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Current Fitness News

Health Benefits of Tai Chi Recent studies have shown that significant health benefits can be derived from practising the Chinese exervise of Tai Chi. These include better balance and co-ordination which is of special importance to elderly people as this reduces falls and associated injuries, lowering of blood pressure and stress levels, strengthening of muscles and joints and improved cardiovascular [...]Why Sports Nutrition Matters Sports nutrition is something you may not think about every day. Many people spend their days wondering why they aren’t developing muscle mass as fast as others. Or, perhaps you can’t get your game to improve any. No matter what that game is that you are playing, the fact is that your [...]How To Start Building Muscle Fast One thing I can certainly relate to is the desire to start building muscle fast. Once you make the decision to bulk up and achieve a better physique, you want it right now. This is completely normal. In fact, it’s how we humans do things. We love instant gratification. We can’t help it. We’ve gotten [...]Taking Up Pilates As A Fitness Routine Pilates is the hottest trend in fitness and body sculpting today. But this seemingly overnight success has actually been around since the early part of the twentieth century, when Joseph H. Pilates and his wife Clara popularized their body conditioning system in New York. Their system quickly took off with New York area dancers and [...]Athletes and American Sports Nutrition Sports used to be all about the exercises that you do, and not about what you were eating. Oh sure, there was all that stuff about eating from the five basic food groups, and getting proper nutrition, but that was just basic advice that was given to all people, regardless of if they were athletes [...]The Benefits of Pilates The Pilates Method was developed by German-born Joseph Pilates in the 1920s by combining mind and body work through a controlled sequence of movement. Joseph Pilates developed these movements based on his experiences with yoga, Zen meditation, martial arts, and other fitness techniques. Many dancers soon became avid practitioners and displayed the benefits of Pilates’ [...]Include Aerobic Exercise In Your Workout Routine Aerobic exercise is one of the key ingredients to a healthy body. While weight training is helpful in sculpting a great figure, aerobic exercise is the cornerstone to any workout and it is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Not only can aerobics help you stay in shape, these exercises can also help your physical [...]Abs and Buns of Steel Exercise trends normally come and go. Many programs fade away into oblivion while others stand the test of time. One of these is Buns of Steel which is a fantastic workout that has managed to help many women stay in shape for well over a decade. The Buns of Steel workout is a unique program [...]Asthma and Exercise Formerly, asthma and exercise were not thought to go together well. An asthmatic attack can be a frightening experience that one does not want to repeat. Many people who suffer from the breathing disorder think that you can’t have asthma and exercise but this is simply not true. Take, for example, Jerome Bettis. This famous athlete [...]Keeping Fit While Pregnant Exercising while you are pregnant is something that an expecting mother should consider. One option is cycling which is a low-impact exercise widely recommended for pregnant women, providing cardiovascular benefits and helping you remain in great shape. Remember to take in to consideration the fact that cycling (or indeed any exercise) burns more calories than resting. [...]

Red Cross Certifications Spinning Certification NSCA Certification CSCS Certification

Education/Certifications:

  • B.S. University of Connecticut
       -Major: Fitness Management
       -Minor: Sport Nutrition
  • National Strength and Conditioning Association
       -Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
  • Spinning Certified
  • CPR, First aid and AED certified

Experience:

  • Brian has worked as a personal trainer and Spinning instructor since the summer of 2002. He has developed training programs and nutritional strategies for a wide range of clients in the areas of weight loss, increasing lean mass, returning from injuries, and increasing performance.
  • During college Brian completed over 500 hours of apprenticing in training rooms, rehab clinics, and fitness facilities.
  • Brian has written articles on training and nutrition and given several lectures on these topics, including co-creating a lecture series called Nutrition Nation for the Taking Care Center.
  • Brian regularly attends seminars and lectures given by the top names in training and nutrition in order to stay on the cutting edge of the fitness industry.

