McCohn Muscle April 2017 Client of the Month

Ben Shimp

Ben started training with us soon after his 30th birthday. He was having success in his personal life and wanted to keep the momentum going by dropping some excess weight and body fat, and COMMITTING to a healthier lifestyle.

We had a few issues the first couple of weeks. Ben had to overcome a calf injury. We weren't sure if it was excess weight, his build, or his footwear but he took the initiative and went out and bought calf compression sleeves. The rest is history.

He lost 25lbs in five months. His body fat dropped from 33% to the mid 20s. He has also dropped 5in combined in his waist and hips. His bench press, shoulder press, back squat, and pain tolerance have all increased substantially, and he is a sumo squatting BEAST!

He also found the time to marry his amor, Leyva. I'd say Ben is doing pretty good. Congratulations on your Client of the Month sir. McCohn Muscle doesn't have many men on the team, but you rep the brand very well.

McCohn Muscle March 2017 Client of the Month

Drum roll please!!!

We waited a while to announce this but here's our March 2017 Client of the Month, Ruth Pawlack.

Ruth is a registered nurse that just celebrated her 20 year anniversary working for Ohio Health. She has been training with us for three years now.

She began training with us to prevent gaining weight. She's managed to drop 10lbs and keep it off. She has increased her strength and endurance, and says her clothes fit more comfortably. Ruth's training is very unique because she deals with a severe case of scoliosis (curvature of the spinal cord).
This can make her workouts very uncomfortable, but she never quits.

She has kept a food journal everyday for the past three years as well. That self discipline is one reason she has earned this award. Even more than that, Ruth has made exercise and fitness a part of her lifestyle.

Ruth holding her own with the fellas.

She is not trying to rock a bikini onstage, or run a Tough Mudder, but she is living a healthy and active lifestyle. She has managed her hypothyroidism and blood sugar. One of the things I love about her is when she goes out to eat and tells me about the healthy decisions she made at the restaurant. Commitment baby!!!

Every vacation she sends pictures of her workouts.
Congratulations Ruth!

McCohn Muscle Client of the Month- November 2014

Amanda Scalise....a CHAMP in everyone's book!

She brings the energy and effort all the time, and her attitude is contagious. In October she lost 3lbs while participating in #GutCheck BootCamp and her standard once a week training sessions. She also managed to find the time to complete the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Half-Marathon in just over two hours. Two days after her half-marathon she came into her training session and pressed a client best 96 reps of 45lbs barbell flat bench press. BOOM! 

Scalise also completed a half-marathon in October 2011, August 2013, and her first full marathon in October 2013. I might even be missing one or two of them.

She is an inspiration and a motivator. She works hard balancing career, family, fitness, and fun. I can count on her to lead by example, and I also know that every once in a while she is going to challenge me. She has been a loyal client and a great friend. We have seen each other overcome a number of obstacles and witnessed the growth that came from them. Even though she is one of the youngest, she currently is my longest tenured client. I've always believed that a trainer can only be great if he trains clients that do great things. That's what Amanda Scalise is to me....just flat out a great person.

Columbus full marathon Oct 2013, Mile 18

Who is Amanda Scalise to others? 

Well....I train a young lady that's 17 years old. I admire her for the simple fact that she does one thing that so many people are allergic to doing, and that's keep it real. One day this young lady looked me in my face and said, "Amanda is somebody I want to be like when I get older." Wow. What a compliment from someone who is worth admiring herself!

To other clients I would say she is a leader. She's silly and funny, always engaged, and a hard worker. From time to time she can be counted on to create a rebellion against the trainer as well.

Good business owners constantly think of ways to improve their brand.
When you have people like these supporting it, you're in pretty good shape.

McCohn Muscle Client of the Month- October 2014

Ladies and gentlemen, Suely Guimaraes

This one is all about EFFORT! Now before I upset most of my clients, because just about every one of them gives maximum effort when they're training, not many of them try to do it in distress. Suely would be just about any trainer's dream client because she goes so hard sometimes you have to slow her down. 

