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Kris Gethin is a well known name in the fitness industry. He has also been connected with Better Bodies for years as both an ambassador and close friend with CEO Michael Johansson.

Michael decided to take a trip to Boise to catch up with Kris, where they among workouts and other fun, also recorded an episode for Kris Gethins "

 they dive into what it takes to build a successful fitness brand as well as the latest from Better Bodies HQ, Destination Dallas. Listen to the end to hear what's next for fitness' premiere apparel line and what's coming with the BRAND NEW Destination Dallas gym.

Here is what Michael says about the interview and the importance of keeping a positive mindset to be successful in life:

"My long time friend Kris Gethin invited me to my first podcast interview. It was a blast and I can't thank him enough for all the great things he do through his KagedMuscle and Knowledge & Mileage Communities, and the valuable addition he is to our GASP and Better Bodies teams.

Kris asked great questions during his interview and I'm sure there is some good take outs for those who wants to have insight to our journey. BUT I want to emphasize that the label of success always comes from within, and it is up to each and everyone of us to feel and decide what that means.

To me success can only be found in our own purpose and passion.

In other words my only advice is that you should always make your own decision around what success is for you.

I strongly believe that positive things only happens to positive people and that true happiness and real success can never be found in negative thoughts and surroundings.

One of the important parts of being successful for me is that we have been around for some 30 years doing what we do navigating both though hard times as well as good times.

I always felt successful on the inside during our 30 years even in our worst of times. This feeling is priceless, especially when you need it the most (like in though times).

We all have our individual circumstances, but If I go to myself I'm just trying to live by our WHY to change the world to a better place through fitness.

I'm trying my best to have a positive impact on anyone I meet on my journey traveling trough life preaching and practicing fitness.

To me it doesn't matter whether those I meet are 80 years old or 8, whether they are advanced and competing in Bodybuilding on an Olympia level or totally un-trained or obese. I feel the same purpose and passion even if my participation in the dialogues could be completely different.

We can all affect each other and our surroundings in a positive way when it comes to leading the way, in some shape or form, for a better life (and world) trough fitness.

. He has some unique and amazing guests that together with Kris has been a great inspiration for my own development."

Building a Successful Fitness Brand 

Quinlin Caltabiano discovered athletics and the satisfaction and camaraderie of competition in high school sports. Shortly after turning 16, earning a varsity position and having a peak in strength and performance in general Quinlin was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukemia. Aggressive treatment ensued along with the extensive toll it took on his body.

"I lost a bunch of weight and nearly lost (the battle) a few times. Once I was in remission I never wanted to be that weak again."

Quinlin made a full recovery, bounced back and continued strength training all the while moving to Texas, graduating from Texas Tech and becoming a police officer for the Garland Police Department. He wants to share his story and inspiration with as many people as possible that can take away something positive from it. Check it out and follow him here and on instagram 

Quinlin Caltabiano – Bettering Yourself

Kyle Cavnar is a successful Personal Trainers operating out of our Better Bodies Home Gym, Destination Dallas Texas. We asked Kyle to elaborate on the topic of Personal Trainers and how to hire the one that is right for YOU.

Do you want to avoid hiring the wrong personal trainer and potentially save thousands of dollars and months of frustration? Read this article... I promise it’s worth the 5 minutes.

You’ve decided to invest in yourself and hire a personal trainer that is going to help you achieve these ambitious fitness goals… AWESOME! But, you’re not sure what questions to ask and how to know if someone is indeed a good, great, phenomenal, or HORRIFIC personal trainer and, unfortunately in this industry, you will find all the above. I'm here to help you filter all this down and find the RIGHT trainer for you all while avoiding weeks or even months of wasted time and money.

After 19 years of personal training in many different atmospheres and around many different trainers, I’m here to clear the air once and for all and definitively lay out EXACTLY what you need to watch for when hiring a personal trainer regardless if it’s your first, third, or tenth. After reading this article, you will be able to detect the telltale signs right away that will help deter you from someone who doesn’t care about providing a proper service and will likely be a poor investment and instead land the RIGHT trainer who will help you reach those ambitious goals.

