Q: What is your athletic background?
A: I have loved sports and always been involved in them, participating in every sport under the sun. However, football ended up providing the best opportunity for me. I was an All-State quarterback in high school and earned a scholarship to play football at the University of Toledo. While in college, I threw the javelin for the track and field team at UT. I thought that since I could throw a football, I could throw a javelin too. Was I ever wrong, there is so much more technique to throwing a javelin! After college I spent a little time playing quarterback in arena football.

Q: What is your typical weekly fitness routine?
A: Routine is probably a bad word to describe it. My training success hinges on changing my workouts all the time. To avoid plateaus, I rarely ever do the exact same workout twice. I alter the sets, reps, weight, and angle of motion to stress a muscle group a little differently every workout. I train in cycles of about 4 weeks, changing the volume and intensity of exercises to keep it from getting boring and stale. I train 4-6 days a week, depending upon the cycle. My cardio program is based on a VO2 exercise test that I took with Kyle Radaker and Shannan Purser at Motivated Results. It alternates low intensity training with high intensity intervals.

Q: What made you turn your passion for fitness into your profession?
A: I learned along time ago that loving what you do is more important that how much money you make. While I do enjoy getting paid for what I do, I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing our clients at Evolution Sports Training achieving their goals and improving their health. I love working out and being in shape; and I love helping others do the same. This profession is a natural fit.

Q: What is your typical daily diet?
A: First and foremost, I don’t diet. I eat as wide of a variety of nutritious, whole foods as possible. Every day I eat at least 10 servings of fresh, preferably raw, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. My protein comes from chicken, eggs, turkey, fish, nuts, low-fat cheeses, and soy products. Every meal I try to eat a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The only additional supplement I take is a whole food product called Juice Plus to ensure I am getting in all of my natural antioxidants. I generally eat 5 or 6 small meals/snacks throughout the day. I am human though. I reward myself for a good week of training with some pizza, an expensive drink at Starbucks, or some other tasty treat!

Q: What diet advice would you offer our readers?
A: The best thing I did for my meal planning was consulted nutritionist, Shannan Purser. She did a Resting Metabolic Rate test and designed a meal program specifically for my body’s chemistry. It made all difference in my metabolism and fat-burning ability. I dropped over 20 pounds of fat and am 8% body fat because with her help. If you can’t get to a nutritionist, just eat sensibly. Don’t be a slave to your cravings. Eat nutritionally dense foods that will make your body stronger without adding empty calories. Rewarding yourself with an occasional treat is helpful in maintaining your sanity though! It also helps to keep your metabolism up.

Q: What is the most common mistake you see people making with their exercise routine?
A: Not being consistent. Too many people do the same workout every training session. Once your body adjusts to the stress of that one workout it doesn’t have to work as hard. This means that improvement slows down and eventually stops.

Q: What would you recommend to fix this mistake?
A: Change up your workout regularly. Play with the sets, reps, weight so your body can’t adapt to the stress of the workout. Adding in a group class or even training outdoors can be a nice change of pace. Don’t ever be afraid to get a certified trainer to help design the right program. Always remember, your workout can and should be enjoyable! Otherwise you won’t do it.

Q: Do you have any special projects going on now?
A: Developing Evolution Sports Training continues to be a rewarding project. This year, we partnered with two great companies, Motivated Results and Per4mance Training to offer programs unlike any offered in Charlotte. Per4mance Training will be featured in the New York Times for its unique approach to coaching cyclists. With our team, we now have the ability to develop comprehensive training programs for almost any fitness client and athlete trying to meet their personal goals.

Personally, I will continue improving my fitness/physique. My long-term goal is to be featured in a large fitness magazine like Men’s Health eventually!

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