Fit to Print Volume 25 Issue 1 March 2016 | Page 16

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DYNASTY
body parts to get the result quickly and
efficiently.
A big part of my job as a trainer is to
stay current. I deliver a lot of energy to
it. Most recently, I went with my two
daughters to the AAAI World Conference.
There, I took CEC's credits for Breast
Cancer Survivors and the next level for
Personal Training Certification. I'm proud
to report that both daughters completed
their personal training certifications as
well. I spend countless hours finding the
safest and most effective way to
exercise. I know that if I'm getting bored
with a workout, so are my clients.
Fitness to me is a lifestyle. It is not
something done with exercise or diet
alone. It is committing to a life plan and
understanding "the temple"—mind-bodyspirit—and taking care of it. Take care of
yourself first and everything else will
follow. Give your best effort every day,
and if you fall short, it's ok to move on.
Start fresh the next day, moving
forward. Understand the idea of life as a
journey and remember that all journeys
require movement.
PS: When did your association with FI
begin?
EJ: My association began when Fitness
In centive was still at the second of its
three locations, on Main Street. I began
by subbing spin classes. Later, after the
move to Deer Park Avenue, I approached
Cor and Ken with a program called
Fitkids. They liked the idea, and soon I
was at the gym all the time. Although I
had additional teaching certifications,
it's very difficult to get a class of your
own at the gym… again, there are “only
so many hours in the day,” and Fitness
Incentive has never lacked for
established, wildly popular instructors.
No one ever leaves because everyone
loves it here.
So, one Memorial Day weekend when
everyone was away, the girls at the
Front Desk were frantically trying to get
a Rebounding class covered. “I can do
it!” I said. The rest, as the saying goes,
is history. That formed a direct line
leading to the next phases of my fitness
life. Subbing eventually led to my own
classes. And in those classes, people
would ask if I was a personal trainer. I
saw that clearly there was a demand,
and PT became one of the next phases.
PS: What was your impression of the
concept of fitness contests when they
were announced in the spring of '09?

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EJ: I was intrigued with the contest
when they were first announced, but
truthfully I felt a little overmatched. I
was intimidated by the more
seasoned trainers, who seemed to me
at the time like they had more to
offer. Some of them had competed
themselves, and I felt that this
perhaps gave them a greater
understanding of what fitness
competitions were about.
PS: Yet you jumped right in. What
kind of opportunity did you see with
the contests?
EJ: While feeling overmatched, I was
also challenged personally by the idea
of fitness challenges! So, rather than
be intimidated, I decided to give it
my all. I am ridiculously competitive.
I might not have won a fitness contest
myself, but I certainly understood the
plight of the average person, how he
or she might perceive and experience
contests. I know how difficult it is to
lose weight, and I know how much
work and commitment it takes to
achieve and to win. I know how to
motivate people and to hold them
accountable. In the end, the Fit 4
Summer Challenges provided me with
the opportunity to shine.
PS: You've always trained multiple
teams. What is it about the team
format that appeals to you?
EJ: At this point, I believe I have
effectively mastered group training.
There are qualities to group training
that propel many clients to excel. Of
course there are those who prefer the
one-on-one approach, and I am there
for them, too. But in terms of Fit 4
Summer, I seem to have a particular
flair for assembling teams that are
harmonious, on the same page
mentally and emotionally while at the
same time in agreement about things
like discipline, dedication, and
competition. There are many
approaches to problem solving and
goal achievement which often vary
from person to person, so there's a
skill to drawing together the right
mix. I have groups that have trained
together for years. Factors like the
consistency of the training weekly,
progressively challenging workouts,
even things like an unwillingness to
waste other people's time must be
considered. When everyone is giving
it their all and working together as a
Spring 2016 FIT to Print

Dynasty, & the Next Generation:
Keeping the Tradition Going:
Jillian, Eileen & The Queenax

unit to the best of their abilities,
toward a common goal, this is deeply
satisfying to me. Great friendships
have evolved from the group/team
format, with teammates meeting at
times other than our scheduled
workouts and working together. They
are committed to one another and are
thus accountable to one another. It is
in this system of team accountability
that success is found.
I think that for individuals, and
unquestionably for teams, “smarter,
not harder” is absolutely a core
principle. I don't believe it's enough to
train only in a group even when just
“doing” can produce a result. I see it
as a necessity that teams understand
the purpose of specific activities and
disciplines like diet and exercise. The
problem with results that come from
rote behavior—training in the absence
of understanding—is that they're almost
immediately forgettable. Don't get me
wrong, like most people, I want to see
results and see them quickly. I just
don't want the process to end
there...don't want “the goal” to be the
exclusive end-product without

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