01/13

Giveaway Today! 2 Personal Training Sessions

Sometimes you just need a little boost to help you get going…
so I’m giving away 2 Free Personal Training Sessions today! 
Complete the following 2 steps to enter: 
1) Like my Fitness Facebook Page. 
2) Leave a comment on this blog 
telling me why you’d like to receive the sessions. 
Winner will be chosen at 10 PM tonight! 
Please remember to include your name/email so I can contact you should you win!
Your entry is complete only when you’ve completed both steps above.
Personal training sessions have to be scheduled within 90 days. 
You may email your comment: fitwithflash@gmail.com
*Your comment will post once it’s been approved by me, so don’t worry if you can’t see it right away!
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Filed Under: give away, personal training
07/11

Getting In Shape… In Every Budget!

If you ask most people one thing they’d like to change in their lives, they’d answer with, 
“I’d like to be in better shape.” 
When asked why they don’t, they usually reply with one of two things;
“I don’t have time.”
or 
“It’s just too expensive.”
While I can’t do anything to change your time management issues
 (that’s a whole ‘nother blog post)
 I can definitely tell you that money shouldn’t be an issue, and here’s why: 
You have many options to get in shape, no matter what your budget.

$$$$  
Hire a personal trainer! 
There’s no easier way than to hire somebody to tell you how to train, how often to train, and to make sure you’re doing it correctly. There are personal trainers at your gym, there are trainers at private clubs, there are even trainers that will travel to your home/office to train you at a time that’s most convenient for you. So there shouldn’t be anything holding you back other than finding a trainer that you like. Here’s a database that helps you find certified trainers in your area. Here’s one that helps you find TRX trainers in your area. Just make sure you actually do what they tell you… ; ) 
$$$  
Split the cost of a trainer between you and a friend (or three)
Hiring a trainer at $70+ an hour can get expensive after a while, but if you have a friend or two that wants to jump in, that will help offset costs and give you a workout buddy that will help keep you accountable for making it to your sessions. It’ll also make things more fun while trying to reach your goal. Costs usually drop down to around $30 to $50 per person, per session. And the more buddies you have, the cheaper it’ll be for each of you. 
 $$ 
Join a Bootcamp! 

Bootcamps sound scary, but in all actuality, they’re pretty fun. You have a whole crew of people to suffer with work out with, compete with, make jokes with, and before you know it, your workout is done and you’ve had a reasonably fun time! Bootcamps usually meet two to three times per week and the cost usually breaks down to anywhere from $12-$20 per session. This is a great way to get your workout in, have some fun, meet new people, and not break the bank. If you’re in the Louisville area, check out my TRX Bootcamp.
$
Group Fitness Classes!
There are all kinds of gyms that offer memberships for as little as $15 per month. Look for a new gym opening in your area. With the opening day sales, you can score a few months of membership at a low cost, and included in that membership is a whole schedule of FREE group fitness classes. Same idea as with bootcamp above; you don’t have to go alone. It’s fun, exciting, easy to jump in, and you have a qualified instructor telling you what to do and making sure you’re doing it correctly so you don’t get hurt. Plus, classes are usually unlimited! So you can go as many times per week as your schedule (and body) allows to get the most bang for your buck. And you have the option to mix it up. Spinning class one day, strength the next, cardio dance to shake your ass, and yoga to calm yourself down. You’ll have so much to choose from you won’t know what to do first. And you’ll never get bored! 
So if you want to get in shape, and your budget is holding you back, hopefully this helps. 
Questions? Shoot ’em over to me: fitwithflash@gmail.com
In the Louisville area & want to train with me?
www.amimcmullen.com

Now go get after it! 

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Filed Under: bootcamp, budget, Fitness, group classes, Inner Strength, money, personal training
05/24

Clients, We Know How You Feel!

This was sent to me a few years ago by a fellow trainer and I thought it was hilarious. 
I came across it last night and thought you guys would enjoy it. 
If you’ve ever worked with a trainer, it’s likely you’ve had a similar experience. 
: ) 
A story: 

DEAR DIARY, 

For my sixtieth birthday this year, my daughter Rachel (the dear) purchased
a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am
still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years
ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named
Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and
model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with
my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to
chart my progress.

