8 Week Tone Up Challenge Results

Posted on October 12, 2021January 9, 2022 by alwayshungrypt

At the end of August, I threw out a Challenge to my audience that I was hosting an 8 Week Tone Up Challenge designed to help people build muscle, trim fat, and gain strength, energy, and confidence in themselves.

Fast forward 8 weeks later and Ben B completed the challenge checking off each of those marks off his list.

Ben was on his own transformation journey with a primary focus on running, but looking to take on the added challenge of learning the ropes of his local gym and pushing his body to really see what it could do. Hoping to add strength and muscle tone to his frame that was seeing results from running, but lacking in development.

This online/remote training program included 3 workouts per week split into Upper Body Push; Upper Body Pull; and Lower Body workout splits with a goal of not only continuing to trim fat, but build muscle strength and tone in the back, chest, and arms. 8 weeks, 10 lbs., and “too many PR’s to count” later, Ben not only achieved his goals, but came out with knowledge and confidence in what he was doing, why he was doing it, and how it was beneficial to his life outside of the gym. When asked to describe the training, challenge, service, and a little about what he liked or disliked, Ben relayed:

The workouts were quite challenging, pushing me harder than I initially prepared for but the results speak for themselves that it was a successful challenge. It was tough to not have Eric there in person since this is an online training program, so I had to navigate a few new things for myself, but Eric was quick to reply to any questions even providing video breakdowns of ways to make exercises work for me. This was something that had me on the fence about online training, but the reliability, quality, and knowledge Eric has and was able to pass along swatted away any doubts and helped make the workouts even more effective. I would highly recommend Eric’s online training service to friends, family, colleagues, anyone looking for similar goals. He was able to customize the program to my level of experience and the equipment I have available – heck, I even went on vacation and Eric was able to create workouts with the gym at the hotel I was staying at for one of our final weeks to keep me going!

He asked me for feedback on what was lacking, but I had already decided to sign up to keep working with him, so I’m sorry to say there wasn’t much lacking!

The 10lbs. lost was great, but I’m ready to take it even further and am confident Eric will help me reach my goals!

Ben’s achievements were a result of the effort he put in, which I would describe as exemplary. Working out, performing cardio, and eating well can be difficult, but with a guided plan and coach in your corner who wants you to win, is a recipe for success when you’re ready to make that change!

I’m so confident in the results Ben achieved (-10 lbs. in 8 weeks + tone/strength gain everywhere), that I’m sure it’s replicable and after a few tweaks, can be achieved in even less time! And that’s why I’m opening the challenge again!

I’m looking for 4 men or women who are tired of not seeing results and are ready to start the last program they’ll ever need to kickstart their journey. Stop saying “next time” and start saying, “right now!” with my 12 lbs. in 6 weeks Shred Challenge!

Not only will you lose weight, get strong, build muscle tone, but I’m SOOOO confident in this program that I’m willing to slap a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE onto this challenge. That’s right – sign up for the 6-week program, put in the work, and if you’re not satisfied with the results, I will put the money right back in your pocket! The only thing you have to lose is a few inches off your waist!

It won’t be easy, and you will have to work, but if you do, this will be the last “I’ll start tomorrow” you’ll ever have to say to yourself.

If you’re ready to make the change, Sign Up Here and we can get you going within the next 48hrs!

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy, Stay Hungry!

Thank you,

Eric Hinrichsen

Always Hungry Personal Training | Columbus, OH

6 Things All Beginners Should Know

Posted on June 21, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

We’ve all been beginners. We know how scary or exhilarating it can be. We understand that there is an end goal we’re aiming for but there are so many intangibles we don’t yet know. But we also know that in order to get where we want to go, we have to be willing to take that risk and leap of faith into the unknown.

Entering the gym to start your fitness and health journey is no different.

I can vividly recall making the decision that, “I’m going to get myself healthy!” and walking into the gym with confidence that “today is the day” only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the sounds of machines and weights and people doing these crazy exercises that I had no idea how to do.

I realized very quickly that I had no idea what I was doing or where to even start! I had gotten excited to take the leap, but hadn’t planned anything out in order to try and execute! Now nearly 10 years later, I have heard and seen this same story play out in many others that get the gusto to level up, but end up like Deer in headlights with no idea where to even kickstart their journey. With that, I’d like to address a few of the things all beginners should know when starting their fitness journey!

How often do I need to work out?

A very common question that people often get wrong. The gym and traditional working out is very important to building a stronger or better body but time off can be as, if not more, crucial as the time spent training. It is recommended that some sort of activity is done at least 5 days per week, but in the sense of resistance based training, you shouldn’t need to be in a gym setting more than 3 days per week. Resistance training is a method that breaks down the muscle tissue as it’s being worked and though it may seem like going every single day is the answer to reach your goals faster, that time off between training where the muscles get rest is where the repair, growth, and change comes from. Training muscles too often can lead to overuse and stress injuries that could extend how long it takes for you to reach your goals. My general recommendation to beginners is to aim for 3 days a week in the gym + 2-3 days of non-resistance based workouts (like cardio) on the off days.

What kind of workouts should I do?

If you’re working out like the recommended 3 days per week as noted above, there are a couple of ways you can approach it. If you’re taking a day off between training sessions, I suggest each one should be a full body workout that targets muscles across the whole body – top to bottom; front to back. The day off between allows adequate time for recovery before hitting similar muscles again.

