Eric and Ariela during recent session.
Many have uttered the phrase, “I can only work out if someone forces me to.” Even top Eric Cooper Strength and Endurance Challenge contestants say that a personal trainer is a significant contributor to their success, especially if they have a pre-existing condition or do not have previous exercise experience. While doctor-recommended physical exercise sounds fun to no one, a few ECF clients have gone above and beyond their doctor’s orders.
Two top challenge contestants, Ariela and Kristen have Osteopenia, a condition caused by a lack of calcium that leads to a loss in bone mass and weakens your bones over time. If left untreated, it can lead to other health problems such as Osteoporosis, or “porous bone.” Although the loss of bone mass is not painful, Osteopenia can cause easily broken or fractured bones. Fragility is why it can be vitally important to strengthen skeletal muscles to prevent a more significant loss in bone mass. Living with Osteopenia starts with a change in lifestyle. That is why their doctor recommended Eric Cooper.
Through working with Eric for over two years now, Ariela’s condition has improved monumentally. Her doctor recommended that she start weight-bearing exercises for her bones and back. At the start, she was ” not even able to hold a plank for a minute when I first met [Eric], and now the fact that I can do four minutes now… shows that I have really improved.” Ariela talks about how the frequency of her workouts, three times a week, is a factor in her success. Some of the helpful exercises/activities that help strengthen her back and overall skeletal muscle are weighted cat/cow, superman, and hyperextension. Ariela can now do more than thirty push-ups and is continuously breaking her records.
Ariela performers 3/4 Sit-Ups with rotations.
Eric and Ariela make sure to work on her core consistently. He asks which exercises she feels have benefited her the most over their time together. Ariela says that 3/4 sit-ups with rotation, gymnast, and power ab curls have with emphasis on the power ab curls. She rotates through each of these exercises, most if not all, during each program with Eric. Ariela’s advice to those starting is, “frequent exercising is the most helpful thing. Especially if exercising was not a part of their ritual before.” Like most, Ariela had a hard time exercising before working with Eric. She knows that not everyone can afford a trainer, but recommends that if you can, it was the best way for her to force herself to work out and do it right.
Kristen Hodess ECF plank champion.
Kristen, who was diagnosed with Osteopenia back in early 2019, now holds the ECF title of Plank Champion and the record for a 6.5-minute plank. A six and a half -minute plank is seemingly impossible to most – even to Kris at first. Her advice to those seeking to accomplish this arduous task is not to count the seconds or minutes as they pass, but rather sing. Kris says that when you sing songs in your head, the time flies. She also attributes her new fitness abilities to Eric. Kris says that having a trainer helps her by “not getting away” with things that she had once convinced herself she could. Such as breaking records and pushing more than a hundred cobra push-ups. It is a lot easier to give up when you do not have someone like Eric by your side, encouraging you to keep going. Kris’ advice to anyone trying to break her record is: “You can do it! Just sing.”
Kristen performs plank during session.
With Eric Cooper Fitness, Eric pushes you to go beyond what you believe your limits to be and has you break not just your records, but national ones as well. No matter why you came, or what you are going through, ECF can genuinely challenge you in ways you did not know you were capable of doing. The Eric Cooper Fitness Challenge has gone national to engage more people like Ariela and Kristen to break the boundaries of their conditions. To learn more or sign-up, contact Eric Cooper Fitness .
Kristen and Ariela’s Osteopenia will never go away completely, but through their work with Eric, they have come a long way. Kris emphasizes that she focuses on getting stronger and healthier rather than breaking records – the records are just bonuses. Ariela says, “my body has overall become a lot stronger, which means my muscles are stronger, and therefore my bones are stronger.” All that matters is that you are doing your exercises and strengthening your muscles. That is the best thing for your body.