RISK more than others think is safe.
CARE more than others think is wise.
DREAM more than others think is practical.
EXPECT more than others think is possible.
-Maxim Cadet
The above poem is one that I have had posted in my home for years. It reminds me to continue to dream and drives me to follow those dreams. This poem sums up my impression of Melissa Allen. After interviewing her, I have no doubt that she is living her dream and this is extraordinary to watch. She does not appear to be someone that is deterred by fear nor discouraged by the concern of doubters. She has risked. Melissa cares. She continues to dream. And Melissa does what others think is impossible.
Melissa Allen is owner and founder of Optimum Condition in El Cajon. Her Personal Training Studio is located at 1069 Graves Ave, Suite 104, in the Southwest corner of the Target parking lot. She can be contacted via several modes including telephone at 619-252-4993, via her website at: www.OptimumCondition.com, and via email at Melissa@OptimumCondition.com. Melissa has a degree in Biological Sciences and is a Certified Personal Trainer, has Soft Tissue Mobilization Training, and is a Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist. She began in the fitness industry by working in a chain gym while in college. Here, Melissa felt the corporate pressures of needing to re-sign clients at all costs in order to meet her goals. This monthly burden along with experiences of watching other professional practices that did not match her moral foundation helped her make her next career move.
She decided to “RISK more than others” thought was safe as she started her own mobile training business. This venture kept her busy going to homes and corporations to practice her passion of Personal Training and Corrective Exercise Teachings. Eventually her business grew large enough that she needed a “home base”, which led her to close the mobile business and open her own studio. Melissa spends her days teaching the foundation of correct form while exercising. She specializes in corrective exercise, muscle imbalances due to surgery, and sports injury rehabilitation. This means that her clientele is of a special demographics, one that is affectionately referred to in the personal training industry as “broken” due to some type of injury. Melissa communicates her teachings by consulting, creating, designing, and then implementing training programs. Most of her clients train 2-3 days per week with her.
In addition to teaching, she handles all of the administrative work at Optimum Condition because she is the sole owner/operator of the studio. Her studio is set up for functional training; It is set up for training the body in movements that are performed in daily life. She uses bands, balance balls, agility and balance equipment, stretching, dumbbells, and the clients own body-weight for all of her training. Melissa uses several methods to measure progress related to her personal training clients. She values measuring how the client feels as an important marker of progress. Additionally, Melissa uses both software and functional testing to measure ones goals and progress. Melissa is paid hourly. This rate can vary considerably industry-wide. Indeed.com lists industry salaries anywhere from $33k-$57,000. My real life experience says there’s more to it. Depending on the facility, education of the trainer, and other factors one could expect to pay anywhere form $15-$150 per hour. Those who take the chance of opening their own gyms or studios will often charge and warrant more pay than a trainer who is new in the industry.
According to Livestrong.com, it was 1996 before the first Personal Training Certification program was nationally recognized and officially accredited by The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Although the career has been on the map since the 1980’s, it has gained its greatest credibility in the past 20 years with numerous accredited certification programs available today. Anybody can be a “Personal Trainer”. The industry is still so new that there are not required industry hiring laws. However, there are related hiring practices that tend to be followed in the fitness industry. This is likely due more to liability reasons than anything else, nevertheless they exists. Most fitness centers required Personal Trainers to be certified. This means you purchase and test to become a Certified Personal Trainer. There are a number of highly reputable certification programs and there are just as many certifications that are not reputable nor respected in the industry. Standards related to training, education, and experience are set by the employer and not yet regulated by any industry association.
CARE more than others think is wise
The lack of standards within the industry is both a hindrance and a help to Melissa and other unique personal trainers who choose to “CARE more than others think is wise”. Those who really care and want to make a difference have an opportunity to stand out in the profession. Those who choose to continue to grow and learn within the profession have the opportunity to rise above the others. Unfortunately a concern for Melissa and other personal trainers is the lack of standards and therefore the possibility of a terrible and/or uneducated personal trainer turning off a client to the industry forever due to a bad experience. Her next concern are facilities with the “Cross-Fit” teachings. In her opinion they “push for speed”. This would not be a problem if they only trained athletes who needed speed for their profession. But Cross-Fits clients are typically normal people who require the proper flexibility, strength, agility, and anatomical foundation to be ready to train like an athlete. Furthermore, Melissa has concerns about Cross-Fit because they are a franchise and do not seem to have universal training principles and practices. They potentially “lack the teaching of good form and foundation” necessary to keep a client safe, healthy, and progressing towards realistic goals.
Every day people are risking, caring, and dreaming. Some dreams are coming to fruition as more and more personal training studios are popping up all over the United States. Melissa is insistent that the large chain gyms are no competition to her and businesses of the like because she possesses the compassion and morality that others do not have time for. As a former personal training studio owner myself, Melissa and I had some great conversation about how we as owners have the ability to set ourselves apart within our own industry. Melissa feels that the “compassionate factor” is imperative for success. This is the concept of training to your clients’ personality and needs. As our Kinesiology book mentions repeatedly, it is vital that personal training clients feel successful. The intuitiveness and compassion required to create this feeling cannot be taught in a certification program. This is a key to being an amazing life-changing personal trainer. Another aspect that is not taught but so important for industry success, according to Melissa, is the business aspect of opening your own studio. Passion and drive are not enough on most days. There is a steep learning curve associated with opening any business. Melissa suggests finding a current or former small business owner as a mentor if one is thinking of doing such. If she had things to do over again, she would investigate more about how to fill and maintain full enrollment for her Yoga and Lunch-Crunch classes as this is where the majority of her recurring revenue comes from. She continues to seek out and create new avenues to become more profitable.
Even with the trials and tribulations that Melissa has been through while owning Optimum Condition, she rates her professional contentment as a TEN. She would undoubtedly choose this profession all over again. Melissa loves what she does. She says “I am living my purpose”. This statement was moving for me. Countless people search a lifetime to find their purpose. It is a genuine inspiration to interview and work with a women who lives her purpose every single day. I have no doubt that Melissa Allen will continue to…
RISK more than others think is safe.
CARE more than others think is wise.
DREAM more than others think is practical.
EXPECT more than others think is possible.
-Maxim Cadet
This article was written by, Rachelle Donnelly, and is appearing as a guest blog post. The original article was a college assignment for Professor P. Farmer’s Intro to Kinesiology course on interviewing an industry professional.
Works Cited
Indeed.com
http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Personal-Trainer-l-San-Diego,-CA.html
Livestrong.com
By Michael Gauthier. Last Updated: Mar 31, 2011
http://www.livestrong.com/article/412711-personal-trainer-history/#page=1