The other popular method is to break up the body into parts with a dedicated day of training to push muscles; pull muscles; and lower body muscles. This begins looking like a traditional bodybuilding training split as you’re dialing in your focus more on a specific set of muscles for that one session.

If you insist on extending to additional days of training – 4, 5, 6 days per week – my suggestion is that you continue to dial in your focus of each workout on specific muscle groups to avoid injuring areas that are in recovery or over training.

Regardless of how you approach your split, general goals of fat loss or muscle building alike should follow more compound exercises that incorporate more than 1 muscle group or joint action to perform (squat, bench, deadlift, etc). And if you’d like a little more specificity on which exercises can help get you off the ground, check out my FREE eBook of the 17 Exercises All Beginners Should Know, here.

Finally, it’s a misconception that the longer you’re in the gym, the better the workout session. A proper workout should not last more than 40-60 minutes (not including warm up/cool down). Less than that, the intensity should be dialed up; longer than that you may not get as much out of the workout due to too much rest, or overworking the body if doing too much.

Aside from that, find what works for you, your schedule, and is fun to do. Ultimately the best kind of workout is the one you like and will stick with.

What are the best supplements?

Supplements are designed literally as additional boosts to help you reach your goals in a variety of ways. That being said, there are countless articles dedicated to this exact question, but ultimately, there are only 3 supplements I would suggest (if you were going to take any) that have proven results.

Caffeine – the stimulant provides focus and energy proven in testing.

Creatine – a friend to muscles which helps them build strong

Protein – the energy source that helps muscles recovery, repair, rebuild after training

Other than those, the supplement industry is a largely unregulated industry (in the US) and most products are filled with trash ingredients that don’t have proven ability to boost your performance and in some cases, can be dangerous. The amounts are rarely accurate, and anything with a “proprietary blend” (especially without information about what that blend is made of) should be avoided.

How do I know it’s working?

At the outset of your fitness journey, I’m hoping you planned your goals of what it is you’re working toward. If you did this correctly, one of the aspects of your goal would be to identify how you’re going to measure success along the way. Luckily there are a plethora of methods which include:

-Body Fat measurements

-Circumference measurements

-Scale weight

-Progress pictures

-Clothing fit

-Energy/Stamina/Endurance levels

And the best one to go with is the one that works best for you and your goals and that you’ll be able to stick with accurately. For most people I highly recommend the progress pictures as it can often tell the best story with tangible evidence of where you were and where you are. But again, pick the best one that fits your goals and you can do consistently without issue.

Consistency or Intensity?

As the last sentence of the last section alludes to, consistency is key. In learning anything new, consistently showing up, putting in time and energy to learn and build and grow will lead to the best results. The intensity will vary depending on what your training plan calls for and how your energy levels are feeling. But consistently showing up gives you the best chance for success. You may have a ton of energy today and crush an intense workout that hits you harder than expected, but if you show up to the next session in a couple of days, and you’re still sore/tired but put in some lower intensity work, that’s still forward progress that you wouldn’t have if you sat on the couch instead.

Consistency always over intensity.

Why am I not as good as that other person?

One of the most common feelings beginners get is imposter syndrome and comparison syndrome. It is SOOO easy to see someone doing an exercise that you have planned and they’re doing it A) easier than you or B) with heavier weight than you, which throws you into thinking, “Why can’t I do it that easy?”

Nothing kills progress, motivation, consistency more than comparing yourself to the person doing the same thing next to you and them doing it better than you. Negative self talk of all kinds need to be left at the door, but if you can’t manage to get past this one, you’re gonna have a heck of a time. The best thing to remember is that this is NOT their Day 01. You are not them. They are on a completely different journey, reading the same book. The ONLY difference is, they are probably on page 50, while you’re just now cracking the spine. Everyone is built differently; Everyone has different starting points; Everyone has different adaptations;

Every. Person. Is. Different.

If you can kill the comparison, you’ll level up faster than you ever thought.

Beginners at the gym are great because they’ve decided to take control of their lives and start building a better future. Stepping foot on the gym floor can be intimidating and anxiety-inducing if you don’t have the right plan and mindset. If you follow along the advice laid here and put together a plan of exercises that that follow your goal, you can take over the world.

Ultimately the only thing you can do is take off your water wings and jump into the deep end and know that you’re going to float as long as you try.

If you’re still really nervous, remember to start slow with VERY light resistance to learn how your body moves and build from there. Showing up is half the battle, and hopefully this has helped win the other half. Now get to the gym and start kicking butts!

And if you’re still not sure on where to start, let’s connect and start clearing the fog right now! Apply for Online Coaching with me and let’s get to work today!

Pre-Workout: To Use or Not to Use, That is the Question!

Posted on May 9, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

The clients I work with and people who have asked to know my stance on supplements is that you don’t need them. They are beneficial in many ways to help you toward your goals but being an industry that is non-regulated (in the US), the number of supplements that the body can ACTUALLY benefit from pales in comparison to the number of products on the market.

Avoiding going into every detail, I was questioned specifically about my take on Pre-Workout – would I recommend it or not?

First let me start by saying, I do not recommend any sort of supplement as necessary without consulting your physician, and I am not affiliated to any specific supplement brands. Any products mentioned in this post are based solely on my own experiences and products that I have or currently do use.

