Frank graduated from Ohio University and studied Nutrition Sciences and became a nationally known personal trainer and author. His background in many sports and being interested in “hot rodding” the human body has lead him to develop high speed/high resistance training equipment using nitrogen gas pressure is taking sport specific training to another level. With a wide range of experiences which has contributed information in the creation of three books, 8 exercise videos, infomercials, and pioneering exercise products, his continual quest to acquire and pass on knowledge to others is quite the fitness professional journey.
How long have you been certified with NFPT?
20 years or so. It was 1995 or 1996 I think.
Why did you choose NFPT?
During my early days as a trainer I looked for an organization that fit what I was doing and what I thought was the best blend of information on training. I didn’t instruct classes, aerobics, yoga, or any specific sport conditioning applications. I trained with weights, was a gym rat, and felt this was the best way for clients to understand training, lose weight, increase muscle mass, and live longer. The NFPT was founded by Ron Clark and his bodybuilding background suited my direction well.
What made you decided to become a personal trainer?
When I decided not to be a doctor! Hahaha, I would rather work with people that were interested in prevention instead of fixing symptoms. Truthfully, I was doing it in college already in the late 80s and started as soon as I graduated. What made me want to be a personal trainer was the gratifying aspect of the profession of getting others to enjoy the benefits of being physically strong and fit.
What is the biggest challenge for you as a personal trainer?
The biggest challenge actually has nothing to do with being a personal trainer. I don’t think there is anything challenging about it. The challenge for me is seeing all the fads and trends that don’t work in the industry and being silent about it. My pragmatism is an achilles heel that leads to my incapacity to be politically correct. Some of the things promoted that have no credibility get all kinds of media coverage and does the public zero good.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the fitness industry?
That’s a tough question. Authoring a best seller book on training and diet was a big deal for me in the 90s. Inventing the world’s most powerful home gym, the TITAN 1000, and then inventing the NITROSWING are all big accomplishments too. Hard to pick just one. I suppose the big accomplishment is being a pioneer in the industry. If you read TIME magazine the feature story was “The New Science of Exercise”. I was promoting everything they are saying 30 years ago and still do. So that is an accomplishment in a long term sense. I think my biggest accomplishment is still to come. The TITAN 1000 will prove to be the “Anti-Aging Machine” since the nitrogen resistance has better adaptive qualities that increase lactate and reduce DOMS effects thus making it better than weights. The NITROSWING is going to change the way golf is taught and make golfers more consistent, more accurate, and become ball crushing machines.
I’m just getting warmed up!
What has been your most rewarding experience as a personal trainer?
After 30 years being in the business the number one thing that is so rewarding every time and never gets old, is seeing clients reach their goals and be so happy. You don’t take the recognition from them, but you get a sense of massive contribution to them that is gratifying. I even get letters from clients that have been doing my programs and have never met them. Imagine being thanked for changing someones life and have never met them. It’s pretty rewarding.
Any advice for people thinking about a career in fitness?
Yes, it’s always ALL ABOUT THE CLIENT. It’s not about you. Just because you like to work out and be in the gym doesn’t mean you are going to be a good trainer. Continually invest in your professional education. I’m still learning, still discovering, and still enjoying the implementation of that new information. It never gets old, and it’s never a job if you approach it that way. Also, try to look the part. If you don’t look like you are taking care of yourself it’s not likely a client will put you in charge of their health and fitness.
Is there anything else exciting you would like to share?
I am pretty excited about winning the United States Senior Long Drive Championships in September 2016! It’s a competition in driving golf balls as far as you can. It takes an enormous amount of energy precisely timed in a quarter of a second to make a golf ball go 210 mph and travel almost 4 football fields long through the air. What makes it special is it proved the effectiveness of the NITROSWING and TITAN 1000 training programs. Golf training aids are pretty much a joke, so hitting it farther than some of the best guys on the planet was proof the NITROSWING works. I won some money too! Icing on the cake! To be the best at something during one time in your life is probably on everyone’s bucket list. I checked the box on that one.
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