Unveiling the Power of Certified Personal Training: A Path to Success with Infinity Athletics in Albany, NY

In the dynamic world of fitness, partnering with an educated and certified personal trainer can make all the difference in your journey towards optimal health and performance. At Infinity Athletics, serving the Albany, NY area, we take pride in offering a personalized approach that goes beyond generic workouts. Our certified trainers are committed to conducting in-depth assessments to identify mobility and strength concerns, paving the way for a purposeful and injury-free fitness journey.

The Infinity Athletics Difference: More Than Just a Workout

1. In-Depth Assessments: Our commitment to your success begins with a comprehensive assessment. We delve deep into understanding your unique strengths and identifying areas that may need improvement. This meticulous approach ensures that your fitness program is tailored to your specific needs, promoting progress while minimizing the risk of injuries.

2. Strategic Programming Model: Say goodbye to random workouts! At Infinity Athletics, our programming model is designed to provide a clear path to your fitness goals. Whether you're aiming for increased mobility, enhanced strength, or overall well-being, our certified trainers create a structured plan that guides you towards sustainable progress.

3. Community-driven Atmosphere: Fitness is not just about sweating it out; it's also about enjoying the journey. Our sense of community at Infinity Athletics creates a welcoming environment where you can not only achieve your fitness goals but also build connections with like-minded individuals. Experience the joy of working out surrounded by friendly faces who share your passion for a healthier lifestyle.

Unlocking the Benefits: Why Choose Certified Personal Training?

1. Expertise: Our certified trainers bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every session. Stay confident knowing that you're in the hands of professionals dedicated to helping you reach your full potential.

2. Injury Prevention: With our detailed assessments and strategic programming, we prioritize injury prevention. Our goal is to guide you safely towards your objectives, ensuring that every step of your fitness journey is met with care and consideration.

3. Goal-oriented Approach: Infinity Athletics is not just a gym; it's a partner in your success. Our goal-oriented approach ensures that every workout contributes to your overarching fitness goals, keeping you motivated and on track.

Ready to embark on a fitness journey that's as unique as you are? Join Infinity Athletics in Albany, NY, and experience the transformative power of certified personal training. Contact us today to schedule your personalized assessment and take the first step towards a healthier, stronger, and more vibrant you. Your goals are within reach – let's achieve them together! 🌟

Learn More About Infinity

Cory

Hey, we're here with Brian Oberther, one of the owners of Infinity Athletics. I'm just going to ask him some quick questions just to kind of clear the air, to figure out what exactly Infinity Athletics is. Basically finding out what we're about, what we stand for, and you know, we'll kind of just dive right into it. So, Brian, you ready?

Brian

Yes, sir.

Cory

Okay, so first question, what exactly is Infinity Athletics?

Brian

Yeah, this is a question we get quite a bit. There are so many different iterations of gyms these days. And in Infinity Athletics, we view it as way more than a gym. First off, it is a personal training studio. And while many of you probably know what that is by now, just to give a little bit of detail on what a personal training studio does and what it can do for you. 

Basically, we break down fitness into an individual level that any gym bigger than a training studio has a hard time doing. So we start each client off with an assessment and a consultation, and that allows us to develop a relationship with that client and get an idea of exactly what they need. And then we develop from scratch a program for them that will include both strength and conditioning exercises in a well-templated plan and also some corrective exercises to not only help people after an injury, but try to make each client more resilient and stave off injury. 

So it's often easy to say what something is and it's almost better to say what it isn't. And what Infinity Athletics isn't, is it's not an open gym where people pay a membership and come in and work out on their own. It's not a class studio where people come in and they follow a cycling instructor led type of class.

It's not CrossFit where you are doing a “workout of the day,” a one size fits all cookie cutter workout, and beyond that, one of the things that we've really tried to do over the years is build a strong community. So, beyond a fitness facility, we view ourselves as almost a social club where we get together regularly with our clients whether it's a potluck or an outing of some sort, we've really been fortunate to develop a really good community within our doors.

Cory

Love it. It's amazing. Next question, what separates Infinity Athletics from other gyms in the Capital District?

Brian

Well in, in the capital district , we have one location and then in Ithaca, we have another, and within both of those communities, there is no shortage of other gyms and trainers in the area. What I think separates us is first off, it starts with the trainers. Every single trainer that wears the Infinity Athletics coach shirt has put in a tremendous amount of effort to ensure that they can deliver the best client experience. But also beyond that, they are highly educated, they're certified, they take their job very seriously, but they are also very welcoming and nonjudgmental. One of the things that we're often told by clients who have been with us for a long time is that they're surprised at just how welcoming of an environment we've created.

And we take great pride in that because we believe that there should be no gatekeepers to fitness. And a lot of times people are intimidated when they walk into a typical commercial gym or maybe a CrossFit gym. And you know, we understand that. So we really put a great amount of effort into rising above the judgment and allowing everyone to feel comfortable and at home. The other thing is we've developed quite a good relationship with other community members (particularly in the medical field). So we have a good enough relationship to send them referrals if we have a client with an injury that's beyond our scope, we have a good network of people that can take care of that person. And likewise, we often will receive referrals  from physical therapists and occupational therapists and chiropractors because we're trusted members of the community.

And we can help people not only with fat loss and getting stronger and faster, but we can also help them after an injury and get out of, and to get out of pain.

Cory

Love it. Now you mentioned the trainers and some of the stuff that they have to go through and the hours that they put in. Can you tell me a little bit about the trainers at the studio?