Like any question you’d ask to a good trainer, the real answer to, “Should I use pre-workout or not?” is:

“It depends.”

It depends on… your level activity; intensity of your training; goals; sensitivity to caffeine; sensitivity to other ingredients in pre-workout; desired effect; etc.

Let’s take a step back for a minute and address the question of what pre-workout is and what is it for/what it does.

Pre-workout is a supplement designed to help boost your energy, blood flow, and focus prior to a training session to help you achieve optimal results. The main ingredients are typically caffeine, beta-alanine, creatine, niacin, and a series of other random ingredients depending on what that products manufacturer decides it wants to add.

Focusing on those main ingredients, caffeine is typically the most common at about 200-250mg per serving in most pre-workout products. Caffeine is a stimulant designed to increase your energy levels and clear fog from your brain to allow focus on the task ahead. Beta-alanine is a vasodilator which means that it increases the size of blood vessels to allow for a large flow of blood through the body. This helps training sessions as your blood is able to move more oxygen into the muscles to help them maintain work and continue pushing even when you want to quit. Creatine is the main component of muscle building supplements and helps our bodies avoid atrophy. It doesn’t make you bulky but can cause you to retain a bit of water. If you are on a muscle building or toning program, creatine is a great supplement to incorporate to help build strong, sexy, toned muscles. Finally, Niacin works also as a Nootropic supplement focusing the mind and boosting energy.

Beyond those, there can a ton of other filler ingredients that get advertised as helping you, but ultimately probably don’t do much.

In rants I’ve made countless times, there are only about 3-4 supplements that I would recommend someone take if they were interested (of their own volition) that would aid their training – caffeine, creatine, protein, multi-vitamin, maybe a couple of others.

As you’ll notice, caffeine and creatine are on that list – 2 of the biggest players in most pre-workouts.

The reason I support those 2 ingredients is that they are the only supplements that have conclusive evidence of working for those who take them in addition to regular training.

The problem with pre-workout products isn’t the ingredients that work, it’s all the filler that’s unnecessarily added.

As I mentioned earlier, the supplement industry is largely unregulated in the US and with that, companies will make claims of ingredients being in their product but the factual amounts they claim could be skewed. Often seen as a “proprietary blend” they will throw random amounts of ingredients together in the bottle so they can claim they are in the product, but without having to disclose how much. Also, they do not have to be pure substances and often these bottles of product are filled with artificial flavors and ingredients.

So going back to the original question – should you use pre-workout or not – I would say that you can if you feel like you need an extra boost to get through your training sessions. It would be beneficial to those who train in the morning, but be wary of later training sessions especially with pre-workouts that use caffeine as it could disrupt your sleep patterns, which we don’t want to do. Thankfully they have started making less potent or stimulant free products which primarily utilize Vitamin B12 (or Vitamin B Complex) to provide energy, but be aware that an over intake of any vitamin can be detrimental.

I personally DO use pre-workout, and though I’ve used many different kinds with varying results, the one I continually come back to is Pre-Kaged by Kaged Muscle. It’s a product I’ve followed since its inception 5-7 years ago and believe works best for me. They use natural flavors and no artificial additives. It’s pricier than most products – but like anything else, the higher the price, generally the better the quality.

If you are sensitive to caffeine, niacin, or any other ingredients, I recommend not taking it – there are other alternatives and unless you are training extremely hard on a regular basis or professionally, a cup of regular coffee (black, no added cream, sugar, etc) has enough caffeine to get you through. There is a movement by many fitness/health “guru’s” I have seen via Twitter of eliminating caffeine all together and switching to local honey as their stimulant, but honey is basically just natural sugar which gives you an energy boost like caffeine would.

If you’re not sure if you should take a pre-workout or have questions about ingredients, you can always consult your physician to be sure.

Need an extra boost in the gym and not a coffee or energy drink consumer, maybe give pre-workout a try, but know you don’t NEED it, but it can help push through tough training sessions. Just be careful of ingredients and going overboard with caffeine later in the day.

Have any other questions about supplements or ingredients you’ve seen on your pre-workouts, drop them in the comments and I’d be happy to answer!

Special THANK YOU to my client Terry D for posing the question in the first place.

4 Secrets to Toning Up

Posted on May 6, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

You’re not going to get bulky, I promise.

Those reasons are for a different post entirely, so we’ll focus on toning up!

One of the more common goals I hear from potential clients (men and women alike) is the desire to “Get toned!”

Start with my 4 Secrets to Toning Up

and you’ll be on your way in no time!

1. PRIORITIZE COMPOUND MOVEMENTS

Classified as a movement that uses more than one “joint action” these can include:

-Squat

-Hip Thrust

-Lunge to Lateral Raise

-Dumbbell Curl to Overhead Press

They can typically move the heaviest resistance/weight, helping build muscle to create tone. Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps of these exercises.

2. EAT A HIGH PROTEIN DIET

Protein is the building block of muscles. Resistance training breaks down the muscle tissue, so maintaining a high protein diet (~1-1.2g per kg of weight) will help re-fuel your muscles to get bigger and stronger!