MONDAY:

Started my day at 6:00 a.m . Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well
worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me.
She is something of a Greek goddess – with blond hair, dancing eyes and a
dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the
machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her
aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was
encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from
holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC
week-!!

TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda
made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air – then she put
weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the
full mile. Belinda’s rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!!
It’s a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter
and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in
both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. Belinda was impatient with me,
insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning;
and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair ‘monster’.
Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators?
Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life.
She said some other shit too.

THURSDAY:  
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin,
cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn’t help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes.
Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom.
She sent another skinny bitch to find me. Then, as punishment, she put me on
the rowing machine — which I sank.

FRIDAY:
I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other
human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic
little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without
unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps!
And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the Damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.
The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn’t it have been someone
softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY:
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice
wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to
smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to
even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the
Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:
I’m having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and
thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my
daughter Rachel (the little shit will choose a gift for me that is fun —
like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to
bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!


 So clients, 
It’s OK. 
We understand. 
We appreciate you showing up anyway! 
; ) 




*I’ve had this story for years, but unfortunately don’t know the origin. If anybody knows, please send me the info so I can give credit asap! Thanks

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Filed Under: funny, personal training
02/22

Never Stop Learning

People ask me all the time how to become a trainer, what makes a great trainer, how to you get to be a presenter, etc… My answer is simple: NEVER STOP LEARNING.

Step 1: Buy books that pertain to your industry. 
Step 2: Shove the info into your brain. 
Step 3: Learn like a mother* and be smarter/better! 
Photobucket

*photobucket is being a B so forgive the missing #1

Sure you need a degree and a certification to get started/hired, but the great leaders of any industry are always pushing themselves to know more, stay ahead of the curve, and THAT’S why they end up being the leaders of their industry.

Yes, I have my degree, 
a couple certifications, 
and years of experience, 
but I’m far from knowing it all. 
And if you think you already know it all, 
you’re dumber than you know. 
So invest in yourself. Especially if you’re a business owner. I spend lots of money on continuing education each year. I go to conferences, I take courses, I read books. And THAT’S what separates me from Joe Blow down the street that just likes to work out and has a good body, so he became a trainer at Bob’s Gym. I try to get a new book every month and my reading goal is to spend about 20 minutes a day reading for my profession. It’s a small goal, easy to hit, and I usually end up engrossed and reading more…
What am I reading now? 

So take that $10 you might spend on a couple days worth of Starbucks and go online and buy a book today. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself. 
Happy Wednesday! Make it a good one! : )
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Filed Under: learning, personal training, reading, self-growth
01/11

