Personal trainer Alex Vasileski made his mission perfectly clear toward the end of his interview with Windy City Times.
"I see myself as a protector," he said. "In fact, 'Alex' means 'protector of men.'"
The extremely affable ( and fit ) Vasileski—who is originally from Macedonia ( much like the legendary hero Alexander the Great ), but grew up in northwest Indiana—sees himself as a defender of underdogs and ally to many, including the LGBT community. In addition, he is also a fighter, having beaten cancer—twice, and he sees establishing a new system of health and wellness in Chicago as the ultimate challenge.
Windy City Times: What would you say is your mission?
Alex Vasileski: Well, I would say that my mission is to create a sustainable lifestyle for people through health and wellness, but it's customized for their lives; it's not this cookbook approach to health and wellness.
I believe it starts with the mind because with any change in life, we have to make that change [in the head] first, and then we can work with the outer body. But I also believe in creating this for everyone, not just one person. That's why I'm glad you reached out, because I'm a huge advocate for the LGBT community, for sure. It's been one of my passions for years.
I've had people who've reached out to me because certain trainers won't work with them because of their skin color or sexual orienation—and that breaks my heart. It's about creating a lifestyle that brings people together. Life is way too short to be negative.
I know what struggle is like. I'm a two-time cancer survivor.
WCT: Yes—I saw that on your website. Can you talk about that a bit?
Alex Vasileski: Sure. It's one of my biggest passions; I work with Imerman Angels [which provides personalized connections that enable one-on-one support among cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers] and I'm a motivational speaker. I had non-Hodgkins lymphoma twice, so I know what it's like to feel like you don't options and that it's overwhelming. Having cancer has made me the man I am today.
I try to get people to understand what their personal GPS is—and to get them to figure what their effect on the world is.
We have a gym here [at A Mind and Body Fitness, 321 N. Clark St.] that's about 2,500 square feet. However, I would say about 60 percent of our business involves taking our equipment to peoples' homes; a lot of condos and apartment buildings have nice-sized gym rooms now. Membership is decreasing at big-box gyms because people don't want to work out there anymore. So we decided to deliver an education through an integrity-based program. Right now, we're the only company I know right now that offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on our services if you're not happy. The best marketing for me is word of month.
I've been a personal trainer for 12 years, and I've seen people treated like they're in assembly lines, with nothing specialized for them. People end up getting taken that way. I'm looking for a paradigm shift, especially in Chicago; I figure if I can do it here, I can do it anywhere.
WCT: Why is Chicago, or the Midwest, so tough?
Alex Vasileski: Chicago is our big city in the Midwest and it feels like a big town; it doesn't feel like New York City or L.A. to me, where there's so much accessibility to things that are healthy.
Chicago is not quite there in terms of progressive health and fitness. I mean, look at our restaurants. Our social circles are around restaurants and bars, and they're very savory and unhealthy, for the most part. There are some great new ones now—LYFE Kitchen, Protein Bar—but that's not where people are hanging out at night. It's about being overindulged here.
Also, we get great weather only about four months here; the rest of the time, people are bundled up and they pack on the pounds. We have depressed moods during the [colder] times of the year. Restaurants also use lighting strategy, dimming the lights so people feel depressed more and eat more.
WCT: I profile restaurants for Windy City Times. One of the things I notice is that people eat what's put in front of them. It's tricky because we were taught to eat everything on our plates—and I still don't know to this day how that helps people in Africa.
Alex Vasileski: [Laughs] Right! A lot of people go in there and overindulge—and the next thing they know, they've had 2,500-3,000 calories between meals and drinks. But that's why I want to change things in Chicago. Also, considering we're right by the water, we barely use that waterfront for anything.
Plus, education is important—and that's one thing about Chicagoans: They want to know what's going on. I believe that education will lead to sustainability.
People don't need me forever, and I don't want them to. I have people who come back to me once in a while, and that's fine. But my goal is to have you for a while, get you to change and be strong in yourself.
By the way, I do believe in a team approach to trying and succeeding. Michael Jordan once said, "I can deal with failure. I just can't deal with not trying." I love that saying. If you're trying as hard as you can and you still fail, did you really fail? You've gained so much. You just have to recognize it.
