Tiger Training with Christian has transformed my life, and it turns out, my wife. I've been training with Christian for nearly two years now, and in that time I've exceeded the health and fitness goals I've set several times over. Indeed I've been so successful that my wife grew jealous and also started training with Christian. We now mix individual and couples training, and have changed the way we live beyond the gym.
I started training with Christian after several stern warnings from my doctor about my weight and health. Although I exercised from time to time, I was largely sedentary; ate and drank without regard; and sat at desks, on couches, or in airplanes most of the time. I accepted a growing waistline, decreasing endurance, and rising blood pressure as the inevitable hallmarks of age. Although I ran track and field in high school, I never really thought of myself as athletic.
So at 41 and 192 pounds -- a PR, if a bad one! -- I started training with Christian. He never made me feel uncomfortable about my physical state, and developed a training plan that kept me engaged, interested, and eventually eager to keep up the regimen. Within 6 months I had taken off 30 pounds and my blood pressure returned to normal levels. I've kept up the training and now hardly recognize myself in photos taken before I started.
Making the personal commitment to training is ultimately what worked for me, but I'm not sure I would have followed through if Christian hadn't put the personal into it. When I started, he took time to help me think through how to live well, strategizing meal planning (including walking through a Whole Foods together), focusing on sleep, and even incorporating drinking into a healthy lifestyle. He's not so much a trainer as a life strategist.
In the time I've trained with him, I've never seen him take a phone call or grown distracted, even when I can't speak from huffing it out on the rowing machine. He's always stayed focused on what I want to achieve, and he takes the time to vary the workouts, the intensity, and the equipment to keep the training interesting, challenging, and fun (who doesn't like climbing cargo nets or slamming truck tires with a sledgehammer?). I thought I was committing to bringing my blood pressure down, but Christian turned it into a personal commitment to something much greater than a health marker. With the person he is and the success I've had, I can't see myself breaking that commitment.
Two more observations:
1. Consider also couples training with Christian. Rae and I really enjoy the workouts together, and the walks to and from Diakadi -- especially the sweaty, exhausted walks home -- have turned into great way to spend time together.
2. Speaking of Diakadi Body and Fitness, what a great place to train! The variety of equipment is impressive and the staff is fantastic and welcoming. read more