What your trainer is REALLY thinking…

Today’s post is inspired by this video. It made me laugh out loud at a few points because I’ve heard a lot of these things several times over the years from personal training clients and group fitness participants alike. You don’t need to watch the whole thing, but have a listen:
As trainers, we hear all kinds of excuses/complaints from our clients.
This is what your trainer is really thinking:
if your trainer is me…
“I’ve been training with you for a year (or other amount of time) and I haven’t lost any weight!”
Oh really? I train you for 1 hour, twice a week. I’m in charge of you 2 hours per week, you’re in charge of yourself the other 166 hours. You’re right. It’s probably my fault. All the stuff I’m giving you to do the rest of the time that you’re not doing… can’t be that.
“I don’t like vegetables!”
Oh well in that case, you should keep eating those potato chips, made from a factory. Those are probably definitely better for you. I have no idea what I’m talking about. And what you’ve been eating is doing great things for your body… is that why you hired me?
“Why am I even doing this exercise?!”
I’m just f***ing with you. Thought I’d see how funny you looked doing it. It’s not for your benefit in any way possible.
“I hate lunges!”
Remember when you told me you wanted a better ass? Well, this is how you get it. You build glute muscle and that’s what gives you the shape. Do the lunges, or don’t complain about your flat butt.
“I hate cardio!”
Yeah? I hate paying bills. But I do it so I can have a car, a place to live, etc. You don’t like being overweight/weak? You gotta do some work. Sorry. When your body gets to a place where it’s used to doing work, it works more efficiently.
“If I eat more fruits and vegetables I’ll have to go to the store more often.”
Which do you hate more: being overweight and unhealthy, being at risk for Type II Diabetes, have high cholesterol/blood pressure, etc from eating CRAP…. or making the trip to the store (to buy fresh) once every 4 or 5 days? You decide.
“I don’t want those heavy weights! I’ll get bulky!”
You’re right. Because those 3 lb weights you’ve been using are doing SO much for you. Lifting weights burns calories (gets rid of fat) and builds muscle (makes muscle visible… i.e. TONE). The more you challenge yourself (safely), the stronger you’ll get. Unless you’re injured or rehabbing something, you don’t need 1lb weights… promise.
“I want to be back to the weight I was at 5 years ago… in 2 months.”
Well if it took you 5 years to get out of shape, it might take a little longer than 2 months to get back to where you were. If you’re dropping weight correctly, it’ll be at a rate of 1 or 2 lbs/week. Soooo do the math.
“This is hard!”
You’re absolutely right. You should stop right now. Don’t do anything that’s hard. That can’t be good for you. Keep doing what you were doing (easy/nothing). See if anything changes.
“People have been eating bread for centuries.”
People have also been smoking opium for centuries… not everything that’s been around forever is good for you. It’s not that you can never have bread/alcohol/cheese, but you’ll lose weight faster if you eat less of it.
“You hurt me yesterday, I was sore.”
There’s a difference in pain and discomfort. Sore muscles aren’t hurt. They’re sore because you haven’t used them in a long time. Keep going! You’ll be less sore as you go on. If you stop, you’ll just be sore every time you start up again after a hiatus. And so what if you’re sore? You won’t die. Your muscle fibers heal and get stronger. That’s how it works. You think I’m never sore? Riiiiight. If you’re in actual pain for more than a couple days, we’ll talk.
“I’m not going to stop _____. It’s my thing.”
Whether your “thing” is having a giant Starbucks latte every morning, or beers with the coworkers after work every night, those calories add up and it’s not helping your cause. And if you’ve been doing it every day for the past few years, nothing’s going to change in your body if you don’t change your current habits.
Trainers don’t tell you to add something or drop something from your routine just to see if we have power over you. We don’t tell you to exercise because we want you to be miserable. We don’t push you because we’re on a power trip and we just want to see if you’ll do whatever we say (well, most of us don’t). We do it because it will help you with your goal. We try to be as supportive of you, empathize with whatever road blocks you’ve faced in the past, and push past those to get where you want to be. Whether it’s losing weight, building strength, or making you healthier we give you advice because YOU hired US for help and WE know how to help you reach your goal, whatever that may be. But you have to listen to make it work…
*I know this was a pretty sarcastic post, but in all reality I’m this business because it’s amazing to help somebody reach their potential. I’ve had people complain and yell and even curse me up one side and down the other… but if they keep going and work hard, I don’t care. : ) Most of my clients (especially the ones I’m training now) are very hard-working individuals and put a lot of effort into reaching their goals. For these peeps: I appreciate and respect who you are and everything you do!
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Filed Under: excuses, inspiration, personal training, video
09/26

Warning: F Bomb.

Wanna know what your trainer is going to tell you when you come to them asking for help on how to lose weight, get lean, tone your muscles, get faster, or perform better? Strength Train, Stretch, and CARDIO.

Oh you don’t like to run? You can dance.
Oh you have bad knees? Grab a bike/elliptical.
Oh you don’t have a gym membership? Outside is free.
Oh you don’t like to sweat? GET OVER IT.
For your body to get at its best (or at least better than what it currently is) you’re gonna have to do some work. And by work, I mean SWEAT. Get outta your comfort zone. If you wanna change what you are, you have to change what you’re doing. Or not doing… So please, don’t look up ways to get in shape and look for something that’s easy. Because it’s not easy. It requires getting after it. So when I ask if you got your cardio in this weekend and you tell me you walked your dog Saturday I’m not going to be impressed. Did you breathe hard? Did you feel like you were pushing yourself?
That girl with the awesome ass? She does lunges.
That guy with the amazing abs? He works his whole body and doesn’t eat crap.
The people that have awesome bodies WORK FOR THEM.
And they do cardio.
So when you’re thinking of how to work your body this week, make sure your work it so you’re breathing hard*! Make your heart work while you make your body work. When the whole thing works as one, you’re getting the best workout.
And for the love of all that is holy:
Don’t hire a trainer to get you in shape and ignore everything they tell you.
We don’t appreciate that.
You won’t get better.
And you waste your money.
This post brought to you by somebody who’s really tired of hearing excuses. Make it a good week! : )
*not too hard, obvs. don’t die.
Photo via
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Filed Under: cardio, heart health, personal training
09/25

Freakin’ Weekend…

Is this anybody else this weekend?