She has been a faithful participant in #GutCheck BootCamp since April. Now there was a bit of a language barrier because I am a little rusty with my Portuguese. It's been a long time :-) One thing that became obvious during the first couple months of training is that during the workouts she would sometimes get pelvic and abdominal pain. It wasn't because of the exercises, it was more of a medical issue she had going on with her body. It would get so bad sometimes that she would be in tears. Now you will never hear me tell clients, "no pain, no gain." I will not ask anyone that is physically hurting to push through to the finish. But it sure is admirable to see someone that wants it that bad. To see someone that is willing to put in that kind of work.

She's lost a total of 6lbs and lowered her body fat by 3%. The impressive part about it is she endured these grueling 6am workouts while dealing with a medical concern that would make most people tap out. Now we recently got the doctor's command to reduce intensity and rest more. We are abiding by that so Suely can come back stronger. Meantime in between time her tenacity and effort has earned her McCohn Muscle's October Client of the Month. You go girl!

Olivia Skaates- September 2014 Client of the Month

 Olivia Skaates.....back on top!

Showing off her Champion ribbon at The Kentucky Horse Park a month after a serious surgery.

Olivia has been a consistent client since.........Oct 20, 2012. We began training at Urban Active Polaris. Then when I moved to Max Out Gym Columbus, Olivia, her mom, and big bro came along and trained with me there. Olivia is a beautiful young lady. She is an adept horse rider, and she also plays on her high school lacrosse team.

She used to ask me "when am I going to be 'Client of the Month?" I would laugh and tell her that even though she worked hard when she trained, people that earn "Client of the Month" have exceptional stories. Some have lost 20+ pounds, some have shed off a high percentage of body fat, others have trained hard and killed it at a competitive event.

Now she is Client of the Month for September 2014.
This is what happened.

Benign tumor from t2 to t12 next to thoracic spine. That's pretty large. The surgeon recommended surgery and said she would need to collapse Olivia's right lung to remove tumor on that side.
You can bet Olivia was doing some intense cardio a week before her surgery. If one lung was going to be down, that other one had better stay strong.
During surgery the expert hit a lymphatic duct that caused a chile leak. Olivia had to be on a fat free diet for a week. She was out of the hospital after that week but three days after been sent home her right lung filled up halfway with fluid plus 1200cc of chile fluid in chest.

Another surgery, another chest tube
TPN nutrition for 8 days (that's liquid meals in a plastic bag btw)
Fat free diet for 2 weeks and she's been fine ever since.

 Taking selfies during my adjustment though.

This is a different kind of "Client of the Month" right here. Even though she is athletic and trains hard, she is September's best because she endured a dangerous and emotional process. We've all been through those tough times where we are challenged spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Sometimes we feel weak and vulnerable while going through them. The thing is, most of the time when we get through, we are smarter, harder, and stronger than ever before. 
Congratulations Olivia on earning Client of the Month. Keep keeping your game tight!

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McCohn Muscle Client of the Month- June 2014

Jess DelRe's journey with McCohn Muscle Training has been like the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy! It has been a 16 month journey that has included persistence, dedication, loyalty, patience, education, frustration, flexibility, focus, sacrifice, and good old fashion hard work.

Now you've probably heard several people say, "forget the scale. It doesn't mean anything." This is true in certain situations, but not all of them. The scale is a tool that tells a story. It also can be used to motivate people to make better decisions in the kitchen, and work harder in the gym. When Jess first started training, the scale said that she made some poor choices with nutrition, and was not spending quality time in the gym. By her own admission she lacked upper body strength, and from assessing her she also lacked core strength and cardiovascular endurance. So we attacked her training and nutrition with vigor. Training sessions 3x/week and homework on the weekends. Food journals were front and center every week. Jess did everything that was asked of her, however the scale was saying that there was not much change. So that dedication, focus, and sacrifice turned into frustration.

