We are in the middle of this year’s big holiday season. With Thanksgiving right behind us and Christmas just around the corner, we can’t help to think about all those indulgences we get to enjoy.
However, those delicious meals come hand in hand with the unwanted extra pounds. It’s always a challenge to avoid gaining weight throughout the holidays. Gyms and personal trainers have limited schedules, not to mention your gym buddy might not be available either.
Not all of us get a chance, to find a workout partner who has the same schedule to work out, push and challenge us.
Before you come straight to the conclusion of thinking that you can’t afford a personal trainer, wait, because this might surprise you.
With the Olympus Trainer app, you not only have a gym buddy but a personal trainer right in your pocket, available for you 24/7 on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
According to Eugene Giannotta, president of Olympus Health Sciences, his company launched the Olympus Trainer app in the first quarter of 2014 with two main goals in mind.
“I did some digging and found there were two primary reasons why most people want a personal trainer,” Giannotta said. “First of all, for motivation and inspiration to work out, and second, for the instruction, for example to teach me how to exercise properly.”
After doing some research, Giannotta saw that personal trainers charge an average of $40 a session, so he wanted to offer an alternative that gives you the personal trainer experience for a fraction of the price.
At the same time, he discovered that smart phones became the fastest spreading technology in history. He had an epiphany.
“Why not harness the power of a smart phone to deliver affordable personal training services?” he asked.
With that in mind, his company offers Olympus for $6.99 a month, providing a full-body workout four days a week.
“We isolate specific major muscles in each session,” Giannotta said. “This is the best way to target those muscles without over-training them.”
The workout schedule looks like this:
Day 1: Chest, triceps, core
Day 2: Back and biceps
Day 3: Legs and glutes
Day 4: Shoulders and core
Giannotta said Olympus is engineered so that beginners, intermediates, and advanced clients all get the maximum benefits from the same workouts.
Giannotta also said the workouts are designed to enable anyone to work out anywhere and anytime without the need for special equipment. Thus, all Olympus workouts can be done at home, at the gym or even on the road.  Plus, each workout uses only common items such as dumbbells, a mat, towels and chairs.  If you don’t have dumbbells, then use water bottles for resistance. If you are in a gym, use benches instead of chairs.
For each workout, you get to follow and work out with Florida Gulf Coast University 2007 graduate Ashley Lampkin for a period of 30 minutes for each session.
Lampkin has been the exclusive trainer for Olympus since the very beginning.
“It is very exciting,” she said. “I love what I do, and this technology allows me to help so many more people than I could possible reach without it.”
Lampkin has about 10 years of experience in personal training. She graduated from FGCU in 2007 with a degree in human performance. She also holds a Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Additionally, she maintains her accreditation with continual education.
During the workouts Lampkin tells her clients what to do, shows them how and does the exercises with them. In addition, she has a brand new set of exercises for each session to make sure her clients won’t get bored.
She always searches for new ideas and incorporates them into the workouts. Lampkin subscribes to a number of periodicals, and she is constantly cataloging exercises. She also said she subscribes to some rather dry human performance literature as well.
She said variety is very important for two main reasons. One of them is psychology. Clients thrive on variety and enjoy trying new exercises. This prevents boredom and keeps them motivated. The other one is science. It is important to prevent your body from adapting and becoming comfortable with any fitness activity. Otherwise, it will hinder your results, and your performance will plateau.
Kathryn Brewer, FGCU senior majoring in biology, prefers working out with a partner because it comes with great company, and she always needs a second set of eyes to make sure her technique is spot on and she doesn’t injure herself or carry out a lift improperly.
“I think this app would be cool to try out if my training partner isn’t available, and I always enjoy learning more about new exercises,” she said.
Lampkin said the company recieves a lot of feedback from their clients through iTunes, and they use them to improve Olympus.
The app has a two-week free trial available for anyone to download. See how it works and what results may come in the period of two weeks.
Lampkin is ready to keep those extra holiday pounds off  you this year.
“Set a goal of using Olympus four days a week for the first two weeks,” she said. “I want you to see how you feel at the end of those two weeks.”
 
Find Olympus on the Apple Store here.