Author: Burch

Even though I have been physically active the vast majority of my life, it wasn't until several years ago that I became truly dedicated to being physically fit. This dedication was the result of several different exercise regimens including MMA, crossfit, and triathlon training. What remained constant in all of these disciplines is the community training aspect. Whether it was training with a group or just knowing I was part of a team, community-based training motivated me to give it my all at every workout. The benefits of being part of a fitness-based community inspired me to get in the ring. They inspired me to run that race. They inspired me to earn my personal training certification and they inspired me to create Elemental Training Tampa with the hope of inspiring others to be physically fit and create a community for like minded people.

It’s Getting Better All The Time

It has been a little over 3 months since I started offering individualized ETT personal training sessions. During that time I’ve done a lot of “on the job” training in order to meet the specific needs of each client. I’m constantly looking for feedback from my clients to ensure that I am providing them the training that they desire. I recently had 2 clients complete their ETT personal training packages, and ask if they would fill out a survey about their experience training with ETT.

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I have to admit I love reading survey answers like “I have worked with personal trainers in the past and Nick is easily the best. He is attentive, encouraging, and receptive to feedback.” As good as those comments make me feel about the ETT training system I think I appreciate the constructive suggestions more. One of the clients suggested that I work on “smoother/faster transitions between segments in the program.” I am a stickler on proper technique which leads to me giving very detailed instructions so I’m sure I can get a little long winded. I will definitely work on streamlining my instructions in order to help move the workout along and keep the client’s heart rate at the optimum BPM for exercise. Another suggestion that one of the clients made was that they “prefer not to workout after sitting in traffic for 45 minutes after work.” I totally understand how unmotivated a person can be to exercise after putting in at least 8 hours at work then sitting in rush hour traffic. I think it is pivotal for me to recognize which clients need motivation whether it be through text messages or posts on ETT’s social media pages. In addition to motivation, the last suggestion brings up another aspect of ETT personal training that I hope to address in the near future.

Due to my non-fitness related work schedule, the vast majority of my personal training sessions occur weekdays after 4pm. I realize that the limited schedule is an issue I will have to address if ETT is to evolve from its current state. My hope is that one day, through the knowledge I gather from certification classes and the “hands on” experience I gain during ETT personal training sessions, I will be able to convert Elemental Training Tampa from a part-time passion project into a full-time labor of love.

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ETT Workout of the Week Ep.1

Some of you may have noticed that July came and went without any mention of an ETT group training session. The recent wet weather in the Tampa Bay Area essentially eliminated any opportunities for us to hold our monthly group training. This is the first time in almost a year that we have not gotten together to train, but you can still get your ETT fix with the first edition of the ETT WORKOUT of the Week! Instead of the single ETT exercise videos you are use to, this video provides an entire workout complete with detailed instructions on striking stance and several different striking techniques. The video also demonstrates each exercise with modifications and tips to ensure you perform each exercise safely and properly. Please remember to warm-up before starting the workout and modify the exercises to match your fitness level. We would love to make these workout videos a regular thing, which means we need your feedback to help us improve the quality of future workout videos. ‘Nuff talk, now get out there and HIT IT!!

Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting ***UPDATED***

Originally published Saturday, July 11th

I’m always a little bit frustrated whenever the cable bill arrives at my house. I only watch about 5 out of the 200 channels I have available and my fiancé does most of her “TV” viewing thru Netflix and YouTube. Paying for cable may be annoying, but it’s nights like tonight (July 11th) that make it worth it. If you are a combat sports enthusiast like myself, you’ll be able to get your fill tonight with two great events.

First, Premier Boxing Champions will be televised on ESPN for the first time tonight and the main event features one of the best, if not thee best, boxer to come out of the Tampa Bay Area, Keith “One Time” Thurman. Keith holds the WBA welterweight belt and is currently undefeated with a 25-0 record with 21 KO’s. He is fighting Luis Collazo who has a 36-6 record and has never been knocked out in his entire career. It’s going to be a tough fight for Thurman, but I believe his power and speed will help him stay undefeated. Prediction: Thurman wins via 10th Rd TKO

Image created by images gathered from @ufc & @premierboxing on twitter

Image created by images gathered from @ufc & @premierboxing on twitter

If that wasn’t enough, the UFC has one of their most anticipated pay-per-views tonight with UFC 189. If you have the dough to fork up for this PPV I would highly recommend you do. If not, there are plenty free options you can take advantage of to enjoy UFC 189. The prelims will be shown on Fox Sports 1 at 7pm ET and they include several great fights including Matt “The Immortal” Brown vs. Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means. These two fighters will put on a show that will please even the most casual fight fan. As for the PPV, you can listen to Brendan Schaub & Bryan Callen, hosts of The Fighter & The Kid podcast, give a pseudo play-by-play call of the fights on Joe Rogan’s Ustream channel. I will warn you, these two guys can get very silly and go on tangents that have nothing to do with the fights. There are a ton of great fights on this card so I’ll only give my predictions for the co-main & main events: Rory MacDonald def. Robbie Lawler by decision & Chad Mendes def. Conor McGregor by 4th Rd TKO.

