5 Questions: Christopher Bathke
I was floored the other day. FLOORED I tell you. I was flipping through yahoo, doing some normal searches to see if I could find any good leads or stories and there it was.
I read a celebrity say something smart about diet and training.
I read a celebrity stating a very calm and intelligent answer about her training program. It was as if she knew what she was talking about. It was as if she had a trainer that actually knew something about training.
Cherish this moment people.
The celebrity was Leann Rimes. The trainer that is her guide is none other than Christopher Bathke. Chris, you officially are my new hero.
Question 1: Describe what a typical day for you is right now from wake to sleep.
Chris Bathke: Wake up and fix breakfast for my wife and I. She and I tend to work fairly late so I don’t schedule any real early clients so that we can have a good breakfast and bit of time in the morning. Next I’ll catch up on e-mails, fine tune my clients programs for the day, write programs if need be, and maybe check out some forums or blogs.
I’ll train clients until early afternoon, then usually have a break during which I’ll do some reading, writing, or other business before going back for evening clients. Three days during the week I make time for training myself (time in the lab is crucial), and time in the evening for playing some music or otherwise relaxing. Grabbing a cup of coffee and reading or talking with friends at a local coffee shop my friend owns is always a highlight.
Weekends always involve hitting the gym with my wife, and getting outside to mountain bike/surf/hike/snowboard.
I’ve seen a lot of trainers book sessions from 6am to 9pm and forget to have a life, and they always burn out. I’m in this for the long haul so finding a balance is key.
Question 2: If you could get your hands in the heart of the industry and change something, what would it be?
Chris Bathke: I would set standards and regulate the training profession. Good luck with that I know, but there is so much opportunity to make real changes in people’s lives yet a majority of trainers treat their job as a hobby. I’m amazed that most don’t even program, much less attend seminars and do other things that will only help them to become better trainers, and thus earn more.
The gym I train out of is better than most as at least there are mandatory anatomy, physiology, and programming classes. But there is still much to be desired regarding professionalizing this industry, and honestly I don’t understand how you can not program for your clients and get anywhere.
Question 3: Working in LA I hear for trainers is a completely different world than elsewhere, do you have any basis of comparison for this?
Chris Bathke: It depends what area of L.A. you are in, and which gym. I mostly train
people with normal occupations and usual goals. Granted the Westside of L.A.where I live is in the heart of the entertainment industry, and there is a lot of money around, but I’m not out hunting for celebrity clients. Some “trainers” are into that, but a lot of them are just looking to be actors anyway.
In general I suppose more people here place a premium on appearance than where I come from in the Midwest, but I tend not to take on the clients obsessed with mirror muscles anyway.
Question 4: What do you consider to be your “gift” in training?
Chris Bathke: I love to program and study how other fitness pros get results. I read as much as I can about what other people I respect do with their clients, then experiment on myself and on clients to figure out what works and what doesn’t. In other words I love the science of training, which is strange because I have a graduate degree in music and never pursued the hard sciences in school.
What is the last…
Book you read: The Proving Ground, a book about the famous Hobart sailboat race from Australia to Tasmania. The physical and mental strength professional sailing requires is formidable.
Album/Single you got: Jahta Beat The New Chapter by my friend DJ Drez. A mix of classical Indian, North African, and hip-hop.
Film/Show you watched: In the theater Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, which I can’t recommend enough. On DVD I just watched the Coen Brother’s excellent Burn After Reading again.
–
Chris grew up in the Midwest playing a variety of typical sports but above all enjoyed those done in nature, and also developed an interest in martial arts. This lead to a deeper interest in training for improved performance, and after some time teaching martial arts and working in the music business eventually becoming a full-time trainer.
Currently residing in Santa Monica, is a Tier 3 trainer and instructor at Equinox Fitness, specializing in body composition and performance improvement. My approach to training is to integrate the formal (I’m an NSCA CSCS as well as a coach with the American Kettlebell Club and Steve Cotter’s International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation) with the practical. I’ve studied martial arts in Japan and the U.S. for 15 years, and have put in my time in the gym, in the water, on the snow, and on the bike.
To find out more about Christopher Bathke you can check out his blog at http://elementalfitnesslab.blogspot.com
Comments are closed.