How will My Personal Trainer pump you up to get you to your goal?
By Patricia Nugent
Marketing experts coined the term “customer stickiness” to describe a company or a brand that tends to attract repeat business.
Here in Wadsworth, one of the stickiest training studios you’ll find is My Personal Trainer.
Unlike most gyms and studios, where people visit for the first month or two, then dwindle down to nothing, once someone joins MPT, they tend to stick around for years.
Studio owner Heath Burkholder credits their success to real results and providing a motivational experience that’s customized to each person.
(Those results have garnered MPT a legion of fans. Last year the studio won Best of the Best Medina County Readers’ Choice Award from The Gazette and they’ve been nominated again this year.)
Meet Todd and Michelle
This 50-something dynamic duo has been coming to My Personal Trainer since last September, training with Kaylee Mynhier and Ethan Vejdovec.
Michelle and Todd both work full-time jobs. He’s the publisher of Fox Meadow Living magazine, and she works for Heartland Community Church. They have two children, one in college and one who graduated.
“With our busy schedules, we come here at different times of the day and week,” says Michelle. “We might not work out at the same time, but we are on this mission to get fit and healthier together. We recognize that the older you get, the more your metabolism slows down. And we do not have any intention of slowing down.”
Over the years, Todd has experienced rotator cuff issues and back problems for which he underwent physical therapy, and he mentions the trainers are sensitive to those.
“What strikes me most about the trainers here is that they have our best interests at heart,” says Todd. “It feels like a partnership. They are invested in us, always monitoring our diet and nutrition, as well as water intake, to push our results to the next level. We are both tracking what we eat on a fitness app, which is helpful, and takes the guesswork away on how to eat to build muscle.”
Michelle reports that having a trainer constantly checking on her form and adjusting movements is a big differentiator for the studio. She had previously belonged to circuit exercise programs but felt like she was spinning her wheels without any real results.
Key Losses and Gains
Collectively, Todd and Michelle have lost 51 pounds since starting here. She went from 68 pounds of fat mass to 49, or from 39% to 32% He went from 84 pounds of fat mass to 65, or from 33% to 29%. This led to a drop in BMI or Body Mass Index of 27 to 24 for Michelle and 34 to 30 for Todd. In the end he lost more pounds (28), but she lost more fat mass (19 pounds).
But behind those impressive numbers lie some notable gains.
The amount of weight they are moving and lifting in each session has progressively increased. Todd is proud of going from leg pressing 142 pounds when he began, to now lifting 285 pounds. They also both report a boost in energy levels.
Michelle notes that a few of her favorite positives from working out at MPT are losing two dress sizes, enjoying shopping for new clothes, as well as being able to chuck the ball down the alley, as she’s an avid bowler.
“The tangible and positive results have been a nice surprise,” she says, noting that the compliments she’s received at work and from friends have been strong reinforcement.
Muscle Recovery Time
Unlike most gyms or studios, the trainers at My Personal Trainer only want to see you there twice a week. Owner Heath Burkholder explains why recovery time between workouts is crucial to the results achieved.
“During a session, we push the muscles to the point of failure,” he says. “This causes beneficial micro-tears to the muscle fiber that take 24-48 hours to recover and rebuild properly. Your body adapts to the stress you put on it. During this recovery period, you also need to create the right conditions for growth, including getting the right amount of water, protein, sleep and reducing stress.”
Heath says that’s why people who spend all their time in the gym don’t often see real change to their bodies. They don’t allow for recovery.
“Research has shown that training every body part two times a week properly is the most widely agreed upon form of strength training. More than that can lead to overtraining and strength plateaus.”
My Personal Trainer studios are located in Wadsworth (104 High Street, 419-685-4917), Medina (3733 Stonegate Drive, next to the Hobby Lobby Plaza, 330-723-3009), Strongsville (20930 Drake Road, 440-878-9000), Broadview Heights (7985 Broadview Road, 440-838-8400), Westlake (25959 Detroit Road, 440-808-0000), and Mentor (7448 Mentor Avenue, 440-306-8788). For more info, visit OhioMyPersonalTrainer.com.