Why Dynamic Personal Training?

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Transcript: Why Dynamic Personal Training?

Season 6, Episode 1  | November 15, 2022

[MUSIC PLAYING] What’s going on, Life Time Talks family? I’m David Freeman.

And I’m Jamie Martin.

And we’re back with a great episode with the great Anna Taylor. We’re going to be talking about Dynamic Personal Training. Let me give you a little background on Ms. Anna Taylor. She’s a NASM certified personal trainer. She holds her certification also within USAW, Living Fit, Kettlebells, and Precision Nutrition. She is a Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time. And she sums up her coaching style as someone who will push you, keep it real, and get results. Welcome, Anna.

Thank you for having me. This is really exciting to be here. But, yeah, maybe I’ll push you for a workout.

Oh, here we go. Yes, oh, no. Me and Anna go back. She’s definitely a master coach for Alpha so we got some history together. So I’m excited to have you on today. We’re going to get right into it, though. What is Dynamic Personal Training?

Well, Dynamic Personal Training is Life Time’s philosophy of creating this level of experience that is uncompromising, and showing how it is to have a healthy lifestyle with health and fitness. And overall how your training program should look like and feel, and be supported by a personal trainer.

And by showcasing that, having that level of support, giving to clients, and also building a relationship is something that I deeply follow through with because at the end of the day, I want my clients to succeed.

And being that support for them and that accountability, motivation, whatever it is to make them feel challenged in that training session, just sets them up for the next training session or how it’s going to feel for the rest of their lives. So I love being that Dynamic Personal Trainer to help them in that supporting outlook of life.

That’s awesome.

It’s awesome.

So one thing that they often say about Dynamic Personal Training is this is something that you really can’t replicate at home. And so with that in mind, when someone comes in for a Dynamic Personal Training session with you, what does a typical session look like? What happens? And why is each of the included components so important to the format and to the philosophy, I should say?

Yeah, so coming into a Dynamic Personal Training session, you’re going to start off with a warm up. And at that level is, again, you’re trying to get your heart rate up before, and also setting up your strength training component.

So having a Dynamic Personal Training warm up is going to get you set up for your strength training. And then you’re going to follow up with your strength training, it’s going to be progressive. And it’s going to allow you to look at how your training program is going to feel for maybe that month or that cycle. And also letting your client know that, hey, this is what we’re going to be doing today, and how it’s going to feel like for the next month.

So you’re going to see some progressive training. You’re going to increase in your weight week to week. And, again, it’s going to be customized for that individual. You’re also going to experience a level of accessory movements. And they can be very hands-on. We can involve some coaching and cueing in that training session. And then wrapping it up with a conditioning portion, along with recovery.

Recovery is going to be very, very important because if you do not recover as hard as you train, there can be some backfire in that. So we want to make sure that you’re getting the whole comprehensive training plan in just that one hour. And it’s not just a workout. So we’re looking at a whole training program. And it’s not– again, you’re getting the big picture of it not just one hour, but the whole thing.

Yeah. Some key takeaways there. Obviously, it’s not just a workout, it is a program. Love that piece. And then you say work harder, but then recover that much harder. Work hard, right. So with that, we want to talk about the key differentiators as far as Dynamic Personal Training because there’s a lot of folks out there that train. And when we look at what makes Dynamic Personal Training different, what are some of those key elements?

So what you’re going to see that’s different? Can think of a traditional training setting as, well, I’m going to go get a great workout with my trainer today. But when you come in for a Dynamic Personal Training, you’re going to go into there thinking, you know what? I’m going to be put through a warm up, a strength training. And today is my back Squat day.

And then I’m going to be working on some a accessories that are going to help me progress into the next day. Maybe my next day is a Deadlift day. And, again, that client has been well educated because that Dynamic Personal Trainer has set up that training session, and what it’s supposed to look like in terms of a picture. So that they actually are aware of what they are doing.

And then when they get into the session, so going back to the back Squat, like when you want to feel the exercise, there’s a coaching, the cueing. Let’s say that that client is going to need some assistance in that back Squat. So I may have to assist them, and making sure that they’re properly lifting for those last two repetitions.

So if they’re like, these are the last two that I need a little bit of help with, all right, I’m coming in. I’m going to support you. We’re going to make sure that I’m there to properly help you in that position that gets a little bit harder on those last two reps. And then help assist them in that.

And sometimes you cannot replicate that if you do that on your own and you’re trying to push yourself. So that’s where the experience is that much more elevated. And giving you the support and the accountability and the confidence–

Absolutely.

–to continue to do a back Squat and then get a little heavier, right? You’ll feel way more confident to put five more pounds on the next week.

I love that. So one thing that I’ve really enjoyed about the Dynamic Personal Training sessions that I’ve been through is how it’s really is working together with a person– with the Dynamic Personal Trainer. And they’re part of the workout with me. It’s not that they’re just telling me what to do, they’re involved and active. So talk a little bit about that collaboration that happens. It is part of building camaraderie and rapport with that person, but also trust to work together in that way.

