Unrealistic Expectations

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It’s a common trap people fall into. We go to the movies or watch television and see the beautiful celebrities on the screen and strive to have that same look. Who wouldn’t want to look like Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) from Fight Club or a Victoria Secret model?

Tyler Durden

Miranda Kerr

But it’s important to remember the circumstances of these people’s lives. Your job may be an accountant, a programmer, a mother, or anything else. You probably dedicate 40-60 hours per week on your job alone, not to mention finding time to exercise, cook, clean your house, do laundry, pay the bills, etc. During your two weeks off (maybe) per year you’re probably busy trying to rest and relax.

Their job is to look good.

Brad Pitt has made 21 movies since Fight Club came out in 1999. That’s just over two movies per year, and assuming filming takes two months (max) he can dedicate the rest of his time to eating pristine foods, exercising as much as he needs, and sleeping. And don’t think I’m trying to take anything away from him. I believe these people are extremely disciplined and focused towards their goals. I once read that Christian Bale had to starve himself for over four months prior to filming a movie. His eating consisted of a cup of coffee and either one apple or one can of tuna each day. Now that’s dedication.

But think of how he must have felt during that period. The point is that these people are putting themselves through extreme circumstances in order to obtain a certain look for the camera. It’s their job.

Christian Bale

Paul Piracci, BS CSCS

Paul brings a background of athletics and education to the Empower team. He believes that wellness should be viewed as a blended lifestyle that balances nutrition, a healthy mind, and fitness which incorporates fun recreational activities. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024.

The Empower Team

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I work with a bunch of characters. Each trainer has a different style and unique personality.

Some call Mike Babbitt the Drill Sargent. One of his clients sarcastically asked Mike “wouldn’t it be great if we did an entire workout with just the air dyne, burpees, and spartan tire flips?” Mike made him do it in their next session.

At first glance Jamie Ives seems like a quiet, reserved fellow. Get to know him a little better and you’ll discover he has a wicked sense of humor. He’ll deploy an awesome workout while he has you in tears laughing at his jokes. It’s common to see Jamie lip-syncing the lyrics to music playing on the radio. His favorites are Creed and Savage Garden.

Gena Coleman is a character like no other. Look over while she has a client doing a set and you may see her correcting form. Look again when the form has been corrected and you’ll probably see her break out some sweet dance moves.

'N-Sync lyrics? Jamie's got 'em

Tom Stafford is a funny dude eager to hit you with a funny joke or a magic trick. He’ll ask you trivia questions in the middle of a hard set. He’ll tell you about how tennis shoes are ruining the world. He’ll play you a funny answering machine message featuring his daughter growling. Tom likes medicine balls, TRX straps, and full contact crab walk soccer.

Julie King is the queen of charisma. She’ll teach you proper exercise mechanics and then translate something into Mandarin for you. I’ve seen her have a group of kids exercise for an hour and love every minute.

We don’t see her very often but Katy Harris has been here longer than any other trainer. She sets the standard for customer service and dedication.

Come to Empower in the morning and you’ll find Patty Shoaf. Patty is bursting with personality and training knowledge. Greet her and you’ll receive a smile and a devastatingly hard handshake.

I haven’t known Aaron Hornstra for very long but I can tell he’ll fit right in here. This guy is clean-cut, punctual, witty, and the second all time leading scorer on his high school basketball team.

Michael Whitehurst runs many of the day-to-day operations around here. He’s fun, reliable, and knows how to brew a great raspberry cider.

Ronda and Jessica started Empower Personal Training five years ago. They have established a fantastic environment for people to achieve their health and wellness goals. We have a special team of trainers, nutrition counselors, massage therapists, yoga and pilates instructors that are educated, certified, and ready to provide great service.

Our trainers

Paul Piracci, CSCS Professional Trainer

Paul brings a background of athletics and education to the Empower team. He believes that wellness should be viewed as a blended lifestyle that balances nutrition, a healthy mind, and fitness which incorporates fun recreational activities. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024.