Anyone that knows me as a trainer knows that I have pride in what I do. I get results! So when someone is doing their part but isn't seeing results, it's a blow to my ego. A BIG blow. For a while, Jess DelRe was like the puzzle that could not be solved. Looking back on it now, it was just an obstacle we had to get through together. It required her to be flexible, me to educate myself more, and both of us to be patient.
After five months of training Jess lowered her body fat by 6.5% and improved her 1-mile run time by 4 minutes. She had also lost 8lbs, which isn't bad but we knew that more could be done. Jess began doing things she had never done before. Running 2-miles without stopping. Deadlifting and squatting over 100lbs in the same training session. Running 3-miles without stopping. Her performance was on another level. In the meantime I increased my service by generating meal plans courtesy of Evolution Nutrition. This was a game changer for Jess. She followed the plans to a T and the excess weight began coming off. Then Jess upped the ante. She wanted to get to a certain weight by her birthday at the end of May. Two weeks prior to her birthday we were 5lbs away from the goal. So we scrapped everything that had been working well, and implemented what I call the "Deadline Diet." Wouldn't you know......WE HIT THAT GOAL! I suppose I should add that she has lost a total of 23lbs and 12% body fat. This recognition of Jess DelRe is well deserved. It's also a testament to staying the course, even when it seems that what you're doing is not working. Great job Jess! Let's find another obstacle to knock down.

McCohn Muscle Client of the Month-May 2014

Mother, Wife, Leader, Doctor, Athlete, Yogi, Runner, Bike rider, Lifter, Coach, Nature Lover, Owner, Volunteer, Partner, Friend, Helper. Overall World Class Person. 

I heard her husband refer to her one time as the All American girl!

The first time I trained Dr. Laura Skaates she was already in phenomenal shape. Her vision was to be well prepared for the 2012 Arnold Classic Pump and Run. I gave her all types of tough exercises and high intensity movements and she took it all. It was easy to tell she had a competitive side.

What I did not know is that Laura is one of the most OUTSTANDING people on the face of this Earth. She is a young mother of three. I've had the privilege of training her two oldest and like her they are awesome people in their own respect. Her husband is one of the coolest guys in the world. She leads a healthy, good looking staff at Skaates Family Chiropractic on Cooper Rd. in Westerville. If you've ever been there you know what the atmosphere is like. Besides being a great business coach and client, Laura Skaates is an exceptional leader. If you've served in the US Army you've heard the expression, "Lead From the Front." That's what she does. She leads by setting the example; by showing more than talking which is becoming more uncommon nowadays.

She also has tremendous athleticism.

Insert inversion pic

She does stuff like this. Pull ups, box jumps, kettlebells, squats, sprints, balance and ab exercises; you name it, she can do it. Earlier this month Laura participated in the Cincinnati Flying Pig Pump and Run. For those that do not know, the Pump is bench pressing a certain percentage of your body weight as many times as you can. In Laura's case, 70lbs (we were training like it would be 85lbs for some reason). She pressed out 27 reps like a Boss. Wouldn't you know that 27 reps was the highest of any participant in the Pump and Run, male or female. Then her 5K RUN time was 25:30 which was 3rd best of all the female participants. So basically, SHE ROCKED IT! Funny thing is that she was still disappointed because her goal was 30 reps on bench press and a 24min 5K.

I guess that is how one sustains success though. 97% would be satisfied with finishing as the top performer at this event. She's not one of them. She's always keeping that competitive edge. So she possesses greatness because she uses it in everything that she does. Let's offer up some congratulations to Dr. Laura Skaates for all her success. She deserves it!

February/March McCohn Muscle Client of the Month

How about a little pre-natal recognition!

Maternal fitness: "Women that perform regular weight bearing exercise throughout their pregnancy maintain a leaner body composition that their sedentary counterparts."

Nichole, on the left, is currently at 6 months. Katie Bird, right, is 7 1/2 months. They have gained less than 20lbs combined.

