Separating fact from fad in the fitness industry
Posted On May 2, 2019
Garrett Williamson doesn’t believe in age as an excuse for poor fitness.
“There’s no such thing as age as we believe it,” he says. “What I mean by that is the fact that we decline because of time passing on a calendar is absolutely untrue, it’s an absolute lie. … Time is not a measurement of fitness.”
The biggest obstacle to fitness, Williamson says, isn’t age but motivation. Williamson, our guest in a recent episode of “What’s Working With Cam Marston,” is the owner of Personal Edge Fitness, a Mobile fitness facility that employs a staff of degreed professional trainers and athletic trainers whose mission is to keep their clients working toward their fitness goals.
“Our mission statement is: We use all aspects of fitness and sport to make you feel better about being yourself,” he says. “Whatever that may be … as long as it’s not illegal, immoral or fattening, we’re a fan of it. I’m going to have a better chance of getting you to the physical results you want and/or need if I can find something like that you like a lot.”
One might think that the never-ending parade of nutrition and diet fads that flood the industry would be disheartening, or at least irritating, to a former college pole vaulter with degrees in exercise science and fitness management and over two decades of experience who knows what really works. But Williamson says fads aren’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as they get people moving.
He also shares with us why relationships are so important to fitness success, one reason many fitness “brands” don’t last, why you shouldn’t let an injury derail your workout regimen, how to manage client expectations, differences in what motivates men and women and how different generations view fitness, and why, all fads aside, the simple truths endure.
“This has never changed,” he says, “it hasn’t changed since the dawn of time, it’s not going to change anytime soon: If you eat less than you expend, you’re going to lose weight.”
Join us for an energetic discussion that cuts through the mystery and myths around fitness.