FAQ

What is premium, In-Home personal training?

• Premium personal training in Orange County is the highest level of service you can expect from a fitness professional, delivered to your home or office. From the basics of punctuality and professionalism, premium service extends to monitoring holistic lifestyle changes to live your healthiest life. We will coordinate strength training and endurance training; we will track your food intake and your daily recovery strategies including sleep hygiene; and together we will work towards making these new habits as subconscious as possible, running in the background! You're busy running your own business and life!

• Our training sessions will begin with a warm-up, dynamic stretches, and movement preparation. Then, we will complete four to six strength exercises including, but limited to squats, bridges, lunges, presses, pulling movements, and posture work. Depending on goals, the client will complete appropriate cardiovascular training after the strength training. Sessions end with an assisted stretch and use of a massage gun and foam roller if desired to help recovery and flexibility.

• Every repetition is monitored, every set is recorded on a spreadsheet, and every training session has its own goals. We will win and make "personal bests" every time we are together, whether that is one more repetition than last time, adding five more pounds to a lift, or stretching the posture taller than you've ever felt. If you live with the highest standards, you need a premium trainer.

How to hire a personal trainer for in-home training in orange county?

• From Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach, to Dana Point and Coto de Caza, you have plenty of choices of fitness professionals in Orange County, California! Contact a few, interview them, and see how they train. What are their qualifications and certifications? Do they have a Kinesiology degree? Do they have testimonials proving that they are able to reach your goals? 

• You can ask for their roadmap to your goals and see if it aligns with your schedule, lifestyle, and personality. And quite frankly, do you feel like you can be vulnerable and open to trusting them? Personal training is "personal," after all. 

What is training for longevity?

• Personal training with longevity in mind refers to a well-rounded fitness and wellness routine. This will include strength, endurance, flexibility, and mobility programming. There shouldn't be too much emphasis on any one of these metrics.

• Longevity training will allow one to lift weights from the floor with ease; balance on one leg in multiple directions is important; reaching overhead or twisting around should be pain-free; and getting up from the ground will be manageable. Living long isn't enough, we aim for a high quality of life as well. 

How to schedule my first session (assessment)

• Reach out through my Contact Page! That is an email straight to me and I will respond within 24 hours. Or, text me! +1(949)385-2485

How will we Strength train at my home or office without a gym?

• Though having a home gym is extremely nice and convenient, I bring my own dumbbells, kettlebells, and elastic bands. As long as we have some open space in-home or in-office, we can make for a very productive personal training session. Backyards, patios, gardens, living rooms, and garages all work very well. No home-gym equipment is necessary for in-home personal training. 

My schedule is busy and changes all the time! Can I still work with a trainer?

• Most of my clients are executives, busy entrepreneurs, or just people running busy lives in general. Hectic schedules are welcomed! We will be able to make it work on a week-to-week basis. Try me!

How do I pay for in-home training? Monthly, or large package of sessions up front?

• Your in-home training program is billed monthly at the end of each month, for only the dates planned during the upcoming month. I do not sell large packages of sessions for the ease of accounting. I do not want to be holding onto your cash for months and months. Both of us will always know exactly how many sessions have been paid for, how many used, and how many sessions remain for each month. Most clients are training from eight to sixteen sessions per month.

• Zelle, Venmo, and cash are all accepted.

Do I pay when I travel or am out of town?

• Never, unless we book sessions over Zoom. If you need to reschedule or miss a session, I kindly ask for at least 24 hours' notice. Sessions canceled within 24 hours of the scheduled time will be considered forfeited unless in an absolute emergency or sickness. In such cases, please contact me as soon as possible, and I will ALWAYS do my best to find a solution that works for each of us. 

• I value your commitment to your fitness journey, and your consistency is key to achieving the best results. Adhering to the 24-hour notice period helps me optimize my schedule and allows me to provide the best service to all clients.

• Training on vacation through Zoom or Google Meet video calling is available. It's the second-best to bringing your trainer to the resort!

How many sessions per week is best for personal training?

