Posted on April 24, 2008 in Lastest News
Alec Baltadjian, a Canadian by birth, is currently the Marketing Director of the largest Strength Equipment manufacturer in Canada (Atlantis), who has decided to switch to
personal training due to persistent encouragement coming from clients and friends. An avid sports lover,
Alec has 5 years experience as a
Personal Trainer and 11 years of
training experience coupled with a university background in nutrition and exercise science.
Education: Concordia University (International Business – 2004)
Employer: Atlantis
Position: Marketing Director
Location: Laval, Quebec
Interviewed by Prarthna
1. What motivated you to take to personal training?
Actually I was very lucky growing up with my mother as a single parent. She was very active when she was younger and she implemented me in many sports. I was playing ice hockey and soccer at the age of 5 and I’ve also been part of soccer, basketball and baseball teams as well. At the age of 17, I joined the gym. At first, I would try to see what the more experienced trainers were doing and copy it until I realized that I should learn why weight training was useful and what benefits and objectives I could derive from it instead of relying on others who might be doing something wrong themselves. Eventually, I started reading much more about the subject and I got a certification in Individual Conditioning and became a Personal Trainer. From then on, there was no stopping me. I’ve tried many different techniques and cycles (weight gain, no carbohydrate, strength, endurance, plyometrics …) so that I would be able to explain to my clients what was happening to their bodies on a more personal level. I eventually graduated from university in International Business with some Exercise Science background and ultimately joined Atlantis Strength Equipment as their Marketing Director. I was able to incorporate both my education and my passion at one place; it seemed like the perfect fit.
2. Which area of fitness training do you specialize in?
I specialize in general conditioning. My specialties are Program Assessment, Nutrition, Body Composition, Evaluation and Consultation, Improvement in Cardiovascular Endurance, Core Strengthening, Life Coaching and more. I have trained a range of clients from the professional athlete to the beginner. Every program is user-specific.
3. What are the usual problems faced by people during the course of training?
I would say that the biggest and most common problem with the people I train is their lack of motivation. I can provide all the tools necessary to attain your desired objectives, but if you are not motivated to change, then it is practically impossible to progress. Fortunately however, with experience, trainers learn what motivates their clients to go further and push harder. We develop close relationships with the people we work with because we are not just offering a service; we are really changing their lives. Other common problems are usually related to health conditions such as arthritis, back problems, asthma and so on.
4. Can you offer some basic guidelines for avoiding overuse injuries?
Definitely. In order to answer that question, I need to explain what happens to our bodies when we exercise. Weight training implies a repetitive, systematic and voluntary break down of muscle tissues. Our muscles do not actually develop when we train. In fact, it takes about 24 hours for our bodies to recover from intense exercise. Muscles only develop (hypertrophy) when they are rebuilding, which means at rest. After a workout, our muscle fibers have been broken down and we use proteins and other nutrients and energy sources in our bodies to rebuild those torn tissues. We can see why a proper nutrition plan is also very important in this case. The human body is an adaptive mechanism. It will adapt itself to its environment by adjusting to the different stresses that have been imposed on it. When we overtrain, our muscle fibers have been so broken down that it makes it virtually impossible for our bodies to recover from the abuse it has been subjected to.
5. How do you think the standard for equipments and machines can be maintained in various fitness clubs?
Great question. The first and most important thing to remember is that there is a very big difference between commercial and domestic equipment. Some fitness clubs try to save on cost by purchasing domestic or lower grade equipment. The problem is that the construction of these machines, the components used and the biomechanics are all different. Commercial equipment is built to be used by multiple users repetitively while domestic equipment is tailored for individual occasional use. Second, although aesthetic appeal will attract more clients, biomechanics and ease of maintenance are more advantageous in the long run. Finally, the choice of equipment should depend predominantly on the usage of the product. For example, a smaller studio will consider purchasing specific goal-oriented equipment such as Pilates Reformers or Bosu balls while larger scale gyms will opt for larger muscle-specific units such as a Bench Press, Leg Press or Lat Pulldown machines.
