Summary: Matt and Transform Fitness are the real deal and have made a huge improvement in my life.
TL;DR - about 2 years ago, events conspired to make me confront the reality that I was fat. Not chubby, portly or jolly...just fat. We're talking health-impacting, life-changing fat. And, if I didn't do something about it, someday it would be too late. So, I cobbled together a diet that was an Atkins/Paleo/Keto hybrid that I could use...and stuck to it. About 9 months ago, I purchased a Peloton bike and started getting some aerobic exercise in addition to my diet. Three months ago as I was approaching my target weight (about minus 100 from my peak) I felt pretty healthy, but my chest, shoulders and arms were shrunken - my wife said I looked old - loose skin and all. I started researching and came to the conclusion that I'd have to add some resistance training in order to get to where I wanted. I'd worked out with weights and on machines in my past, but understood that knowledge had progressed significantly over the past twenty years, so I decided to engage a personal trainer to get me re-started correctly, taking advantage of two decades' worth of fitness knowledge advancements. So, I read all the reviews I could and gave Transform Fitness a call.
I don't know what I expected, but Matt answered the phone and took the time to answer my questions. He was friendly, informative and very positive. I made an appointment for a nutritional counselling session with him, where he explained his plan to help me meet my goals (lose fat, gain muscle). It was a real test of my faith when he told me that, to meet my goals, I'd have to re-introduce more carbs and limit fat in my diet - in addition to the training sessions. When I questioned his directions, Matt took the time to describe the science behind his recommendations and took the time to point me to various research papers that backed up his statements. One thing he asked me to do was an initial DEXA scan - that I could use as a "report card" on my progress. Imagine my surprise when I found out that, despite having a healthy BMI, my body fat registered at 30%! Evidently, despite riding 5X/wk and dieting, I was still fat...but skinny! So, I started.
The first couple workouts were laughable. I could barely move the weights and tired out quickly. However, I stuck with the plan (diet, weights 3x/wk and aerobic exercises 4x/wk on my bike). Throughout the process, Matt was there explaining what we were doing, why, and showing me what constituted good form. And, I started to see some results. First, my workouts - I was able to increase the weight I was lifting. Second, my clothes started to fit a bit better. At the end of the first 30 days, I did another DEXA scan, and discovered that I'd lost 9 Lbs fat and gained 6 Lbs muscle! I realize that these crazy changes won't continue over time, but still...yay! I was a little worried about the re-introduction of carbs, so I had my Doc run a lipid panel - just to see what was going on behind the scenes. My cholesterol and triglycerides were all in a low-normal range!
Initially, I'd insisted that Matt be my trainer but since I've been working out at Transform, I've discovered that the other trainers are just as good and are seeing excellent results with their customers. The environment at Transform is friendly and supportive, I've learned a LOT about new dietary information and workouts and, best yet, after about three months, I'm making huge strides towards my fitness goals. Will the same happen for you? I can't say. But for me, picking up the phone and calling Transform Fitness has been a game changer. read more