WCT: Now how does your nutrition program work?
Alex Vasileski: Well, it depends on the person. Sometimes people don't like to cook, or they don't have time. We have to teach them certain tricks, like manipulating menus and how to shop in a grocery store. We need to find out what functional foods work for you. It's about controlled restriction.
I may have to come into your home and get rid of some of those tempting foods. Maybe we have to put labels on some of them based on the rules YOU make for them—such as "I can only have this when I achieve that." It's very helpful, and it works on your drive therapy—you knew that was your goal.
The other thing that's important is rapport. If you and I don't have rapport, you'll have no sense of accountability or trust, and the program will fail. I want my clients to feel safe with me.
WCT: Which do you feel is more important: nutrition or fitness?
Alex Vasileski: Definitely nutrition; 80 percent of what we do happens in the kitchen. People ask me, "How do I get abs?" It starts in the kitchen. Food can be your medicine; it was mine.
I was told I was going to die [when I had cancer]. So I went through chemo, radiation, stem-cell transplant. When you go through stem-cell transplant, it feels like one of the worst things; you're in a hospital bed for days. And then what do they feed you? Jell-O? That's supposed to help?
So I changed my [routine]. Western medicine is absolutely needed but...
WCT: So what do you eat now?
Alex Vasileski: I ate all raw food in the hospital. Even to this day, I don't cook any of my vegetables, most of my protein comes from vegetables and I do have some animal protein, but it's green-fed instead of grass-fed. I have no red meat, and I drink herbal teas. I believe in acupuncture and meditation, and I teach tai chi.
WCT: So you like a mix of Western and Eastern methods.
Alex Vasileski: Yes. I believe Western is the Coast Guard and Eastern is the lifeguard. Eastern medicine can keep us healthy on a daily basis, but for more acute issues bring in the Coast Guard.
We need to make sure we become our own advocates. We go to the doctors and take their word as gold. Doctors are wonderful at what they do—but you know yourself better than anyone else, and I tell my clients that every day.
WCT: Going back to what you advise your clients, including the food-labeling, it would seem that some would be afraid of reverting to old habits.
Alex Vasileski: You know, that conversation has come about. What you do is create a transition plan for them—I'm always here for them. Just because you don't pay any more doesn't mean you stop being a client.
WCT: And your prices are stated on your website?
Alex Vasileski: Sometimes. But the thing is we don't turn anyone away. If pricing is an issue, we'll figure it out. We have a scholarship program through LLS [Leukemia Lymphoma Society] for people who are cancer survivors and want to get their fitness back. We're also looking to launch with other programs, including the Center on Halsted.
WCT: I did not know that.
Alex Vasileski: Yeah! One of my trainers has been talking with the Center about free programs. Some people don't have the means to have someone help them. Does that mean they don't deserve it? No.
If there's a will, there's a way—and I'll find it. I'm in my clients' corner whenever they need me. I'm putting the "personal" back in "personal training."
WCT: Could you contrast the two times you found out you had cancer?
Alex Vasileski: Well, it's tough. The first time you're very blinded; the second time, you know exactly what's coming and you know how tough it is, except I didn't deal with stem cell the first time, when I was 17. ( I was 25 the second time. ) But I'm not just a survivor—I'm cancer-free, and I attribute that to my lifestyle, the positivity in my life and the people I keep in my life.
However, one thing not many people talk about is survivors' guilt. You've sat next to children with chemo for weeks and months, and they're not here—but you are. It's very tough. There isn't a day that I don't think about those people I sat next to. You get better [dealing with] it, but sometimes you do wonder, "Why me?" But I push out as much awareness as possible; that's how I celebrate those who didn't survive their fights.
Vasileski's A Mind and Body Total Fitness is at amindandbodytotalfitness.com, or people can follow @Mindbodychi on Twitter. Moreover, Vasileski is involved in a contest sponsored by Shape magazine to determine the country's hotttest male trainer; see http://www.shape.com/celebrities/star-trainers/50-hottest-male-trainers-america-2014.
