Just Do It

Lorenzo Price

When coming up with a name for his fitness company, Lorenzo Price wanted something that conveyed energy, enthusiasm, and above all, a “no-excuses” attitude.

“‘Do It Fitness’ is the perfect name,” Price says. “It encapsulates my training and nutrition philosophy in three simple words. When it comes to getting in shape or altering your diet, I’ve found that far too many people talk about wanting to improve their fitness and eating habits while very few people actually do anything about it. The name says it all. Do It Fitness.”

This isn’t to say that Price doesn’t take the time to talk to his clients. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Upon first meeting someone he is going to work with, Price asks them to list the three goals they’d most like to meet while working with him. He then discusses the motivation behind those goals to get to the root of what a client is truly after. Quite often, the real goal is then revealed.

“For instance,” Price says. “If a client simply tells me that they want to lose weight, well, that’s a very vague goal, so I’ll keep asking questions. I’ll ask them why they want to lose weight. Sometimes, with my aging clients, they’ll say they want to lose weight because they feel tired all the time. Well, now I know that the issue isn’t so much weight loss, but energy improvement. When I press further, I’ll find out that they want to be more active with their grandchildren. A few questions later, I’ll find out that their grandchild plays tennis and they’d like to play with them. Now we have a specific goal: To be able to play tennis with the grandkids. And we’re off and running!”

Putting Philosophy Into Action

Paying attention to detail is what separates Price from other trainers in the fitness world today. Often, trainers that work at large chain gyms are only interested in the volume of clients they have, rather than the quality of training. It can be a very impersonal experience, with the trainer watching the clock more than the client to make sure they have you out in time for the next person.

“In addition to weight loss, many of my clients are dealing with some sort of shoulder, knee, hip, or lower back problem,” Price says. “With these clients, technique is important in many exercises because we don’t want to further aggravate a problem. Another benefit of watching a client’s technique is that I can see how someone may be favoring a certain area of their body. Sometimes, a lower back problem is really a lack of flexibility in the quads or hamstrings, which leads to restricted lower body movements, which puts extra pressure on the back. You need to constantly be on the lookout for these things so you can treat the right problem.”

Rope undulation workouts for extreme fitness

When you listen to Price, you get the feeling that peeling back the layers of someone’s physical fitness is just as much art as science.

On the science front, he’ll perform a body assessment on each client when they start to help determine a baseline level of fitness in several key areas. Depending on if they apply to a particular client, he’ll measure cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and endurance, injury issues, body composition, flexibility, and recovery time. When these numbers shake out, he’ll have a better idea of where a client is starting from.

Of course, not all of his clients are beginning an exercise program for the first time or have let themselves get out of shape. Many clients exercise on a regular basis but are looking to improve in a specific area or sport.

“I have helped several overweight clients lose in the range of 10 to 30 pounds,” he says. “But I have also helped younger clients pack on lean muscle mass through high calorie diets and strength training. I’ve also worked with clients who simply want to be better golfers or tennis players or swimmers. There is simply no age limit on these activities anymore. If someone has the right attitude and the right motivation, I can work with them to meet any realistic goal.”

When Fitness Meets Nutrition

While common sense dictates that diet has as much to do with overall fitness as training does, what people know and what they practice are often two remarkably different things. With this in mind, Price spends almost as much time training people how to eat properly as he does training them how to exercise.

“It does no good to train someone without revamping their diet as well if that’s an issue,” Price says. “Changing eating habits is just as important as changing exercise habits. I advise my clients to eat healthy, balanced meals filled with fruits, vegetables, fresh fish, chicken, and whole grains. The fruits and vegetables provide the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals people need to keep them healthy, while the grains, fish, and poultry provide the energy and protein.”

Price feels like he has to live the life that he recommends, which is why he says that he and his wife make a concerted effort to eat only the healthiest meals with the freshest ingredients.

“Fortunately, my wife is an excellent cook,” he says. “But for my clients who aren’t as lucky as I am, I tell them that there are plenty of options for quick, healthy meals. Even fast food restaurants have grilled chicken salads now. Also, if people don’t like cooking, I’ll advise them to make several healthy meals at once on Sunday and then put them in the fridge to be eaten throughout the week. That saves time, money, and health.”

But no matter how well someone sticks to their new diet, Price knows that they’ll need some help with supplements to make sure they’re getting the proper amount of nutrients.

“Life Extension® without a doubt has the finest supplements available today,” he says. “I recommend that all my clients become members and take advantage of the highest quality ingredients that Life Extension uses. Personally, I take Life Extension’s Whey Protein, Two-Per-Day Multi-vitamin, Branched Chain Amino Acids, and their Agave Digestive-Immune Support formula.”

With diet and exercise taken care of, there’s only one thing left: attitude.

“All I ask is that my clients give me 100% because that’s what I’m going to give them,” he says. “If we’re both giving our best, anything is possible.”

Lorenzo Price is the Fitness Director and founder of Do It Fitness, LLC, in Miami, FL.

To contact Do It Fitness, visit www.doitfitnessmiami.com.