• Three to four training sessions per week, at first, seems to be ideal for creating long-lasting change. This level of high-frequency helps to solidify habits when a client is new to fitness and learning to lead a healthy lifestyle. That said, schedules and economics may limit this availability to just two to three sessions per week. Fewer sessions with a trainer face-to-face translate to fewer personal touches to address and redirect behavior around food, training, sleep, and stress.

• Train in person as much as you possibly can up-front in your fitness pursuit. You can learn and retain more education by your trainer if you see them more often.  Sessions give you time with a professional to ask questions and seek clarification. Once you feel like you have a good grasp, you can always decrease the training frequency later. 

• On a maintenance level of health and wellness, two sessions per week is perfect!

How long do I need to work with a trainer to hit my goals?

• Once again, train as often of possible to build a solid foundation of health and wellness. Learn healthy habits around sleep and stress management; learn how to craft your daily and weekly meals in a healthier fashion without completely reconfiguring your diet; learn how to exercise with correct form and how to push yourself safely to become stronger.

• Muscles should get stronger week to week. Fat-loss should come in the range of one to two pounds per week.

Can I bring friends with me to my personal training sessions? married Couple Personal Training sessions?

• Yes! I welcome friends and family (and even dogs!). Partner training is more economical than paying for two separate training sessions, and provides a fun challenge to overcome together.

Is in-home personal training for seniors?

• Yes! Training is essential for all ages, but the benefits of strength and balance are most important as we age. Muscle and bone density both decline as we pass middle-age, and strength training can slow, and even reverse, both of these issues. Getting strong increases balance, improves reaction timing, and even enhances mental cognition.

Can kids train with a personal trainer?

• Yes! Kids should train for strength, even before puberty. This does not mean they will be lifting hundreds of pounds, but they should learn proper body mechanics and exercise form as early as possible. 

• Kids that strength train will run faster, jump higher, grow into proper alignment, and experience fewer injuries in their lives. Plus, physical strength carries over into mental resiliency and confidence!

What kind of accountability can I expect from Stephen?

• I will keep you accountable in whichever way(s) make sense to you. I text some clients daily, reminding them to foam roll after sitting in an office chair all day; I have some weight-loss clients send me pictures of food so we can fine-tune their nutrition; one client texts me his workout every single day (when I don't see him) so that I can ensure his strength is continuing to rise; most clients text me weekly weigh-ins; some clients send screenshots of their Woop HRV data and we can analyze their sleep quality on a regular basis.

• I will assist to my best ability in order to drive results. I am with you, shoulder to shoulder, by your side, every step of the way. I hope to raise your standard of health and excellence. We deserve the best that life has to offer.

Are Supplements necessary for progress? Protein shakes? Which pre-workout is best?

• I will always recommend a daily multi-vitamin; I like the brand Thorne, though I have no formal affiliation. Supplements should not be necessary for most people while consuming a balanced, highly nutritious diet. I would rather see you dial in the food you consume first, before resorting to supplements. Protein shakes are convenient, but you'll receive far more nutrition by eating clean, lean food sources of protein.

• Pre-workouts are loaded with caffeine and other stimulants. If you feel you "need" pre-workout to train, there are bigger issues at play. Let's talk sleep, let's talk nutrition, let's talk about stress management. Let's get healthier FIRST before taking a stimulant; the "need" for a pre-workout should then diminish.

What exercises are the best? What is the Best exercise for...?

• We will prioritize compound exercises every session. Compound exercises refer to those movements that use two or more joints to complete. Examples of these are squats, presses, pushups, rows, lunges, pullups, and deadlifts. These exercises use the most amount of muscles at one time, burn the most amount of calories each repetition, and mimic daily activities that can increase health and longevity for all ages. 

• There are many different exercises we can choose to work a given movement pattern or muscle group. The best exercises are the ones that feel good,  provide adequate tension, and can be repeated without pain. While one client may not be able to squat after low-back surgery, he may be able to lunge and complete box step-ups without pain. We will then focus on step-ups and lunges to work his leg muscles, instead of forcing him to squat.