Hey, *friendly wave* it's Michele Welcome. I remember the first time I received a nutrition plan 20 years ago from a coach I found in a fitness magazine. I was given only bland foods to eat at every meal (plain potato, boiled chicken, etc) and I was not allowed to have any condiments. No "cheat" meals either. It seemed pretty extreme for someone that was just looking to get in better shape. I honestly wondered if he sent the right plan to me because there were a lot of typos in it too. When I asked this person about the plan, and asked if it was custom, he got offended that I was questioning him....and fired me.
I can also remember a time that I visited doctors for extreme pain in my shins. The doctors were concerned about potential stress fractures in my shins from overuse. I had been doing HIIT cardio (i.e. high intensity interval training) 4 days a week which consisted of high level output exercises like sprints...year round, every week. HIIT cardio was a major component of the program I was given by this coach and, along with an extreme amount of weight lifting, my body was overworked and extremely stressed. I couldn't sustain this level of output; however, I felt that if I didn't continue with it, I would never be able to maintain a level of leanness that I wanted. I was stressed, overworked, and tired.
I also remember expressing my concerns about the level of output I was doing and feeling like I was not being heard by my coach. Despite having to visit doctors for extreme pain, my workout plan and cardio regime given did not change. I felt like I was being a baby and expressing my concerns was nothing more than me being a "bother."
As a professional bodybuilder and fitness coach for the past 20 years, I have seen and heard just about every nutrition and training protocol there is out there, including the ones I fell prey to in the very beginning of my own fitness journey.
I've seen the programs with only 800 calories and 2 hours of cardio a day. I've seen the opposite spectrum of programs that cost $400-500 and you get a basic workout program that never changes and a maybe a few email responses with just a "good job" instead of any constructive feedback. And I've also seen the basic fitness and nutrition programs that leave you bored and hitting a plateau in no time. All are such a rip off!
After many years of continuous education, certifications, and being mentored and educated by professionals that have PHDs and Olympic level athletes on their client roster, there are three things I know for an absolute fact when it comes to reaching fitness goals:
1. Extreme protocols of any kind are not only nonsense; they do more harm than good.
2. The journey to reaching your fitness goals, from building muscle, losing fat, gaining strength, and/or wanting to feel more energy, requires respect and appreciation for your overall well being, including your mental well being too.
3. Reaching your goals also requires you to be heard and your specific needs to be accounted for. Custom programs should be just that, custom!
Looking good, feeling good, and maintaining a program that is sustainable for a long time almost seems too good to be true when programs out there are either watered down or wayyy too freaking extreme.
I can’t sit back anymore and watch this nonsense continue….so, along with my husband, Vassilios, we are here to help.
We know what it takes to build muscle, lose fat, and, being in my 40s, I also know how to respect and appreciate longevity and sustainability as well. You can't give the same program to a 20-year old that you would a 40-year old.
Men and women have different needs as well.
Every person is different and their needs are too. Which means your fitness program should be unique to you.
And that's exactly what we will do for you.
Are you ready to make some real changes and feel freaking awesome about yourself?