The Lifecycle of a Client

As a gym owner/coach, I know it’s an unpopular comment when I tell clients who I see for the first time, “I don’t want to coach you forever.” 

For me, ultimately my job as a coach is to get you to the point where you don’t need me anymore - FULL AUTONOMY. 

My goal is to teach you everything you need to know through education, inspiration, guidance and accountability. Once you are competent enough and have the confidence to spread your wings and take this on yourself for the rest of your life - that is a HUGE achievement!

A common lifecycle of a successful client usually begins with some sort of 1:1 face-to-face coaching - either personal training or in a small group setting. Once consistency is established, we move onto lifestyle guidelines - the stuff outside the gym. One by one, we attack each area starting with highest priority. The guidelines include: Nutrition, Hydration, Sleep, Stress Management and Daily Rhythm. We identify the area’s that are most challenging and create habits to support it. Some folks can conquer these guidelines relatively quickly, while others take time - it’s your personal journey, so we go at your own pace. 

Once all the habits have been established, you are now on your way to becoming autonomous. By this time you’ve made massive change both physically and mentally. Most likely you are a completely different person than when you started. I’ve seen some really amazing transformations. 

At this point you are feeling pretty good about yourself and your progress. Continuing to move toward autonomy, a normal transition from here would be to REMOTE COACHING. You get to continue working with your coach (me!), but in a more independent environment. You’ve learned how to move properly, you are competent and self-motivated. You don’t need to see me everyday, but following a plan and checking off those workouts serves a purpose while avoiding “decision fatigue” - having to come up with your own workouts. 

Avoiding decision fatigue is one of the top feedbacks I get from clients. They love having a plan laid out for them - something they trust and feel good about. Most of us are too busy with our lives as is, the last thing we need to do is coach ourselves. Let me take the wheel so all you have to do is execute! 

If you are in a place where you feel you could use some help, I want to know. It’s normal to fall into a rut from time to time.  Whether you are a former client or looking for something new, our onsite and remote options could work well for you. 

How My Wife and I Build Muscle Through Diet

Here’s what we eat in a day… 

Coaching clients over the past 20 years who have aspirations of gaining strength, building muscle and changing their body composition, the number one thing holding them back is consistently hitting their protein numbers. If you are going to fully invest in your health, it is crucial to make eating enough protein a top priority. 

Here at the numbers: if you are like me, it is important to know the NUMBERS. In general terms, if you have goals of increasing muscle mass, having a range of 80-100% grams of protein of your GOAL weight. If you weigh 170lbs, but want to weigh 140lbs, use 140 as your number. Take that number and multiply it by 80% - that is your low range. Your goal weight will be your top range. So, if you want to weigh 140lbs, your range of grams of protein per day is: 112-140. 

Now that you have your range, let’s track it! This is important - track what you currently eat now for ONE FULL WEEK to see where you’re at. What adjustments do you need to make? How much more protein do you need to consumer? Are you way off? Are you feeling overwhelmed? We get it and We can help.  This is where most people end up after tracking for just a few days. Don’t get discouraged - this is where we come in to show you how this can be attainable and a lot more simple than you think. 

The best thing we can do here is provide you with very specific examples of what we eat daily to reach our protein goals. The reason we want to provide these two examples is because the goals are different. Chelsa aims for 140 grams of protein per day. I try to get over 200 grams of protein per day. Depending on your goals, we hope these two examples will provide you with a glimpse of hope that you really can do this!

What Chelsa Eats in a Day:

Breakfast:

2 Eggs

Eziekel English Muffin 

0.5 TBS Teddy’s Natural Peanut Butter 

Sprinkle of Sea Salt 

Drizzle of raw Local Honey 

= 24g Protein 

Snack: (or breakfast if I am on the go!) 

1 Scoop Just Ingredients Protein Powder 

8oz Whole A2 Milk 

= 34g Protein 

OR 

Snack: 

Fage Greek Yogurt

(add your favorite topping!) I love apple, cinnamon, and a touch of honey. 🍯 

15G 

Lunch:

Buffalo Chicken Bowl: 

8oz Pulled Rotisserie Chicken 

1/2 Good Culture Cottage Cheese (Melted in)

Primal Kitchen Buffalo Ranch Drizzled on top 

= 53g Protein 

Dinner:

Taco Bowl 

6oz ground beef taco meat 

Add toppings! 

Toppings I typically use:

Sprinkle of shredded cheese

Spoonful of Greek yogurt as sour cream (added protein!) 

1/4 Avocado 

= 30g Protein 

Total: 141g Protein 

What Bobby Eats in a Day:

I always start my day with one cup of Bone Broth

= 10 grams protein

Meal 1: Protein Shake 

2 Scoops “With In You” Protein Powder 

1 Cup A2 Whole Milk

1 Banana

= 58 grams protein

Meal 2: Blue Cheese N’ Egg Smash Burgers

5 eggs

5 Smash Burger patties

= 120 grams of protein

Meal 3: Salmon w/ Jasmine Rice

8 oz Salmon

1 cup of Rice

= 45 grams of protein

Total: 233g Protein

As overwhelming as it seems, we hope seeing the above example offers some hope. Just like with anything, it takes some planning and creating some new habits. The thing we hear helps most from our clients is being held accountable. If you can do this on your own and stay consistent with it - awesome. But, if you feel you could use some guidance and accountability, let us know. We’d be happy to help. 

3 Steps to Becoming a Fat Burning Machine

There are so many factors that go into a healthy lifestyle. Making changes to our body composition takes a lot of hard work. It can seem a bit overwhelming at times, so lets simplify things. Here are 3 things you can start doing now:

1. Strength Training + Zone 2 Aerobic

Strength Training increases muscle mass. Muscle mass has a direct correlation to metabolism. Why is that so awesome? Because the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, which improves your Basal Metabolic Rate. The higher your BMR, the higher your rate of burning fat. That’s why strength training is the best method to improve body composition. Start with moderate weight and build over the weeks so that you are progressively lifting heavier over time. This will provide the stimulus needed to gain strength and build muscle.