3. FOCUS ON SLEEP/RECOVERY

Often overlooked by a “I’ll sleep more when I’m dead” mentality by a lot of people, one thing we can all do is take sleep/recovery a little more seriously. Clearing a foggy brain, providing more energy, and giving your body the time it needs to properly rest and re-build the muscle used during that days training session is vital to help get you toned in no time. Shoot for 7-9hrs per night! And reminder, you can’t make up for lost sleep, be consistent, get consistent results!

4. SLOW AND CONTROLLED TEMPO

It’s great that you’re hitting compound movements and starting to feel good, but if you want to speed up the process, it’s time to slow down the reps. Each rep should aim for a 2 second contraction and 2 second extension at minimum. During the movement, the muscle shortens and lengthens, breaking down with micro tears on each rep. Slowing down the movement forces harder work (more micro tears), so when the muscles rebuild thanks to protein and the rest/recovery, they’ll be stronger and more toned/defined!

That’s it!

To get toned, you have to have muscle to show off. Follow those 4 steps and you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of the game to building your ideal body.

Which “secret” are you going to work on today?

Resistance Training 101

Posted on April 28, 2021April 28, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

We all start somewhere and stepping foot on a gym floor can be one of the most nerve-wracking things in the world if you don’t have a plan. One of the first things I learned that helped me and a few of my clients when we started was keeping our plan SIMPLE. Welcome to Resistance Training 101 – Beginners Guide to Fitness.

There are a ton of pieces of equipment (barbells, dumbbells, cables, machines, etc) on a commercial gym floor (Planet Fitness; Esporta Fitness; etc.) but when you take a bird’s eye view, you’ll notice every exercise is a variation

of just 7 movements that our body does:

Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)
Pull (back, biceps)
Squat (quadriceps)
Hinge (glutes, hamstrings)
Lunge (full leg)
Rotation (core/abs)
Gait (walking, total body)

When starting out, the first thing you need to learn is HOW YOUR BODY MOVES through each of these 7 movements and begin building from there. It doesn’t matter what your goal is, if you’ve never stepped foot in a gym, the first

thing you should do is learn how your body moves. Not only will this help you push yourself and make strides quicker than those around you, but it will help your mind and muscles develop a connection to learn how to safely move, which will help avoid injury as you increase the resistance/load (weight).

PULL

When coming up with your plan, my suggestion would be to pick 1 exercise that falls under each category to be your workout that you repeat 2-3 times per week for 2–4 weeks to properly develop HOW to do it and how your body moves.

Making it even simpler, begin by using machines or your own bodyweight as they are the most stable and can help you learn the basic movement pattern of the exercise. One rule to keep in mind is you want to start with the most stable exercise possible and machines, being the most stable, literally only have 1 way they work, which helps you develop the proper form for the exercise.

Once you’ve completed the 2-4 week entry period, then take a step back and decide how you want to attack your goals. You will be able to decide if you want to train 2, 3, or 4+ days per week and then build your program or plan from there.

One of the most popular goals I’ve come across is combining Burning fat + Getting toned (building muscle). I say this not only from what I’ve discussed with my clients, but because this is similar to goals that I have gone after and achieved personally. To do this, I/we have seen best results by doing 3–4 sets of each chosen exercise at about 10–15 repetitions per set (resting 45–60 seconds between sets).

**Not sure what weight to use (if more than Bodyweight)?

When you choose a number of reps you’re shooting for, the weight should be heavy enough to hit that number of reps with difficulty, but not so heavy that you can’t safely get there; or light enough that you finish and think, “hmm… could have done 10 more…”**

If I were starting out, a sample workout I might try (and similar to those I have applied to clients on their first few days) would look like this:

A. Chest press machine (3 sets; 12 reps)

B. Seated close grip row (cable maybe?) (3 sets; 15 reps)

C. Leg Press machine (3 sets; 15 reps)

D. Dumbbell deadlift (3 sets; 12 reps)

E. Bodyweight stationary forward lunge (3 sets; 8–10 reps each leg

F. Russian twist (3 sets; 20 reps each side)

G. Dumbbell farmer carry (3 sets; 30–50yds)

Do your best to maintain focus on controlling the weight and as you get better, increase the weight and plug in new exercises that still work toward your goals and vary it up.

Consistency and patience will lead to the best results.

Once you’ve got the basics down, if you’re looking for that edge, there are TONS of free programs or helpful hints and tips you can find and all the exercises in my sample workout can be found with a quick Google/YouTube search.

Fitness is for everyone; and everyone started somewhere – you got this and remember that wanting to walk this journey means you are working toward a happier, healthier you – physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.

Still not sure what to do or need that extra bit of accountability?

It’s never a bad idea to hire a coach or trainer. One of my specialties is helping new people learn their way around the jungle gym of their fitness facility and learning how amazing the human body can be. If you’re tired of waiting around and ready to make the change, head to the Online Client Application and fill it out and let’s talk today! Get all the structure and accountability you need from an in-person trainer, with the flex to train any time, any where in the world at a fraction of the cost, with the best in the world! (me! 😊)

Eric Hinrichsen

Always Hungry Personal Training | Columbus, OH

6 Tips for New Trainers

Posted on April 24, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

Not everyone is cut out to be a personal trainer, just like everyone is not cut out to be a doctor, or plumber, or desk worker, etc. But if you want to give it a go, it’s a booming industry with a lot of potential for growth and a job position that should be sticking around for a while. People are becoming more sedentary and unhealthy – but many are REALIZING this and seeking help from professionals to get their lives in control to be happy, healthy, and stress free.

