Jon Vinikoor on Becoming a Personal Trainer

Being a personal trainer can be an exciting and fulfilling career. Personal trainers are able to help people live healthier lifestyles by motivating and challenging them to work hard. Jon Vinikoor has been a personal trainer for 19 years and has experienced firsthand the reward of being in the fitness industry. Have you ever wanted to become a personal trainer? Jon Vinikoor would like to walk you through a few of the basic steps required to do so.

Check Yourself – The first step is to make sure you are right for the job. Are you physically fit yourself? Do you live an active and healthy lifestyle? If either of those are a ‘no,’ you probably should not be a personal trainer. But if you can honestly answer yes to those two questions, Jon Vinikoor believes you can move to the next step.

 

Understand Anatomy – Jon Vinikoor notes that it is important to understand human anatomy. Jon Vinikoor could not properly advise his clients without an in-depth knowledge of the human body. Wrong advice could cause serious injury to a person in a weight room. Jon Vinikoor points out that you will be required to have knowledge of anatomy in order to become certified.

Get Certified – Once you check off on the previous two steps, Jon Vinikoor notes that you will be required to pass certification tests. Jon Vinikoor tells people to be prepared to spend somewhere in the $300-800 range for proper certification classes and tests. Make sure you are choosing an approved and respected organization.

Jon Vinikoor on Eating Healthy at Work

Part of being a personal trainer involves eating properly, and one of the biggest complaints people have about eating healthy involves the difficulties of doing so at work. As a personal trainer for more than 19 years, Jon Vinikoor hears about this all the time. That is why Jon Vinikoor developed a simple list of ways people can eat healthy while at work.

(1) Eat Breakfast at Home

The number one mistake a person on a diet can make is to not eat breakfast. Jon Vinikoor advises people to eat a healthy, substantial breakfast in order to fight off hunger. Midmorning hunger often leads to unhealthy indulgences.  By eating breakfast at home, Jon Vinikoor believes you can avoid the fattening and unhealthy foods in the vending machine at work.

(2) More Water and Less Coffee

Jon Vinikoor tells his clients to reduce their coffee intake and increase their water intake. Coffee is full of caffeine and sugars that can be addictive. Jon Vinikoor suggests people limit themselves to one cup of coffee per morning. Jon Vinikoor notes that one glass of water can have a significant impact on your level of hunger.

(3) Don’t Eat Out

There will always be the temptation to go out to eat when at work.  Jon Vinikoor tells people to avoid this temptation by packing lunch. Replacing fast food with a healthy lunch will do wonders for your diet. Jon Vinikoor also likes to note the financial benefits of not eating out five days a week.

Jon Vinikoor Talks Arm Wrestling

Did you know that arm wrestling is a professional sport? Well it is, and Jon Vinikoor is one of the best in the business. Jon Vinikoor is a former national champion and recently placed 4^th in the world at the World Arm Wrestling Championships in Venice, Italy. Jon Vinikoor would like to provide aspiring arm wrestlers with a few tips on proper starting form.

(1) Footwork

Who would have thought footwork would be an important part of arm wrestling? Jon Vinikoor is here to tell you that it matters. Participants should place the same foot forward as the arm they are wrestling with. Right handed arm wrestlers place their right foot forward, and left handed arm wrestlers vice versa.

(2) Thumb Position

Next, Jon Vinikoor tells participants to tuck their thumb into their fingers. This gives more strength and stability to your grip. Jon Vinikoor notes that this will also help you execute a variety of specialty techniques.

(3) Position Arm and Body

While positioning your foot and thumb are key, body and arm positioning is equally as important. Jon Vinikoor tells participants to bring their abdomen close to the table for support. Participants with their right foot forward should have their right hip against the table. The inverse is true for lefties. Jon Vinikoor also keeps his arm as close to his body as possible. This gives him the optimal amount of strength.

These three tips will get you in the correct starting form for a competitive arm wrestling match. Jon Vinikoor points out that most people lose because of a lack of proper starting form.

How to Stay Motivated: Tips from Jon Vinikoor

As a certified professional trainer, Jon Vinikoor knows a thing or two about motivation. Jon Vinikoor’s job is all about developing healthy routines that will accomplish goals and keep people motivated to succeed. But staying motivated is sometimes easier said than done. How do you stay motivated in your everyday life? Jon Vinikoor would like to provide some helpful tips and tricks.

(1) Set Goals

Setting goals is the number one key to success. Jon Vinikoor requires each of his clients to set specific and realistic goals. A set of goals will allow you to remember what you are reaching for. Goals should be written down in order to provide a visual framework for the work that is to take place.

(2) Set Checkpoints

If a goal is too distant, people can lose the motivation to pursue it. Jon Vinikoor likes to set checkpoints along the way in order to make the end seem more tangible. Checkpoints provide motivation by reassuring a person that he or she is on the right track.