**NOT ALL CERTIFICATIONS ARE THE SAME. Unlike some industries that have strict governing oversight and regulation, personal trainer certifications are handed out way too easily from way too many organizations. There are literally hundreds of ‘PT cert’ companies so you MUST find out which one they have. Need help figuring out if their cert is ranked among the top in the field or if it is nonsense? Email me and I will help. If you can find a trainer that invested into a Bachelor’s Degree or even Master Degree in a related field, they will likely have a great understanding of human anatomy, bio-mechanics, exercise physiology, and program development. Some may argue this, but all the best trainers I’ve known have years if not decades of education and have invested $10’s if not $100’s of thousands into furthering their knowledge. A trainer who spent three days getting certified cannot compete with that, it’s apples and oranges.

You should be able to get a hold of your trainer on a regular basis. A personal trainer is a large financial investment and this single person is supposed to help you potentially change your entire life physically, mentally, psychologically, and even your daily habits that may be exactly what’s holding you back. IF YOU CANNOT GET A HOLD OF YOUR TRAINER, FIRE THEM. Even the busiest, most successful trainer will schedule time into their calendar to get back to clients in a timely manner. This goes for in person and online training; at times, there may legitimately be something that comes up and there could be a delay, but unless that trainer is in the ER and unable to reply, you should be hearing from them. There’s no such thing as a trainer who’s so busy they put their own clients on the back burner. Remember; YOU HIRED THEM. They WORK for you! I’ve seen many clients of trainers play the victim card in this situation; “He’s just so busy, I’ll just try again next week.” I promise you, 99.99% of the time, a trainer can get back to you on time. It’s their job. 

There’s no job in the world where a good boss would allow a 24 – 48 hour delayed reply and not address it. You are the trainer’s boss…you need to address it.

**I would say this is equally as important as education; Our jobs as trainers is a unique one; we’re a Jack / Jill of all trades. Those of us who truly love our job will ooze passion and positive energy with zero effort. We simply love what we do and who we do it with, and hopefully where we do it at. If you have an appointment with your trainer or an online check in chat, you should be excited to chat with them and feed off their energy. Some trainers are of course more stern in their approach and vocabulary, but it’s because the good ones’ care and they WANT YOU TO SUCCEED. It’s literally why we go into this business; We want to make a decent living helping people achieve their health and fitness goals and gain your referrals to continue expanding our business and helping more people. 

No one gets their trainer certification so they can mope around the gym and look like they don’t give a shit. ***If you see this or if this is YOUR trainer, they’ve lost their passion, their drive to do well, and likely have also lost interest in your own goals.

 This is so toxic and such an uncomfortable situation for many clients, but YOU MUST WALK AWAY if you find yourself in this scenario. I don’t care if the trainer is a close friend, your nephew, or your own significant other; if the trainer isn’t delivering the service they promised, fix it and / or get your money back and find a new trainer.

**Here in Dallas, we have what’s called D Magazine and once a year they feature all the top businesses, restaurants, doctors / surgeons, and pretty much any other type of establishment or service you could think of. It’s an impressive list of professionals featured in an impressive magazine and those who make it on this list boast about it online and at their place of work. It all comes down to this; A great place of business is going to be BUSY. That’s why they’re ranked the best! They have clients, booked schedules, maybe even a waiting list. It might even be hard to get an appointment scheduled if you wait until it’s too late. 

A PERSONAL TRAINER IS NO DIFFERENT; If they’re busy, that’s a great sign!

 That means people like them and keep coming back. It means they’re providing a service that clients enjoy and are bringing new friends along. It’s literally one of the easiest ways to tell whether someone is a good trainer or not. Now, there are many great trainers who don’t have booked schedules simply because they don’t want to or have other obligations. That’s totally okay. But for millions of people across the world in a typical gym setting, you probably notice that only 1-4 trainers are ‘killing it’ with their business and always seem to be working. It’s not by mistake and it’s not by chance. Those trainers WORKED HARD to get to that level of demand. You might want to talk to them about training.

 As a trainer, I take my job VERY seriously and treat my service as if my place of work was the White House, a surgery center, or freaking NASA. I must be ON MY GAME when I am in the gym and so does your trainer. As I mentioned in a previous statement, your trainer should be oozing positive energy and excitement for you and your goals. They are the driving force behind what will finally get you past those barriers you can’t seem to break down on your own or simply need that last push to cross the finish line. Let me be very clear about this; 

If your trainer gossips, loves spreading rumors, flirts with other gym members during your session, has no game plan, and, my BIGGEST pet peeve, never gets off their PHONE, THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR GOALS. FIRE THEM IMMEDIATELY!