Big, like trust is a huge part. I love how you said that. And when– again, it’s way more than just coaching and cueing. So when, let’s say, a Push-up– I’m just trying to paint a picture here with how can we make a Push-up just a little bit more tension. And you’ve gotten really good at Push-up, you can probably, let’s say, hack out like 20 of them.

All right, hey, I’m going to put a little bit of manual resistance on your Push-ups today. So I’m going to give you a little bit of a push on your back. And then I want you to push against me. And then it becomes a little bit more resistance because they may not be able to do 20 repetitions if I put a little resistance on their back, but they still got to maintain their core position.

So I’m coaching them, I’m putting a little manual resistance on their back while they’re doing that, and then maybe they’ll only be able to hack out eight. But guess what? They have some added resistance to push them a little bit harder and be challenged in that session, even if it’s just one exercise.

I always tell my clients, always focus on getting 1% better in each of your sessions. And if you can focus on that, then you can see that you’re going to progress week to week if it’s just 1%. So let me put a little bit of resistance on there for you, and challenge you to become the best version of yourself.

Yeah. So many other elements that speak to Dynamic Personal Training. So when you think of the one you just kind of mentioned, like that in-person experience with an individual who’s going to challenge you in that way. And we can look at different acute variables that can hold you accountable as well.

Like, if I’m doing a back Squat with Anna, and she applies tempo to it. Now she’s telling me to slow it down. Now if I’m doing it on my own, I’m going up and down, up and down. But now she tells me to show control under tempo it’s a different level of response with the body. So you’ve got that accountability effort there.

And then these things that we spoke to before, these pillars of results, as I like to look at them. So when you look at sleep, nutrition, recovery, management of stress, movement, then we have certain things that speak objectively to these items.

So when we think of nutrition, of course, we can now connect nutrition to the program. When we think of recovery, we have these tools and resources, whether it’s Normatec sleeves or the Hyperice gun, to make sure that these individuals are now recovering properly so they can perform in their program.

All right, when you take it a step further, when it comes to objectively training in certain energy systems, like if I want to be efficient at burning fat, if I want power output. If I as a coach can now speak objectively to that in this session, it elevates that experience.

Absolutely.

And when we could take all these different pieces in the puzzle, and then deliver it, that’s Dynamic Personal Training. So I know you can speak a little bit to those elements. So if you can, lab testing, metabolic testing, speak a little bit about the benefits behind that.

Yeah. And when you’re getting outside of the personal training, this is where it gets very customized, depending on that individual. Lab testing is a great way to really dive deep internally on what’s going on with that client. Maybe they’ve– maybe they have tried everything.

And when they tell me that, again, it’s that listening of, hey, you’ve tried everything? Maybe let’s look a little bit deeper and have you do a lab test. It’s going to look at your hormonal panel. And then on top of that, let’s do an active metabolic assessment to train smarter, not harder. But making sure that we’re getting into the heart rate zones that are very customized towards you, or the client.

And then as we look at heart rate monitor or heart rate training, we can include that into the Dynamic Personal Training. Again, this is all comprehensive. And it’s very customized to that individual so that when we are doing those conditioning sessions during the dynamic portion, we’re going to make sure that we’re getting new challenge.

Like, hey, is your heart rate in zone three? Let me push you there. Because before we were in zone two yesterday, let’s get into zone three today and really get you feeling challenged. And then the next day, let’s have you recover into zone one and zone two so that you’re not overtraining your body, but you’re actually recovering properly. Again, these are all the coaching and cueing that you’re going to get out of Dynamic Personal Training.

And then the biggest piece, nutrition coaching. I’m a certified nutrition coach. And that is the biggest challenge when it comes to talking to clients, is they want to see results. And they want to be consistent with it.

But that added support from the Dynamic Personal Trainer gives that high level of experience and relationship building that’s going to get them to trust you. And hopefully set up a good success with their lifestyle habits, flexibility of eating, making sure that they’re adding this in something that’s going to be more long-term than short-term.

Right. And that’s ultimately the goal, like, keep people moving in ways that bring them joy and help them see progress, and all of these things along the way. We want that sustainability. So you already alluded to this, but what are some of the reasons someone might consider working with a Dynamic Personal Trainer? I mean, obviously, there’s an accountability factor, you’ve mentioned that already. What else?

Well, I’ve been in this industry for 12 years. And I feel like the biggest thing that a– well, a Dynamic Personal Trainer is going to provide for that client is consistency and teaching them about consistency, and how this actually helps with results.

Again, we’ve talked about being challenged. I think that’s a big part in not only my philosophy, but a trainer– trainer’s philosophy is how can I make this client feel challenged but not overworked, so that they can come back to their next session?

But be smart about it. We’ve talked about the lab testing, the nutrition, and making sure that they understand their training program. Because if you don’t understand your training program, then you’re just doing a workout. Doing a workout versus a training program is being educated on what is to come next, not something where, like hey, I’m coming into a workout just to do a workout.

The time under tension is such a great example of doing a training session versus, hey, let me just hack out these 15 repetitions or eight repetitions without any intent in it. And I think that is also a big component and difference on what a training– Dynamic Personal Training session is supposed to feel like versus just the workout.

