“Inside the Mind of a Personal Trainer”

By Megan Gallagher

I think it’s safe to say that anyone who has ever had a session with a personal trainer has developed a love-hate relationship. Scene 1 you’re on squat number 50, with your thighs burning so hot that you could probably cook a meal on them, and you’re convinced that your trainer is the devil in human form…

Scene 2 you’re in front of your mirror, crossing your fingers as you put on your skinny jeans, hoping you won’t have to do “the dance” (ladies you know what I’m talking about), and when that button closes without popping off, you think your trainer is God’s gift to earth.

For the average person a training session might be the dreaded part of their day, but for trainers it’s their entire day. Ever wonder what your trainer has on their mind? Or where they get the motivation to do the things that you only do after forking over $600 a month and being yelled at to drop down and give ‘em 20? I sat down with the Owner of San Diego’s TruSelf Training, Josh Perez, to find out.

TruSelf Training installs and manages personal training departments in fitness facilities throughout San Diego, including Being Fit in Mira Mesa and Clairemont, as well as Fitness West in Pacific Beach. Perez and co-owner Christine Quilici started the company in the height of the economic downturn, and have since been on a mission to transform the fitness of San Diegans one fitness facility at a time. Rather than simply write out boring fitness routines, Perez and Quilici are focused on building a brand, complete with apparel, workout gear and more. Read on to here what Josh has to say about his own fitness, client habits, and upcoming fitness trends.

Megan: What made you decide to become a personal trainer?

Josh:Someone told me that I couldn’t do it, and that I wasn’t good enough at it, so that motivated me to prove them wrong. I’ve also always liked the whole health-conscious mindset. Half of my family, my dad’s side, were all athletes so I grew up playing sports so that kept me active. In my mom’s side of the family a lot of people were smokers and I just knew that I hated that, and didn’t want to be like that so it deterred me away from that lifestyle.

M: It’s easy to say you want to be a trainer, but how did you go about making the changes you needed to be successful?

J:I was probably 18, when I got a job at the front desk of a gym because I couldn’t afford membership at the time. I saw the trainers and how much fun they were having, how they made their own schedules, how their clients were constantly smiling all of the time, instead of being behind a desk and being bored. I didn’t know much about the world of personal training until I saw it at the gym, so that inspired me. I learned a lot of stuff through those trainers, and just continued to work hard.

M: What has been your most rewarding client experience?

J: One guy who I trained back in the day weighed 320lbs, was a smoker and drank 4 cups of coffee a day. Within 1 year I got him down to 240, 1 cup of coffee, and 1 pack of cigarettes. Then I got him down to 190, 1 cup of coffee, no cigarettes, and no blood pressure medication. It was like he was a new person.

M: That had to take a lot of hard work on both sides, how did you keep him motivated?

J:He’s a father of two kids, and he had recently had a grandchild, so basically I reminded him everyday of why he was training. I would say ‘you want to be able to play with your grandkids, right?” He came in feeling like crap quite a bit, but he still worked hard. I say the same type of things to all of my clients to motivate them. Especially in San Diego, the question is “Do you want to wear sweatpants and sweater, or a two piece bikini and show some skin?” That gets people motivated.

M: How do you motivate yourself?

J:You have to practice what you preach. I work out just like everyone else does. When I work out I have the satisfaction of being healthy, not putting on weight, and feeling confident. I also have been training in MMA for a couple of years, Jui-Jitsu, kickboxing, boxing.

M: What is one thing that clients do that makes it hard to train them?

J: Their excuses. There is always an excuse that someone can say. ‘Oh I had family in town, I had to go out to eat’ or ‘It was the 4th of July I had to drink beer.” Fitness starts with yourself and there is no room for excuses.

M: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about their fitness?

J: One is that cardio is most important. Everyone thinks cardio is the ultimate fat burner, but actually using weights is going to get you the best results. It’s more functional. Also, people don’t always think about their diet as much as they should. Fried chicken doesn’t count as healthy just because it’s chicken.

M: What are your favorite workout moves that people on a tight schedule can do?

J: Pushup rotations, crossovers, prone iso abs(planks) for core, and full body squats. You don’t need equipment and you can do them all in less than 30 minutes.

M: What is a good workout meal?

