Bodybuilding Journey Fall 2015 Part III

I knew I had my work cut out for me, but one thing I wasn't going to leave to question was my work ethic. I committed to training, and training hard. As a matter of fact, training became more important than my business and the service I provided others. There was nothing more important. I had committed to being on stage in front of hundreds of people wearing tiny underwear......I was not going to fumble the ball on this one.

I knew posing was important. I did not know that the person coaching your posing was more important.  I went to posing workshops, and even drove to Dayton one time to work with a coach. I also referred my battle buddy to a female coach that I barely knew. Lucky for me, Rafaela, the tall, gorgeous Brazilian Bikini competitor put herself in a position to be coached by someone I've respected since I started training. Every trainer worth their weight in Columbus has heard of Mike Davies. He's coached at a high level for a long time. His reputation precedes him. Even when I was new to the training game in Columbus I knew that Mike was someone I needed to know. Because of Rafaela, I got the chance.

I soaked up every bit of knowledge that I could. It's like learning from a kung fu master. When you're around wisdom you talk less and listen more. There was no point in me talking about what I knew. My body showed that. Now was a time for me to get drilled and coached on how to get better.

And he assured me that I was on the right path, in my coaching and my own training. MORE CONFIRMATION that my blueprint was working. I earned the respect of a fitness legend.

It was coming! But I wasn't quite there yet. I needed to get my body Turnt Up. 

My commitment to a bodybuilding lifestyle was at an all time high.....literally....when I went to Beaver Creek, Colorado for Todd Durkin's Mastermind Retreat. This was a perfect time to pick the brains of World Class fitness professionals. To gain ideas to build and sustain million dollar health and fitness businesses. I had the opportunity to do that. And I also received confirmation from them that I was on the right path. I used all my free time in high altitude to train. I went from training twice a day to three times. My eating wasn't at it's best but that was ok. I was working hard.....and breathing some damn good air.

My mentor Todd Durkin is an expert at getting people FIRED UP! 

Then it's back to reality!

 The mission was on! The energy was creating and attracting fit, healthy, lean physiques.

 And I felt good about taking topless high-speed selfies in the gym. Coordination, balance, strength, desire.....I got it all baby!

WWW.MCCOHNMUSCLE.COM

Bodybuilding Journey Fall 2015 Part I

It all begins with a vision. See it in your head, write it with your hand, and speak it from your heart.

After the vision, you go on the mission. What are you trying to accomplish? What will you need? How will you get there?

"When two are in agreement......." "Two is better than one." All that. One of the best decisions I've ever made was recruiting somebody to go on the mission with me.

No question I drew inspiration from Caitlin. She worked hard in the gym and was committed to competition. During her runs in 2013 and 2014, I was not equipped with all the tools needed to be an outstanding coach. I could train her hard, but other than that, I had no blueprint.

#BeastMom Laura Dennie is a HUGE inspiration. She has competed in, and won trophies in bikini and figure competitions. We first met at Urban Active in 2012 when she was pregnant with her 2nd child/son, Cole. I have watched her develop from a physically active woman into a highly competitive muscle and fitness athlete. She became so good so fast that I had to make a commitment to studying and living a bodybuilding lifestyle. If I had not, it would have felt like I did not have the credibility to coach her.

WWW.MCCOHNMUSCLE.COM

Thanksgiving 2014- Turkey Burn BootCamp

In case you missed it, Turkey Burn BootCamp was fire. There were over 30 of us in Max Out Gym on Thanksgiving morning, training with tons of energy and excitement before we spent time with our families digging into all the food the holiday brings. There were eight different workout stations and the exercises participants did included: woodway sprints, battle ropes, push ups, shuttle runs, ab wheel rollouts, kettlebell swings, med ball slams, pull ups, plyometrics, etc.

The beauty of this workout was the mix of participants. There were McCohn Muscle clients, family members, other trainers, other trainer's clients, friends, family members of friends, etc. Some people work out at Max Out Gym all the time, some people I've never met before. The workout was enough for all fitness levels so everyone left with a feeling of accomplishment.

At the end of the workout, I shared a story with the participant out of a book titled, "An Enemy of Average." The short story started off with the quote, "Don't ask time where it's gone; tell it where to go!" I shared with them that we all have the same 24 hours in a day and what you do with that 24 will decide your accomplishments, success, and satisfaction. It was so much fun working with so many people, especially on a holiday. The experience was confirmation that I am on the right track in helping others improve their quality of life through health and fitness.

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!

Trainer Tuesday

Trainer Tuesday!

Even though we did not have a Client of the Month for July, your favorite Trainer has a pretty cool story. In the middle of March when he was getting a hard working client ready to step on stage, he stepped on the scale at 219lbs.

He then started a training program of workouts 6x/week.
Day 1: Lower Body
Day 2: Upper Body
Day 3: Sprint training
Day 4: rest
Day 5: Lower Body
Day 6: Upper Body
Day 7: Strongman training

During these workouts he set a personal best for Deadlifts(465lbs x3), Barbell Walking Lunges(185lbs x8), and Incline Chest Press(120lbs dumbbells x8). While making gains on his strength, he also improved his sprint speed and endurance using 3-mile run times (29:08 to 26:04).

Not only were the workouts stellar, but his high fat, moderate protein, low carb cycling meal plan was just what his body needed. In the middle of July he weighed 208lbs, his body fat % had decreased by 5%, and he's stronger and faster than in March.

High five your favorite Trainer when you see him. You've probably played a part in keeping him inspired.

McCohn Muscle Year 2

The first year of McCohn Muscle Training is in the books. We are thankful for those of you that were and still are a part of the process. Our goal is to continue to bring enthusiastic fitness to Central Ohio while helping as many as we can become mentally and physically stronger.

Our 2nd year will be even stronger. We cannot push our clients to constantly improve and build on what they've done if we do not do that ourselves. Some of the things that we will set out to do in year 2 will include; adding more world class staff members, having a stronger presence in the community, incorporating more training programs for children and teens, and be able to provide material to help those that may not be able to afford Personal Training but are still motivated to become healthier and more fit.

In the short term we are excited to be working with a talented web designer that is currently putting together a website that fits our business personality and vision. We are also building relationships with other businesses like Road Runner Sports to bring more rewards and incentives to current and future clients. Our first year in business was focused on growing. Our second year will revolve around making an IMPACT! If you would like to be a part of this movement, contact me at mccohnmuscle@gmail.com