Deb Peacock
What fitness goal are you working towards at MATRIX Personalized Fitness?
I had 2 main objectives: I wanted to increase range of motion in my knees and decrease knee/leg pain. I also wanted to get stronger in general.
What, in general, does your program at MATRIX PF entail?
The program [is tailored] for each individual, [so] I can only talk about what I did, since everyone else will be different.
[It started with] an extensive neuro-evaluation, testing the senses and looking for discrepancies in how [my] left and right brain functioned. After that session, we started with a variety of brain/body warm-up exercises. Only after I had become comfortable and skilled with these did we move on to strength training for legs, arms, shoulders, core, with a focus on joint mobility.
What 'homework,' if any, are you assigned?
Like so many things in life, it seems you will get out of this program what you put into it. Shane is realistic and doesn’t expect his clients to devote hours to this program between sessions, but he does hope that people practice their warm-up techniques and spend [the] time to familiarize themselves with the exercises, so they can become more skilled and do them faster, thus taking up less of their time. I never found the homework burdensome.
What changes have you noticed since starting at MATRIX PF?
My knees move much more freely than before, with less discomfort. I’m able to move in ways that I couldn’t when I first started, and I can do a lot more work, making my muscles handle more than before. My balance is better and my hand/eye coordination is slowly improving.
What would you say to someone else who may be considering signing up at MATRIX PF?
This work is very interesting and different than any other fitness experience I’ve tried before. It’s a lot of fun to involve and challenge your brain and incorporate mental/neurological elements in a fitness and strength training program. Shane is straightforward and will assess whether he thinks he can help you achieve your goals. If not, he will tell you. If you do decide to participate, you can count on Shane to have tremendous energy and resourcefulness in developing a plan that specifically addresses what you are trying to accomplish.
What activities can you do now that you couldn’t do before you started at MATRIX PF?
Before this program, I had to give up yoga because my movement was so restricted. Now I’m ready to get back to yoga. This has helped my ballroom dancing, and I recently started a ballet class, which I would not have been able to handle before working with Shane.
Have you used a personal trainer before? If so, how is your experience at MATRIX PF different?
Yes, I used several trainers, in 2 different gyms, and was injured each time. Those trainers knew very little about damaged joints and had trouble modifying their approach. It was one size fits all.
What about your workouts at MATRIX PF do you enjoy most?
It’s so rewarding to be moving better, I think that is what I most enjoy. But Shane is also fun to work with. He has a great sense of humor. While the sessions are challenging, they are also fun.