Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really transform my health and fitness in only 20 minutes?

The popular belief is that more is better. If you desire optimal results, the opposite is true. At MaxStrength Fitness we are always searching for the minimal amount of time spent exercising that will produce the optimal stimulus for physical adaptation.

In order to stimulate the body for change, the exercise intensity must cross a certain threshold to ensure the body will respond.

We focus on the “intensity” of the exercise. At MaxStrength Fitness “intensity” means training to muscular failure. In other words, we want to “inroad” your muscular system to ensure a high enough stimulus has been experienced to produce a result. Most people stop well shy of inroading their muscular system. Therefore, they spin their wheels exercising for hours on end, multiple days a week, never getting the results they desire.

By training to muscular failure, we send a signal to your body that the body must change and adapt. Also, we use low-force training protocol, which involves lifting and lowering the weights over a 10 second time frame. This robs the body of acceleration and momentum, which keeps the muscle under continuous load and more effectively fatigues the muscle.

As we educate you on proper form and focus and how to get the most out of your body you will quickly discover that 20 minutes is all you need to achieve optimal results!

Why do you only train 1-2 times a week?

When you “inroad” your muscular system, you must allow adequate time for adaptive change to take place. Keep in mind that the time allowed to recover between workouts is when the body changes and adapts. If you do not allow enough recovery time, you will interrupt the process and not achieve the optimal results you desire. This is why we only train at most, twice a week. More is not better. We work smarter not longer.

How quickly will I see results?

Starting with your very first workout your body will begin to experience change. We will create a stimulus to ensure your body begins to increase in strength, flexibility, cardiovascular efficiency, energy, metabolism and much more immediately, as it recovers from the initial workout.

Please know that changes in your physique take a bit longer and is highly dependent on your nutritional intake. You can’t out-exercise a bad diet but you MUST have both to ensure optimal results! At MaxStrength Fitness, we will help you with both!

Just like the majority of our clients, you will see that even though you are exercising a less than most people, your body is changing quicker than it ever has before. In fact, don’t take our word for it. Read what some of our clients have to say about their transformations at MaxStrength Fitness by clicking here!

What if I’m very out of shape or have never exercised before? Is MaxStrength Fitness right for me?

Yes! In fact, we find that those with little or no prior strength training experience in the beginning often outperform those with years of experience. You are a blank slate with no bad habits. MaxStrength Fitness is very different than traditional training and there is a learning curve, but those without bad habits pick it up very quickly.

As for being out of shape, you will see results immediately. We train people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and skill levels. No matter what your current state of fitness MaxStrength Fitness will start you at the level you need to produce results and progress from there. We often hear clients who have hated to exercise in the past state “This is the only exercise routine I will do because it is only twice a week for 20 minutes.”

Don't I need some 'cardio' to strengthen my heart?

“Cardio” is a term that was created when referring to “steady state activity”. Your cardiovascular system, which is made up of your heart, lungs and circulatory system are always working and their primary role is to provide blood, oxygen and nutrition to your organs, primarily your muscles, and carry waste product away. In other words, your cardiovascular system serves the demands that your muscular system places on your body. The amount of work your muscles perform directly correlates with how hard your heart works to keep up with the demand. During a workout at MaxStrength Fitness, your muscle fiber types will be systematically recruited and fatigued and ultimately brought to a point of momentary failure. During this process, your muscles are telling your heart that they need more oxygen and nutrients to stay fueled for as long as possible. After the first few exercises, your heart rate will be as high or higher than your heart rate would be if you were performing steady-state activities (such as running, jogging or walking). Once you reach muscular failure it will be as if you are sprinting on the machine without any of the stress on your joints that sprinting causes.

Don't I need to do some aerobics to burn calories and lose fat?

No. Steady-state “aerobic” activities such as running, jogging and cycling do not burn a significant amount of calories. One pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. Most people burn approximately 100 calories per mile, which means you would have to run/walk 35 miles to burn a single pound of fat. Therefore, aerobic activity is obviously an inefficient way to burn calories.

In a fat-loss fitness program, the maintenance of muscle tissue is very important. Strength training is the best way to maintain muscle tissue. Every pound of muscle burns an additional 35 to 75 calories per day for the average adult. At MaxStrength Fitness, you can add enough muscle to burn an additional 3,500 calories per week—and you can accomplish this change in less than one hour per week.

I’ve heard that strength training decreases your flexibility. Don’t I need to stretch on my own or prior to the workout to maintain or improve my flexibility?

When you perform a full range of motion, strength training can actually increase your flexibility. At MaxStrength Fitness, you will perform each exercise through the fullest possible range of motion, providing stretching for enhanced flexibility. The best way to increase flexibility is by performing dynamic stretching, which means stretching with movement. Unless you have an orthopedic reason, or are involved in activities that require extreme ranges of motion such as dance, gymnastics or martial arts, extra stretching will not be needed to obtain functional mobility.

Do I need to do other activities to obtain results, such as yoga, recreational sports, hiking, biking, etc.?

No, but we do encourage our clients to live an active lifestyle. We believe in enjoying any activity to its fullest as long as you do not injure yourself. In fact, by training at MaxStrength Fitness your ability to perform all of activities will improve, and you’ll enjoy them even more.

Will I be extremely sore after the workouts and not be able to function the next day?

Within the first 24 to 48 hours after the initial few workouts you may experience some delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). In the first few sessions, the intensity of the exercise will be low as you master concepts and form to optimize your results. By the time we reach a higher level of intensity, you will be conditioned to the stimulus so most likely no DOMS will even occur.

We also have a trick that will instantly alleviate soreness from DOMS, and we’ll tell you about that at your first workout, just in case.

What if I have an old injury? Can I still train at MaxStrength Fitness?

Absolutely. With our background in sports medicine, strength and conditioning and physical therapy we can not only train those with chronic injuries, but also most often help alleviate them. With our equipment, our protocol, our environment and the watchful eye of your certified trainer we can help you to rehab most injuries that other training methods only aggravate. To learn more about our approach to post-physical therapy click here.

Keep in mind during your complimentary Ultimate Life Transformation Consultation we will discuss your medical history and address any chronic conditions you may have and design a program specifically tailored to help you achieve optimal health and fitness. To schedule your no obligation, complimentary Life Transformation Consultation click here.

If I’m a woman, do I need to worry about becoming bulky when training this way?

Muscle size is largely determined by genetics. Each person is born with a predetermined muscle-size potential. Our protocol will help you reach your genetic potential in the most effective, safe and efficient way possible. Our high-intensity exercises will help stimulate a growth mechanism within your muscles, causing them to grow as large as your genetic profile allows.

This program sounds amazing and quite honestly, too good to be true. What is the next step if I’m interested?

Schedule a complimentary, no-risk Initial Ultimate Life Transformation Consultation. We will put all of your worries at ease by sitting down with you and discussing your medical history and any limitations you might have and how we can help. W will explain our protocol and, most importantly, take you through a demo workout to experience our unique system for yourself. Simply click here to get started or call our office at 440-835-9090 and start achieving your health and fitness goals in only minutes a week.