Walking or slow jogging/rowing/biking/skiing, etc… is a great compliment to strength training. As long as you are staying in a specific heart rate zone (zone 2), than you are in the “fat burning” zone. Zone 2 is defined as keeping your heart rate between 60-70% of your MAX HR. To find your MAX HR take 220 and subtract it by your age. So if you are 40 years old, your MAX HR is 180. 60-70% of that is 110-130. You want to be working at or under 130 beats per minute to stay in Zone 2 - The FAT burning zone! If your training intensity is too high, you’ll be burning sugars as your energy source. That is why so many people bang their heads against the wall with these high intensity cardio classes day after day and wonder why they are not losing fat. Slow and steady wins the race!

2. Increase your Protein

You can hit the weights as hard as you want, but if the goal is to increase muscle in order to burn more fat, then you must support this outside the gym by consuming an adequate amount of protein. Otherwise, all your hard work in the gym is wasted. To figure out how much protein you should be consuming, take your GOAL WEIGHT and multiply that by 80-100% and that is your range for grams of protein per day. If you have a goal of weighing 150 pounds, then your range of protein is 120-150 grams per day. You CANNOT be inconsistent with this and expect it to work. Just like with anything in life, the more consistent you are at hitting these numbers, the better results you will see.

3. Eat Fat, Get Thin

This is the title of a book I read years ago by Dr. Mark Hyman - still one of my favorites. It lays out the importance of fat in our diet and how years of misinformation led us to the most unhealthy state Americans have ever been. We were told to eliminate or decrease our fat intake (low fat milk/dairy products, etc) and increase carbohydrates. This only led to people becoming sicker and more obese. Luckily, we know more now and have adjusted our outlook on food. If you want to lose FAT, you must EAT FAT. Fat (from animal products, wild caught fish, grass-fed butter, avocados, nuts/seeds, coconut oil, etc.) are healthy for us. Fat plays a vital role in how we function as humans - for the health of our organs, hormones and down to the cellular level. Simply put, you eat fat and you will burn fat. That is why so many who adopt the ketogenic or carnivore diet have success in fat loss. I’ve never told any of my clients to be 100% keto or carnivore, but if you can start moving the needle more towards fat and protein and further away from carbohydrates, you will be on your way.

I hope these 3 simple steps offer you a starting point in moving you towards your desired results. Building confidence, feeling strong and energetic are all things that cannot be replaced. And hey, if you can lose some fat and build muscle along the way - that’s pretty cool.

If you are tired of trying to do this on your own and would like some guidance and support, we do that at a professional level. Let’s start with a conversation.

6 Steps to Improve Your Sleep

Nothing impacts your day in a positive or negative way more than the quality of your sleep. Having an 8 week old - we know! 😳

Sleep has a major influence on your mood, stress levels, workouts, recovery, energy and just about everything related to our health.

Here are a few simple tips to improve your sleep:

1. Morning Sunlight: A perfect nights sleep starts first thing in the morning. 10-15 min of sun exposure closest to sunrise will help set your internal clock for the day - initiating your circadian rhythm. A morning walk will do the trick (leave the sunglasses at home 😎).

2. Avoid blue-light after sunset. Blue-light tricks our bodies into thinking it is still day-time which suppresses melatonin (our sleep hormone) from turning on. Blue-light is anything with a screen (phones, iPads, computers, TV’s). The closer it is to your face, the more damaging. If you are still working into the night like many (or doom-scrolling like many 🫣), we recommend you wear blue-light blocking glasses as close to sunset as you can. 🤓

3. Just like blue-light negates melatonin from activating, red-light does the opposite! Light a candle or build a fire in the fireplace at night. This red-light exposure will help set melatonin and bring you into a calmer, more relaxed state. 🥱

4. Place any phones or tablets as far away from your room as you can to minimize damaging EMF while you sleep. Sleep is for RECOVERY. Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF) has been proven to disrupt sleep patterns. 😵‍💫

5. Create a bed-time routine designed for optimal sleep. About 30 minutes before falling asleep, start your bedtime routine by taking a warm shower or bath. This will increase your body temperature just in time for it to drop back down once in bed. The dropping of body temperature helps you fall asleep. Once in bed, read a book! Ditch the phone or TV and read an enjoyable fiction to fall into a slow, deep sleep. 😴

6. If you are still having trouble sleeping, supplements can help. Supplements like melatonin, magnesium and inositol have all been shown to improve sleep quality. Before starting your bed-time routine mix these together to make a “sleepy-time cocktail”. 🍹

Sleep is VITAL to our health. I hope these tips will help you improve your sleep and quality of life. If you have any questions or would like to dive deeper into this, we’d be happy to discuss. 🙌🏼

Dial-In Your Morning Routine

Improving your lifestyle starts with a really solid morning routine. Today we will discuss ways you can improve your morning routine so that you are ready to attack the day. No more feeling groggy or tired - you deserve better than that! Elevate your energy, feel amazing and dominate the day. Below I will outline a number of habits you can create to set yourself up for a successful day, every day!  

Prepare the Night Before

Before you start your bedtime routine, start thinking about the next day. What will you wear? Put it out. What does your schedule look like? Map it out. Get in the right mindset and be prepared before you turn off the lights.

Hydrate

You sleep for 7-8 hours and you’ll wake up dehydrated. First thing you should do is hydrate! An easy go-to in our house is a homemade electrolyte drink. Take 16-24oz of room temp water and add 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon with 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt. Mix it up and drink it down. Great for hydration and gut health. Do this before eating or drinking anything else.

Sunlight

Ditch the sunglasses and get outside as close to sunrise as possible. Look towards the horizon of the rising sun (but not directly at it). This sets your internal clock for the day. Circadian rhythm plays a massive role in our overall health. Every living species on this earth follows the rhythm of the sunrise and sunset. Be in-tune with it and your biological self will thank you.

Get Charged

“Grounding” or “earthing” is a great way to charge your battery. Earths surface is a magnetic field - use it! Place your bare-feet on the surface and get charged! Not sold on this concept? Watch the documentary: “The Earthing Movie”.

Enhance your charge with a cold rinse! If you shower in the morning (and/or at night), finish with a cold rinse. Turn the dial ALL THE WAY to the coldest setting and rinse your entire body, face and hair. Start with 30 seconds and slowly increase the duration over time until you can handle 3-5 minutes regularly. TONS of benefits here, but what I like the most is how incredible I feel afterwards. 

