personal training

ETT Wrap Show Ep.1

Last week was an especially epic week for Elemental Training Tampa. We had 100% attendance by all our ETT personal training clients, added a new personal training client to the community, and hosted another successful group training session. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! We also recorded our first episode of the ETT Wrap Show. Learn more about the week that was in ETT and find out how this fitness community got its start. We love all types of feedback so please listen and leave us a comment.

https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/ett-wrap-show-ep1

 

Last Week’s Highlight Reel

I know we’re a few days into the week, but I wanted to share a highlight video from last week’s ETT training. We started off the week with a great ETT Group workout followed it up with several ETT personal training sessions and finished off the week with a great run & stair climb on the Tampa Riverwalk. ETT would like to thank all of its members for their participation & dedication to building the ETT community. ETT would not be what it is today without their help

If you’re interested in joining the ETT community, reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or simply send us an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

Back to School ***UPDATED***

Original post published July 8th

Recently I’ve been researching a new certification to compliment my current personal training certification. Being certified in another fitness related discipline allows me to offer more services to my clients and it helps keep my current personal trainer certification up to date. Three certifications that I’ve been looking into are:

– Fitness Nutrition
– Kettlebell Instructor
– Weight Loss specialist

Before I choose which one I’m going to pursue I wanted to get your opinion on what certification you would want your personal trainer to possess. Please feel free to suggest any training not listed above and/or not directly related to fitness (i.e. website development). Any feedback you can provide is greatly appreciated.

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Update

After a lot of research into my next fitness related certification, I’ve decided to go with the Fitness Nutrition Specialization offered by NASM. I chose this certification because it will provide me with a better understanding of how nutrition affects my clients’ quest to lead a healthier life. This certification will educate me on nutrition topics such as micro & macronutrients, caloric needs, metabolism, portion size, interpreting food labels, and many more. I won’t be able create meal plans to meet specific dietary needs, but I will be more prepared to answer “How much protein should I eat throughout the day?” or “What’s the best food to eat before and after a workout?”

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The recipe for healthier life consists oh two primary ingredients: diet and exercise. Generally speaking, if you make the right decisions on how to treat your body, and what to put into your body, it will reward you by functioning like a well oiled machine. My goal as a personal trainer is to provide people with the tools they need to make their “machine” as efficient as possible. In order to do so, I need to continue to educate myself on the latest information regarding diet and exercise, and the Fitness Nutrition Specialization just happens to be the next chapter in my curriculum.

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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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.

Test Yourself ***UPDATED***

Originally published Saturday, June 6th

Adhering to a healthy, active lifestyle can be difficult for some people. Whether it be a lack of time or results, people have a hard time sticking to a regular exercise regime. One sure-fire way to maintain an active lifestyle is to set and achieve SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. For example, some people may start an exercise program because they want to “look better” or “feel better.” Unfortunately these goals are neither measurable nor specific. A SMART goal for someone who wants to look or feel better could be “I want to go down two dress sizes in 8 weeks” or “I want to complete a 5k in the next 6 months.” These goals will provide the individual with the motivation needed to stick to their training program. Also, when they achieve their goal, the feeling of success will most likely inspire them to set another SMART goal and convert their exercise program into a lifestyle.

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Even though I adopted the active lifestyle years ago, I still set SMART goals for myself. Today actually, I will attempt to achieve a SMART goal when I have my first jiu-jitsu belt test. I have admired and enjoyed learning jiu-jitsu since I began my martial arts training over 8 years ago. I received great tutelage from several instructors over the years, but it was only recently that I began a formal training program at Gracie Tampa South. Even though I’ve trained and competed in jiu-jitsu previously, I wanted to start as a beginner to ensure that I learned every aspect of the martial art. Wish me luck and I’ll let you know soon if I achieved my goal or not. In the meantime, set some SMART goals for yourself and begin the journey to an active lifestyle.

UPDATE

Monday night I found out that I passed my first Brazilian jiu-jitsu belt test. I received the first of what I hope to be many stripes on my belt and felt the satisfaction of accomplishing a personal goal. Thanks to my teacher Coach Josh, all the students in my class for helping me prepare for the test, and all my friends and family who wished me good luck. The time to enjoy this milestone has come and gone and I’m ready to get back to work to prepare for the next test.

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A Week to Remember for ETT

The past 7 days have been somewhat of a whirlwind. The craziness started last week when a buddy of mine asked me if I had any workout plans that would burn a 1000 calories. I told him that I did not, but assured him that I could construct a workout that would allow him to achieve his calorie goal. He came over Tuesday, spent about an hour and 20 minutes in the ETT dojo, burned over 1100 calories, and is now my first official personal training client.

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The next day, I had a coworker who I provide striking training tweet at a local radio personality about ETT’s training system. The radio personality, Carmin from the Mike Calta Show, is participating in a local celebrity boxing match next Saturday. My coworker suggested that Carmin use ETT to help her prepare for her match. She jumped at the idea immediately. I followed up by calling into the show Thursday and spoke on air with Carmin and the host Mike Calta about what type of striking training ETT could provide her. Before I knew it, I had scheduled a training session with Carmin and was able to talk about ETT on a popular local radio station. If that wasn’t crazy enough, I had training sessions with Carmin and the coworker that tweeted her that very day!

IMG_0563The awesomeness didn’t stop there. Today we had one of our best ETT Group Training sessions. The weather was perfect once again and we had the largest group of individuals take part in the workout since it’s inception. I am still reeling a little bit about all the good fortunate that has been heaped upon ETT this week. It has made me realize that ETT is growing into the productive community that I hoped it would. I understand that the positive events that took place this week will most likely not be the norm. I will continue to stay humble and driven to provide everyone with a fitness community that supports them in their quest to live a healthier, happier life. Thanks to all the current members of the ETT community for their continued support and stay tuned for bigger and better things coming from ETT in the near future.