J: My favorite is organic yaki soba noodles with chicken, shrimp and teriyaki sauce. It has protein, shrimp, veggies, it’s perfect. I could eat that everyday.

M: What do you say to people who skip breakfast to lose weight, or simply have coffee?

J: Not a good idea. The benefit of eating something in the morning is that you are kick-starting your metabolism. If you only have caffeine your body has no fuel source to do work so your body is going to break down your muscle as your energy source, and you don’t want to do that because the whole point to work out is to put on muscle, and active tissue. You want a fuel source to kick-start fat burning. You need a grain, a yogurt, anything before a coffee.

M: Many people only care about the number on the scale, what is the best indicator a person’s fitness?

J:It’s all about body fat percentage. People shouldn’t pay attention to those height and weight charts. Bodybuilders walk around at 250-300lbs of all pure muscle. Well the doctors might say ‘oh you’re overweight for your height.’ That doesn’t make any sense because those guys are in shape. Body fat percentage makes the difference in your inches, your clothing, how things fit, and your confidence level. The lower the number, the better.

M: What are some of the most common misconceptions that people have about trainers?

J: That they cost too much, they don’t know what they’re doing, I can train myself better. Or people think ‘he has big muscles so he must know how to train or how to eat.’ But a lot more goes into it.

M: What do you say to non-believers?

J: A lot of trainers are educated and have a lot of nationally recognized certifications, which means you have to go through schooling, hours of studying, and pay X amount of dollars to get a certification. When we go through the process of hiring trainers, I look for nationally recognized certifications, not the online course that you can do in 24 hours. Good trainers are well educated and can really help people.

M:You’re company is a good example of how there is more to trainers than dumbbells and protein shakes, what’s next for TruSelf Training?

J: Our clothing line is already one, we’ve had a couple of t-shirts made and have already sold a handful. Our online store will soon be on our website and we will have apparel available in the gyms as well. We also have plans for sweat pants, athletic pants, hats, and hoodies. And we’re also working on a recipe for our own energy drink, which will hopefully be out within the next two years.

M: You could have kept your company strictly to training sessions, but you’re setting the bar high. Where does that drive come from?

J: One of my favorite sayings: Ambition is priceless.

For more information on Josh’s services go to http://truselftraining.com

I want you to know how pleased I am with TruSelf Training’s Tobias Martinez. I love the results I am starting to see! Tobias always has a planned out routine custom designed for me. He mixes it up too and we can go a month without repeating an exercise. Tobias thoroughly explains the proper mechanics of each exercise. He ensures that I am using the correct form and working the correct muscle group. He focuses to keep an eye on how I do throughout the entire training session. I make an effort to meet with Tobias 3 times per week to maximize the efficiency of my time with him. His considerate manner encourages me to push myself, even though sometimes my motivation is lacking. Tobias always reviews the importance of the total fitness experience to include diet, water and activity. He keeps detailed notes containing my activity records and accomplishments, tracking my progress after every session. Thank you so much for introducing me to Tobias. Tobias is the very best trainer for me and I consider him a friend.

April Hinson

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She comes to the gym consistently each week and works hard during her time. She has never let anything stop her from completing exercises and even does floor stretches at home. I’m proud to share this link with everyone. Great job Lisa, I’m proud and inspired by you! – Christine

Now the good part! It dawned on me after a recent very demanding hike that I had absolutely NO back pain! I have paid particular attention since then when I am hiking and sure enough, no back pain. This is nothing short of miraculous!! And the credit is all due to my trainer, Christine Quilici of TruSelf Training. I have been training with Christine for several months, and although my training sessions are not specifically targeted at my back muscles, I feel her approach to strengthening the “whole body” and working all the muscle groups has definitely resulted in my back muscles being stronger than they have ever been. It is a testimony to Christine’s ability as a trainer and her knowledge of the human anatomy that I have developed this strength in my back and in my body in general.

Christine also works with my balance, or should I say lack of balance, which again I don’t particularly enjoy, but she takes it as her responsibility to train me “from head to toe”. She is conscientious and creative in her approach to training, and her background in Biomedical Engineering gives her extra insight into the human anatomy. I have found that insight really helpful when I have had issues with discomfort when doing a particular exercise; because of her skill and background, she is able to suggest adjustments to my grip or stance that allows me to do the exercise correctly and without pain.