Movement/Blood-flow

Wake up the system! If you go from sleeping all night to directly sitting in front of a computer/ipad/phone, your body will still be asleep. To have vitality, vigor and enthusiasm, you must move! Blood-flow from walking, running, hiking, biking, swimming, stretching, lifting, etc… will prime the system for the day ahead. This does not have to be your intense workout for the day, but move in some capacity for 10-15 minutes and you’ll feel awake and ready for the day.

Tip: go for a 10 minute walk at sunrise and kill two birds with one stone.

Consistency

Habits are created when done routinely. Your daily rhythm is important, so support that with consistency in everything you do. Wake up at the same time every morning and go through your morning rituals. Ex: Get dressed, drink you lemon/salt water, go for a walk at sunrise, kick your shoes and socks off and stand in your back yard for 10 minutes, then finish it off with a cold rinse. Boom - Have yourself a day!!

The ultimate goal is to set your future self up for success. Creating habits takes time! But, don’t get overwhelmed. Start with one, then move to the next until eventually you have mastered it. Consistency and sustainability are the two keys to creating habits that last. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time. If you need help getting started, click the button below and we’ll be in touch.

Katie's Plan - How She Lost 20lbs of FAT in 4 months

“A goal without a plan is just a wish” would be a great quote to summarize Katie’s journey.

Katie has been with us at OPEX for over a year. As with all our clients, we spoke in great length with Katie about her goals, lifestyle, nutrition, etc… so that we could help her formulate a plan. Based on all the information gathered during conversations and the initial assessment, we provided Katie with a fitness plan and some tools she can use to overcome certain barriers in her life.

Over the course of the first year, Katie meandered her way through her workouts semi-consistently, but never really addressed anything outside the gym. She was slowly improving strength, feeling better overall and gaining confidence with her workouts. But, something was missing. She wanted to see and notice REAL change, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. She also shifted her mindset from having aesthetic goals to wanting more from herself. A better version of Katie now - and forever.

December 12, 2023 Katie and I met in my office. It was the “AH-HA” moment we had been waiting for. We went through a self-evaluation of our 6 Basic Lifestyle Guidelines and discussed each one in great detail. Through the conversation, we identified a few areas that really needed to be addressed: sleep/bedtime routine, managing stress and prioritizing/tracking protein in her diet.

We changed her bedtime routine from falling asleep late watching TV to getting in bed an hour earlier and reading a book. In helping manage stress we agreed she would do some daily breath-work and take a nature walk unplugged. Katie also began to track her food so that we could increase her protein in order to support her workouts.

Fast forward 6 weeks later, our next check-in showed that Katie had lost 12 pounds of FAT! An amazing result from making just a few changes, none of which from her workouts. The habits that she created over those 6 weeks all happened from lifestyle choices. I think that was a great eye-opening experience for Katie (and hopefully to everyone) to see that REAL change doesn’t happen in the gym, it happens in the things we do everyday in choices we make as part of our lifestyle.

Over the next several weeks, Katie lost an additional 8 pounds of fat while maintaining her new habits and adding in a few more. She started running one day per week in addition to her strength days at the gym. One big decision Katie made back in December was to cut out alcohol. She had only been drinking socially, but through some conversations, she decided it did not serve her in a positive way.

I’ve really enjoyed being on this journey with Katie. It’s been a great team effort. I’ve provided my insight, education and tools for her to use while mapping out a plan WITH her while she has done the work. The sooner clients can understand that this is how it works, the better. Take Katie’s results as a perfect example. Be patient, play the long-game, make your goals support your lifestyle, have purpose behind why your doing it and watch yourself soar!

Expanded Coaching Hours - Lunchtime Block

Starting today, March 11th, we will be offering an afternoon/lunchtime block. We understand life gets busy and time is limited, so we are excited to offer the opportunity for folks to train at times that are convenient for them. 

Here are our updated hours:

Monday - Friday:

6-10am, 12-2pm, 4-7pm

Saturday:

7-10am

Sunday:

Closed

Our main goal is to teach, educate and guide our clients in every way possible. One of those ways is to coach our clients in-person. Therefore ALL of our open floor hours has at least one coach on the floor at all times. This allows us to connect with you as you train while ensuring you are moving correctly. 

If you are looking for a more personalized approach in a private training facility, we’ll be happy to connect. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Click the button below and fill out our quick in-take form

2. We reach out to schedule your initial consultation

3. We meet in person or phone call (whichever you prefer) to discuss your: goals, background, lifestyle and to pair you up with a coach

4. You go through a 3 part Assessment to identify strengths/weaknesses, starting points and movement patterning

5. Your customized training + lifestyle plan is designed by your coach, sent to your app (CoachRx) and executed by you

6. You are your coach communicate daily and meet every 4-6 weeks to stay on track

This system as worked amazingly for hundreds of clients over the past 6 1/2 years proven with over 50 FIVE star reviews. If you are ready to try something that actually works and lasts, start with the button below.

Our Best Advice for 2024

If you’ve been stuck in the endless cycle of all-in,  all-out, gain some results, just to lose it all, over and over again, then something needs to change. 

It’s time to take a different approach. 

Here’s our BEST ADVICE for 2024: Shift your Mindset.

Have a plan > Winging-it 📝

Sustainability > Intensity 🙌

Long-term > Short-term 👌

Quality > Quantity 😁

Personalized > One-Size Fits All ✅

Create Habits > Chasing Numbers 😎

Strong > Skinny 💪

Prioritize YOU > Everyone Else 🫵

If you are ready to try something new and would like to see results that actually last, then click the button below and fill out our quick in-take form. We’ll be in touch to set up an initial consultation. 😉

Myth-Buster: Calories

Food is so much more complex than we can even understand. We cannot just simplify it in terms of definitives. Over the almost 20 years of working with hundreds of different clients (many of them with a weight loss goal) , I have understood that it is not as simple as calories in, calories out. What those calories are made up of, matters. WHO they are, matters. And other lifestyle factors, matter. 

The calories you consume will have a huge impact on the outcome. Your body metabolizes food differently depending on what it is you are eating. Insulin levels are affected and therefore blood sugar levels change, etc… Food is used as energy in different ways. Example: 50 grams of an avocado compared to 50 grams of M&M’s will most definitely metabolize very differently. One will result in stable blood sugar levels (avocado) while the other will have a huge glucose spike (M&M’s) leading to your body storing fat. In addition, this can change from person to person. A good tool you can use to understand how your body metabolizes certain foods is a glucose monitor. 

