Below are a number of questions you may have about our services. If you have a question that is not answered on this page or on our website, please email Denver at denver@advancedfitnesscoaching.com. If appropriate, we’ll post your question on this page along with the answer.
Q. What makes Advanced Fitness Coaching (AFC) different from other fitness facilities?
A. There are a number of things that make our service unique to other fitness facilities. First, we do not have the typical gym or fitness environment. We offer a distraction-free fitness studio where our clients can focus entirely on achieving their goals with the guidance and support of individualized or small group coaching. Our studio does not have any stench, mirrors, or other people gazing at you while working out. And during your session, you have exclusive use of the fitness studio – it’s your space to focus entirely on achieving your goal and receiving personal instruction and coaching along the way!
Another unique aspect of our service is that we take a whole-person, whole-life approach to our work. Basically, that means that we work with clients to not only improve their physical health, but their mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational health as well. We are not just about exercise to burn calories to lose weight and build muscles. Of course, those are worthy goals that we support, but our larger focus is on making sure our clients can MOVE, move well, and know how to create and maintain vibrant health personally, in their relationships, and in their families and organizations.
In addition to focusing on outer strength, our approach helps clients to develop the inner strength and resiliency they need to navigate the complexities and challenges of everyday life and work and play what we call their “BIG GAME”. So we help our clients fulfill traditional goals like losing weight, toning and building muscles, and yet we also go much further and help our clients become strong, resilient people who live powerfully and purposefully.
Q. You offer several coaching options including fitness coaching, nutrition coaching, resiliency coaching, and life coaching. Why so many different coaching options and how does one know where to start?
A. We recognize that our clients will come to us focusing on different things. Some will want to focus mostly on improving their physical health, so Personal Fitness Coaching is where they would start. Another client may want to work on achieving their health goals AND life goals, so they may choose a combination of Fitness Coaching and Life Coaching. At a fundamental level, ALL of our coaching services will include the health component because that is foundational to everything else. In other words, if you’re wanting to improve the quality of your relationship but you are emotionally unhealthy, it’s not going to work very well. So basically, when we work with a client and design their program, they may have a variety of these forms of coaching in their package; it’s just that we’ll emphasize one over the other based on their specific goals. It’s another unique aspect of our service and a huge value add!
Q. Speaking of “designing their program,” you custom design a program for each client, is that correct?
A. Absolutely. Everyone is different, and so with each of our potential clients, we begin by offering a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. During the consultation, we get acquainted, find out the current situation is, explore goals and possibilities, and begin to talk about what it would look like to work together. It’s during this session that we begin to understand what type of program and coaching is most suitable for their goals and situation. Next, if the person decides to work with us (and us with them), we engage in several assessments and a movement screen to establish some baselines and to gather the necessary information we need to design a program that is best for them.
Q. I’ve heard stories of people who visit exercise facilities, work with a trainer for a session, and then have really sore muscles for days after. Is this what individuals can expect when working with you?
A. No. Again, we assess people’s current level of fitness and movement capacity before we ever get started. Basically, if you have not exercised in a structured way before, have not engaged in resistance training ever or for a number of years, we are not going to start you off with a heavy load to lift. We have to first condition the body and get it ready for more aggressive workouts. We have to make sure that your movement patterns are ready to take on a fitness program. We challenge our clients from the start, but we challenge them based on what they – and their body – are ready for. Yes, you can expect to have some soreness, but not the kind that makes it difficult to function!
Q. Is there a certain age group that you work with?
A. Currently we are open to a wide range of ages. We have clients in their mid 20s all the way to early 70s. Our approach seems to work really well for people who are at a stage in life – usually in midlife – where the recognize the importance of their health and find themselves seeking a higher purpose in life. Maybe they have experienced a few health-related issues that have awakened them to the importance of their health and they are ready to get more proactive in restoring and maintaining their health. Also, several of our clients are professionals who recognize the importance of health and well-being to their professional success and have begun to experience some health issues related to their pursuit of success. The key thing is not one’s age, but a willingness to learn and be open to transforming one’s health and life.
Q. What is the geographical area you serve?
A. Most of our services can be delivered anywhere in the world through the power of the internet. Our Health Coaching and Life Coaching are examples. In those cases, we deliver coaching through the phone, webinar platforms, or through Zoom or similar services.
For Personal Fitness Coaching, we meet with our clients in person, so those are more local to our location in Terre Haute, Indiana.