At the end of the year I always like to think back and confirm that I have actually been doing my job for the people who pay me money to help them.  So here’s a short breakdown of some of my encounters over the year.  Maybe this will inspire other trainers or maybe other people will see this and realize that they actually didn’t get what they paid for from their trainer (if this is you, then it is too bad – go and find another one, no matter what kind of relationship you have with them).  It has also been a good year for me personally.  My wife and I bought our first house and upgraded one of our cars.  She signed her permanent job papers and I moved gyms into one that was super convenient for me to commute to and has been an excellent company to work for.  I wasn’t sick at all this year that I can remember.  I’ve met some great people.  I began saving for the courses I want to take next year.  2012 should be a great year as well.  But I’m digressing. Here’s a breakdown of client results from 2011:

With my clients I do my best to keep them long term.  Out of my current roster of 18 clients, 8 of them have been with me since the beginning of 2011, so for a full year.  This really allows me to track progress and establish long-term goals.

One of my brief encounters was with Monique D.  She came to me with not a lot of money when my new gym opened in February 2011 with a knee problem at the age of 67.  In fact, she had trouble even walking up the stairs to meet me!  She simply had a lot of weakness through the chain of her ankle, knee and hip on one side so once we strengthened that up her pain disappeared.  The big key to her success was that she was dedicated to doing exercise on her own and got the results she was looking for – in only 12 weeks.  I still see her in the gym three mornings a week.  Like I always say, dedication yields results.

One of my recent longer term clients who came to me with a chronic knee issue and a very weak lower back now has much more range in her knee under force, can pick up 60 pounds without pain in her back and can jog for 60 seconds, something that she never did before.  She is also down 29 pounds, 5% body fat and 19 total inches even though her workouts for the first four months barely had any impact at all.  Again, she is very dedicated and consistent.

Mike D is down 8% body fat, added 11 pounds of muscle and lost 22 pounds of bodyfat, despite having a horrible diet, high stress from work and missing many sessions over the year including an entire month off in the summer.  When I did his numbers I was actually surprised he made so much progress, but happy to be surprised.

Eileen R completed her first 5k and is running her first ever 10k next week – she had never run before this year and only hiked at the age of 52.

Gen C, who I will continue to train for the upcoming years Spartan Beast in Ottawa can deadlift 1.5 times her bodyweight and climb a rope like a monkey, while also running 20k in under 2 hours.  She is a machine and I see great thing for her in 2012.

Rachele M competed in her first ever figure show with the WBFF, and while the results weren’t as expected (6^th out of 13 competitors) she had a great time and caught the bug.  She is actually applying to be a trainer as well since she got certified about a month ago and will be a great one.

Linda F approached the gym for the first time after retirement this year.  She is in her 60’s and got into a good habit, and is now down 16 pounds and 2 sizes after only working with her for about three months.  Plus she is the strongest woman she knows!

Brenda G came to me with plates in her ankle from surgery the previous year following a motorcycle accident.  She needed to be able to walk properly for her job as a bylaw officer within five months.  Not only did we accomplish that, but also while she will never have full ROM in her ankle she can still perform every movement pattern well and is much happier and healthier.

Lindsay H managed to correct an elbow problem she had for years.  Her testimonial is on my page because she had tried everything else and it never worked.  However, proper strength micro progression in her shoulder, elbow and wrist chain combined with smart movement patterns did.  Her elbows used to cause her chronic pain and how they are fine.  This was also within a short period of time.

There are other stories, but it isn’t necessary for me to put them down here in order to realize that I had a really good year.  I continue to learn and hone my craft, and I managed to help a lot of people get stronger, healthier and happier about their daily living.  My commitment as a trainer is to give excellent service, find solutions for the people who ask for my help, and learn as much as I can do that I can help more people.    That’s why I do my job and continue to love what I do.  If you are reading this, I wish you a happy 2012 and a great holiday season.  Thanks for reading!