The intentionality within it is huge.

Being intentful.

Yeah.

Yeah. This next piece I’m big on because I want to frame it up correctly. So what we should expect from a Dynamic Personal Trainer as far as credentials and certification. I always go back to experience as a great, great teacher in a lot of things that we go through, as far as people skills and knowing how to apply a lot of the education one might acquire through some of these certifications. So we know USAW, Living Fit, your NASM and precision nutrition, so that is quality right there.

And we should have this high level of expectation as far as individuals in this space delivering the value behind what it is that they are delivering to our folks. So what, from an expectation standpoint– there’s a lot that I just mentioned. But the baseline of, yes, this is a bare minimum. The level of entry is high here because this is the best of the best. So what should that expectation be from an educational standpoint that we see a lot of our Dynamic Personal Trainers with?

Well, you’re going to find that at Life Time, I mean, it’s high level. You’re going to– whenever you meet with a trainer at Life Time, the expectation is that most of these individuals do have those high level certifications. And it’s what us trainers are going to be able to deliver.

And having those credentials are very important within Life Time because we do take this seriously. And this is something that we value for our clients. We want to do a service. We don’t want to do a disservice to our clients. And when we have those credentials, it just supports them even more. Again, this is high level. And Life Time definitely represents with how they hire their trainers. And I love it here.

That’s so great. One thing that you’ve often said, David, is that as a trainer with somebody, you often spend more time with them than they do with a health care provider of other sorts. So I think what’s really interesting is the way this, again, this Dynamic Personal Training brings all of these elements together, and even elevates that even more. And brings more value to the client as somebody who has utilized this service.

It’s, like, I’ve gotten so much more out of it. I understand more. I feel like I’ve gotten an education. There’s a pattern to what I’m doing, a reason for why I’m doing it. Versus, to your point, it’s not just a hack. I’m not just coming in to move. But I spent a lot of time with that person, and that’s an important role to play in somebody’s health and wellness journey.

It’s a huge role. I mean, I’m big on math right now, so I’m going to throw it at you. If you are seeing an individual three times a week, four times a month, 12 times. You think of 3 * 4, 12. And then that times– yup, you like that?

And then 12 times out of the year it’s 144 touch points. And then to your point, when you’re going to see your physician, maybe once or twice a year maybe for your annual or whatever it may be. We have a huge, huge responsibility in this space.

And think about the impact you can have in helping people move in a healthier direction. Like that 1% better, like you mentioned. I love that.

And they’re adhering to something that is life changing. It’s bigger than just, hey, I’m coming in for that workout. But it’s– this is my emotional well-being. This is my workout. This is my getaway. I’m going to spend my hour as an effective hour with my Dynamic Personal Trainer. It’s huge. I’m adhering to a program that’s going to get me a results. And that’s what we’re here for, Dynamic Personal Training, changing lives. I love it.

There it is. Well, I guess in that final question we have for you is any advice for someone who’s not sure if a commitment to a trainer is right for them.

Yeah. If they don’t already know about the Life Time free resources that are available to them on the membership app, I think is a huge kind of invite to be like, hey, let’s have you try and follow a training program on your own. And let’s do it for one month. And if it doesn’t work, I’m going to follow up with you and let’s see where you’re at, how things are going.

And if it’s not working out on your own, then let’s do a training session. I want to show you how to make that mind, muscle connection with a time under tension back Squat tempo, instead of looking at the exercise and you have no idea what you’re doing when you’re looking at a virtual program.

And you’re not going to get that out of watching a video. You will experience it when you have that one on one, face to face, touchpoint coaching cue interaction better in an hour than just looking at a screen and going through the motions. And you’re not quite understanding where you need to feel the exercise.

So having that coaching and queuing for a back Squat, if, hey, you’re supposed to be feeling this in your quads, your hamstrings, your glutes, this is where they are. I want you to make sure you’re intentional with bracing in your core. Let’s move down for four seconds with time under tension, eccentrically down on your Squat. Let’s pause for a second at the bottom. And I want you to come up and really squeeze. So it’s just like–

All of those pieces. Yes, absolutely.

But that’s how I want someone to feel the exercise, rather than just doing it.

Yep, yeah.

I mean, that’s that to me is icing on the cake right there. So Ms. Anna Taylor, is there anything else that you want to share with us before we depart here?

No. This was fun.

Let’s do it again sometime. What else do we want to talk about?

Right, right. We want to make sure everybody knows where to find you as far as on Instagram. If you can, go ahead and shout that out.

So AnnaTaylor333 on Instagram.

Solid.

Awesome.

You might see my family on there too.

We love that. We get to know you a little bit more, which is always fun. Well, Anna, thank you so much. We’re going to link to some content about Dynamic Personal Training. We’ll link to more information in the show notes for this episode. But hopefully we’ll see you again soon. Thanks, Anna.

Thank you.

There it is, Dynamic Personal Training, Anna Taylor.

[MUSIC PLAYING]