I have had the experience with a number of clients who eat WAY under there caloric expenditure, sometimes with clients who only ate one small meal a day, but exercised rigorously and could not shed a pound. In some extreme cases it’s your bodies way of survival. If you are in such a deficit your body will store fat to compensate as a survival instinct. This will inhibit your ability to increase metabolism and start burning fat/calories in a healthy way as the body is meant to do. 

You could be PERFECT with your nutrition while on a weight loss journey and still struggle losing weight if other area’s of your life are in flux. Nutrition is only one area of our “Basic Lifestyle Guidelines” that we need to address for our overall health in order to accomplish our goals. Stress, Sleep, Daily Rhythm, Movement and Hydration are all area’s that need to be in order for us to meet our needs. Example: we have probably all been there, but in moments of our life when we are completely STRESSED out and have no mechanisms to control it, I don’t care how perfectly you are eating or doing any of the other guidelines, you can struggle to lose weight. We cannot be existing in a constant state of stress with our sympathetic nervous system in that type of place and expect to be in a healthy place to lose weight. Same goes for lack of sleep for different reasons and our circadian rhythm (nigh shift workers) and the list can go on.

It is not as simple as we want to make it. If you are someone who can relate do this, we get it. And we can help. We are offering free consultations to anyone who is interested. During the consultation we will walk you through a self-diagnosis practice so we can pin-point those area’s that need to be addressed. And then we can give you the tools to improve them so that you can start making strides towards your goals. 

The Diet Coke Story

This story goes back 15 years and I will never forget it.

Early in my career I was not as inquisitive with my clients lifestyles as I should have been. It was more about hitting the weights hard and delivering punishing workouts as I believed that’s what they wanted. I now know how backwards that is and my approach is much different. 

I had been training Larry for over a year. At the time, he was in his mid fifties, owned a funeral home, and had already had triple bypass surgery. He was under a lot of stress, spent many hours every day at his funeral home and kept a personal refrigerator in the corner stocked ONLY with Diet Coke. 

Somehow the conversation came up that he drank several diet cokes a day. I remember him saying this to me as if I should be proud of him… “yeah, it’s DIET coke, not real coke”. He, like many, believed he was choosing the healthy option. 

I was FLOORED. I started asking questions about hydration, how much water he drinks, etc… He said he didn’t drink any water. Wow, how have we never had this conversation!? 

I thought it could be fun to try something. I offered the suggestion he stop drinking diet coke for a full week and replace it with water. We would test his weight at the beginning of the week and then again at the end. I honestly had no idea how this would go, but he’d been struggling with his weight for so long without any change, that if this showed results, it could motivate him. He agreed.

He did his weigh-in, he replaced his diet coke with water for the full week without any other changes and a week later he weighed back in. 

In 1 Week he LOST 10 POUNDS!! I was astonished, he was astonished - it was one of those silent jaw-dropping moments. We just stared at each other. I laughed, and he started to chuckle too. 

Beyond the weight loss he noticed how amazing he felt toward the end of the week. He had a new energy come over him. It was the “Ah-Ha” moment he was waiting for. Suffice to say, he quit drinking diet coke and never looked back. 

That was the reason why I now talk to EVERY client in deep detail about their lifestyle. It was a great learning moment and proved the point that it does not matter how hard you push yourself in the gym, if you do not address your lifestyle in every way possible, it will be an up-hill battle. 

We’ve designed an easy way for clients to do a Lifestyle Self Evaluation to see where some areas need to be addressed. It should take about 10 minutes. It’s important to be thoughtful and honest with yourself. Once you complete the form, we will reach out to offer helpful tips for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Is your Battery Low?

We work in front of screens all day and relax in front of screens all night. We just move from one screen to the next day after day. We humans have not evolved as fast as technology has. We are not meant to sit indoors in front of screens and artificial light all day. It’s no wonder just about every new client we speak to complains of low energy levels. 

We need to think of ourselves as batteries. The higher the charge, the better we will function. The lower the charge, the more susceptible we are to stress, illness, disease and lethargy. So, how can we identify the things that drain our battery and what are the things we can do to charge our battery?

Things that typically DRAIN our battery:

• Artificial (indoor) lighting

• Anything with a screen

• Routers/WiFi/EMF (electro magnetic fields)

• Little/No movement

• Low density foods (processed)

• Little/No outdoor activity

• Dehydration

• Little/No sunlight

• Medications/Prescriptions

• Toxic relationships

Things that typically CHARGE our battery:

• Natural Sunlight

• Water - proper hydration

• Magnetism - energy from the earth bare-feet on the ground (aka grounding)

• Movement - blood flow

• Nature - outdoors

• Cold rinse - 1-2 minutes

• Breath-work/Meditation

• Consuming nutrient dense foods (non-processed, whole foods)

• Positive/Influential relationships

When you think of yourself as a battery, it will change your perception on your health. Our environment and how we spend our time doing what we do will dictate how we feel and our overall well-being. If you find that you typically spend most of your time in the “drained” state, it’s time to re-evaluate your environment. Do some things to counteract your time spent draining your battery with things that will charge it. Start to map out your days and prioritize time spent charging your battery. If you do that, you will feel an enormous difference in your mood, energy and vitality.

If you are tired of feeling tired, but don’t know where to begin, meet with one of our professional coaches and we’ll get you started on the right track.

4 Steps to Mastering your Health

I was 30 years old when I had my first “ah-ha” moment when it came to my health. My first child was just a baby and as I bent down to give him a tub I could hardly put pressure on my knees. I was suffering from patella tendonitis. Years of competitive athletics followed by intensive training for CrossFit competitions resulted in physical pain that kept me from doing simple tasks, such as kneeling down. I knew something had to change…

That led me down a road of re-thinking my fitness, my lifestyle and what I wanted that to look like in the next 5, 10 and even 50 years. It forced me to re-evaluate my life and create some priorities and goals based on that. If I could go back to that time in my early 30’s, suffering from knee pain was probably just one of a number of symptoms that needed to be addressed. Movement, Hydration, Nourishment, Sleep, Rhythm and Stress are all area’s to be assessed. These are our BASIC LIFESTYLE GUIDELINES (BLG’S).

