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. 

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.

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. 

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

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!

Why we Assess - Building the Foundation

Program design without an assessment is just guessing. Group programming is NOT focused on the individual. Personalized programming IS focused on the individual. Our goal is to provide the very best coaching and to do so we must assess. Being a personalized fitness gym we understand the importance of the assessment and so should you. 

KNOW YOUR STARTING POINT

To progress each client correctly, we must know where you are starting from. Through baseline strength testing, movement screening, and cardiovascular insight, we will be able to gain enough information to see where your starting point is. Knowing this will allow us to make a long-term game-plan that is always progressing you towards your goals. 

BODY, MOVE, WORK

Our assessment is broken down into three sessions: Body, Move and Work. 

"Body" is a comprehensive body composition scan using our InBody 270 machine to gather feedback on: body fat mass, muscle mass, water (hydration), percent body fat, segmental weight breakdown, basal metabolic rate, and more. 

"Move" is strength testing and movement analysis. Having baseline strength numbers is a great way to track progress from the very beginning. Testing includes upper body and lower body pushing and pulling testing to show strength relative to each area. The results of this will play a big role in prioritizing the weaker areas in your program design. During the movement analysis (joint range of motion), you'll be tested based on right vs. left side differences. With any imbalances that are recognized there will be exercises placed into your program to correct it. 

"Work" is testing the aerobic system. Just like strength testing, it is important to know where your starting point is for cardiovascular system. Based on the results, we'll be able to program your aerobic work appropriately in a progressive manner. 

BUILDING TRUST

The assessment allows you and your coach to have 3 full sessions together fully focused on gathering as much information as possible to then put a plan in place. The assessment is the building blocks for the coach-client relationship to grow. Knowing as much about you, not only for your coach, but for yourself as well, is important so that both you and your coach are aligned and have a clear vision of a longterm plan. Having clear and honest expectations upfront and seeing the steps necessary to reach your goals allows that trust to build. A strong coach-client relationship is a top priority for us as we believe it to play a key role in you seeing results over the lifespan of your personal fitness journey. 

PROGRAM DESIGN

This is where the magic happens! Taking what we've learned in the assessment and knowing what your goals are, we can now align everything into a plan that is personalized for you. Your fitness program is an expression of you, your lifestyle and goals. Our mission is for all of our clients to look and feel their very best and to do so, it all must start with the assessment. The program design is an evolution over time. As you evolve and progress, so does your fitness plan.

Know where you sit, make a plan, progress forever...

Onwards and Upwards,

Bobby Scott 

Owner/Head Coach

What Is OPEX?

OPEX is how we deliver fitness to all of our clients. OPEX is customized fitness in a team environment. Every client has the full support a coach off the floor, but they have the guidance of a coach on the floor as they train with the rest of the gym community each day.

Instead of just telling you what it is, it’s more impactful to show you!

One Client

You are our top priority, and we are here to ensure you not only have a great experience, but that you enjoy life more in AND out of the gym.

One Coach

You deserve to have a coach who knows exactly where you “sit” with your training in the gym as well as your enjoyment and progress out of the gym. OPEX Coaches are professionals who help guide your health and fitness journey for the long-run. 

One Community

Just because you have the full support of a coach off the gym floor and the guidance of a coach on the gym floor doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t enjoy your time in the gym with your friends and community. In an OPEX Gym, you’ll enjoy each day while you continue progressing for years!

Your OWN Experience

OPEX Coaches help guide your experience, they don’t force you into theirs. Everybody is unique; they have different wants and needs. The beauty of the OPEX Experience is that your coach designs your fitness experience to make sure that you are aligned to enhance your life in and out of the gym.

How Does OPEX Help You Get There?

Monthly Consultations

For us to give you an outstanding experience where you progress for years, we need to connect with you off the gym floor each month so that we can make sure that we are continuing to work toward YOUR goals given where life is at this moment for you.

Full Assessments

You will hear us say “Assess, don’t guess.” Until we understand where you are physically, we will NEVER design a training program for you. It’s through the assessment that we go through OPEX’s BMW System of – Body, Move, and Work. We will get a 360-degree view of where your program should begin. After you complete each training phase, we will reassess you so that we are always in alignment with you.

Your OWN Fitness Program Customized Exclusively For You

OPEX is globally recognized as a leader in fitness program design. Your program needs to ensure that you progress properly. If poorly done, you would face injury or stagnancy. OPEX Coaches are Professionals who will see to it that your program helps you achieve your goals ongoing year round.

Nourishment For A Lifetime

It would be foolish to give you a complex nutrition plan before you master the basics. Not only will we you find the perfect basics, we will also help you progress how you take care of yourself in and out of the gym so that you reduce stress, and improve the results you get in and out of the gym.

OPEX is more than just fitness to us.

It’s a constant evolution to live a larger life through fitness.

#WeAreOPEX

your coach,

Bobby Scott

START YOUR OWN TRAINING PLAN AND SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION HERE

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OPEX Fitness South Shore

"Professional Fitness Coaching Customized to YOUR Success!"