Brian

Yeah, like I said, each one of the trainers has been highly vetted. There are many applicants that have come through over the years and we're very selective in who we end up hiring and it is a very difficult process, but basically what that means is we trust them completely to train our own clients as if I was going to send my mom through a trainer, I would trust 100% of the Infinity trainers to be able to deliver not only a good session, but a very safe one, and to be able to understand the limitations of each individual client. 

Each of the trainers is CPPS certified. It's one of the most rigorous certifications in the fitness industry. And it gives each of the trainers the tools to be able to do an assessment, develop a corrective exercise plan, and develop a solid programming template. We always talk about, it's not the workout, it's the program. Anyone could deliver a good workout. You could come through the doors and get tired and do a lot of reps of specific exercises. But that's like playing one note in a song, you know, programming to us is like composing a beautiful song with many moving parts. So each of the trainers has really shown to us that they have both the capability and the desire to rise to that occasion.

Making Habits That Stick

Creating good habits is a fairly easy task. Making them stick, however, is a different story. According to the author James Clear in his book Atomic Habits, there are four ways that we can create, and keep good habits: 

1. Make them attractive

2. Make them obvious

3. Make them easy

4. Make them satisfying

We will go over each one by one, and explain how these can help change our mind

1. Make it attractive:

Making a habit attractive is a great way to achieve our goal of making a habit stick. We are the sum of who we surround ourselves with daily (friends, family, spouse, social media, etc.). So what this means is, if we have friends or family who are adamantly against exercise, or find excuses not to do it, we are more likely than not going to side with them. It is very difficult in society to go against the grain and do something that the people you are around each day have no interest in doing.

One of the best ways to break free from this is to join an environment that is welcoming and accepting of people who go through this. Surrounding yourself with people who are passionate about exercise and are looking to better themselves is one of the best ways to ensure that you too will follow that trend. Finding people who will support you on this new journey will make a new habit such as exercise attractive and will make you want to continue coming back for more.

It’s important to remember when starting a new habit that outlook is everything. If we are forcing ourselves to do something in spite of not wanting to, we are exhausting our will power each and every time we perform that task. By simply flipping the script on the SAME task, we can completely change. For example, but telling yourself and hearing from others, that exercise isn’t enjoyable, we will convince ourselves that this is true. On the transverse, if we reinforce positive thoughts around exercise, we will be open to the idea that there is in fact, enjoyment in exercising and our goals around this will become more attractive and much more attainable.

2. Make it obvious:

One of the best ways to make a habit obvious is to do what James Clear calls Habit Stacking. This is when we stack a new desired habit with a habit that we do every day. For example, if you really want to commit to a morning mediation or stretching routine you can say to yourself, “Today after I pour my cup of coffee, I will do 5 minutes of meditation while it cools down.” 

You have already done one of your daily habits, pour your cup of coffee. Why not stack a new habit while it cools off? If five minutes is too much time, start with 3 minutes, or even 1 minute! The point is, you have started a new habit and once you get into a routine you can always do it for a longer period. Make your habit obvious by stacking it with a habit you do every morning, and before you know it you have a new, productive habit in your tool box.

3. Make it easy:

We all have excuses to not do something, especially first thing in the morning. “I didn’t get enough sleep, my clothes are all in the washing machine, I can’t find my keys, I can’t find my running shoes.”

Reducing friction means removing any obstacle that your future self is likely to turn into an excuse. An extremely effective example of this is staging. Staging is preparing everything you need in the morning, the night before. By setting aside your clothes, meal prepping, positioning your running shoes right next to your bed, and having your gym bag packed and ready, you are removing the small obstacles that could tip the scales towards hitting the snooze button instead of waking up for a workout.

In the beginning stages of habit forming, we’re extremely sensitive to obstacles. By removing them ahead of time, we’re making habits easy.

4. Make it satisfying:

One of the biggest takeaways we can give you from this piece is to not completely get rid of the things you love. Life is about moderation, that goes for everything including nutrition. We see too many people fail when it comes to a new diet because they tell themselves they can’t have the things that they love. 

The best way to make a habit satisfying, while also allowing yourselves to have the things you love is to use those vices as a reward. Setting a milestone with a friend, a spouse, or a personal trainer, and then using something as a reward can be a complete gamechanger. If you love pizza, or soda, or wine, use those as a guilt free reward after you’ve completed a milestone that you, and an accountability partner, have set. It can be something big like, lose 50 pounds, or workout at least 3 days a week for 2 months. It could also be something small like, go to bed before 10:00pm every night, or take the stairs every day for a month.

Using something you love as a reward for a milestone is one of the best ways to make any habit stick.

Let’s recap. The four ways to make a good habit stick are:

1. Make it attractive – You are the sum of the people who surround you, so surround yourself with people who are working towards a similar goal and will support you in your new journey.

2. Make it obvious – Use habit stacking. Stack a new desired habit such as a morning stretch or meditation routine with a habit you already do daily, such as making your coffee or tea. While the coffee or tea cools down, take the few minutes you have to spare to stretch or meditate. The more consistent you are with it, the longer you will be able to do it each day.

3. Make it easy – Remove the friction! Setting your clothes out the night before with your keys and running shoes will take the stress out of looking for each of those before you have to leave in the morning.

4. Make it satisfying – Don’t give up the things you love. Use those vices as a reward for a milestone. Having a guilt free slice of pizza or 2-3 glasses of wine after you’ve achieved something is a great way to keep a good habit, and not feel bad about eating something you truly enjoy.