Christine is an amazing trainer, If you are interested in getting in shape, no matter what your age is, you will be getting the best if Christine Quilici is your trainer.

Roxieann

Spartan Sprints obstacle races are muddy 3+- mile events with 10 or more obstacles. The challenging 5k sprint trail races are a great way to get off your couch and start living. From beginner trail racers and mud run participants to hardcore warriors, tough guys and marathon runners, they all come out to test themselves on the insane obstacle races! 99.9% of all people who try this event will finish, and 100% will have their thirst for mud & trail racing fully satisfied!

With that said – A big congratulations goes out too TruSelf Training’s Bootcampers Janice Leicester, Michele Davenport and Erin Pikor for taking this race head on. This great race was led by TruSelf Training’s Master level trainer Fred Caron.

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TruSelf Training’s Nick Gombold Instructing a Prone Cobra Core Exercise for core strength. Great for core stability, lower back strength, and your glutes. #TruSelfTrainingExercises

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For the rest of monday nights at 8pm in the month of February at our TruSelf Training Mira Mesa location, Master level fitness professional Fred Caron will be hosting a complimentary full hour beginner level bootcamp.

What to expect:

Add some variety to your workouts! This type of exercise is designed to be sure you are mixing up your exercises constantly. In a group atmosphere, you will work your muscles, cardiovascular system, core, balance – all in one workout! So bring your friends! If you need a new challenge and are looking for a fun change to your workouts, Boot Camp is for you!

Come to visit our TruSelf Training Mira Mesa location and reserve your spot today! Or simply fill out the form below:

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TruSelf Training’s Registered USA Olyimpic Boxing Coach Dominick Schurck Instructing Defensive Boxing Techniques. Great for defending yourself and dodging punches. This is part 5 of TruSelf Training’s boxing series with Registered USA Olyimpic Coach Dominick Schurck

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I hate exercising. I was 51 years old and had recently lost a great deal of weight and knew there was probably little to no chance of maintaining that loss if I did not start an exercise program and stick to it. However I am the type of person if it is not fun I am not going to do it. Sit-ups, push-ups, lifting weights was not my idea of fun. Did I mention I hate exercising?

I had not been in a gym in over 20 years and my first look at all the different machines and equipment was intimidating to say the least. Fortunately my gym membership came with 2 personal training sessions from TruSelf Training and they paired me with a trainer named Dominick Schurck. A couple days later I receive a message on the phone from a guy who sounded exactly like Sylvester Stallone from the Rocky movies saying “Hey this is Dominick your new trainer call me”. My first thought was, oh my God what have I gotten myself into!

When I met Dominick he told me his background was in boxing. I flatly told him, “I don’t box and I am too old to jog”.

That was over a year ago and I have to say it has been one of my best years. I don’t know how he does it but Dominick Schuck has never had me do the same workout twice. He is warm, engaging, funny, knowledgeable and keeps me entertained the entire hour I am working out. It has been so much fun the while I am working out, bantering back and forth with him. But that is not to say you don’t get a good workout with him. He knows exactly what he is doing and you are not slacking when you are with him. You leave the gym knowing you had a real workout and it feels tremendous!

I feel better, healthier, faster, younger, more flexible than I have in 30 years. If not for Dominick I never would have stuck with it and I can not thank him enough for giving this feeling back to me again.

By the way, I have lost 140lbs., have kept it off for over a year and I actually box and jog now.
Wait, didn’t I say I hated exercising?

Pamela Begeal

If interested in having a complimentary consultation with TruSelf Training’s Dominick Schurck please fill out the form below!

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TruSelf Training welcomes Aaron Bauman to the team!

Aaron was an All-American baseball player at UC San Diego and he has five years of weightlifting experience in a college athletic program. He enjoys working on sport specific goals including flexibility, balance, strength and mental training that can help propel the athlete to the top of their sport.

He is great at applying this knowledge to functional training to help people that want to see results in weight loss, endurance, and strength gains. He has competed with and against elite athletes, and understands the commitment and work ethic needed to obtain a goal no matter what that goal may be.

Certifications:

• National Council on Strength and Fitness – CPT
• National Academy of Sports Medicine – CPT, in progress
• B.A. in History – UCSD. Graduated 2011
• CPR/AED Certified