Both ladies have gained upper strength during their pregnancies also.

It is an honor being a Personal Trainer because people entrust you with their bodies. So there is probably no higher honor than to train a woman that holds a growing baby in hers. Every week these ladies are in the gym getting it. They are not just walking on the treadmill either. They train their cardiovascular system on the treadmill, Arc Trainer, and in rare cases the StairMaster. They squat, change levels with step ups, and change direction with lateral movements. Incline bench press for stronger chest and shoulders. Low rows to strengthen back and assist better posture. They also do lots of shoulder, biceps, and tricep exercises with cables, bands, and dumbbells. 

You will never see them lifting heavy objects directly over their head or performing exercises laying flat on their back. 

Training pregnant women is a challenge as they report a high incidence of low-back pain, increased incidence of strains and sprains, and their balance may be affected by changes in posture, increasing risk of tripping and loss of balance. As long as they are aware of these things, and work with a fitness pro that is competent to provide safe and effective exercise programs for them, they will be a billboard for HEALTHY PREGNANCY and healthy lifestyle after the birth.

Katie told a brief story the other day of how she moved some furniture around while her husband was at work. He came home and saw the room change and got mad at her. She probably should have not done anything, but how empowering it must feel to know that she can!

We haven't made a post in over a month now.  If you've been checking regularly, we apologize for the lack of updates. McCohn Muscle Training will continue to strengthen our relationship with the community through social media, and outdoor/indoor activities. Be on the lookout. Our website is updated and live right now: www.mccohnmuscle.com

McCohn Muscle Client of the Month-January 2014

Superstar client, Branda Allen. I first began training Branda in Oct 2012. She had this amazing fire in her eyes that not too many clients, or people for that matter, have. I quickly realized she needed more than training. She needed challenges and competitions. Branda was ready to go to another level. We quickly began working on her short term goals which included: five legit pull-ups, decrease body fat % and waist inches, and an increase in squat, bench press, and deadlift strength. We also felt she should do something challenging outside of the gym such as a half marathon, the Arnold Pump and Run, etc.

Wouldn't you know within the past year Branda went from zero pull-ups to 10 straight. No spot, no bands to help her. She squats and deadlifts 135lbs routinely. She also ran her 1st 5k, 1st half marathon, and completed several races such as the Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash. One of them she completed the week before her half-marathon. She also participated in our #GutCheck BootCamp class this past December; check this out:
In 20 days Branda cut over 4lbs, lowered her body fat by one percent, and cut a half-inch from her waist. Her two-minute push up reps went from 58 to a ridiculous 84 (and none of these were modified push ups). Her two-minute sit-ups increased from 52 to 76, and her 2-mile run time improved from 18:47 to 17:42. She would score 288 out of a possible 300 on the Army physical training test.

One of the best things about training Branda over the past year has been seeing her growth as a person. I'm not even mentioning the fact that she is a wife, full-time worker, and MOTHER OF THREE. I'm talking about her realization that she does not have to look like an IFBB bikini professional (even though she does ;-) to know that she is healthy, beautiful, and fit. She can enjoy foods that are good for her, and sometimes indulge in some that are not so good, and still feel like a champion at the end of the day. She's the perfect client to start off recognizing in 2014. McCohn Muscle. BRANDA....keep kicking a$$.

BOOM!

December 2013 Client of the Month

Package beauty, brains, determination, a sense of humor, and consistency up and you'll create something that is similar to Heather Graham. She has been submerged in McCohn Muscle Training since the beginning of May 2013. When she started she felt consistent pain in one of her knees, ankles, feet, her neck, and her lower back. She also has a job like many others that requires her to sit all day.
Her first couple of months we put considerable focus building her strength, improving her balance, and learning how to eat healthy, balanced meals to fuel her body. She trained consistently 3x/week and did cardio and yoga on other days. She also has participated in the Kettlebell Fit Class, Arms and Abs, and Cardio Kickboxing classes at Max Out Gym.
Her reward has been 16lbs lost, an 8% decrease in body fat, 4 inches total reduced from her waist and hips, and most important a functional body that is essentially free from pain. She also gets this huge smile when she talks about how she can wear certain pants, dresses, and boots now. She is deserving of McCohn Muscle's December Client of the Month. Great job Heather!

