Kelvin Gary, Passionate Personal Trainer at Equinox

Kelvin and I go WAY back! We met freshmen year of college at the University of Miami and quickly became friends. Kelvin is one of those people that has a kind disposition, easy to get a along with, genuine and is just one of those all around GOOD guys. He is the kind of guy that would be there to help you out of a bind. On a personal level, I will never forgot our inside bonding jokes from the stories we shared in college and one of our interesting excursions to South Beach! On a business level, I am impressed with his enthusiasm and admire his intelligence, drive and passion for life and doing what he loves to do, which is personal training. Kelvin has always been into fitness, one of the places I saw him most at University of Miami was the gym! When I first ran into Kelvin in NYC, it had been years since I had seen him, I was promoting some liquor, and at the time, he was working in finance at Pfizer and before that as an engineer at Merck. I had no doubt that he was great at these jobs, but when he decided to start doing work as a personal trainer, I was happy and so excited for him, because I feel this job fits him best. He is a natural at it, which I have seen just from knowing him at college. He was always consistent with his work outs and challenged himself each and every time he was at the gym. Now in less than 1 year of working as a personal trainer at Equinox, he has over 30 clients! His passion and knowledge in this field is paying off!

Here is my interview with Kelvin.

What inspired you to become a personal trainer?

My Inspiration came from a great piece of advice that was given to me by a mentor years ago. He told me that to really succeed, you have to do what you love and love what you do. After almost 10 years in the corporate world I woke up one day and asked myself if I was doing what I loved and loving what I was doing and the answer was no. At that time I had already gotten my personal training certification, because I thought it would help me with my own health and fitness. With the help of a few close friends and a really supportive wife, I started to put my certification to use training others. I quickly found that personal training was the right path for me. I’ve always seen myself as a motivator and someone who loved working with people in a positive way. I also loved the health and fitness field. Becoming a personal trainer was a perfect way for me to do what love and love what I do.

How many clients are you currently working with?

I currently work with over 30 clients, in both 1 on 1 and semi-private settings.

What do you think sets you aside from other trainers out there?

I like to think that there are a couple of things that set me aside from other trainers. If I had to choose I’d have to say my people skills and my attention to detail set me apart. I treat each of my clients with the utmost respect, no matter who they are. If they’re having a bad day I try my best to change that for them. I want my clients to leave sessions with me feeling like it was the best part of their day.

In regards to attention to detail, I feel that my background as an engineer helps me look at the human body for what it is, one of the most complicated pieces of machinery ever created. With that in mind I try to make sure that everything my clients do has a purpose and is specific to their goals. If they want to tone up and lose weight, I make sure their program is designed to get them there quickly and safely.

Would you say you have a niche?

At the moment my client base has a pretty broad range of goals. The number one goal of my clients is weight loss and body fat reduction and so far I’ve been pretty successful at that. My athletic background however has drawn me towards sports performance, so I would say that training athletes is my “niche”. I have runners, cyclist and multi-sport athletes as clients who I’ve helped get better through corrective exercise and functional strength training.

Do you incorporate any eating suggestions in the session?

Since I’m not a registered dietitian, I’m limited in the nutritional advice that I can give. With that in mind I do provide my clients with information on diet and nutrition within the scope of my certifications.

What is it like working with Equinox?

Working with Equinox has been a great experience. When it comes to health and fitness clubs you can’t ask for better facilities. The members are also really serious about their health and fitness which makes my job easier.

Why does your routine work so well for your clients? And also, do you customize routines according to the individual?

Every one of my clients has a program designed specifically with their needs and goals in mind. Their program takes into consideration any postural or movement issues they may have and their current health status. This is all information that I collect in my initial assessment of each client. If corrective exercise needs to be incorporated into our routine I start there so that I make sure they are in the right condition to get into shape. Said another way if my client has issues that if not corrected can lead to an injury, I address those issues as a part of their routine. If my clients are injured they can’t be in the gym with me working towards their goals.

Also some clients progress faster than others and need to be challenged accordingly. My view is that “If it’s too easy then it’s not for us”. With that in mind I definitely vary in the way challenge each client based on their skill level.

Lastly, I make sure I change my teaching style. Some people learn by doing, others learn by seeing and others learn by listening. The way I see it, it’s not my client’s responsibility to adapt to my teaching style, it’s my responsibility to adapt to the learning style of each client. That’s what allows us to get more done.

Where do you see yourself with personal training in the next 5 years?

Over the next 5 years I see myself becoming one of the top health and fitness professionals in New York City and eventually the Country. It’s a large order but I really love my job to I truly believe anything is possible.

Congrats Kelvin on your success! It is always good to see people doing what they love to do! It's no fun being with a trainer who just goes through the motions, with Kelvin you are with someone who genuinely cares about your goals and the effort and time it takes to achieve the results. He is always up to date with his craft and will work with you to find a routine that is specific to your needs. So if you are in the market for a personal trainer, I highly recommend Kelvin Gary!