Can I be completely honest? I'm extremely fed up with the direction that today's fitness culture is going. I can't log onto Facebook without seeing a self proclaimed fitness expert preaching about living an active and healthy lifestyle while they sit on their ass stuffing their faces with Pizza and Oreo Cookies because "It Fits Their Macros". And good luck scrolling through my Instagram newsfeed at any given time without seeing at least a handful of scantly clad women and/or men showcasing their "results" while their bent-over in the bathroom mirror or taking a shameless selfie in the squat rack. These fad diets are getting to me and these fitness narcissists are annoying me.

So what should I do?

Block Them? Bully Them? Beat Them?

No. These actions are not answers nor are they solutions. So rather then rant and rave and use my words as weapons, I've decided to try a new approach and use my words as wisdom. This week, I want to reach out to you the reader. I want to simplify this fitness lifestyle. I want to get you excited about training. I want to get you motivated about cleaning up your diet. And I want to do all this without taking a shirtless photo and/or trying to promote some kooky diet/training program.

So get ready because I'm about to officially rock your fitness world!

Do you suffer from chronic back pain? How about tendonitis? Arthritis? Perhaps even a little bit of bursitis? Do you have trouble sleeping? Are you constantly feeling tired and/or stressed for the better portion of your day? Have you noticed a slight increase in your waist line over the past few months/years? Has your blood pressure increased? Has your libido decreased? Are you lacking the motivation and desire to get up each and every day and accomplish as much as you can, with the allotted time that you are given?

If you're experiencing any or all of these health and/or mental issues, it could be time to make a serious lifestyle change. And before you even start thinking about going for physiotherapy or chiropractic care, or enlisting in the services of a psychiatrist, or even hiring a personal trainer, perhaps you should sit back and have a serious look at the state of your current career.

When I first started my career as a Personal Trainer, I did so with the utmost of intensions to help people become more healthy and fit. I wanted to teach people how to improve their own quality of life through diet and exercise. I consistently stressed the importance of living an active lifestyle by promoting and following a regular training routine and a balanced nutritional plan myself. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to change peoples' lives. I wanted results.

According to Wikipedia, a Personal Trainer is defined as: "An individual certified to have a varying degree of knowledge of general fitness involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to individuals, while teaching proper form and technique of specific exercises and movements performed in a fitness facility."

For the most part, I would have to say that this is a fairly accurate description of what most Personal Trainers do. However it's not quite as accurate when it comes to what I do with my clients as a fitness professional. Because quite honestly, there really is only so much that can be taught and learned in a 30 or 60 minute training session. And as all of our clients know, their overall training experience with us goes far beyond those 30-60 minutes in the gym. And this is where my scope of practice goes beyond the barbells and dumbbells. Removed from the squat racks and into my clients' kitchens. This is where the Online Training experience truly begins.....