Personal trainers at Student Recreation and Wellness Center offer personalized training to help people make the most of their workouts

Kent resident George Lucht lifts weights with trainer Rom Vinhaes at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Jessica M. Kanalas | Daily Kent Stater

Credit: DKS Editors

Looking past the foreign objects also known as workout machines in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, there are personal trainers available to students.

Each trainer has his or her own style and secrets to share. As a result of their training sessions, trainers expect their clients to think of working out as a daily routine and know exactly what to do to make the most out of their workout.

There are some things students should know if they aren’t sure a personal trainer is right for them:

&bull Students may be doing the same boring routine for a while. Personal trainers can break them out of that routine and get clients started on a new exercising agenda specifically for them. This adds more variety to a routine.

Tips from Ben Cope, fitness and wellness coordinator at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center &bull Everyone should do two to three hours of cardio exercises and three to four hours of weight training a week. &bull Figure out what your goal is when you work out. &bull If your body can support a strenuous workout, then do it. But if you’re working out more than you are resting or eating, then you may experience the symptoms of a common cold.

&bull They’re great motivators, and they don’t let you quit.

&bull Students who don’t know much about exercising and started doing workouts that just aren’t working, go to them.

But before embarking on a journey with a personal trainer, they expect a few things in return.

&bull You must know your health history, and be prepared to tell them your past injuries. If there’s an area that seems to be a red flag, you need to contact your physician to make sure you can work with them.

&bull From there, you need to have a fitness assessment with the trainers based on areas such as cardio, muscle, strength and a body fat test.

&bull The trainers will then have you fill out a goal sheet asking what you want to do and what you don’t want to do.

Meet the rec’s personal trainers

The rec currently has seven trainers, all with national certification. Trainers are there to better enhance exercise and achieve goals.

Rom Vinhaes; Master Trainer

Goal: To show the client how to be independent and to workout by themselves.

According to his profile on the SRWC’s Web site, Vinhaes said he believes transforming a body into better shape and creating a healthier body takes a commitment. Vinhaes also follows the “What’s your goal?” theory. He wants to know what exercises will most benefit his client.

“Everyone wants to be in shape, but who has the time?” Vinhaes said.

Student rates for a personal trainer For 1 session: $17 for a half hour; $27 for an hour, $42 for two participants For 5 sessions: $75 for a half hour; $124 for an hour, $198 for two participants For 10 sessions: $140 for a half hour; $235 for an hour, $380 for two participants For 20 sessions: $268 for a half hour; $445 for an hour, $715 for two participants

When Vinhaes meets with the client for the first time, he looks carefully at their body reactions when doing stretches and takes note of the weak points. Vinhaes makes his clients do a squat, where the client pretends he or she is sitting on a chair. Sometimes, he will put a chair behind them. He makes the client stand in their most natural position. From there, they squat as though they are sitting down.

“Everybody does it,” Vinhaes said, referring to the fact that people make the motion to sit down all the time, but they don’t realize it’s an exercise.

Vinhaes points out certain things when his clients are doing this exercise. When a person’s arms aren’t completely over their head, it means their shoulders are weak. If their heels leave the ground, their calves are tight. If they lean forward more, their hamstrings are weak. From these observations, Vinhaes determines what workout is best for them. Vinhaes also performs a walking and biking test to assess their cardiovascular strength.

“Everybody walks, but not this kind of walking,” Vinhaes joked.

Vinhaes has all kinds of clients. Some are older and go to him for knee and hip problems. Some others run marathons and are in mixed martial arts.

Sarah Fecser; Senior Trainer

Goal: To teach how fitness and exercise is important and incorporate a healthy lifestyle.

Fecser recently graduated from Ohio State and has come to Kent State for her master’s degree, and in her spare time, she helps those who need guidance with their exercises. Fecser believes every person who exercises should challenge his or herself and try to not do the same routine every time.

“It’s really important to change it up,” Fecser said. “Variety is key.”

She further explained if people do the same workout every day, their mind and body will get used to it.

Fecser has four clients now, and they are all women. Three of them are students and are focusing on body fat loss and staying in shape. Fecser said the main goal for them is to feel better, look better and lose fat. Her other client is in her 50s and focuses more on overall health. Additionally, she is working with someone who is looking to get rid of abdominal fat from pregnancy.

When Fecser is not with her clients, she encourages them to do cardio exercises on their own. She encourages them to choose what they like to do, whether it is running, biking or swimming. When she is with them, her clients do a lot of weight training, and they rapidly move from exercise to exercise. Usually they start on the machines.

Fecser agreed from other trainers that clients should come out knowing how to do their exercises by themselves.

Contact features correspondent Kaylee Remington at [email protected]