The practice I’d like to walk you through is exactly how we begin and monitor all of our new clients. We pinpoint the areas of highest priority and we put the systems in place to improve it. Here’s how it goes…

STEP 1: Self Evaluation

Rate yourself 1-5 in the following BLG’s:

5 = Extremely Consistent

4 = Mostly Consistent

3 = Somewhat Consistent

2 = Hardly Ever Consistent

1 = Never Consistent

Movement: Do you do some sort of intentional movement everyday? Lift weights, run, walk, hike, bike, swim, etc…

Rate (1-5):

Hydration: Do you drink 1/2 your BW in ounces of water everyday? Do you use salts/electrolytes to hydrate everyday?

Rate (1-5):

Nourishment: Do you eat mostly whole foods? Do you consume .7-.8 grams of protein per BW per day? Do you sit down, take your time and chew 30x’s per bite?

Rate (1-5):

Sleep: Do you sleep 7-8 hours every night? Do you fall asleep easily and stay asleep throughout the night? Do you keep phone and electronics out of the bedroom?

Rate (1-5):

Rhythm: Do you wake-up and go to sleep at the same time everyday? Do you eat and exercise at the same time everyday? Do you get morning sun exposure everyday?

Rate (1-5):

Stress: Does the majority of your stress come from one area in your life? Do you practice daily meditation or breath-work? Do you spend time in nature? Do you detach yourself from screens?

Rate (1-5):

Step 2: Prioritize

Now that you’ve performed the self evaluation, take a look back and see where you need to make the most improvements. Pinpoint one area you want to work on first. You cannot tackle all at once. Think about your lifestyle and what makes the most sense to you. The best way to do this is to create one habit at a time and allow yourself to be patient. Think of this as the “snowball” effect - one step at a time will lead you to lasting change.

Step 3: Create a Plan

You’ve identified your first area of focus and now it’s time to put the systems in place to conquer it. If for example sleep is the main area of focus, make sure you set yourself up for success. If you are not sure what it should entail, do some research or ask a professional for help. Feel free to reach out and I’ll help you devise a plan.

• EXAMPLE - Optimizing Sleep is all about the environment.

  • Our bedrooms should mimic a cave - dark and cool.

  • Absolutely no lights at all and about 62 degrees.

  • Leave your phones and electronics out of the bedroom as far away as possible.

  • Make sure your wireless router is as far away from the bedroom as well.

  • Put away screens at least 30 minutes before sleep.

  • Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Those are just a few basics in terms of improving sleep. Of course with any situation, these can be personalized to the individuals needs. Once you’ve accomplished the habit of getting quality sleep, it’s now time to move to the next. For some it could take a few weeks and for others, longer, but it’s important to make sure you feel confident about the new habit you’ve created before moving on to the next. Set short-term goals for each habit and give yourself a time frame to accomplish each one. Then set a long-term goal to have accomplished all area’s. Maybe it’s a 12 month commitment to accomplish all. If you can stick to that, I guarantee you you’ll be a whole new person in just one year.

Step 4. Refine

Even though you’ve created the habits and know exactly how to conquer them, it will never be perfect. There will always be room for improving so, make sure you stay on top of it. Block out some time for yourself every few months to schedule a check-in. Go through all your BLG’s and see how you are doing. Make modifications as needed and stay on top of each area the best you can. Your health is a lifelong journey - it will never end until it does. As long as you make it a priority you will enjoy a long, happy, and active life.

If you have any questions at all or need some help getting started, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

In Health,

Bobby Scott

Motivation

Having Trouble Staying Motivated?

We hear it all the time: “I just need to find motivation” or “I need someone to hold me accountable”.

We understand - motivation can be temperamental. And, feeling like you need someone to hold you accountable… well, that is just lack of creating habits and discipline to follow through. 

So how can we manage this?

Lets try this to start..

1. Sit down and write your goals (pen to paper).

2. List your top priorities in order.

3. Write down WHY these goals are important to you.

4. That’s your purpose. If its strong enough it will hold you accountable through challenging times. If it’s not strong enough, dig deeper, be vulnerable and find it.

Ongoing Practices:

• Do something different. Whatever you have done in the past hasn’t worked or didn’t sustain you (or else you wouldn’t be in this position). 

• Seek help - guidance from a professional may be just what you need to make it actually stick this time.

• Success is motivating. Once you experience the feeling of progress, you will be more motivated to keep going.

• Make small, incremental goals - long-term, lofty goals are great to strive for, but allow yourself to have some small victories. This will keep you in the moment and on track. 

As coaches, our main purpose is to educate, guide and connect with our clients. It’s the connection, conversations, trust and teamwork with each of our clients that makes it work. It’s not motivation we provide, its’' support and inspiration. Motivation has to come from within. 

Just remember, motivation will come and go, it’s the discipline that will hold you accountable.

Need some help getting going? BOOK A CONSULTATION and let’s discuss your goals. We are offering a 6 WEEK TRIAL to help kickstart your motivation and create the foundation of habits that will be sustainable. 

Life and Goals

18 years ago today I was starting in left field in my first collegiate baseball game. Years of hard work had led me up to that point. There was a lot of excitement, nervousness and focus that day. I always loved February - it signified the beginning of our season in southern Florida. I remember in those moments thinking of all my high school buddies who went to school up north and I'd get a little chuckle thinking how lucky I was to play ball in February in the warm Florida sunshine.

Things didn't pan out exactly as I had dreamed with my baseball career, but I am blessed to have had the experience and most of all the lifelong friends I gained during those years.

This morning I dropped my two sons off to school. One cried because we were late while the other talked about the last time the Eagles played in the super bowl (beating the Pats), who the quarterbacks were and what the final score was (thanks for the reminder, bud). I came home to a dog who ate our succulents, kissed my wife and got to work for the day. Life has changed quite a bit in the past 18 years.

Time is the one constant. It will never stop and things will always change. It feels like yesterday stepping to the plate 18 years ago, but man, 18 years sounds like a long time. I was strong, fast, ready for the season - I had worked hard in the weight room that year, (despite drinking beer on a regular basis and not a whole lot of sleep) I was 22 years old and I was resilient. My goals then were to make the best of my baseball career. To be a starter on the team, to help us make the playoffs and potentially play at the next level. I trained for performance and my workouts reflected that. I went to GNC regularly and sometimes worked out two times a day. I threw down a ton of calories in the cafeteria three times a day and made late night runs to steak and shake a normal habit. I was probably 10% body fat, could sleep until noon and had what now seems like an unusual amount of energy.