Philosophy on Fitness:

Interests and Goals:

Brian's most important goal is to give people the knowledge, tools, and encouragement to help them achieve their fitness goals. He believes strongly in the importance of teaching his clients rather than simply telling them what to do. If a person understands the logic behind what they are doing then they will be more likely to succeed.

About Brian:

Brian obtained his Bachelors of Science degree in Fitness Management with a minor in Sports Nutrition from the University of Connecticut in 2002. He went on to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), widely considered to be the gold standard of certifications.

Having been involved with fitness and athletics since 1993, Brian participated in sports including soccer, football, track & field, and more recently golf. In college, he spent a great deal of time apprenticing in rehabilitation clinics, training rooms, as well as working hours at the campus fitness facility. Upon graduating, Brian took a position at the Taking Care Center, Hartford's premier corporate fitness facility, where he continues to train clients today.

Always striving to stay at the forefront of the fitness industry, Brian regularly attends fitness seminars and lectures by the top names in functional fitness, nutrition, and rehabilitation. He has adopted a training style that combines functional movements and stability training with traditional weight training exercises to build power and strength throughout the entire body. He also emphasizes the importance of a proper nutritional program in achieving all fitness related goals.

Brian talks about his own personal fitness journey:

My true fitness journey began in the fall of 1993 beginning my freshman year of high school as an obese teenager weighing in at almost 270lbs. I had always wanted to play football and at 6'5" I had the size, however I was in no shape to even try out. I had played some soccer and even a little baseball as a kid, but injuries and a lack of motivation kept me from sticking with it. I was first convinced to participate in high school sports by my track and field coach who saw me in the hallway and thought I had potential as a shot put thrower. I began throwing the shot put for the indoor track team that winter. As many people do, I struggled with training at first. However, with the motivation of my coach and fellow teammates, as well as my own personal determination, I finished the season and went on to throw discus and shot put for the outdoor track team that spring.

I trained hard during the season and even worked out that summer in the gym my mother had signed my family up at. By my sophomore year I had reached a fitness level where I could finally try out for the football team. I made the junior varsity team that year and eventually went on to play as a starting offensive tackle in my senior year.

Despite being plagued with several injuries I participated in athletics all three seasons strait through the end of high school. By the end of my high school career I had transformed myself into from a 270lb couch potato into 240lb athlete. My strength and endurance had improved more than I had ever imagined. I had also learned a lot about weight lifting and athletic training techniques, as well as the rehab techniques that I had gained from my injuries. These newfound tools, as well as the physical transformation I had undergone, influenced my decision to become a fitness major in college.

I attended the University of Connecticut and spent the first years of my college carrier accumulating over 500 hours observational experience hours in training rooms and rehab clinics. Although I ultimately decided to change my focus from rehabilitation to exercise science, I do not regret my time spent preparing for and athletic training major. The experiences I gathered working with injury assessment and rehabilitation have been a valuable tools and have greatly influenced my training style.

The next major influence in my training style came at the end of my senior year in college. In order to receive my degree I had to complete a summer internship. I interviewed and was accepted by the Taking Care Center, a 48,000sqft corporate fitness facility located in downtown Hartford, renowned as one of the top corporate facilities in the country. Working with and observing their amazing team of trainers I learned methods of integrating core strength and balance into full body movements. This style of exercise, aptly dubbed Functional Training, completely changed how I viewed fitness. Incorporating with these new training techniques in my own workouts allowed me to become stronger and leaner than I had ever been. It also renewed my passion and enthusiasm for training.

Upon completing my internship, I received my degree and obtained the Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification. I was honored to be offered a position at the Taking Care Center as a Health and Fitness Specialist, which I started immediately following my internship in the fall of 2002. I continue to work at the Taking Care Center today as a personal trainer and Spinning instructor. I have created Total Transformations LLC as a way to bring the power of fitness right to your home so it can change your life as it has done mine.

Copyright © 2005 Total Transformations LLC

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