because I don't know if it's intelligent. I would say the less educated a trainer is with their programming, the more likely they are to pull the fat of the day off of the internet or what they think works because they're kind of like overcompensating for not being able to explain how simplicity is what works. So, for example, every joint has a joint action, every muscle has a joint action, meaning the prime thing that that joint and muscle is supposed to do. Everyone has one. So, for example, the glute maximus is what I've been talking about, is responsible for hip extension. So when you squat, you are doing a hip extension and a knee extension at the same time. The knee extension is the primary movement of the quad. So if we learn to squat, we are doing what the glute maximus is designed to do, but we have to squat properly. So a good trainer, instead of coming up with all these fancy exercises that go all the way around the world when all they had to do is turn around and go to the basics, they're gonna come up with these fancy exercises versus teaching people how to do it right and with enough load to make it appropriate. I'm just using one example of the squat. We can I can go on and on. But the point is the part of good programming is having an exercise prescription written for the client that the trainer and myself, myself, or the trainers I work for or work for me, follow to make sure they're sticking to the plan. That doesn't mean that the plan can't be deviated or needs to be deviated at times, because it does. I talk to my trainers a lot about situational awareness. Like I can write the plan for you, but you do need to know how to modify if need be, and probably at least once a day you're gonna have to modify something. But the plan needs to be there, the exercise prescription. All right, so pretty much that's it in a nutshell. That's why the program has worked for all these years. I say in my logo, where training is science, because it is like the if you can measure it, you can manage it. So if we're really getting to the personal side of things by making sure that we are doing a proper assessment, that we're setting proper goals, that we really know the client's goals and needs and abilities, and from that, designing an exercise prescription that is based on what they need and science and not what they maybe think they want or heard is good, and then we execute it. All right, that's the program. If you have any questions or need some help with your own, give me a shout. I want to thank everybody for listening to today's show. I want to ask you to please hit automatic download on wherever you get your podcast, whether it be Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. It really helps me and it helps the show. Please, if you would, send this podcast out to people that you think might really enjoy it. I would appreciate that. And before I leave, I want to thank our other sponsors. One of them is Overhead Door of Daytona Beach. They have their premier garage door product and the premier garage door service. I can vouch for Jeff and Zach Hawk, the owners. And like they say, their garage doors go up and they go down. No problems, no maintenance. So if you need any garage door help, give them a call at 386-222-3165. And also, I want to thank ProCarge Liquid Protein Enhancer. Let me tell you, it's taking the whole supplementing of protein to new levels here. It's in a gel form, and each bottle has 40 grams of protein per bottle. So you get two per serving. They have passed a USP of 51 preservative challenge. They have a very high bioavailability, 90% absorption rate. What I think is great about them is you can throw them in a suitcase, take them wherever you want to go, and you don't have to mix those annoying powders. All right. Right now you can get those on my website. Just go to fittothex.net and go to the section that says procharge and give them a try. Until next time, everybody, B Max Fit and B Max Well.