cyfit.com Expert Wins World's
Best Personal Trainer Contest
by Evan Mestman, MS, RD, CDE, CDN with Lori Cascone

It's not often that people are recognized for helping someone reach their goals. Personal trainer Paul Neville and his amazingly transformed client Dolores Kornely recently won the Met-Rx World's Best Personal Trainer contest in the bodybuilding/heavy exerciser division. Here's their inspiring story.

Backgrounder on Paul: The co-author of the Dowling College S.M.A.R.T. (Scientific Management of Anatomical Responsive Training) Personal Training certification, Paul is A.C.E. (American Council of Exercise)-, I.S.S.A. (International Sport Science Association)-, and F.I.T. (Fitness Institute of Technology)-certified. He specializes in senior fitness, weight loss, and nutritional counseling, and has trained professional athletes. In addition, Paul is vice president of club operations at cyfit.com's interactive fitness centers.

Q: Paul, how prestigious is the Met-Rx contest?
A: The Met-Rx contest is the first of its kind. There has never been an event that acknowledges personal trainers. It's a very prestigious award in the fitness industry since the promoter is one of the pioneering companies in the industry, with cash prizes far exceeding those of all but two professional bodybuilding shows.

Q: How were you judged?
A: We were judged on a 12-week training period in which all of my client's workouts, meals, and supplements were documented meticulously to the exact calorie. There is a before and after photo that is taken to obtain the visual results of the contest. We also had to write essays on who we are, how experienced we are in the field, and then describe the 12-week journey we endured.

From there, the top 16 trainers in the country qualified for the final screening in California. When we reached the finals, a judging panel questioned all the trainers on their skills and ideologies of training, and what particular protocols we believe in and why.

Q: What kind of program did you develop for Dolores?
A: : I developed a program that gives Dolores the ability to gain lean muscle while burning her body fat. Her training, which was a specific resistance training protocol for her body, was designed to build a foundation of muscle that we knew we would not see, since the elevated body fat would obscure all of her gains. Therefore, she had to entrust in me that what we were trying to accomplish was working, since she could not visually see my plan.

I then manipulated her diet to satisfy her training demands. When she shed her body fat, the results of what we had achieved were tremendous, to say the least.

Q: What were Dolores' achievements over time?
A: : Dolores lost 100 pounds and 60 inches since the inception of her training. This took us two years to do, but remember, weight loss while sustaining and gaining lean muscle and losing only fat is a longer and harder process than a fad diet, which is temporary weight loss. She also increased her VO2 [aerobic capacity] to be at a level categorized as excellent.

Q: What should someone look for in a personal trainer?
A: Avoid uncertified trainers, trainers who don't look like they train themselves, or trainers who push food supplements and vitamins before properly assessing you. Look for a trainer who's committed to giving you 100 percent effort on and off the workout floor. You should feel motivated and encouraged to return for your next session. Make sure the trainer sets realistic goals, then explains the process to achieve those goals.

Q: How does cyfit.com play a role in this?
A: cyfit.com has the most dedicated and committed trainers in the industry. We put each of our trainers through a rigorous training program we call S.M.A.R.T. It's a three-day intensive workshop that covers anatomy, physiology, kineseology, nutrition, supplementation, injury prevention, and medications. The course specializes in hands-on practical instruction ‚ it's one of the most comprehensive certifications available. cyfit.com's technology helped to monitor her progress and show all the changes she has made.

Q: What is your advice for anyone who wants to kick-start a healthier lifestyle?
A: Find a plan or person you believe in and slowly start acclimating your life to that in which you are trying to achieve. Only in baby steps is it possible to make great strides

Continue to Dolores Kornely interview

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