Beyond getting certified and deciding if you’re going to work for yourself or for someone else as a trainer, there were a few tips that got passed along to me early on that when taken to heart, helped me grow leaps and bounds for myself and my clients and I’d like to pass them along to you! Here are my 6 tips for new personal trainers that will help any personal trainer new to the game.

Train Everyone

Most literature you will read will tell you to “find your niche” and maybe you’re entering the fitness world with one in mind and that’s great! But when you’re starting out, cast a wide net and try working with anyone and everyone you can. This will help you learn how to work with different types of people; work through problems you might not know you could solve; really confirm or discover your niche community; and just help you gain experience on the fitness floor helping people work toward their goals. When I first started, I thought I would help people work through transformations – turning their bodies from flab to fab, because that’s what I did. I lost the weight and put on muscle and thought I could help them do the same. But as I worked with different people, I found that my best clients are either men/women over the age of 50 who are just trying to stay healthy and active for themselves and their families; and 25-35 men who were seen as “scrawny” and looking to “bulk up”. Though I’m confident to help people outside of those goals, those are where I seem to thrive. I wouldn’t have known that if I tried to only stick with “fat loss” or “transformation” clients. Working with a little bit of everyone helps uncover who you work best with and can set you up for long term success.

Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know”

Being a personal trainer comes with a lot of bravado and ego. Typically you work out to keep yourself healthy and one of the best non-scale victories of working out is confidence. But it also comes with one of the biggest catches – you THINK you know everything, but if you’re honest… you don’t.

AND THAT’S OKAY.

As a new trainer, you’re going to do your best to help answer every question your client has and you’ll be compelled to maybe even lie when something comes up that you’re not sure about. DON’T. Not only can people smell BS, when it comes out that you’re wrong, it looks terrible on you and you’ve lost trust right then and there. They came to you and chose you because they trust you know what you’re doing and if that trust is lost, good luck finding it again. But when someone asks you a question that stumps you, and you say, “That’s a great question, I’m not really sure….” What that does is allow you to follow up with, “…but let me do some research and let’s discuss further when you come in for your next session.” Which does a couple of cool things…

It establishes that you’re human and you can set aside your ego. Being open and honest and showing some of our own flaws like that can help solidify trust and the bond between you and the client.
It gives you the privilege of doing some research to learn more – which is one of the best things about this profession. I’m still relatively new at only about 2+ years as a trainer, but I feel like I learn something new every day. And learning something new means not only being able to discuss with the client who asked but sharing with others who might have the same questions!

Saying, “I don’t know” can be a huge benefit to help you establish trust and learn something new to expand you, your client, and your communities’ horizons.

Other trainers are NOT your competition

You should not be afraid to watch what other trainers do or ask them for advice or help. We are all in the industry of helping people better themselves through training and nutrition. Helping people is our number one priority and helping each other is a very close second. If I can help you learn a new exercise variation or discuss ways we help clients work toward similar goals, and you can apply them to your clients, then that’s a big win for them, you, me, and everyone around. There are 7+ billion people on this planet… there are plenty of clients for all of us – let’s learn from each other and help them all become the best version of themselves possible!

Don’t chase dollars, chase change

Money is cool and allows you a lot of freedom to do cool things. But if you’re new and start charging top dollar… good luck. There are a number who can succeed at this, but the best are those who focus on helping clients reach their goals.

“If you build it, they will come.”

Put in the reps of helping those around you that will work with you at a fair price get results and as you grow, build on your systems and PROVE you know what you’re doing… and the cash will follow.

Helping people become their best should be your top priority. If you can do that, the cost to them won’t matter.

Don’t fret about name, branding, logo, etc.

Piggybacking number 4 above here, don’t fret about branding and logo and image. Get results! It doesn’t matter if you’re name is Eric Does Training – as long as your name is Eric and you train people, not only is it spot on, but it will avoid any sort of confusion about who you are and what you do. What’s more important is the helping people. Like I mentioned, without tangible evidence that what you know and apply to help people actually works, the flashiest logo, brand name, content, etc. will be found out and left behind.

As you grow and find who you are, what you believe and stand for, and what kind of person you want to work with, the rest of that will follow.

Be Yourself and have fun!

Like it or not, you’re not just selling a service to help people. You’re selling yourself. If people don’t think you’re being genuine or see that you’re putting up a front, they’ll avoid it like the plague. Be true to who you are and know who you want to work with, and you will attract the clienteles that are the right fit. As Jonathan Goodman of The PTDC once said, “People don’t buy training, they buy the trainer.” If they don’t trust or like who you are and what you bring to the table, it’ll never work. Who you are is just right for someone and if you put it out there, you will find each other.

On top of that – have fun! You are helping people change their lives for the better. They have taken the time to look in the mirror and say to themselves, ‘Fuck whatever is happening right now – I am ready to become my best damn self!” and they came to you and chose you to help them do that. There is nothing cooler (to me) than having someone come to you who has no idea what their doing, and being able to help them not only learn what to do physically, but watch that internal lightbulb click on in THEM when they reach a goal they thought might never happen.

Being a personal trainer is hard and it’s not for everyone. It’s grueling hours and can be frustrating with clients who push back or don’t give their all like you wish they would… but it should rank in the list of most rewarding jobs you can do. We get the opportunity to help people become their best selves and share knowledge that we continue to learn.