 Let’s be honest, being a personal trainer is an awesome job; we go to work in fitness clothing, we do what we love, we’re compensated fairly, and our client’s lives alter for the better…it’s literally a win-win-win situation. If any trainer does not realize the opportunity they have right in front of them, it’s best they just throw in the towel and find a job that maybe doesn’t require them to motivate others.

Let’s say your trainer checks off all these boxes; they have the education, the energy, the focus, the drive, and they’re in demand. That’s awesome! But I’ll tell you this; y'all must be able to ‘click'. Maybe that means as friends, maybe it means something in a more professional sense. But y'all should be able to get along. At least for the hour you’re training. I don’t mean you and your trainer need to go grab lunch every Friday and watch the football game each weekend. But just like we pick our friends because we get along with certain people, I’ve always found it much easier to do business with people that share the same sense of humor and attitude. Naturally, I love enjoying a few good laughs or discussing my client’s newest real estate investment. A trainer should enjoy my time with my clients and a client should be able to click with their trainer as well; many times, a great personal trainer becomes a close friend. I’ve had many clients over the years become long lasting friends and that in return has yielded many referrals which I converted to clients. It’s the cycle of a great business!

 to avoid when hiring a personal trainer.

Not good at replying to calls, texts, emails.

Always on their phone when they’re supposed to be training

Loves talking about themselves excessively when they should be focused ON YOU.

Focuses on the ‘cute’ person in the gym or their friends instead of you the client.

Can’t seem to keep their private life private and want to tell you everything. Watch out for this one; If your trainer gets too comfortable as y'all become friends, don’t let them loose their professionalism. They’re still there to kick your butt. If you ask how are things outside of work, it’s understandable to chat about it. But if they continue to bring up unrelated topics and personal matters, ask them to stop.

Doesn’t keep track of payments, progress, or have any rhyme or reason behind their methods. When you ask why you’re performing certain exercises, they have no explanation or understanding of basic bio-mechanics and anatomy.

Doesn’t seem to care about your goals or can’t remember them.

The trainer is disrespectful and / or uncomfortable to be around.

The trainer is clearly not putting your goals first and is just trying to meet a sales quota. DON’T FALL FOR THIS; NEVER make personal training a financial burden upon yourself because some trainer or their manager pressured you to buy 5 sessions a week for 6 months with them. NEVER ALLOW THIS. ALWAYS STAY WITHIN A BUDGET AND KNOW WHAT THAT BUDGET IS BEFORE DISCUSSING NUMBERS. Unfortunately, many big box gyms and many selfish trainers focus firstly on money, then on clients; they really don’t care if you achieve your goals as long as you keep paying. 

A GOOD TRAINER WILL HELP YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU’RE ABLE TO COMFORTABLY INVEST. This is so important, if you take anything away from this article, please remember this one.

Share your thoughts and experiences with us! What do you look for when hiring a trainer? Find me on IG @kyle_cavnar and let me know!

What To Think About When Hiring A Personal Trainer

As a kid I always had a lot of energy and growing up in a small town with not so much to do, it was hard to challenge that energy. That made me get into a lot of fights and after a while my mom got sick of it and took me to a boxning academy. when I started being physically active my life changed a lot. I now used my energy in boxing instead of getting in to trouble.

When I got older I wanted to do something else and boxing had been a big part of my life, so I knew I wanted to keep pushing it in sports. Going to the gym alone isn't really me so I googled and found something called CrossFit. After watching a few YouTube videos I just got hooked and went to the closest CrossFit box to sign up. Since then it has just been an awesome ride.

I just wanna start by telling everyone that says "I could do that if i had the time." that you sure need more than just time. I've been so broke that I had to choose which meal I could eat, which bill to pay or not. I've even been homeless. It takes more than just time. For me it has always been about not regretting it when I get old. I want to know that I did it when I had the chance to do it. It's not about how good I get, it's about knowing that I took advantage of the opportunity when i had it.

By focusing on boxing and later CrossFit I learned how to control my energy and be more active and more focused in everything I do i life. It made a huge impact that is just for the better for me.

When you start focusing on something wholeheartedly you lose some and you win some. The people who understand your determination to your sport will push you and wants to give you all the love they can to help you. And that's all that matters.

family who's always tried to support as much as they can. My mom is a superhero

Next up for me is just keep training and trying to be part of the top competitions around Europe - and stay there for as long as I enjoy it.

