personal training

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.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGWGLZvoFjo

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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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.

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.

The Inception of Elemental Training Tampa

fatfaceSimilar to many people my age, I grew up participating in organized sports and playing outside for fun. This trend of staying physically active continued into high school and college thanks to intramural and club sports that did not discriminate against someone with average athletic ability. Unfortunately, once I graduated from college and opportunities to stay physically active were not as readily available, my physical health and state of mind started to suffer. I was less active, eating poorly, and participating in other unhealthy vices. I was in the worst shape of my life.

Determined to change myself, I walked into a local martial arts school with the hope of regaining my physically active lifestyle. Not only did I regain my former lifestyle, but I learned something that I could never have learned simply lifting weights at a gym.

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Jeff Morris Photography

Studying different facets of various martial arts was both physically and mentally engaging, but the striking arts provided something that I had never experienced before. Punching focus mitts, kicking heavy bags, and knee-striking Thai pads not only improved my physical fitness, but also boosted my confidence, lowered my stress level, and gave me a sense of accomplishment like no other exercise regimen. The benefits that incorporating striking exercises into a complementary training program can provide ANYONE has led me to create Elemental Training Tampa (ETT). The purpose of ETT is to create training programs that combine basic striking techniques with a variety of plyometric, resistance, and core exercises to help individuals reach their fitness goals. This blog will provide ETT workouts that anyone can perform in the comfort of their home along with posts about nutrition, public fitness venues, and eventually information about weekly FREE group ETT classes. Even though striking is often referred to as a science, it’s my mission to help people master the essentials so they can take ownership of their fitness. HIT IT!