When I started working out with Coach P., I was in rough shape. Running injuries had taken their toll. I was limping around with sciatica down my left leg, and somehow I ruptured a disk at the L5(?) vertebrae, which had been causing me a lot of pain. Medical doctors were oh so willing to push pain pills on me, so I decided to see a chiropractor instead.
My chiropractor told me the best thing I could do was to strengthen my core because a solid core will help things stay in place, even though the ruptured disk will never heal. Pain is an amazing motivator, so I put a post on Facebook asking friends for recommendations for a trainer since I had never had much luck with weightlifting on my own.
When I met Coach P. a few weeks later, I knew he was the right trainer for me. I can't remember what I could bench that first time, probably just the bar. And my balance was terrible due to nerve damage from sciatica. He started right in on balance, got me started tracking what I eat, took measurements and photos, and established my baseline abilities, which he tracks in Trainability, the app he wrote. DID I MENTION HE WROTE HIS OWN APP? Coach P. is a truly renaissance man in our time, and one of the nicest guys I've ever met.
We've been working out twice a week for the past 15-16 months. I have been amazed by the transformation I have seen. Coach P. pushes me in my workouts, and that's really all I need. Initially I lost a bunch of weight as I shed fat, built muscle, and started tightening up. He talked to me again about food, and I started supplementing protein, which resulted in gaining back all the weight I lost, but this time as lean muscle mass. I can't tell you how fun it's been to take some beach vacations in Mexico the past year or so looking better than ever.
A few months back, my back slipped again, so I went back to my chiropractor. It wasn't as bad this time, thanks to the work I've done with Coach P. As I healed, I started noticing that I could bend down and touch my toes, which I hadn't been able to do for a few years. Then I noticed my sciatica had let up. I asked my chiropractor if the new round of back trouble could be caused by muscles holding my spine better and maybe snapping things back in place. He said no. What I do know is that I've come back from the latest slip stronger, more limber, with better balance, and walking around in much less pain than I've had in years. I'm practically falling out of my size 29 jeans. And next week, I'm on track to bench my own weight. Look out, here I come!
Coach P. is such a great trainer. I highly recommend him! read more