Trainer Frank Nash Helps Clients Avoid the Workout Rut  

By Damian Bonazzoli

October 2005 – What’s the single deadliest thing that could happen to
your fitness goals? No, it’s not lack of time, or even lack of money.
It’s not even that raunchy dude who never wipes down the machines
after he uses them. The most dangerous thing that can happen to your fitness
goals is . . . boredom. You know the routine ~ going to the gym, benching,
doing some squats, some bicep curls, maybe running on the treadmill, blah,
blah, blah.

Now if you’re in this kind of rut, what’s the way to break
out of it? According to personal trainer Frank Nash, owner of Platinum
Performance and Fitness Consulting on Millbrook Street in Worcester, it’s
sport specific training, a method that incorporates whole body movements
and core exercises “…specifically geared to increasing your
speed, strength, and agility.” Frank specializes in guiding clients
through this specialized program and considers the contrast between sport
specific training and traditional weight training similar to the contrast
between focusing on athletic ability and focusing on mere “cosmetics.”

So what is sport specific training? There’s really no “typical”
sport specific workout, and that’s the idea –
to avoid routine. But trainers like Frank emphasize a fitness plan that
consists first of an overall evaluation of the fitness level and goals
of the client. From there, Frank emphasizes having his clients use unstable
surfaces (like the popular oversized stability balls) to perform exercises
that enhance core stability and strength. Then there is a focus on the
client’s specific goal, be it weight loss, additional agility, or
other concerns. The idea is to eventually work the entire body in one
workout, since, as Frank explains, no-one actually isolates all his or
her muscles in everyday life so doing so in a workout would be unnatural.
Frank also utilizes natural body weight as part of his resistance training.
You know what that means? That’s right, no excuses if you can’t
find a gym. “There are a billion exercises that you can do without
a gym,” Frank emphasizes.

Of course, if you can train with Frank, great ~ for him and for you! But
if you live too far away or can’t fit him into your schedule but
still want to hire a personal trainer, Frank offers a few tips. First,
although there are “hundreds” of certifications that trainers
can earn, the most reliable may be those awarded by NASM (the National
Academy of Sports Medicine) and NSCA (the National Strength and Conditioning
Association).

Frank also cautions people seeking a trainer to find an “ethical”
one, i.e. to avoid any trainer who encourages the use of supplements such
as so-called thermogenics (“fat burners”), testosterone boosters,
or even the relatively commonplace creatine. “There just hasn’t
been enough research on them yet,” he explains. Also, clients should
avoid trainers who make grand claims about the results they’ll help
you achieve. While impressive and even drastic results are possible, every
trainer should be honest enough to inform the client that the more drastic
the result, the more likely the client will be to slide back unless her
or she is able to maintain an intense level of commitment.

Instead, the focus ~ both for the trainer and the client ~ should be on
lasting lifestyle change. Frank considers his proudest moment to have
been not in the training of a professional athlete, but instead a woman
in her late sixties who came to Frank not even able to bring her laundry
downstairs. “She used to have to drop it down the stairs one piece
at a time,” Frank recalls. After months of careful, persistent work,
this client can now go for walks with her husband and her dog. As Frank
puts it, “Anyone can lose body fat and anyone can gain muscle; this
is changing someone’s life.” Another proud moment for Frank
is seeing his clients “graduate.” “If somebody tells
me, ‘Hey, Frank, I get it,’ and they don’t need to train
with me anymore, I’ve won. I have changed their life.”

So that’s it, my fellow gym rats, no more excuses. As Frank says,
“Keep moving. . . . Do it for yourself. . . . Be healthy.”

Frank Nash can be reached at Gold’s Gym of
Worcester, 508-757-7999.