We will see if my predictions are right tonight and I’ll post a recap of the events later this week. Enjoy tonight fight fans!

Update

If I were a betting man, I would have lost money Saturday night with my predictions. I was correct in predicting Keith “One Time” Thurman’s victory and that he would win by TKO. Thurman was cruising early in the bout but was on the receiving end of a vicious body shot in the 5th that slowed him down significantly for the rest of the round and most of the next. He was able to bounce back and land repeated left hooks to the head that opened up a cut above Collazo’s eye and ultimately led to the TKO victory.  Predicting the outcome of the Thurman fight would be my one and only accurate predication of the night.

I choose MacDonald and Mendes to be the victors in the co-main & main events of UFC 189. MacDonald was winning on the judges scorecards going into the 5th and final round, but sustained a broken nose (among other injuries) after eating a stiff left hand from the champion Lawler. Mendes experienced the same fate when he was unable to hold McGregor down and was TKO’d by punches in the 2nd round.

Regardless of my poor predictions, both events were action packed and truly great displays of combat sports.

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Image created by images gathered from @ufc & @premierboxing on twitter

The Community Grows

This week is turning out to be yet another special week for ETT, and its not even half over! We started off the week with a great ETT group workout and now I’m excited to announce the addition of three new 1-on-1 personal training clients. Casey, Bryan and Denise are old school members of the ETT community that have supported ETT since it started. I’m always excited by the prospect of helping people reach their fitness goals, but when I get the opportunity to repay those who’ve supported me in the past, it adds an aspect of motivation for me personally. I love serving all the members of the ETT community, but I am always happy when I can extend special introductory benefits to those that have been on board with ETT since the beginning.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July. Don’t forget to get your workout in before you woof down a bunch of hot dogs at the obligatory holiday cookout.

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Fitness for the Masses

Personal trainers are a luxury that not everyone can take advantage of. Whether it be an issue of time, money or existing commitments, some individuals cannot justify investing in a personal trainer. That is why I wanted to make sure that a portion of the fitness resources offered by ETT can be accessed by anyone, at anytime, for free. One of the free services offered by ETT is the monthly group training sessions. We started offering these workouts in October of last year and they’ve been going strong ever since. Services like these help people realize that being fit is not some daunting task that cost a lot of money to achieve. I know some personal trainers may think I’m foolish for offering services for free, but when I read comments like the one below, it demonstrates to me that these services can be the spark plug people need for a healthier more active lifestyle.FullSizeRender-4

As rewarding as offering free fitness services may be, I encourage ETT community members and non-members who want to bump up the intensity of their training or have specific fitness goals to invest in ETT’s 1-on-1 personal training. If you are interested in personal training with ETT, but need more insight into our training system, you can email me at elementaltampa@gmail.com OR you can attend the next ETT group training session this Sunday, June 29th near Downtown Tampa. Check out the event page on Facebook for more details.

The Buddy System

The University of New Hampshire’s StudentHealth magazine cites several studies that suggest why working out with a friend or your significant other may be one of the keys to adhering to a healthy lifestyle. One study found that 55% of college students find it easier to workout when they have an exercise buddy. ETT is a huge believer is workout buddies. That’s why we offer special deals for personal training clients who sign up as a team. If you live in the Tampa Bay Area, contact ETT at elementaltampa@gmail.com to schedule a FREE personal training session for you and your exercise partner.

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ETT Exercise of the Week Ep.6

Summer is in full swing here in Tampa, which means the heat can be stifling at times. Weather conditions can have a negative effect on a person’s activity level regardless of where they live. You have to adapt your training in order to stay dedicated to your exercise regime. If you’re like me and love exercising outdoors, but are faced with less than ideal weather conditions, modify your workout so you get more done in a shorter period(s) of time. You can perform a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout (20 mins or less) or perform 2 short workouts (10 mins or less) throughout the day. A good way to maximize your workout is to perform total body exercises like this week’s ETT exercise of the week. The hook-uppercut punch combination followed by 2 cross knee strikes provides a great strength, cardio, and core workout all at the same time. Remember, modify the exercise to match your fitness level & let us know how you stick to your workout regime when the weather conditions are less than ideal.