(3) Reward Yourself

Jon Vinikoor believes in rewarding people for accomplishments. Once you reach a checkpoint, take time to reward yourself. Rewards don’t need to be over the top, but they should be something that motivates you to keep pushing forward.

By following these three tips, Jon Vinikoor believes you can stay motivated to accomplish the goals you have set. Jon Vinikoor tells people to set goals, set checkpoints, and reward yourself for reaching milestones.  Above all else, Jon Vinikoor tells his clients to believe in themselves.

Jon Vinikoor: Rising Fitness Trends

Jon Vinikoor is a health and fitness enthusiast. Over the past nineteen years, Jon Vinikoor has served as a personal trainer to a multitude of clients. Offering a superior training service is important to Jon Vinikoor, and he has worked to obtain multiple fitness certifications through the National Personal Training Institute, Bucks Country Community College, the American Council on Exercise, and the American Aerobic Association International. Jon Vinikoor has made it his personal mission to inspire others to get in shape. Each year, Jon Vinikoor is excited to see rising fitness trends that are encouraging more people to get healthy. Jon Vinikoor highlights some of his favorite trends that are relevant this year. 

Fun runs and races. Jon Vinikoor notes that entertaining 5ks are becoming a cultural norm. Jon Vinikoor is thrilled to see more people training in order to compete in these fun activities.

Health professional collaboration. Jon Vinikoor states that a positive trend that has been prominent this year is the collaboration of nutritionists, physical therapists, physicians, and personal trainers. In the past, health professionals were working as separate entities. Now professionals are working together for the common good of each client.

Employee gyms. Jon Vinikoor has noticed the rising trend of gyms located at the office. This gives individuals the opportunity to engage in physical activity on their lunch break, before work, or after work.

Small group training. Jon Vinikoor notes that small group training is on the rise, which is a great fitness option. Small groups will hold individuals accountable, while providing them with a social and supportive atmosphere.

Health & Fitness: Jon Vinikoor

Jon Vinikoor is a distinguished and highly recognized professional in the health and fitness industry. Over the past nineteen years, Jon Vinikoor has served as a personal trainer with multiple certifications through the National Personal Training Institute, the American Council on Exercise, Bucks County Community College, and the American Aerobic Association International. In 2008, Jon Vinikoor was inducted into the Cambridge Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals. Jon Vinikoor is definitely a leader in the health and fitness realm. Over the years, Jon Vinikoor has witnessed the same health and fitness lies tainting the minds of his clients. Jon Vinikoor reveals some of these common lies that are prominent in the industry. 

Sweating and heat makes you eliminate toxins. Jon Vinikoor notes that hot yoga and other activities that focus on eliminating toxins from the body are sweeping the exercise market. Jon Vinikoor states that sweat glands are on the skin and are not connected to any other systems in the body—so you are not eliminating waste when engaging in these activities, just salt and water.

Low fat is healthy. Jon Vinikoor has noticed the trend of low fat options being offered at the supermarket. Jon Vinikoor warns that diet foods are not healthy! Generally, foods that are labeled “low fat” are processed and loaded with synthetic chemicals to add flavor. Instead of reaching for diet foods, go for natural options instead. People should not fear fat because good fats are crucial for our health. Foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oils are all high in fat, but offer our body necessary nutrients.

Building Morale: Jon Vinikoor

Jon Vinikoor is a highly effective and talented personal trainer. With over nineteen years of experience working in the industry, Jon Vinikoor has worked with every type of client. Jon Vinikoor offers personalized fitness plans that can help clients with weight loss, firming and toning, flexibility, balance, muscle strength, aerobic fitness, core stabilization, endurance training, sport-specific training, bodybuilding, nutrition, and injury rehab. Although Jon Vinikoor possesses the skill and knowledge to help his clients meet their fitness goals, the client must have the personal drive to succeed. One of the most important aspects of Jon Vinikoor’s job is to always increase the morale among his clients. Here Jon Vinikoor offers tips on how to effectively build morale in others.

State your expectations. Jon Vinikoor notes that as a trainer he must communicate with his clients what he expects of them and vice versa. Once expectations have been communicated, both parties are clear about what they are required to do, what goals they want to achieve, and how they plan to achieve them.

Accountability. Jon Vinikoor recommends that trainers form an accountability expectation with their clients. Both parties need to agree on what their expected performance is and what the consequences will be if they fail to meet the requirements. It is important that the consequence does not negatively affect morale—accountability is simply meant to motivate.

Reward. Jon Vinikoor states that having consequences is crucial; however, having rewards is equally important. Clients should consistently be rewarded for positive behaviors. Reinforcing favorable actions will help increase long-term morale.