McCohn Muscle-November 2013 Client of the Month

Eric Bird is just getting warmed up!

The first time I saw Eric he greeted me with this HUGE smile. It made me think in my head, "I've never seen someone so happy to meet a Personal Trainer." He began training May 23rd, 2013 because he wanted to live a healthier lifestyle with a focus on weight loss, plus arm and core strength. Eric weighed 251 lbs and carried around 30.6% body fat. The one thing about him was that he was SERIOUS about changing his life. We started off with exercise goal setting and a focus on cleaner eating. Just like in many workout programs that people start, Eric hit a roadblock. Multiple factors caused him to get tension headaches during the first two weeks of training. After taking a week off like his doctor advised, Eric came back with the same focus and intensity. His results as of Nov 2nd are 225 lbs and 21.8% body fat. BOOM! He has not only improved his body, but also his lifestyle. Eric and his wife, Katie, just closed on their 1st house and they're expecting a child in about five months.

This goes to show you that developing healthier habits is not always a smooth process. How you respond to adversity will play a big part in your outcome. Eric is a great example of what McCohn Muscle Training is about. STRENGTH, MIND, PROSPERITY!

Client of the Month Oct 2013

TRENDING: Caitlin L. Bogo

Hard work. Dedication. Discipline. Motivation. Inspiration. Fitness.

This young lady has been in full attack mode since we began training. Caitlin began training with McCohn Muscle at the end of April. She was 132lbs with 25% body fat. The week of her mid-October bikini competition, she weighed 113lbs and with body fat under 18%. She did it with relentless effort during her workouts and a ridiculously disciplined diet. A typical week included over 100 minutes of cardio on the StairMaster, 210 minutes on the treadmill, 1200 squats, and four football fields of lunges. That does not include the 2-3 grueling training sessions she did with Q. McCohn, and Fit Fighters class every Thursday evening at Max Out Gym. She never missed a session, workout, or class. Caitlin also maintained extreme focus with her nutrition for 18 weeks. Her staples included foods like egg whites, quinoa, cream of rice, green vegetables, and seitan. There were no cheat days or cheat meals. Her discipline is why she placed 3rd overall out of 12 in her first bikini competition.

Nice work Caitlin. Thanks for letting McCohn Muscle Training be a part of your journey.

Client of the Month September 2013

What we can't do is hit you with all four guns simultaneously. It would be way too much for you to handle.

McCohn Muscle's Client of the Month for September 2013 is Ethan Skaates. Ethan is a graduate of Westerville South High School and currently attends the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago. He began training with me in early 2012 in hopes of "feeling stronger and better and looking fit." His bothersome lower abs later turned into the fifth and sixth of his striated six packs and he increased his bench press by 70lbs. His favorite activities include running, bike riding, rock climbing, and drawing. He is the artist responsible for the McCohn Muscle Training logo.

You will see more of Ethan in the future as his personality and creativity will continue to open doors for him.

Client of the Month August 2013

A few Augusts ago in 2011 I met this #blonde #bombshell at #Urban #Active #Polaris
It was my 2nd day on the job. Her #trainer did not show up for her session so I trained her...she didn't want anyone else after that

This young lady has a crazy #passion for #health and #fitness. Just with the past 3 months she's competed in a couple #triathlon #sprints where she finished 1:43:30 and 1:37:03 respectively.

Her greatest #achievement was defeating doctors negative diagnoses through #exercise positive thinking, and #love from #family and #friends

I am #blessed to have made a positive impact on her life.
She's leaving me now and moving to Indianapolis. Her name is Jessica Ritz and she is McCohn Muscle's first Client of the Month. August 2013