I turned 40 this past October. My new years goals for 2023 is to read 12 books and meditate daily. Go's to show you how much life can change! I am now a dad, husband and business owner and my goals and life reflect that. Instead of performance based training plans, I now follow a very simple template of exercises each week. I exercise to increase energy, vitality and keep up with my boys. I move daily to promote longevity and sustainability for years to come. The intensity of my workouts match my function in life - to create balance and harmony for my own personal sake.

Reflection is a good way to appreciate where you've been, where you are today and where you want to go. I encourage you to take a moment to reflect and see how your goals have changed over time. What are you working on today? Tomorrow? This year? And where do you want to be in years to come? Has your training adapted to your life? What do your workouts look like today and how have they changed? I'd love to hear your answers and feedback. I hope this can spark a conversation about life, health, fitness and the balance that is desired to live long and happy lives. Please connect if you'd be willing to share your story - I'd enjoy that.

In Health,

Bobby Scott

(508) 364-6534

Tillman Johnson: All-American Dad

40+ Dads can get stronger too!

2 months into training at OPEX, Tillman has increased his bench press by 20lbs, improved his pull-ups by 4 reps and lost over 4lbs body fat.

As a former All-American lacrosse goalie at University of Virginia, Tillman remembers what it was like training as an athlete and pushing the limits everyday in the gym to reach peak performance.

Tillman is a husband and father of two. With a busy lifestyle and demanding career, fitness looks a bit different now than it did as a young athlete. Goals have changed from performance based to longevity, vitality and overall health.

Although his training looks a bit different, his results are proving that it works. Matching his training to his current lifestyle and allowing him to find balance and sustainability has led to a lot of consistency in the gym.

Our goal with Tillman and all our clients is to match a fitness plan to meet the needs of their lifestyle. This will allow for success now and forever.

If you are ready to experience results like Tillman, use the button below to get started.

Fitness during COVID

Since reopening the gym on July 6th, we’ve been so happy to see our existing members (pre-shutdown) and pleasantly surprised at the amount of new members walking through our doors.

I’ve been asked the question several times as to why we’ve seen such growth since re-opening. I believe there are a few main factors that have attributed to this along with the fact that more and more folks are learning about OPEX and what personalized fitness is.

1. Small/Private Gym
I believe there is a much higher level comfort nowadays with a smaller membership in a private training facility. Instead of subjecting yourself to thousands of members in a big box gym, you can join a smaller facility with a limited amount of members and know that each person there is respectful of one another. There is peace in knowing that.

2. Tired of the Home Workouts
I also believe after 3 1/2 months of gym closures, folks are getting bored of the same workouts from home. Home signifies: peace, comfort, food, love and family. It’s hard to rewire your brain and motivate yourself to work hard and sweat when home is really meant for the above. When you walk into the gym, you know exactly what you are there for. It’s a completely different energy/vibe comparing the gym and home life. I think this has played a role in people wanting better rhythm and a place where they can properly express their fitness.

3. Leveling Up your Heath + Fitness 
I think across the board, we have all realized to some extent how our health and level of fitness plays a role when confronted by an unpredictable health scare. No doubt we have a stronger chance of survival in any circumstance when our health is in prime condition. When health and fitness levels are optimal, we become more resilient. I believe many folks understand this more-so now and are looking at the best options available. I believe they are finding OPEX to be the facility that will guide them the most successful way.

If you are looking for a facility and still a bit apprehensive, no sweat! Feel free to give us a call and ask us anything. Maybe we can ease your mind a bit.

Programs + Pricing

The Value

My mindset has always been to never showcase the price of our training plans to any potential clients until I've had a chance to actually sit down with them and get them to understand the VALUE we offer. I never wanted anyone to rule out the opportunity of training with us based solely on a price point without a discussion and an understanding of the value. 

Now I totally understand everyone has a budget. That goes with any investment or purchase you make. What I want to do today is offer some insight into why we price the way we do and the incredible value behind that price. 

To prove the fact that we feel there is no better value in the fitness market, we will compare our model of fitness with traditional personal training and popular group models.

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$$ OPEX vs Personal Training $$

"We've taken the very best of personal training and made it BETTER, at a fraction of the cost."

During my 12 years as a personal trainer working with clients in a traditional 1-on-1 setting, I learned some really great fundamentals that I keep with me today. There is nothing that beats human to human interaction: building a lasting relationship, teaching proper technique and having quality communication to personalize and evolve each clients program over time.

The downside is the price point can limit frequency of training and sustainability. Typical fees for a quality personal trainer in the South Shore run anywhere from $75-$125/hour. Most clients at these rates are usually only able to afford 1-3 sessions per week. At these rates you could be looking at spending upwards of $900-$1,200/month. At OPEX South Shore, we have set rates without any limits on frequency - we want to offer UNLIMITED access so you can fully benefit from a true personalized plan.

Compared to the rates of personal training, if you train 3-5 days per week and breakdown the price of our OPEX Blue option, you are looking at anywhere between $15 - $25/workout. MUCH more frequency at a MUCH better price point makes OPEX a much more affordable option to personal training. Now that's VALUE!

More importantly, we want all of our clients to feel like they have found a home at OPEX South Shore. No more shopping around from gym to gym. We want this to be the last gym you'll ever join. From my experience with personal training, the number 1 reason most clients quite was because they could not sustain the price point over a long period of time. We want to eliminate that hurdle and allow you to feel like this is something you can sustain forever - both physically and financially. 

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OPEX vs Group Training

"Quite frankly, there is no comparison to group training."

2 1/2 years ago, when it came down to opening up my own training facility, I had to make a decision. Was I going to choose quality over quantity or quantity over quality? For me, it was a no brainer - I've always wanted to provide the very best quality of fitness coaching possible. But, for all gym owners, that is a decision that must be made. You cannot have something in-between - that would not be a sustainable business plan. 

