Why do we engage in rigorous fitness routines? For most people, it is so that they can have a perfect body, while for others, those routines contribute to their overall development and health. However, for Samuel Chewning, a renowned 31-year-old fitness instructor from Santa Monica, California, physical fitness is a pathway to discovering new things about your body.
Chewning works full-time as a professional and personal physical fitness instructor. He considers all his clients as unique, with specific needs for their different bodies. According to Sam, as he is known to many of his friends and clients, you can only achieve the physical fitness you desire if you take time to understand your body.
Study and Understand Your Body
When you start your fitness journey, the worst mistake you could make is going without a plan and without understanding your body’s strengths and weaknesses. When Chewning starts working with new clients, he makes sure to take them through a body observation process. He looks out for weaknesses, imbalances, past injuries, immobilities, and possible gaps in motor control. According to the instructor, “You are only as strong as your weakest link.”
People fail in their fitness journeys because they do not like to confront their weaknesses. It is human nature to want to work within a comfort zone, but Chewning thinks confronting weaknesses is the beginning of a rewarding fitness journey. He says, “Confronting your weakness takes courage, but addressing it directly is the first step towards a stronger, more balanced you that can perform safely at high levels.”
Embrace Body Awareness
Understanding your body and its needs means knowing the pressure points and which areas need more concentration than others. You embrace routines that work for you and become more aware of your body. according to Sam, “This awareness allows you to work out more efficiently and safely in the gym, and gives you a new found sense of confidence that bleed into the rest of your life.” Proper training should lead you to discover more about different parts of your body as you focus on achieving wholesomeness in your body.
Discover More than Your Physical Strengths
Chewning comments about how he is always amazed at how physical fitness boosts other areas of his clients’ lives. He observes that he has worked with high-end clients, and he has noticed that fitness helps them want to do better and achieve more of their goals. The fitness enthusiast states, “I’ve learned that when you start to connect with and strengthen your body, your whole life is elevated.”
Something changes when you are aware of how much your body can stretch. The mind and the soul become ignited to reach for what they conceive. You become a more confident and results-oriented individual by discovering that goals are made to be met. Physical fitness routines help you understand the important things in your life with clarity and determination to achieve them.
The Cyclic Approach to Fitness
Chewning stresses the importance of addressing the imbalance, injuries, immobilities, and any gaps in motor control before engaging in actual routines. Every person has a unique body structure, whose physical needs vary. Using someone else’s routine will not earn you the results you want, and it might even injure you. According to Sam, every individual deserves to work with a holistic training program to get them to their desired results safely.
Chewning says, “A strong body is an essential building block for a strong mind and a strong spirit.” He encourages trainers to adopt a holistic approach for their clients to prepare them for success in their lives. Chewning has worked with high-achieving individuals and understands how proper training boosts confidence, awareness, stamina, and dedication in and out of training.
Professionalism Is Key
While helping clients get to their physical training goals is key, a good personal or professional trainer should constantly refresh their knowledge. If you stick with the first course you took when starting your career as a professional trainer, you will keep feeding your clients with outdated practices that won’t help them achieve their goals.
Chewning sets precedence in constantly renewing his knowledge in his profession. Armed with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry from VCU and being Kettlebell Training Certified, he assures his clients that he is the best trainer to work with. He also has a certification from the American College of Sports Medicine CPT and Equinox Fitness Institute.
Besides being a fitness enthusiast, Chewning loves nature, sports, adventure, travel, and learning. He advises younger professionals to enjoy the profession and focus more on growth. He says that no matter what the job, professionals should enjoy what they do. In his words, “Doesn’t matter what you’re doing for exercise, just make sure you love what you’re doing.”