John Plogell - From Boxing to CrossFit

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Better Bodies athlete Chase Bergner shares his story of how he got into fitness, who inspired him along the way and how fitness saved his life.

Chase Bergner - Byou

This is what the fitness lifestyle means to Cici Benjaminson.

What does the fitness lifestyle mean to you?

Cecilia Benjaminson - The Fitness Lifestyle

"It is fun to workout together. That's the process that makes it more fun. To watch each other develop and be a part of it! The adrenaline gets higher when you push each other to get better and that for me is the fun part."

Måns Petterson and Felix Månson talk about why they started Cross Fit, what they love about it, and what they are training for.

BYou: Måns & Felix - Why We Train

"Actually I started working out because me and my buddies were going to Mexico one year and i didn't want to be fat on the beach."

It doesn't matter why or how you get introduced to training and being active. It only matter that you start. Blaine Cockrell got a fire to start lifting because he didn't want "to be fat on the beach." He got addicted and decided to stick with it through active military duty which later complemented his fireman career. Later he decided to compete as a bodybuilder and he is now preparing for his professional debut in Puerto Rico.

We find out Blaines "why" and his motivation to stay in shape and build on what he has done this far. What is your why?

Beach Body to Pro Bodybuilder

"I could not live without passion. It would be very sad."

Cezar Zulewski is the Nordic Bodybuilding Champion and has his sights eagerly set on the European Championships and his professional status.

Cezar and his girlfriend Sandra approach training with eyes set on the process and all of the benefits that go with the active lifestyle along with the obvious physical benefits in terms of development.

"There are so many things that are great about this lifestyle. When you think of it all it makes you not want to quit."

Live with Passion - Cezar Zulewski

9 years ago, Nina Åberg was on her bicycle on the way to work in central Stockholm, Sweden. She stopped at a red light and when the light turned green a big truck in the lane next to her made a turn as she was proceeding straight ahead. Nina got drug under the moving truck while witnesses screamed and signaled to the truck driver to stop.

“I realized I was going to get hit so I tried to push myself away from the truck, but I lost and went straight under it.”

Nina had over 20 fractures in her lower leg and after 3 weeks at the hospital she was told that

“The accident made me realize how strong I actually am. The one who benefits the most from you being as strong and good as you possibly can is yourself!”

She couldn’t run or jump anymore so when trying to find an alternative form of cardio that would be

possible with her prosthetic leg Nina decided to become a spinning instructor. Nina loves music and being a spinning instructor comes with the perk of being able to choose the music for the class, in addition to that, she gets to inspire people; which she enjoys.

The accident has helped me to inspire people, to never give up, and to make the best out of what you have. I can’t run anymore – but I can do spinning classes – and I became good at it.”

Nina also hit the weights in the gym approximately 5 x per week. In 2018 she won the Better Bodies

Transformation Challenge. This challenge was free to attend, and the winner was chosen 50/50 based on physical transformation and lifestyle changes. Nina’s before and after pictures shows an impressive transformation.

“My weight was the same before and after but I had changed my diet, I ate more and healthier. It was a great experience for me to see that bodyweight doesn’t really matter; you can weigh exactly the same,

just shift your fat weight for muscle – so that’s what I did. And then I won!”

Nina won a trip to …destination Dallas Texas and she chose to make the trip around her 40th birthday

in September 2019. We are looking forward to welcoming Nina to our home base gym!

Nina Åberg - Finding True Strength

Follow our Norwegian Better Bodies ambassador and bikini fitness competitor Karianne Ramberg during one day. Karianne is working within the field of mental health and as a fitness coach, and she’s especially passionate about how the body and mind interact.

 My alarm goes off at the same time as my brain goes FML and I hit the snooze button. I probably hit that button about three times before I drag myself out of bed. As you might guess I'm not exactly a morning person.

I work within the child protective services in Norway, specifically with adolescents who lives at institutions. I ”move in” with them for four days, have seven days off, move back in for three days and get another seven days off. I truly love working with all these awesome adolescents! That's  also the reason why I'm usually able to get up as late as around 8:30 AM.

 At this point I have cuddled all the fur of my dog, let her out in the backyard, and it's time to make breakfast. I always make oatmeal, and this must be my absolute favorite meal of the day. I just love oatmeal. Try my recipe and you will see why!