If you’re just starting out, know that you have what it takes and you can be wildly successful, and it starts with following these few simple tips.

If you’re a new trainer, what are some tips you’ve been given outside of these that have helped you grow into the best you around? Drop them in the comments and let’s spread the good word across the industry to help others.

Fat Burners

Posted on April 24, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

One of the most popular goals for anyone entering training, working out, nutrition, etc, is to lose weight. With that, supplement companies have been falling all over themselves to create products that they claim to be THE ONE to help you shed that fat once and for all. The supplement market is flooded with pills, powders, and shakes that promise to melt away the stubborn fat you can’t seem to nix, but in truth, they are all snake oil.

As someone who battled with his weight and eventually went through his own weight loss transformation before becoming a personal trainer, I would be lying if I said I have never used a fat loss supplement in the hopes that it could help me knock off those extra lbs.

But I will honestly tell you also, that none of them worked.

Looking at an ingredients list for fat loss supplements can be as daunting as looking at a box of cereal, full of words and things you can’t pronounce and probably shouldn’t allow yourself to ingest, but almost every bottle you pick up will most likely boil down to 2 main components.

Some sort of Caffeine + a Diuretic

Caffeine

Probably one of the highest consumed ingredients in America (behind just sugar), caffeine has been in the spotlight for a long time thanks to the benefits of increasing our energy levels and helping us get through those midday slumps. It’s in coffee, energy drinks, pre-workouts, and is a large component of pre-workout supplements. Because it increases our energy levels, part of that process is increasing our heart rate our bodies natural functions. With our body moving more, it slightly increases the thermodynamic effect of our body – the ability to burn energy. That energy being burnt, it is claimed, is the fat cells we store. By causing our body to move more – even if just internally – the idea is that it’s burning fat for that energy. This can be seen as ingredients such as: Purcaf, Caffeine Proprietary Blend, Caffeine Anhydrous, or Green Tea Extract*

*Green Tea Extract is essentially caffeine specifically sourced from green tea – thought to be a naturally occurring energy source (similar to coffee beans).

Diuretics

The other thing to be aware of is the use of diuretics. Most fat loss supplements include ingredients that cause the body to shed water. Many people who start taking these supplements and see a steep drop in weight at the beginning are really just seeing that their body is flushing out water that has been retained. This may be helpful if you’re competing in some sort of physique/bodybuilding competition, but if you’re an average Joe like myself, you want water in your body to help it function optimally. Diuretics are hard on your kidneys and since our bodies are made up largely of water – cutting it out can have other detrimental consequences.

I’m not here to tell you not to try whatever you can to lose the weight if you feel it’s necessary, but I want to try and give a testimonial, that they may provide some sort of aid, beyond the caffeine boosting energy and diuretic components dropping water, these supplements rarely work to the effect that they claim.

True fat loss comes from focusing on the hard things you don’t want to do – cleaning up your nutrition; exercising regularly; prioritizing rest and recovery; and managing stress.

Take care of those things and the fat should melt away the way no supplement can.

Do the un-fun things now and enjoy the fruits of your labor later.

Trust the process and reach your goals!

What’s your favorite fat loss myth you’ve heard? Let’s start a thread below.

Success Beyond the Scale

Posted on March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

According to legend, it’s physically impossible to discuss fitness or nutrition with someone – anyone – without mentioning the scale!

Okay, so that may NOT be true, but be honest, it comes up in MOST health conversations and it’s a piece of hardware that plagues us all. It brings us some of our highest highs and our lowest lows. Somehow this small piece of equipment has evolved into one of the most controversial topics of health in the world… and all you do is stand on it.

Because it is so widely recognized as the staple piece of equipment for measuring change or progress in a fitness/nutrition/health program, it has been given more power than it ever intended to receive or should be allowed to have. Too often and easily, we misplace stock of our progress in the number that a scale spits back at us – some to the point of letting it become their main focal point of self-worth, which is very unhealthy.

The scale must be taken down a peg or two and we must remember what it truly is. The scale is simply a tool in our belt of measuring progress. It is not an evaluation of who we are or what we are about or the efforts we put into our body. It is literally a measure of your weight – right now, at this very moment. Which means it is meant to change and fluctuate over the course of weeks, days, or even hours! There are so many factors that impact how much we weigh at a given time, including:

-Time of day

-Hydration

-Hunger

-Stress

-Amount of sleep

-Daily activity

-Hormone levels

-Did you just poop or are you backed up? (yes…this can really cause fluctuation)

And so many other possible factors that could throw off your weight. Any number of these could cause it to go up or down at any moment.

These are reasons why it’s crucial to remember that the number on the scale is simply another tool in our belt as we move forward on our health journeys – regardless of the target you’re shooting at.

Take stock of your success beyond the scale and celebrate each victory you reach on our journey to a happier and healthier you.

Increased Energy Levels

Combining regular exercise in any form, with nutritious whole foods, and managed sleep/stress levels come together to boost your energy to levels you could only dream of. Your body wants to move and by moving, it creates energy. That’s why activity when you’re doing it, may be tiring, but the release of hormones, the blood pumping in your muscles and breath firing in your lungs takes us to a higher level of energy beyond the exercise and carries through to our daily life activities.

