Playing outside can be as simple as going for a walk, riding a bike around the block or going for an easy paddle on a lake but sometimes we want to do more. We want to go for a run, ride a long distance or paddle down a river. Moving to this next level can require higher levels of fitness so we’ve worked up a partnership with the Little Rock Athletic Club to help you out. Four of their trainers have stepped up to answer your questions every week about getting in shape to move to the next level whether you are just trying to get off the couch and out the door or going from a bike ride around the block to a century ride, Jeff, Pam, Anna and Paul are here to answer your questions on fitness and training.
Here’s how it will work
Send us your fitness questions by using our contact page or a message on our Facebook page. Every Tuesday we will choose several of the questions to for the trainers to answer and on Wednesday we will post the questions and answers on ArkansasOutside.com. That simple. We’ll remind you through our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages throughout the week.
For now let us introduce you to the trainers.
Jeff Witherington
Affectionately referred to as the weight room “drill sergeant,” Jeff’s intensity and knowledge appeal to many clients. Determined to make the most of your time and money, Jeff’s no-nonsense approach to personal training has helped clients of all ages achieve healthier lifestyles.
A lifelong competitor, Jeff enjoys and has had great success working with athletes involved in football, basketball, baseball and powerlifting. He finds similar fulfillment teaching the Cancer Well-Fit and PACE (People with Arthritis Can Exercise) group fitness programs. Whatever their physical capability, Jeff attracts clients that like to work hard. Jeff joined the LRAC in 2000.
Jeff earned his B.S. degree from UCA where he majored in Kinesiology and minored in Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis in Dietetics. He is certified as a Personal Trainer with the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Golf Conditioning Specialist with GMP Fitness. Jeff is post-rehab certified with the American Academy of Health and Fitness Professionals (AAHFP).
Pam Boerner
Pam’s personal experience with exercise led her to a career in training. Years ago, when she enlisted the help of a trainer and adopted a consistent exercise regimen, her fitness level skyrocketed and her physique improved drastically. Now, she celebrates when clients experience similar transformations. “There’s nothing better than having clients become aware of their leaner, stronger bodies. They start to live in a healthier, happier place and for a trainer that’s a great feeling!”
Pam is “all about” helping clients achieve their individual goals one of which she hopes is developing and maintaining core strength and stability. “A strong center and good balance protect the rest of your body – both when you’re working out and as you age. We all need to work on it. The area between our shoulders and hips is critical in controlling the movement of our limbs. The stronger your center, the better your form will be when you lift which helps improve results.”
Pam’s personality and enthusiasm are infectious. According to her clients, “Her workouts are creative and tough but they’re lots of fun. They keep us coming back.” Improvements in posture, flexibility, strength and endurance have a lot to do with it, as well.
Pam received her B.A. in Communications from the University of Arkansas. She is certified as a Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
Anna Frost-Briley
Anna has a passion to assist others in adopting and improving healthy, balanced lifestyles that include exercise and wholesome nutrition. “By maintaining healthful habits, the rewards will carry over to all aspects of life. I believe in motivating and educating clients in a way that makes them enjoy exercising, while still challenging them to go beyond their perceived limitations to obtain optimal results.” Anna has worked with clients of all ages and fitness abilities with goals ranging from decreasing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass to athletic performance enhancement and functional fitness improvement. She strives to help her clients accomplish their goals by discovering their own potential and confidence through challenging themselves to enhance their life. Athletics has enabled her to continuously challenge herself, whether it is running a marathon, playing sports, or just pushing past that last rep. She is motivated by accomplishing goals.
Anna received a B.S. in Nutrition, Exercise and Health Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is certified as a Health Fitness Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Her additional certifications include: TRX® Group Suspension Training, R.I.P.P.E.D.™ Group Instructor, Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) Group Exercise Instructor and YogaFit Level 1.
Anna enjoys spending time with her family and staying active by weight lifting, circuit training, practicing yoga, and cycling to push beyond her own physical and mental comfort levels to improve her life. To remain current with the latest health approaches, she enjoys researching and studying advances in the field to improve her skills that will carry over to her clients.
Paul Fajer
The truth behind exercise is simple; real work produces real results. Focusing on functional movements with free-weights and body-weight exercises, Paul trains the body as a single unit, cultivating a high level of fitness and teaching it how to operate better in everything you do.
Whether training young or old, sedentary or athletic, sport specific or general fitness, one on one or in a group Paul is at ease with all fitness levels and ages. Improving on every aspect of a client’s fitness is important to Paul, and he understands that all clients are different, and catering to those differences is vital.
The body is the machine, and Paul will help you create an owner’s manual to not only use, but to care for this machine for the rest of your life. Paul believes in explaining “why” to his clients to help empower them and to help them wade through the sea of complex fitness information.
Paul received a B.S. in Kinesiology at UCA, with an emphasis on Exercise Science and a minor in Nutrition. He is a certified personal trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is CrossFit level 1 certified.
Paul spends his free time away from work with his wife and dog, taking hikes, floating down rivers, watching movies, playing video and board games, and engaging in otherwise interesting events or social gatherings around town.