Q&A With Mark Lorenzo

 

What made you decide to become a personal trainer?

I love teaching and realized that many people want to be active but may not want to sign up with a martial arts studio. I already had experience in general fitness and conditioning from my fight training and thought I could bring that experience to a wider audience. Becoming an ACE Certified Personal Trainer was the next step in developing fitness programs focused on the individual at any level.

 

Do you incorporate any martial arts into your personalized fitness plans?

I also teach Taiji (Tai Chi) and traditional kung fu forms. I find that Taiji can be adapted to any level, and I love that it focuses on the internal side with slow meditative movements. I have clients who like to end their sessions with some Taiji. It helps with balance and strength and keeps us focused in the moment. You can’t really think about anything else when you are concentrating on slow choreographed movements of the feet and hands.

 

What are your personal goals as a trainer? How will your business evolve?

My goal is to help people achieve their goals. Since I use a client-based approach I feel that my business will evolve with each person that I train. I also want to expand my group sessions in general fitness/conditioning, taiji, and kickboxing basics to give people more options.

 

Who is your ideal client?

My ideal client is anyone interested in taking the first step towards being more active or someone who wants to take their fitness routine to the next level. 

 

What do you say to someone who has never worked out regularly or developed a fitness routine?

I know that making a change like adopting an exercise routine can be daunting. My programming is made to ease you into training at your own pace. I work with you step by step answering any questions you have. The main goal is to have fun while getting healthy. If it's fun it will become a habit.

 

What ages do you work with?

Youth to seniors – anyone who wants to start their fitness journey, or take things up a notch.

 

How can someone benefit from a personal trainer as opposed to joining a gym? 

A gym is essentially a building full of tools. A personal trainer will teach you how to use those tools and others in the safest and most effective way to achieve your specific goals. It's also nice to have someone to hold you to your goals on days where you may have just skipped hitting the gym. 

 

How do you keep interested in exercising? How will you keep it interesting for your client? 

Having wide range of exercises and disciplines to pull from keeps things fresh. That way we don't have to do the same workout every time. Changing locations, going outside when it's nice, and making a fresh playlist of your favorite songs are all ways to keep it interesting.

​

What are some activities you enjoy on a daily basis (not including working out)?

I love spending time with my dog, watching movies, and going for drives in my '91 MR2 turbo with the T-tops out.  I'm always interested in learning new things from my clients, and trying things that they enjoy...like archery.