LA Boxing Post #5: Pat-losophy

It's every bit as important for you to know your trainer as it is for your trainer to know you.

Pat H. was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for my blog:

A: To me it means setting a goal and following through.  I would say start with the easy stuff first, check that off.  The longer goals should be measured by progress.  "are you closer or further from your goals?"  Does not matter how incremental.  "Go the distance!"
A: Parents could lead by example.  There is such a wealth of information and support out there.  It is up to the adult to pursue it and make the effort to find out what they need to find out for the sake of their own health as well as their kid(s).  Here's one thing parents could do; learn how to read food labels and serving sizes.  This one activity has big ramifications over a lifetime.  You do not have to know everything, gain knowledge through effort, your kids will see and learn to appreciate.
A:  Oatmeal. Such a great source of fiber and nutrition.  Highly customizable and lowers cholesterol also.
A:  Sure, Its fun!  If you like to move, dance, and punch,  boxing contains these elements.  When you feel yourself punching faster, getting stronger, or just being able to move around longer without wearing down as fast, its liberating.  Builds self confidence too and a hell of a stress reliever.
A:  Well for the most part, boxing showed me how to move.  A lot of times going to a gym to follow a  particular routine of lifting weights and doing cardio after a while can become stale.  Even when you change routines, over months and years the focus and intensity wanes.  Boxing allowed me to demonstrate my athleticism as well as condition my mind to stay focused on acting and reacting to different stimuli.  Combining both settings gave me more variety to not only become more fit, but athletic.
A: I have always had a love of sports.  I always wondered what made an athlete exceptional at his/her specific sport.  Down to the most basic levels such as how and what muscles fire in a set of patterns to give the athlete an advantage over their opponents.  I found the way the body works the most interesting aspect of sports.  Being a former amateur and collegiate athlete I developed an understanding of what it took to improve athletic performance.  Personal training allowed me to transfer that understanding to not only improve athletic performance but improve overall fitness. This has a direct impact on improving lives on so many different levels. So if I had to say what inspires me, I would have to say the human body and improving the quality of life of others.
A:  In a trainer, one good place to start is credentials. The NCCA (National Commission of Certifying Agencies) lists the most prestigious certs in terms of fitness trainers.  These agencies have a degree of competence that has to be demonstated before receiving certification. There may be others outside of the NCCA but you wouldnt trust your doctor graduating med school in Tahiti would you? No offense to Tahitian trained MD's (LOL).  Experience working with different different populations is a plus.  A biggie is personality.  If there are aspects of a potential trainer that turn you off in the beginning, its only downhill from there when you have to see that person 3x weekly no matter the weather. 

In a gym, strong management would be what I would look for.  It starts there.  Ask yourself some basic questions:  Is this place clean? Do I feel like the staff is attentive to my questions or concerns?  Do the instructors act as the professionals I envision them to be?  If you can answer "YES" to those questions without hesitating, you probably have a decent gym.  REMEMBER: You will be spending a big portion of your time there.  You have to like it, or you are not going to go.

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Recap
LA Boxing Post 1:  The Risks and Rewards of Change
LA Boxing Post 2:  Showing Up
LA Boxing Post 3:  Finding Your Fight
LA Boxing Post 4:  Belonging
LA Boxing Post 5:  Fight or Flight

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Awesome news for anyone interested in taking the FINDING YOUR FIGHT:  Introduction to Boxing!
For anyone attending the class, they're going to offer their group rates (for UNLIMITED classes, and access to all DC area locations) if 5 or more people sign up for the deal that day:

Normal Year-in-Full Rate -- $1128
Group Year-in-Full Rate -- $899

Normal 1-Year agreement -- $199 enrollment + $94/month  (works out to $1327)
Group 1-Year agreement -- $99 enrollment + $74/month (works out to $987)