Fitness programs for mid-aged men & women who want to look, feel, and perform like young adults.

Time. Money. Not knowing what to do.

When I’ve asked clients over the years about their main obstacles to getting healthy and fit, they usually bring up one of these three issues.

Time: With work and family responsibilities, they have little time for themselves. The believe a good fitness program requires a couple of hours each day, and without having that kind of time, they don’t get started on anything.

Money: Working with an experienced personal trainer, one-on-one, two to four times per week can be a great way to lose weight, tone up, get stronger, and bounce back from injuries. But it’s also expensive. I know because I’ve been a personal trainer for 20 years. The idea of spending hundreds of dollars a week on personal training is a non-starter for many.

Not knowing what to do: So many people look at the sea of equipment at a gym and immediately feel overwhelmed. If they see something that looks familiar, they usually stick with that. If they don’t, the default seems to be walking on a treadmill. Though they know the most important form of exercise is strength training, they don’t know what to do, so they only do what they know.

VIGOR Training solves each of these concerns, and then some. You’ll know exactly what to do while needing only four 1-hour sessions per week to do it, and it’ll cost less than a dollar a day for me to do it for you.

How to Build a Better Fitness Program

The fitness world is riddled with gimmicks, (in the words of today’s politics) “disinformation,” and myths that should have died long ago. After 20 years in personal training, I’ve narrowed down my programming to fit within a handful of simple guidelines. To get results month-after-month, year-after year, the best workout programs must:

1. Prioritize building strength and muscle

Most people overdo cardio and do too little resistance training. You can significantly improve your cardiovascular conditioning through weight training, but you cannot increase strength and muscle mass with cardio. Most of your time in the gym should focus on strength training, some mobility, and a bit of conditioning-specific work. That’s just how I design your VIGOR Training workout plan.

Muscle mass is one of the most important factors in longevity.

To build muscle, you need to lift heavy weights. So, you won’t find many exercises that use pink or purple dumbbells in this workout program.

2. Balance consistency with variety

If you follow the same routine for too long, you’ll get bored and stop making progress. If you change up your routine too often, you won’t have a way to. make measurable progress.

When I design training programs, I have members follow the same routine for three to six weeks; long enough to progress, not long enough to plateau or get bored.

3. Train your whole body

In general, men tend to focus on their chests and arms, women on their glutes, shoulder, and thighs. But to build a strong, resilient body that will work well into old age, you need to train your whole body. In fact, you need to train your backside, including your upper and lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, a little more than you train the front.

Over the course of a week, you’ll train your entire body once, twice, and sometimes even three times in a week. Your training also involves specific prep work which helps activate some of the muscles that get weak and lazy from our everyday lifestyles.

4. Provide nutrition guidelines, not meal plans or diets.

With exercise, you need a specific plan so you can build on what you’ve done in the past, and be ready for what’s coming in the future. Your plan must be progressive and specific.

With nutrition, you need guidelines, not rigid rules and meal plans. Though meal plans work in the short-term, most people get so dependent on them, that when they get off track, they completely lose their way. When my clients adopt a handful of guidelines, they feel free to live their lives, enjoy eating out or splurging on occasion, and still stay close to a healthy body fat year-round.

Of course, if someone needs to have a shredded six pack or look their best for a wedding, that’s different. I can help people get in that kind of shape, but it’s a short-term thing.

The guidelines include:

• Eating a high-protein diet
• Supplementing with the Foundational Five
• Skipping snacks, and sometimes skipping breakfast

5. Create a sense of community, camaraderie, and competition.

You’ll probably workout on your own, but your never alone. If you’re part of the two most popular workout programs, VIGOR Everyday Athlete and VIGOR Strength Athlete, you’ll train as part of a team.

You follow the same training schedule as other men and women across the continent. You’ll see how you stack up when I add a leaderboard to an exercise, and be able to ask questions and cheer others on in the comments and messaging feature in the app. And you can always leverage the VIGOR Training Facebook group as well.

With the community and camaraderie, you’ll feel a greater level of accountability without needing to pay someone $100 an hour to make sure you show up.

Disclaimer: VIGOR Training is recommended for a specific type of person. If you appreciate participation trophies, believe people are entitled to more than what the Declaration of Independence suggests, believe your feelings are someone else’s responsibility, or are hoping for the “easy button” to get fit and strong, VIGOR Training is not for you. It’s best to move along to something else.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age groups benefit most from your workout routines?

While almost anyone would benefit, I have a special affinity for men and women over 40 years old. It’s about this age that we realize fitness isn’t about aesthetics, but about quality-of-life. There’s greater meaning to me in helping people in middle to older age become the fittest they’ve ever been.

Do you personally design the programs?

I design all the training plans myself. That’s why it’s worth at least $29 per month, instead of using a generic app with no intelligence behind it for $10 a month.

I also use the VIGOR(ESS) Strength Athlete plan for my own training. I stay a week ahead of the rest of the team so I can make sure I set up the plan correctly.

Are the workout routines gender-specific?

No. The training programs are the same for men and women.

Do I need a gym membership for VIGOR Training?

For the most part, VIGOR Training is designed as a gym workout program. The equipment available at a basic gym or fitness center makes a significant difference in your ability to get long-term results. However, I do have a couple of at-home programs that will work for a few months of training at home, with minimal equipment, when you don’t have another option. For the other teams and programs, a gym, or full home-gym is necessary.

For a home gym, you’d need a barbell, plates with weights totalling at least 200 lbs, dumbbells up to at least 50 lbs, squat rack with pull-up attachment, and adjustable bench.

Though you can probably find all of this equipment for a good deal on Craig’s list, I strongly recommend joining a gym. You’re more likely to follow through with your training plan when you’re around other people getting fit.

Do I need to commit to a long-term contract?

Nope. Your membership is month-to-month, so if you want to cancel, just contact me at least 48 hours before your next charge processes.

If I want or need a specific diet plan, can you make one for me?

Yes. You get one nutrition coaching session included with your membership, and can purchase more if you’d like. I can personalize and customize your program in our session(s).

What does a typical workout week look like?

The programming varies for each program, and within each program, I change up the week’s training sessions every 3-6 weeks. Therefore, I don’t have a “typical” workout week to show you. However, I do offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

So, the best way to see if VIGOR Training will work for you is to give it a serious try.

Do you offer online coaching in addition to the online training programs?

Yes. You get one nutrition and lifestyle coaching session with your VIGOR Training enrollment. It’s a $99 value. I also have nutrition and lifestyle coaching sessions available in single session and six-session packages.

What are your credentials?

While I’ve gotten certified through ACE, NASM, Precision Nutrition, (the late) Charles Poliquins’ Bioprint, and a number of other programs, I maintain my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Sports Nutritionist (CISSN) certifications. There are a lot of programs out there, some of which are almost like a mail order certification. In my opinion, the CSCS and CISSN are two of the most credible, which is why I put forth the effort to maintain them.