If the thought of walking around shirtless ( for guys, of course ) next summer at the annual Northalsted Market Days—with others' eyes amazed at your sculpted physique—entices you, there's something for you, and it is only a phone call away. Seriously.
Or at least that's the first step...and an integral part of Fitness By Phone ( FBP ) , a revolutionary, high-tech approach to fitness training, supported by 25 years of research.
'Fitness By Phone can be the last stop on the road to getting and staying fit, so it's not an annual New Year's starting-over process,' said Tiffany Crate, a Master Fitness By Phone coach and director of Chicago-based TLC Fitness Consulting.
'The reason New Year's resolutions are so exhausting is that people assume they have to go to the end of what I call 'the learning line,'' she said. 'I myself never, ever want to feel as though I have to start all over at the beginning of each calendar year. Why would I want that ugly feeling for my clients? Instead, I show people how to settle comfortably on a continuum of wellness, accepting where they're at on any given day and striving to do the best they can for themselves, given their particular set of circumstances.
'Fitness By Phone is very good at making people accountable once and for all, so they don't have to start all over each and every year. The reason Fitness By Phone is so effective is that it gives people structure and accountability.'
The Fitness By Phone method of coaching ( $399 per month, with programs of three and six months ) empowers people to take personal responsibility for their health and fitness programs through a regular telephone appointment with an expert coach combined with activity monitors and self-documentation. Self-documented reports are e-mailed or faxed to Crate before the weekly phone call.
Clients also use activity monitors to gather data on their calorie expenditure and heart-rate intensity.
Windy City Times recently spoke with Crate, who is one of a few hundred coaches trained to practice FBP in North America. She has coached more than 30 men and women, with most ranging in age from 30-70. She said clients have ranged from writers and singers to CEOs.
Crate was named the 2003 Rookie of the Year by the Association of Fitness By Phone Coaches ( AFBP ) and the 2004 Coach of the Year.
Crate will speak this July in San Diego at World IDEA, the largest international fitness conference.
Windy City Times: How is FBP superior to conventional training?
Tiffany Crate: Clients achieve their goals faster with less contact and cost. There's flexibility, meaning that clients do not have to work out at a certain time of day. There's also versatility; thus, there's no dependence on certain equipment. In addition, FBP involves immediate objectivity, so there's no more simply hoping you get a good workout. And, finally, FBP promotes independence and autonomy, and helps remove the baby-sitter syndrome.
In short, conventional training does not hold people accountable to their exercise programs. FBP does.
WCT: Why is FBP a good idea for the LGBT community?
TC: When it comes to health and fitness, gay people are no different from straight people—there are some who are very committed to their workouts and healthy eating habits, and others who are sedentary and have atrocious eating habits.
The sedentary, chronic-soda-drinking contingent is the one who is most in need of my Fitness by Phone coaching intervention. I'm able to motivate them in a non-intimidating way that makes exercise a fun game of numbers and goal-setting.
The super-fit contingent can benefit greatly, too. Sure, they may not need my motivation to begin, but they can—and do—use my expertise to take their good habits to next level. Perhaps they're preparing for a marathon or triathlon, and need to pay attention to zone-specific heart rate training … well, I help clients with this all the time.
WCT: Why not just hire a personal trainer?
TC: FBP addresses the problem of a person growing dependent on his or her personal trainer's physical presence to the point that he or she will only exercise when in a session with the trainer. Such an individual has become dependent on a person, a place, a time, and a certain routine in order for the workout to happen. In the personal training world, we call that being an adult baby-sitter to our clients and it's not pleasant. Those of us who truly value our professional acumen do not succumb to that kind of relationship with our clients. Not only does it cause burnout for the personal trainer—it is terribly enabling for the client.
Fitness By Phone takes away that dependence because the activity monitors and fitness diary become your personal trainer, 24/7—you are self-motivated. Once a person gets a taste of success with being his own personal trainer, the momentum builds and the person feels extremely empowered to carry on.
WCT: How long do FBP clients typically work with you?
TC: Anywhere from three to six months, or beyond. I have a maintenance program that I can shift a client to after he or she has mastered the basics. Appointments become further and further apart. Clients really like this because it gives them another reason to stay committed to their good habits.
WCT: What is discussed on the weekly phone calls, and who calls who?
TC: The client phones me, to encourage the client to be proactive. And we have a standing appointment time.
[ During ] the first half of the call, we discuss the past week—specifically in what ways they met, exceeded or fell short of their goals. The second half of the call, we prepare for the upcoming week, and we do it to the letter. It's extremely specific; nothing is left to guessing. We lay out exactly how many calories they are going to burn in each of their workouts that we've designated and also how many calories I want them to try to shoot for in their daily, non-workout movements.
WCT: The FBP process involves two high-tech aspects—the heart-rate monitor and the Caltrac. Talk about those.
TC: The Caltrac is worn during all waking hours. It's a two-inch by two-inch square gadget worn on your waistband, like a pager. It tabulates the amount of movement that's felt at the person's center of gravity: the pelvis. It adjusts to the person's age, sex, height and weight, thus making it more accurate than the console of a cardio machine in determining the amount of calories burned.
The heart-rate monitor is worn during cardio workouts. It has a transmitter and a receiver. Part is worn around your chest, and part is worn on your wrist.
We have a 75-95 percent success rate with keeping people committed to their workout program after the coaching has ended, and that's a lot higher than personal training success rates. I know I'm really making a difference in people's lives, and that's rewarding.
WCT: Do the workouts that you design have to be done at a local gym, where the environment can be very intimidating?
TC: No. Absolutely not. Home-based exercises are very effective. In fact, you don't even need to go to a gym. People tend to default to the assumption that you have to go to a gym to work out, but that's not true. I teach clients to be versatile with their workouts; I teach them to work out in any place at all. I can give people a full strength-training program that they can do at home with minimal equipment.
For more information on Tiffany Crate's Fitness By Phone, see www.tlcfitness.net .