6. Do you think that the submaximal aerobic fitness tests are a good way to monitor fitness change, improvement, etc?
This question is very hard to answer because it relies heavily on assumption and opinion. Submaximal aerobic tests imply that you test your cardiovascular capacity below maximal effort. It is an estimation of your maximal capacity and will therefore never be as accurate. We need to assume many things in order to rely on such a test: that a steady-state heart rate is obtained for each exercise workload; that a linear relationship exists between heart rate, oxygen uptake, and workload; that the maximal heart rate for a given age is predictable; that the biomechanical efficiency of the physical activity performed (i.e., oxygen uptake at a given workload) is the same for everyone. Also, this sort of test is usually done on a stationary bike and some individuals have more experience with bikes than others and their bodies are therefore more efficient at performing a cycling movement. This means that they will use less energy cycling than another user who is in as good a cardiovascular shape.
7. Since childhood obesity is so common as of today, what is your advice for parents?
I think we can contribute much of today’s child obesity to technological advances in entertainment and careless parenting. The evolution of the gaming world and Internet has spawned a new culture of youths passionate about such pass-times as the XBOX, Play station and Web surfing. When I was younger, I would beg my mother to let me go play outside with my friends and I wouldn’t return until the sun went down. Nowadays, I see much fewer children doing the same and it makes me wonder what they are up to. I sometimes hear my younger relatives raving about a new game they just bought for their console or a new Website they discovered. As a result, children have fewer friends to play with and they stay home, eat more and their parents feel bad because their children are either lonely or unpopular and allow their sons and daughters to grab snack foods at home every now and then. The reality is that we should encourage our children to play more sports. This allows them to be in a more social environment, to exercise and to avoid eating junk food because they are too busy playing. And to think that my mom used to get upset with me when I came home late because I was at the park playing hockey!
8. Similarly, what exercises and diet would you recommend for busy and bogged-down professionals?
One thing that is very practical would be to purchase a cardiovascular machine for the home. Most busy professionals find it convenient to exercise late at night while watching television to hop on to a stationary bike or an elliptical machine and perform some light exercise before going to bed. In addition, consider purchasing dumbbells and a weight bench. Virtually any body part can be targeted using these tools. Oh, and hire a Personal Trainer! As for nutrition, make sure that your diet is balanced. This means getting a variety of different foods when you do your grocery shopping: fruits and vegetables, bread, rice and grains, milk and dairy products, meats and substitutes and so on. Avoid saturated fats, trans fats, simple sugars and high salt levels. Also, I would be wary of sugar substitutes such as aspartame and sorbitol, not enough research has been conducted to estimate their long term effects.
9. Is beer a post-work drink? Your opinions?
This question makes me laugh. I wish to state right away that I think that above all things in life, we should enjoy it. Although recent studies have found that beer can improve bone mineral density (BMD) with moderate consumption in men, while women gain a similar benefit from moderate consumption of wine, there are many more disadvantages to consuming beer than advantages. Personally, I enjoy beer myself when I watch sports or am socializing with some of my friends. I do not believe we need to give up our pleasures in life just to conform to the ideal image of a healthy individual. In my opinion, if we neglect the things we enjoy, it will result in feelings of resentment, stress and eventually depression. I always advised my clients that life is worth living and that means that even some unhealthy habits are acceptable assuming they are done in moderation of course. As for the post-work drink, yes, it is definitely post-work and not pre-work. Imagine having beer-breath at work!
10. How successful would you rate yourself (out of 10) as a trainer and why and what can you say is the secret of your success?
Well, you will have to ask my clients that question. Just to add a few words on trainer evaluation, a good trainer will not just help when you hire them, they will teach you how to change your lifestyle so that you can benefit from them for the rest of your lives.
Secret of my success: Passion, dedication and the ability to relate with my clients.
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