Chicago Personal Trainer – Chris Roberts

It’s been a while since I last worked out with a RightFit Personal Trainer, so I thought it would be fun to get one in. Last week I called up Chicago Personal Trainer Chris Roberts to see if he would be willing to put me through a workout, and he responded with an ecstatic “Hell yeah!” From that point forward, I knew I was in for a good one. We planned to meet at My Time Fitness in Bucktown on Saturday morning, and he asked me if I would be open to doing a full body workout. My response… “Absolutely. I want my ass kicked.” Chris did not disappoint.

The warmup portion of the workout consisted of me performing 30 second sprints on the treadmill with a 30 second break in between each sprint. I told Chris that my fitness level is relatively high, so he had me start at a 9.0. From that point, we went up 0.5 until I hit 12.0. Needless to say, I was more than sufficiently warmed up.

From there we jumped into the first superset of the workout:

– Cross-over Push-ups x 12
– Pull-ups x 12

Chris had me circuit through these two exercises three times. If you are asking yourself “what the hell is a cross-over push-up”, then you are in the majority. I personally have done countless exercises throughout my life, but I have never done this one. The best way for me to explain the exercise is through this step by step guide:

– Begin in a normal push-up position
– Perform a push-up
– Step your right foot to the right
– Cross your left hand over your right
– Step your left foot to the right
– Bring your right hand through your left
– Perform a push-up
– Go back the other way

After getting a nice upper body pump at the beginning of the workout, Chris shifted the focus to the lower body and plyometrics. He had me go through the following superset three times:

– Squat, Curl, Press x 12

– Mountain Climbers x 30

What really stood out to me about Chris as a personal trainer was his attentiveness and attention to detail. He ensured that I complete every rep with perfect form while keeping my core engaged throughout the exercise. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever completed a set of mountain climbers faster in my life. With Chris’ motivation, I picked it up to a gear that I thought didn’t exist anymore. Once I completed this circuit, it was time for me to wrap up the hands and throw on a pair of boxing gloves. It is my personal opinion that boxing is the best overall workout you can get. Boxing requires a level of speed, strength, endurance, and quickness that nothing else does. If you have never tried boxing with a trainer before, give it a try and you’ll understand what I am saying.

Chris and I went through 5 mini-rounds where he was feeding me combos while teaching me technique. The great thing about Chris during the boxing portion of the workout was that he was getting a workout in as well. The fact that he was working so hard motivated me that much more. In between each round, Chris had me do core exercises which kept me working during the “break”. It’s been three days since our workout and my abs are still sore. After our last round of boxing, I was completely spent. Chris stretched me out and the workout was over. Not only was the workout exactly what I was looking for, I was impressed with Chris’ professionalism, motivation, and guidance. He is a dedicated fitness professional and driven to help his clients achieve their health and fitness goals. If you are interested in meeting Chris for a complementary introductory session, contact us today.