I need to catch up on Grey’s, watch a couple eps of Entourage from last season, go to yoga… oh, and prep for the week ahead. New bootcamps starting, new clients, assessments on all the standing clients, South Carolina travel prep, etc. It’s gonna be a pretty big Sunday. Might go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Not sure if I’ll have enough time…
Also, the winner of my Personal Training Giveaway is:
Joann Mattingly!
Thanks to Crystal V. for entering you! : )
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09/19

Giveaway! Personal Training

I’m where I am today because at various times throughout my life, people have given to me, asking nothing in return. Every so often I like to give away 2 Free Personal Training sessions.
Because that’s what I can offer.
And it’s time again!

Maybe you want a personal trainer but can’t afford one.
Maybe you already workout but you just want some new exercises to add to your routine.
Maybe you have a friend whose b-day is coming up and you’ve haven’t gotten a gift yet.
Maybe you want to start working out and you just need a kick start.
Either way…

How do you enter?
Well I’m glad you asked! : )
1) Live in or around Louisville, KY… or be willing to travel here.
2) Leave a comment below with your email addy.
or
3) Shoot me an email with your name.
((Don’t worry. I don’t even have an email list so you won’t go on it.)
fitwithflash@gmail.com
or
4) Tweet about it.
or
5) Facebook about it.
Winner will be drawn Friday, September 23rd.
Then it’ll be Friday,
and you will have won something,
and you’ll be really pumped…
‘Cause winning is awesome.
Good luck!
photo 1, 2
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Filed Under: give away, personal training, winner
03/21

TRX Rip Trainer!

TRX Training has introduced the new TRX Rip Trainer! It’s very exciting in the world of fitness. Why? Because I said so. Ha! Kidding. (But really folks) I can attest to its effectiveness. While I was at the annual TRX Instructor’s Summit in San Fran last month, we all got a Rip Trainer workout and we were ALL feeling it for the next few days. A bunch of fitness professionals, feeling it. My core was so sore it hurt to laugh, cough, sit up. LOVED IT. Watch the vid. Check it out. (I’m in it. Kind of. In the background. But still still, technically, in it.)

The Rip Trainer is similar to the TRX in that it’s lightweight (4 lbs), easy to travel with, able to be set up anywhere (indoors, outdoors, etc), and it’s works your entire core while you’re targeting other muscle groups. It uses asymmetrical loading of the resistance cord to constantly challenge one’s balance and force maximum muscle recruitment. Can your chest press machine do that? Nope. So scope it out here. If you’ve got questions, let me know!

And a big CONGRATS to Kathy! She is the proud new recipient of 2 personal training sessions with me. Because she was the only one around who entered. Sorry CA peeps. : ) Kathy! Email me with your schedule so we can get you hooked up. Guess who gets to be one of the first to try the new Rip Trainer? That’s right.
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Filed Under: core, personal training, Rip Trainer, TRX
03/10

Personal Training Giveaway!

The winner of this Giveaway will receive 2 FREE, one hour Personal Training Sessions with yours truly! Here are the only 2 rules required to enter. You have to live in the Louisville area (or be willing to drive/fly to Louisville, since this is where I am) and you have to be able to complete both session within one month of winning (by April 17). Easy to win? Yes. Here’s how to enter:

1. Leave a comment below.
Yes, that’s all you have to do… What? You want to increase your chances of winning this AMAZING, ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME (not really, I do these every 2 months…) OPPORTUNITY? We-hell, here’s what you can do to earn extra entries:
* Become a follower of this blog
*Post this link on your Facebook page then add another comment to tell me.
*Retweet it on Twitter.
*Write me an email telling me why you’d like to win. You don’t have to write a book, just a couple sentences.
The winner will be drawn a week from today: St. Patty’s Day! Woohoo! There will be cause for all kinds of celebrating that day! Remember: you can enter for somebody else too! Good luck!
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