We may be close to the end of the year, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting ahead of your New Year’s resolutions. And if one of your resolutions is getting healthier, more fit or simply more active, sign up for a gym membership or even start a program with a personal trainer at the Milwaukee Athletic Club. 

I’ve been a part of many gyms. However, I found that even though I was comfortable with attending a gym, I didn’t know where to start or how to actually achieve my personal fitness goals. 

Not the case at the MAC. When I signed up to become a member, I was introduced to the gym and the facilities, classes and programs I could utilize. I immediately signed up to meet with a personal trainer to start my fitness journey and finally work to achieve my goals. 

When I met with the Director of Athletics Klae Scott, I mentioned that I was open to transforming my body to be toned and gain more muscle. We got started right away with a full body assessment to determine if physical therapy was needed.

“You have to stay consistent and put forth the effort; you want to mentally do it,” said Scott. “You’re putting this time and effort in; I want you to get the most out of the hour you’re working with me and not just skip through the workout.” 

Before any physical training begins, a trainer will take time during the first session to evaluate their client to see if there are any physical issues or limitations that could prohibit someone during training. The client will spend an hour completing designated physical moments and tasks that will help a trainer determine where they fall on the assessment. When I passed my assessment, I got the green light to begin my fitness journey, dedicating a few days a week to training and signing up for the TrainHeroic, which helps track fitness dates and progress achievements during my program. 

My first full day of training consisted of stretching for the first 15 minutes before we dove into working on the first level of my fitness program. A helpful tip: Always arrive at least 20 minutes early to your sessions to stretch and get warmed up before your session. This will allow you to spend more time with your trainer to work on your fitness plan. 

Stretching may be different for everyone. I personally work on a few designed stretches before my session with Scott. One of those stretches: Put a green band around your ankles and sidestep 10 yards left and right three times, monster crawls 10 yards and back three times (forward and backward), and lunges with a twist forward and backward. 

When the training began, Scott started with “easy” workouts that seemed ridiculous. However, he was training me to focus my mind and body on the simple workouts to build up toward the difficult levels I would be reaching later. The goal was to stay consistent and work the body to push limits to achieve the next level of the program every time. 

“My expectations are to be consistent; you don’t work out with me just to check a box and not put in the effort," Scott said. “I expect to take advantage of your time. I want you to put forth the effort, and if you don’t, then you won’t see results or get anywhere.”

Scott also made sure to break down and walk me through each step of the process to teach me about the importance of building muscle, toning my body and explaining why certain workouts would condition my body to do things like barbell front and back squats, chin-ups, pull-ups and more. 

Throughout my training sessions, I became addicted to maintaining my body and focusing on building through each level of my program became a vital part of reaching my goals and achieving the body I want. With the help of my trainer, I felt completely invested in myself, excited to achieve goals instead of just working out to work out and pushed to care more about my overall fitness. 

“It’s the experience. You ultimately have to experience going through training and seeing your development through training whether it’s mental or physical – it’s something that needs to be experienced,” Scott said. “It’s finding your limit and pushing yourself past your limit, and it should be experienced by everyone.”

I encourage you to push your limits in the new year. Sign up and become a member today. Head over to the MAC website and secure your spot with a personal trainer.