Can I take a moment to give my trainer props

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    I just want to take a moment to give credit where credit is due. My trainer, Brandon Mauro, at Transform PT is a beast. And when I say beast, I mean it in the most positive, kindest way. He is the only trainer I have ever worked with. So I may be biased when I say he is the best trainer I know. At 24 years old he never fails to impress me with his knowledge of workout programing, clean eating, nutrition, and general well being. He has taught me that the most important things in life are to be healthy, happy and positive and to have balance in your life. I have learned over the last 5 months that 'it's all about the process, setting goals, and seeing results while having fun.'  And THAT is just what I have been doing. And as I go through this process I realize just how much Brandon has to do with my success. He tells me I made a good choice to start training because too many people don't take care of their bodies and its sad because we only get one body. I never looked at it that way before. Brandon and I have become friends along the way and can talk about just about anything during our training sessions. I never think about Brandon as being a twenty something kid. In many ways he is more knowledgeable than I am and I respect that and have learned to depend on that when it comes to my transformation journey.

     I first met Brandon at the gym one day after doing cardio. He introduced himself to me and seemed nice enough. And then again, everyone at Muscle Inc. is friendly. We had our first training session 2 days later and I have to admit when I first arrived I thought I wasn't going to like working with him. I walked out of the locker room and said hi to him as he was talking to a woman I did not know. He told me to go do cardio until he was ready for me. He said it with what I have come to call his 'resting gym face.' LOL As I did cardio I thought to myself that this guy is probably some dumb jock who became a trainer to pick up girls at the gym. It didn't take long for him to prove my thoughts wrong. In fact, my first thoughts are so far from the reality I'm almost embarrassed I ever thought that about him. Brandon truly cares about his clients and their success. And Brandon's clients see amazing results as long as they follow the program he gives them and they train as hard as he asks them to. He always has more faith in what I can do than I have in myself and pushes me beyond the limits. Whether it's more reps, a heavier weight or a new movement; I may think I can't do it. But if he thinks I can, chances are I can.

     Along the way of this (so far five month) journey, I have come to depend on Brandon's guidance in everything that has to do with my health and well-being. I don't make a move when it comes to my health without running it by him first. And I never take for granted how lucky I am to have him as my trainer. I make sure to tell him on a regular basis how glad I am that I ended up with him as my trainer and how much I appreciate everything he has done for me. He very modestly tells me 'thanks, appreciate it!' But I don't know if he realizes just how much he has changed my life. My training and nutrition has truly become my life focus, the lifestyle change I set out to do. And although I have come far, I still have a long way to go. There are days where I talk to Brandon as much as I talk to my husband. Sometimes we text so much when we get into a conversation on a particular topic, I am surprised he hasn't told me I text him too much. He keeps me motivated and on point, shares my successes, talks me down from my set backs, shows concern when I am not well, explains things I don't understand and makes me smile even during a workout when I think I'm done and he says, 'one more set.' Although I know one day I will be ready to do my training on my own, I don't look forward to it because having the knowledge to do it solo is not the same as having a workout partner like Brandon.

     Working out on my own will come sooner than I like in just a couple short months. I recently found out that Brandon will be leaving Muscle Inc. to move on to bigger and better things and I have no doubt that he will be successful in whatever he sets his mind to. I've told him he has a bright future with his experience and education in personal training and he will go far. But that doesn't mean I have to like the fact that he is leaving. In fact, I am very sad to see him go. Training will not be the same without him. So for the next couple of months I will continue to learn from Brandon and work towards my goals until he moves on. And then continue on my own after he leaves. He has assured me I will be ready even though I don’t feel like I will be. But just like I never imagined doing squats with the right form, he is probably right when he tells me I’ll be ready. So if you are reading this and are lucky enough to have Brandon as your trainer, don't take him for granted. He is a beast that knows what he is talking about.