Group training is for sure quantity over quality. You simply cannot offer enough quality coaching to each individual in that model. Group training is a one-size-fits-all model of training that is driven by intensity and making people sweat. Group models like this include: CrossFit, Orange Theory, Boot Camp and HIIT style workout models to name a few. You simply cannot address each individuals goals, needs, limitations, etc in this model. Where it may be okay for a short period of time, again this type of training is not something you can sustain for the long run. Dave, 27 years old, looking to gain muscle, improve body composition and advance in his career should NOT be doing the same exact workout as Sue, 65 year old grandmother looking to stay pain free, play with grandkids and be active during her travels across the country. 

The one area where we do compare to the group model is the sense of community we have developed. While every client has their own personalized plan, they are on the floor together working out amongst one another with a coach guiding them through their own workouts. This sense of community allows for a very healthy, social and energetic atmosphere that everyone enjoys when executing their workouts. 

I hope this paints a clear picture as to how we differ from other fitness models and why we believe our value is at an unmatched level.

Your coach,

Bobby Scott

4 Benefits of Home Workouts

The 4 Benefits of Home Workouts

Curiosity arises thinking about home workouts during quarantine. Videos are all over the place on social media showing different exercises and methods to spice up your workouts as well as fitness equipment being sold for about a 200% markup (not saying everyone is doing that). 

The thing that comes to mind: Is everyone sticking to their programs and moving forward with their fitness journey?

You are in the same boat as just about everyone right now in trying to make the most out of these home workouts or maybe trying to add to your home gym collection.

When I was thinking of things to write about today the thought came to mind about the positives of that are coming out from these home workouts. In hopes that everyone is getting what they can done, let’s look at some positive takeaways while exercising at home. 

1.  No Excuses Allowed

Many people are at home a bit more than normal during this time, which gives a lot of opportunity to improve upon your fitness. There are a million and one excuses that can come into your head to skip a workout. 

Maybe you are late coming home from work or you are forced to go during busy times. Whatever the case may be, things come up and can interrupt your gym time. 

Now that you are home there should be fewer things that get in the way of you setting time aside to exercise each and every day. If you are able to keep a regular exercise routine you will be pleased to see some good results. 

Consistency is king and staying consistent with your fitness will be a game changer for your overall health and wellness. 

Looking at this from a month view, maybe you plan to go to the gym 3 days a week, but every few weeks you have to miss a day. Let’s say last month you got 10 workouts in.

Now, the excuses have subsided and you are getting 5 sessions in a week. 20 sessions over a month period and you just doubled your exercise capacity from the month prior. 

This increase in exercise capacity leads us to the next point - frequency.

2.  Frequency 

For the most part people do not have a fully stocked gym in their house. Granted there are ways to supercharge a home workout with minimal equipment, but in most cases people are not able to load exercises as much as they could at a gym. 

So, if we can’t load as much as normal, what is another great option? Add some volume and frequency. 

Due to this higher frequency and less loading, your are able to recover faster and allow you to hit each body part more frequently throughout the week without overtraining. 

For most people this is the more ideal option for their exercise routines. Less damage done to each body part and more frequency per body part is a safe way to add more volume to your workouts without injury. 

What I have seen from the people I train is that some of the best results on programs are ones that focus on frequency such as full body workouts. This could allow a person to hit each body part 3-4 times a week instead of focusing on 1 or 2 muscle groups each workout. 

3.  Creativity and Originality 

As I stated above, although it is possible to cause greater muscular damage without weights, most people are not doing so with their home workouts. 

The modification of intensity is something that must be done to create effective programs. Many other things go into effective programs such as rest, sets/rep schemes, progressive overload, and exercise selection. 

All things considered, you have to get a little creative to come up with effective home workout programs that involve minimal equipment. 

This new creativity will get you out of your normal exercise routines, which is a good thing! We all tend to fall into ruts of training where we gravitate towards the things we like. 

Originality is something our bodies need to adapt and change. We need new stimulus in order to improve upon weaknesses and better ourselves in the process. 

One thing I have incorporated much more into my own program is isometric training (pausing, or static contraction). Isometrics are something that I had no problem skipping when the gyms were open. For one, I suck at them and two they are abysmal. 

I am taking this time to get better at this type of training and seeing great results in the process. My ankles and knees are feeling more stable and my low back is enjoying the strength and stability it has been causing to repent all the sitting throughout the day.

4.  Work on Yourself 

I mentioned above about improving weaknesses. This is a great focus to have during your home workouts. 

Work on the areas that you need improvement upon. 

You may have a weak core and need to stabilize those muscles. 

You may feel instability in one of your knees when doing single leg exercises. This is the perfect time to address this issue and add stability to that knee so when the gyms do open back up you are better than when they closed.

Some people have pain and need to work on stretching, mobility, connection, and activation. These are things that can be done any time throughout the day. 

If you address these things in short spurts throughout the day, you are able to create good recruitment patterns within your body and reverse the problems that may arise.

If you ask anyone who works at a desk all day how they feel when they get up and move during their day it is always a night and day difference in how much better and more productive their day is. Now you can make these short bouts of movement targeted and more beneficial to your overall health. 

We are all together in trying to better ourselves each and every day. Let’s make sure we are all looking at the good things that can come from our current situation and keep striving to make this situation even better moving forward. 

- Coach Jeff

Staying Motivated Through Tough Times

How To Stay Motivated

There are a million and one ways to get prepared for exercise. The one you choose will have a lasting effect on how you approach exercise, or anything for that matter, in the future. 

I used to love to get my motivation ramped up before a workout. Take all the pre-workout I could find, listen to some blaring music before I walk out the door in attempts to hit every goal I’ve ever had in one single day at the gym. This may be unrealistic but it’s worth a shot.

For some people watching some speeches on YouTube can motivate them enough, for others taking stimulants may do the trick.

Many times I will see the motivational trainer who will be calling their clients before the workout to motivate them to get to their session. This seems like a lot of work to be honest, but it’s all about that motivation!

How long can you keep that up, calling your clients each and every session to get them motivated enough to drag themselves to see you? How many days in a row will you be able to get as motivated as you were the day or two before? There is a progression with motivation and people are looking for that inspiration they felt that one time where they had the best workout of their life.

THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN

Let’s focus on fitness today although this topic has carryover to many other areas. 

WHY MOTIVATION IS THE WRONG PATH

Motivation is not sustainable. You cannot have peak level motivation and performance every single time you go to the gym. I know that would be awesome if we could, but it is just not realistic. 