Fit of Our Clothes

When I was embarking on my own transformation journey and started seeing results, one of the best, but most frustrating results was that my clothes fit better… then loose… then too loose. It wasn’t a bad problem to have for my self-esteem, but my wallet wasn’t super happy about it (but I’ll take that trade off). My sister would even give me grief because I was wearing “skinny” jeans and they were PRETTY tight, I will admit. But as I told her then – I wear them not just because I like the look, but because I couldn’t wear these before! I’ve gotten questionable looks from my friends I play hockey with when we won our league championship and the prize was a t-shirt and I asked for a Medium… because I knew it fit a little snugger, but I wanted it because it wasn’t a Large or X-Large which I had to wear for about half my life. We all know what it’s like trying to find clothes that fit – both up and down – but there’s something about slipping on a t-shirt that A) used to be too loose and now you fill it out with those big strong muscles; B) you have to change out of because it’s now a parachute; or C) was one you’ve been avoiding because last time it was JUUUUUST a little tight but you try it and it fits PERFECTLY!

Injury Pre/Re-Hab and Prevention

We are flimsy skeletons of bones connected by thin tissues that are protected by meat and skin and we live in a crazy world that is trying to hurt us all the time. Injury is a step away almost always. Regular exercise and nutrition can not only help prevent injuries that may potentially occur, but it can also help correct imbalances or problems you’re experiencing to eliminate pain all together. How many people do you know in the office or family or friend circles that occasionally complain about lower back pain and you know are more sedentary people? Chances are you’ve seen those people try and try to stretch the pain away or talk about chiropractors, pills, massages, heating pads, etc… everything in the world to mitigate the pain… except exercise, nutrition, lifestyle changes. What people don’t realize is that most general lower back pain can be resolved by strengthening the area directly – purposefully working those muscles to get stronger – rather than stretching it. I have seen this happen with a number of clients – one of whom had been seeing a chiropractor weekly for 3 months prior to working with me, and within our first month, has yet to go back to them (it’s been over a year we’ve worked together). Fixing an injury or even preventing one you can see coming is a huge victory that often gets overlooked though it should be given much more spotlight.

Relieving Reliance of Medications

Maybe the most highly overlooked success of following a proper fitness/nutrition/health program is its ability to relieve us of reliance on many medications. Type-2 Diabetes, Blood Pressure Meds, High Cholesterol, Anti-Depressants, etc. Working on your health can have immense benefits to relieving of you of reliance on these medications as you physically get your body in a healthy position, internally you’re healing problems of hormone imbalances and toxicity levels that plague our society today.

The scale is a useful tool in measuring progress, but it has been given too much power. Don’t let it rule over your journey to happy, healthy, fruitful life by holding your focus to it’s number and remember to celebrate all of your victories along the way – especially the non-scale victories such as increased energy; better fitting clothes; injury prevention; and relief of medications; along with a whole host of others.

I shared a little story about better fitting clothes, if you’re comfortable – please share a little anecdote of your success beyond the scale below in the comments and let’s hype the hell out of each other!

Action > Motivation

Posted on March 26, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

Too often we put off starting something new [diet, exercise, hobby, etc] because we feel like we need the motivation to do it. What we don’t realize is that often TAKING ACTION will lead to motivation.

Think about a time when you started a project with intent to only do about 5-10min worth of work, only to look up and see an hour has flown by!

You took action and that action led to more and more and pretty soon you end up 10 steps ahead of where you thought you would.

Here are the 2 best ways to make taking action effortless!

1. 5 Minute Timer — Turning your phone to DND or Airplane mode, set a timer for as little as 5 minutes. As soon as you hit “start” put the phone down and begin working on your task. In this instance – working out. Whether it be 5 minutes of 1 exercise; a mini-circuit of 2-3 exercises or whatever you want – just focus on 5 minutes of exercise. When the timer goes off, take stock of how you feel. Want to do another 5 or even 10 – do it! If you get through the 5 minutes and still feel “meh” about it… that’s fine too. You’re still 5 minutes ahead of where you were when you hit start.

2. Schedule on Your Calendar — There’s a saying that you won’t miss appointments with your boss, so why would you miss appointments with yourself. Every smart phone has a calendar app that you can set appointments on that send reminders to you prior to the event. Take a look at your day or week and put your workouts on your schedule ahead of time and know that you won’t miss that time. You’re a damn boss, so don’t miss an appt with yourself. Plus this is a great way to manage your time and help you say “no” to things and people that don’t align with your goals and help avoid distractions that knock you off track.

It won’t be easy, but even on the hardest day – when everything seems to be going against you, it’s doubly important. Don’t fret about intensity, just make moves; even the smallest.

Take action when motivation is fleeting. Always.

What’s something you’ve been putting off for “the right time” that you’re going to start doing today?

I’m Eric, This is My Story

Posted on March 22, 2021March 22, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

If I’m going to spend valuable time creating blog posts and promoting them about the internets, I should probably do a proper introduction and tell you my story. #Credibility am I right?

Skipping over the early stages of life, we’ll get to the good stuff you (might) care about – how I got into fitness, health, training, and changing career paths from a secure, consistent, steady office job to the wild west of entrepreneurial small business ownership as a personal trainer.

Like most people, for the better part of my life, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was a middle-class kid who attended public school; went to college and got a Bachelors in nothing; got a ‘secure’ job out of college and was “good” at it (enough) and was running the rat race. My life wasn’t on a great track, but it was an okay track. I had friends, a social life, work, etc and should have been happy.

