Exercising and Keeping in Shape - Part of a Healthy Life in USA

This is the time of year when families head to where they can share family time with the kids. After a year of disciplining the kids, it's time to let them have their fun and share the fun with them. That means feeding them what they want which is not always healthy.

Everything you learned with your personal trainer should be applied during summer vacation. You and your second-half can go for a quick run in the morning before the kids wake up. Make it 5:00 AM, so you are sure the kids won't wake up prior to your arrival. You can always get the kids to run with you to make it a family outing. Hell, why not? It's a family vacation after all, so EVERYTHING should be done with the happy smile family, right?

Actually, we don't do this on purpose, because it is you, the client, who disappears for these months. We can't really avoid it. We greet time off with open arms though. Most of the trainers have planned their vacations as well and are off to their little paradise. For those who can't really afford a vacation, well, we hang out in this beautiful city of Washington DC and party with the rest of you.

With the temperature rising to almost 110 degrees and with 300 percent humidity, the climate can be quite sticky. More members run outside in the early morning or later at night. The gyms are EMPTY. We see tumbleweed blowing through the middle of the gym, like in the Arizona desert!

It's great. After all, I have the gym to myself. I don't need to fight over the machine anymore. I can train the whole body in less than half an hour, since the machines are now available. I love that time of year. I come twice to the gym, once in the morning for the cardio pump, and once at night for the iron pump.

You can get the best muscle growth when you work out at night, mostly resistance training, then go home, drink or eat a high protein shake of food and go right to bed. Your body will LOVE you. You'll wake up in the morning with your muscles as hard as bricks. I've tried it many times and felt ready to compete with the big guys at the Mr. Olympia.

These techniques have been very successful and have opened businesses. Publishing is also one of my passions, and that is how you are reading this book. Traditional publishing wasn't an appealing option for me, so I decided to go the gutsy route. Yes, I've published two books already and this book is the third co-written with my brother Laurent. Writing has been a fascinating hobby that I took a bit further. I guess I shouldn't be considered a recreational writer after three books. Funny that I was a poor student in English, but yet have managed to write books. Quite ironic, don't you think?

This is a difficult market to enter, like acting in California! But, don't despair. There is always a need for the services of a personal trainer. Remember, it is YOUR business. You need to market yourself. Print some brochures, some business cards and go for IT! Whoever and wherever you are, you need to let people know about your services. Get the word out! Printing t-shirts with your "Personal Trainer" logo on it can be free advertising. I've been stopped many times asking for my business card because I was walking around with my company shirt. People tend to look at personal trainers like they have the solution to all their health problems and this is why we get respect.

The summer is the season when couples are joined in holy matrimony and ready to embark in a life full of joy, happiness (and possible divorce). Many marriages are held in the summer months because of the hot weather without fearing any snow storms that will immobilize the city (like ½ inch of snow). During this month, most guests will show up without coming up with excuses (not unless it’s the forth wedding ceremony you've attended for the same groom...or bride, and you are getting tired of buying gifts).

If you are single, then with your friends and relatives getting married, you think about your own single life. During these ceremonies, you are desperately looking for your soul mate. You make yourself available, looking great and thinking how lucky you are to have a personal trainer. You then remember going through the grueling workout during the past several months. You are now looking amazing and people are noticing it. Yes, you are single, but that is because YOU want to be. Yeah! Let's go with that!

Many pool parties are being held during this month. Narcissism is at his highest. It is the season when everyone with the right body shows it off. No holds barred. The less you have on during these parties, the better for the eyes. Women will wear their thongs, while men wear their speedos. Nevertheless, showing more of what you have is good, to a certain extent, of course.

Looking good is a must to be noticed in our society. We learn to live with these specific requirements. Actually, the West Coast has mastered them. I've visited family in California and noticed how locals lives and behave. Everyone who lives in California wants to reach a specific goal. We all know that California breeds many actors appearing in Motion pictures across the nation and the world.

They all start out being waiters in local chic restaurants hoping to close a deal with the producer of the new motion pictures and try to avoid all casting agencies. I guess some are afraid of competition. It is hard to make it out there as an actor. Adding the fact that you need to look good all the time, not knowing when and where you'll have the chance to make the right impression. It is a town where this motto is well ingrained into people's purposes: "What can you do for ME."

This attitude becomes a bit annoying for newcomers, because they are probably from places where being greedy or self-centered is not a part of their up-bringing. California should definitely be a country of its own.

However, the industry of personal training booms on the West Coast. Unlike Washington DC, where you can find a lawyer on every corner-we can call them the "Starbucks" of the legal system-in California, you will find a personal trainer for every habitant. It is a booming business.

Training wealthy producers, actors, casting director, and so on, can be a quite lucrative business for those who build a great reputation within the circle of movie production. Since we all know that actors have to stay in shape for the camera (it adds 10 pounds), they require intense training to keep their spot in the business. Personal trainers love it. They know that the only thing they need to do is keep themselves current in the health industry and keep their certification updated. Of course, they need to use their charm to keep their job. Since it is a competitive business, knowledge is not the only prerequisite to keep you employed. You need to be creative while writing your client's exercise program.

For the ones who do not work in motion pictures, they still experience some little tiny microscopic kind of stress while living in the West Coast. Yes, very tiny stress. They need to stay in shape. Since it is always sunny and hot in California, local residents wear fewer clothes so more of how they look appears. They need to look in shape 365 days a year. No slacking off.

We, in the East Coast, do not suffer from this problem. Since it is summer only a few months of the year, we can always program ourselves to pig out during the winter time, and when we hear about the groundhog coming out of its hole, take some initiative and realize we need to get back in shape. As for others, they seem to forget all about it and continue the same eating pattern as in the winter time. When summer arrives, they are ashamed to hang out at the local beaches or pools to take advantage of the nicer weather. It's their prerogative!

Summer is the season when everyone is in a good mood. More people take vacation with the family because they HAVE to, and for others because they feel guilty about ignoring their family for the past 250 days.

We all know how important it is to be aggressive in the business. Personal trainers need to be into creating success for themselves, rather than waiting for the opportunity to come knocking. As for actors, you need to go to many auditions before having the opportunity to be caste for the next big part in a multimillion dollar movie. If you are Arnold Schwarzenegger, you shouldn't have any problems being caste for the next "Terminator." Being typecast helps a lot. You don't need to come knocking at anyone doors, they know how to choose you for a specific part.

Personal trainers suffer from some similar predicaments. You need to talk to a lot of members at your local gym to make yourself known to get chosen among other personal trainer swimming in the same pool. You need to be different. You have one more month of the summer to prove to yourself that it is possible to make a good living as a Personal Trainer.