This is something I like to drill into my client’s minds - WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC. 

Realistic with our fitness goals, realistic with our nutrition goals, and realistic with our commitments. 

This is not easy to tell someone on a motivational high. I would have someone contact me or come talk to me who has been off and on with their fitness for 3-5 years and is now looking for a trainer. They are feeling motivation at this specific time, so they would like a full meal plan, 5 days a week training, and peak-level results in 5-7 business days. 

Yeah, not going to happen.

The truth of the matter is that this person feels so driven at this exact moment that they feel they can accomplish anything. The problem arises in a week where this drive isn’t there anymore. Now what? Do you still go to the gym 5 days a week and follow your nutrition to a tee? No, this person will wait until they feel that motivation again, but until that point they will be disconnected from their fitness goals. 

THE RIGHT PATH 

There are a few parts to this and we have touched on one of these parts prior. 

FIRST STEP: Have the self-belief that you can and you will achieve what you have set out to accomplish.

Having this self-belief will keep your consistency with all aspects of fitness because you have the confidence in yourself. What would you rather rely on confidence or motivation?

This is an easy choice for me due to the fact that confidence is something that is earned, learned, and once found will always be there. Motivation on the other hand is driven through outside stimuli that are inconsistent in everyday life.  

SECOND STEP: Be realistic with yourself. 

This is the topic we touched on earlier. 

When I say, “be realistic” I am not trying to prevent or discourage someone to shoot for the stars I am saying let’s start assembling the rocket before takeoff. 

Have big goals on the top of your list but make sure we make and tackle the small goals all along the way. 

This is why with all my clients I focus on the little things that are achievable and we both know that they will get done. 

We both know this because that person has the self-belief to be able to complete their realistic goals. 

Using this instead of motivation is the key to long-term success. It will change your outlook on health and fitness and make the journey something you enjoy and not something that you need outside motivation to get up and do. 

I reiterate the idea of focusing on the small goals but we also have to look at the big picture and that is consistency.

Consistency is king when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, you don’t need to be perfect just make sure you are ON more than you are OFF and things will be moving in a positive direction.

- Coach Jeff

Personal Training, Revolutionized.

Over the past decade, prior to opening OPEX South Shore, I worked with all of my clients in a 1-on-1 personal training setting. Personal training has many benefits. I was able to personalize each workout to each client, provide them with proper instruction and cuing, build relationships over time, develop trust and hold each client accountable to a schedule and training time. However, over the years of working in this system I noticed a few things that were holding my clients back from truly finding personal growth and success in their fitness and health. They needed a COACH, not a trainer, to not only provide the personalized programming and all the benefits of a 1 to 1 coaching but also to provide each person with the tools and habits that will get them to the next level. These are the essential components I found my clients needed and would receive inside an OPEX Gym that they could not find in 1-on-1 personal training:

• Self Reliance

• Mindful Movement

• Deeper Purpose + Stronger Relationships

• Responsibility and Alignment Outside the Gym

• Value, Frequency and FUN
  

Self Reliance

Becoming self reliant is huge in terms of personal growth. Too often in a 1 to 1 personal training model, the trainer is doing all the work for the client. They are counting reps, handing them weights, setting up workout stations, #babysittng, etc… Here at OPEX South Shore, our clients are receiving professional coaching in-person, but at the same time are creating some accountability themselves to focus on the task, perform the exercise with intention and become independent within the gym. In the longterm this will create much more growth and satisfaction from each client.

Mindful Movement

When you are the one who has to focus on the task, count your own reps and perform the movement at the same time, than you are becoming much more mindful around what you are doing. This will create much better brain to muscle connection which will lead to more results. In a 1 to 1 setting, sometimes too many conversations are being had with the client talking to the trainer during each exercise and when that is the case, the client is just mindlessly exercising which should not be the intent.

Deeper Purpose and Stronger Relationships

With traditional 1 on 1 personal training, relationships between trainer and client are developed over time. Most conversations, however are had in front of other people in the gym and tend to be just surface type conversations about day to day stuff, likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc… This doesn’t allow the coach and client to “really” get to know each other to dig deep enough to know what drives them, why they are doing what they are doing and so on. At OPEX South Shore, each client has a monthly consultation with their coach. During these consults, the coach and client have an opportunity to get into a private space, off the gym floor, sit down and talk about specifics that will help the client continue to move towards their goals. This is where meaningful conversations are had and where the relationship and trust will grow much more so than any casual conversation could.

Responsibility and Alignment outside the Gym

What you do inside the gym is such a small portion of your day and can only lead to a certain amount of results. Eventually, you’ll have to start doing things outside the gym if you want to continue to progress and see results. Most personal training models only go as far as that one or two hours per week when you are with your trainer. Other than those couple hours, you are on your own. At OPEX South Shore, we talk to every one of our clients about things they can do outside of the gym so that they can optimize their training experience. Our monthly consults is a great time for our coaches to give a few pieces of homework to each client with practices they can do outside the gym from improving sleep habits to proper nourishment and so on. With that, it is YOUR responsibility to follow through with the things discussed with your coach and your coach will hold you accountable to it. Over time, this will put in place some really good habits you can stick to for the rest of your life.

Value, Frequency and FUN

There is no better value in terms of personalized fitness plan that you’ll find than at an OPEX gym. Because of the price point of most personal training sessions ($60-$150/hour), in my experience was the main reason that the frequency of sessions was limited usually to 1-3 sessions per week. As a former personal trainer, this was challenging for me to get my clients the results they wanted in such a limited amount of time to train. At OPEX South Shore there is no limit to how many times you train per week, therefore from a value standpoint, you are looking at well over a third of the price point less per training session.

To my own fault and many personal trainers out there, there was a lack of self reliance and responsibility on the clients end because they were being over catered to during their sessions and couldn’t learn anything on their own to feel confident enough to work out on there own. Now, at OPEX South Shore they are taught and learn how to execute workouts with confidence and mindfulness.

Lastly, OPEX is just simply more FUN! You can enjoy your personalized workouts and at the same time socialize with other like-minded individuals. There is an incredibly welcoming community here which just solidifies the overall outstanding experience every client shares here at OPEX South Shore.

Become a part of this new revolution in fitness and start your OPEX journey today here at OPEX South Shore!