Sugar Free Sweetener (if you have a sweet tooth)

Mix the oats, cinnamon, and cardamom (add spices to liking). Add water and heat it up in the microwave or on the stove. As it starts to boil add 1–2 tablespoons of peanut butter and mix. When it's all done, sprinkle with sweetener and frozen raspberries. Mix the protein with water or milk, drink on the side or use it as topping. Bon appetit!

 I enjoy my oatmeal under the blankets on my couch while I watch my guilty pleasure on TV, Dr Phil (yeah... I know, I know).

 Now, it's Kira's (my dogs) time. We usually head up into the woods for a one hour power walk. Besides boxing on a punching bag, this is my favorite type of cardio. There is just something peaceful with being outside in the fresh air with my best friend.

 It's time for the first lunch of the day. My lunch usually consist of lean meat, rice, and whatever vegetables I have at hand.

As soon as I’m done eating I start meal prepping for the next 3–4 days.

Sometimes I prep every meal besides breakfast, or just some of them. It all depends on how busy my schedule is going to be the upcoming days. Meal prepping saves me so much time and makes it easier to eat healthy. Not to mention how it helps me keep focus on whatever task I’m doing. A hungry mind is a distracted mind.

 It's time for my lunch number two. Three lovely crispbreads with boiled eggs. Yummy…

 Kira and I patrol the neighborhood. We take this very seriously.

 Dinner time! I like to mix it up and be creative when it comes to my dinners. I eat everything from tacos (with homemade salsa, fat free quark/greek yogurt, and guacamole) to lean meat/fish with rice/pasta/sweet potatoes, and vegetables. There are so many delicious and healthy food options out there, and plenty of creative meal options to make. As we say in Norway “the only boundary is our creativity”.

 I turn up the music as I start to get ready to hit the gym. I dance around from one room to the other as I gather up my things. Kira is super excited about my pre-workout dancing and always joins in. She's not so impressed by my singing for some reason though... We pick out my training outfit for the day and head over to the gym.

 The PWO has kicked in and it's game time!

 I have my post workout shake and a medium sized banana. Sometimes I treat myself a little extra and have a protein chocolate bar instead.

 Trying to walk down the stairs from the gym.

 I'm home enjoying some fat free quark/greek yogurt mixed with sugar free lemonade and cinnamon while I work with my online coaching clients. I love to end my day with this as I get so inspired by all the amazing people out there who are taking control of and changing their lives.

 I curl into bed as after using every little bit of willpower that I have by not letting Kira join me in bed. If you saw her eyes you would know what I'm talking about. True willpower…

One Day With Fitness Athlete Karianne Ramberg

Bryant and I met 7yrs ago (2012) at a dance club in Dallas. We both had and still have a mutual love for EDM/House Music. He was new to the area after recently moving for Arizona for work and I was a working single mom of my soon to be 2yr old son, Jayden. Our “dates” started off as workout sessions in the gym. He had already been a part of the fitness industry for 10yrs working various corporate positions for large gym chains, and I was all very green to it all. Bryant literally laid the foundation of who I am today as a Fitness Professional. After seeing each other for a little while we decided to move in together. Fast forward to 2014 we had our daughter, Blyss. Then shortly after on Valentines Day, 2015 Bryant proposed to me on stage in front one of our favorite DJs, Paul Van Dyk which was completely spontaneous!! Then 4yrs later here we are spontaneously getting married!!

Between us becoming engaged to now I began competing again at the amateur level and after only 3 figure shows (2 of them National Level) I arose to become an IFBB Figure Pro at the 2016 NPC Nationals in Miami. I’ve placed Top 5-10 in every Pro Show since. Also after taking a 5yr break from competing Bryant came out of retirement and started competing again in the Classic Physique Division. Taking 2 back to back overalls his first year back in 2017. Bryant is still fighting himself up the ranks to earn his IFBB Pro Card as well.

Besides family life and competing we also own a very successful personal training business, Polished Symmetry and Aesthetics Personal Training. We offer a variety of services like one-on-one Personal Training, group training, competition prep, posing and more... This is what we do full time and how we provide for our family 🙂

I thought our outfits for our late decided wedding would be perfect in representing who we are as a couple and what we love to do!!

I’ve been apart of and have been a representation of 

 the last 3 years. Bryant and I absolutely love the brand!! We share it with others, wear it to local events, (and our own wedding) buy as gifts for ourselves and others because they are comfortable, unique and trendy!