But I wasn’t.

The job was stressful, terribly political, and threw its employees into a sea of false promises so deep I’m surprised no one literally drowned.

My life

was good on the outside, but inside was a raging sea of negativity, boredom, stress, and depression that showcased itself in a life of sedentary self-loathing fueled by victim mentality and poor lifestyle choices.

2 years into adulthood, I came across a picture of myself with my family at Christmas and literally didn’t recognize who it was staring back at me. Low and behold, it was me.

I knew I had put on weight since high school ended 6-7 years earlier when I entered at 210 lbs. but when I saw the person in the pictures, I was left speechless. Immediately running to a scale, it was horrifying to see that I had jumped up to 283 lbs.! I had gained 70 lbs. thanks to endless nights of bingeing booze; late night drive-thru’s; life on the couch; and a stressful job that left me anxious and frustrated on a daily basis. Though I never went to a proper doctor, it’s hard to imagine internally things were on the right track. And that started to throw me deeper into the victim hole.

Something had to be done.

As I tried to figure out what I NEEDED to do, a friend propositioned a group of us with a New Year’s weight loss challenge which I adamantly said, “I’M IN!” thinking this boost might help me get going.

On January 1, 2013, I woke up and began walking a long path that would lead me to finding my passion and building a business to try and help change the world!

The weight loss challenge came and went with me being the only one of the group who took it seriously and I was well on my way toward my goal of my pre-college weight.

Over the next 5-6 years, I had bouts of big weight loss in the 20-30

lbs. range, then would plateau; find a new program and hit another loss. Pushing myself into hardcore transformation or training programs; 2-a-day workouts with longer cardio sessions; limited nutrition to chicken, rice, broc; etc. but it worked (for me and my life). During that time, I began competing in 5K races with friends because I had never been able to run a mile, let alone 3. That led to a Spring Triathlon, Half Marathons, and even participating in a 100mi Ultra Marathon as part of a relay with 5 of my friends.

Over the course of this journey, I hit multiple goals and accomplishments for and by myself, but it took a long time and a lot of guesswork and trial/error only to end up celebrating mostly alone. Sure, friends and family congratulated me or gave kudos when they’d notice things but those things didn’t matter directly to them, so it was hard for them to truly understand what it had taken. That’s when I realized I wanted to help other people reach their goals and have someone there to celebrate climbing their mountains, and just as importantly, help them through the valleys – thus leading me toward the idea of becoming a personal trainer.

Posting about this idea on Facebook, a friend from college that I hadn’t spoken to much reached out asking about how serious I was about doing this and we began to chat about the degree he got when he made a similar decision to change his life as well. Bobby Gartrell was someone I knew knew his way around a gym from the moment I met him in college through mutual friends and hearing his endorsement that I should go for it and check out the school he attended as it fit similarly to his scenario transitioning from office to trainer held weight to me.

10 minutes into my meeting with Miriam at the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI-OH) I knew I was in the right place. Through autumn, winter, and early spring 2017-18, I spent 8 months in night school learning the body, the muscles, the business of personal training to earn my certification as a Personal Trainer.

After a brief stint of moonlighting at a local YMCA as a trainer, I decided in fall of 2018 that it was time to start training on my own – working with friends for free to get results, I started to accumulate some clients by training them at their gyms (apartment + PF). The apartment proved fruitful as multiple people came up to me asking, “excuse me, are you a personal trainer?” to which I was delighted to respond, “Why yes I am!”

Now building clientele and having success through 2019, I got thrown one of the biggest curveballs possible – I got fired from my “secure” office job. After 8+ years, I had made an error that was considered egregious and created a “horrible optic” and was let go on the spot.

Terrified of what to do next as I was so used to the routine of a normal job, MAJORLY through the help of my wonderful partner (Jess Brohard) she helped me make the decision that it was the time to take to the skies and fly on my own as a FULL TIME Personal Trainer.

Though the last year and a half hasn’t been easy – Launching in the middle of the holidays when no one is thinking of hiring a personal trainer; to a global pandemic shutting down the world; to re-building and opening my own training studio; offering online/remote and Hybrid training to expand my reach; become certified as a Nutrition coach; etc – I know I’m on the right path and working in a field that I am passionate about; helping people work toward happier and healthier lives for themselves and their families, I’m excited to see what challenges and opportunities the next year and a half+ bring.

Fitness is for everyone, though my style may not be. Getting myself healthy physically not only led me to better health physically, but has helped me learn more about myself and what I can push through mentally and emotionally and helped me find a positive outlet for stresses of life that nothing else could/has.

If you made it this far, let me thank you for reading my story. If any part of it resonated with you, please leave a comment or share to your friends/family what about it you appreciated.

If you’ve been on the fence about starting working out for yourself or not sure what to do or where to even start, head over to the “Online Training Application” and fill out the application for us to talk TODAY. Consultations are complimentary so there’s legit zero risk. Let’s Talk.

Thank you (from the bottom of my heart),

Eric Hinrichsen

Always Hungry Personal Training | Columbus, OH

TLDR: My story goes from: I hated my job and my life; got myself healthy and dropped a bunch of weight and decided I want to help other people do the same. Became a personal trainer, now trying to change the world!