Getting the MOST from Training

Who wouldn’t want to look this awesome? The truth is there are not many people who would do the work to look like these photos.

You have two older adults whose bodies are sculpted with muscle and the single woman has a very lean toned body.

Both come from a low fat, high protein diet and serious training.  It is a BIG commitment.  Are you ready for that? I have been a trainer almost 40 years.  The education and experience I have accumulated is priceless.  My training also came with a lot of injuries and I learned from that.  Back then there weren’t even certifying agencies around yet and you learned as you went. The past 40 years I have accumulated several degrees, various certifications and a vast amount of knowledge that I apply in my work with clients.  Every body is different to work with but the basic principles apply.  Train hard, eat clean and use the training techniques to achieve the body you want whether its more muscle mass with cuts or lean muscle tone.

Here is a picture of me when I was training about 2-3 hours a day and quite a few years ago. I kept a pretty strict diet. I enjoyed foods off my diet, but occasionally. I am happy being healthier and it keeps me strong.  This was after I went through a lifestyle change and gained 35 pounds which is how I ended up in the fitness field.  I knew what it meant to be overweight and not happy with my body.  I also know the work it takes to lose the weight and really get “in shape”. How do you maximize your training and get the MOST from it?  It starts with attitude.  First you have to believe in what you want to accomplish and work with the right person who will get you there.  You have to show up for training and be ready to work hard. For me, losing weight and doing the work to get in shape was hard.  But I was encouraged every time I saw the inches go down and my body changing.  My clients hate when I ask them to pull out the tape measure for a progress report.  For some clients I show them their progress by documenting it through the ability to go from lifting 1-3 pounds to 8-12 pounds.  Or being able to increase from one set of 8 to 3 sets of 15.  That kind of work gets results.  But you have to push every single day.  Even if you give 100% in your session its what you do the other 23 hours a day that really makes the difference.  You have to eat clean with lean high protein - muscles need protein to build and you need to eat low fat, low carb meals.  You also need to eat often to avoid starving yourself - if your body needs fuel and you haven’t fed it in a while do you really think it will go for the stored fat you have or that lean muscle you have been building? There are a lot of myths and fads about dieting and working out.  Science and research have come a long way but if you want a sleek Ferrari to drive you can’t be putting low octane low grade gas in it. Many of my clients are over 50 and they ask can I still develop a lean muscular body at my age?  You bet.  It is still the same body, same muscles, etc.  The difference is we may not be as fast as we once were and we must take into consideration orthopedic and medical factors.  But heck yeah!  Just look at the first picture in the article! So. Show up for training ready to work hard.  Make sure you have enough fuel to do your best.  Eat to support your goals.  That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy treats but keep them “as treats” not everyday foods.  Sleep is important to allow your muscles and mind the down time to recover. Make sure you are progressing every session and that you “feel” the workout.  Muscles need to work to fatigue to actually change.  Vary the workout.  Don’t do the same thing over and over expecting greater results.  Mix it up with heavier weights for strength and muscle building, and high reps to cut.  Same old same old won’t cut it. Want help?  Email me at

patella.cap@gmail.com and I can answer some of your questions or set up a schedule to train you.       www.cherylapatella.com