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Featured Member Brent Hansen

Posted on by Jordan Thomson CPT
Image of former professional baseball player Brent Hansen as The Perfect Workout's featured member

Working out was never a struggle for 52 year old Brent Hansen, but staying consistent and injury-free was. He took a chance on a non-traditional approach to exercise and three years later, it's become the thing he doesn’t want to ever give up. Here is his story…

“I was a professional baseball player, so I’ve always had that GO mentality. And I've always lifted – from high school on. But getting older and getting more fragile, you can't do things quite as hard as you used to be able to do so.

If I start doing free weights or if I start lifting too much, I start getting a lot of injuries after a while because my joints can't keep up.

My wife came to The Perfect Workout’s Carlsbad studio first. At the time I was hoping to get back into lifting. Once I tried it, I found that it was really easy to work into my schedule.

And over the past three and a half years, it’s helped me stay consistent… and helps make sure I'm not being lazy!”

A few factors to Brent’s success at staying consistent became apparent.

1. He remains injury free

“I've had shoulder and knee injuries from lifting, old sports injuries- I'm constantly battling old wounds.

But I find that I stay completely injury free when I do this workout.

It completely confines me into what my body's able to do now versus what I used to be able to do. And I get in trouble physically when I go outside of that box.

That's probably what has kept me here the longest- it allows me to work out, and not have consequences.

2. He gets accountability & support

“Having a designated time to come in makes it super easy and flexible with my schedule.

And the trainers, I've worked with quite a few of them, they're all fantastic! They're all very professional and I love the fact that they're organized. They're very supportive and fun to be around.

I've even kicked around the idea of doing this on my own at a gym. But I go back to having the workout and having an appointment- and for me mentally, those keep me that much more on track, as opposed to leaving it up to me and my will.

3. He continues to get results

“This definitely helps with strength and reshaping the body. I still see gains. I see my strength increase. I see my body composition change.

And over time, it's become easier and easier to stay consistent with it.

Former professional baseball player Brent Hansen exercising at The Perfect Workout

“To me, The Perfect Workout is the ability to get out of exercise what I need at this stage of my life. As I've gotten older, it's been more difficult to find something that I can be extraordinarily consistent with, whether it be running or hiking or cycling or swimming or lifting.

This workout has allowed me to stay consistent in fitness for the three years, more so than anything that I've done in 30, 35, 40 years of working out.

The Perfect Workout is something that I would have a really hard time replacing.”

—
Brent Hansen, 52
Member at The Perfect Workout
Carlsbad, CA

If you are new to The Perfect Workout, try a FREE workout with us.

We know strength training is important, but nutrition is also a huge piece of your wellbeing. If you'd like help learning how to implement these new habits alongside your workouts, schedule a Nutrition Intro session today! Email [email protected] to get started.

Featured Member: Melissa Furman

Posted on by Jordan Thomson CPT
Image of The Perfect Workout's January Featured Member, Melissa
By Jordan Thomson | Updated 01/18/23

50 year old Melissa Furman used to wake up daily feeling achy, stiff and often was brought to tears with pain and frustration. Now, she feels stronger, pain-free, and she’s more confident in her body. Here’s her story…

—

For years, Melissa suffered from lower back pain due to an injury incurred at the gym. She’d always been active – riding horses for 35+ years, training in TaeKwonDo, taking various gym classes, walking the dog etc..

Imaging revealed she had a slipped disc in her spine and was told surgery would resolve it.

But Melissa didn’t want surgery.

So over the years, she tried a number of things to help her back pain…

“I did physical therapy several times, home exercises, dry needling, home gym workouts (that didn't last or work), gym workouts that were run-of-the-mill boot camp/crossfit/training programs (that were interesting and often grueling but left me sore and hurting), chiropractic care (that was painful and didn't work), chiropractic office strength workouts that left me sore and stiff, stretching (that only felt good then, but didn't have overall long-lasting benefits to my back pain), over-the-counter pain meds and even a new very expensive, fancy mattress! .

None of that ultimately helped relieve the back pain. The pain often brought me to tears. I couldn't sleep comfortably and was frequently exhausted due to not resting deeply and waking achy, barely able to turn over to get out of bed.

I was far too young and active to feel this way! So as I approached my 50th birthday, I knew I had to finally do what I've known to be necessary: strength training.

So I sought a place that would offer me quality training, with attention to form and function and could attend to my limitations – The Perfect Workout.

I finally decided the financial investment was worth it to commit to personal training. After spending a lot of money on a fancy mattress with little benefit, which was my last attempt to feel better on my own, I realized it was time to invest that kind of money in personal training that focuses on functional fitness and overall strength.

I knew I needed the accountability and skilled trainers to make the difference in my strength and comfort. I didn't like feeling sore and stiff after the typical gym workout, and I didn't have the time in my week to devote the necessary hour or two of time in the gym, so The Perfect Workout fit the bill. It's hard work, in little time. And it's effective.”

Melissa first noticed positive benefits from The Perfect Workouts in just 2 weeks…

“When I first started these workouts, I was exhausted – my body was adjusting and ramping up. This workout is taxing! But after adjusting my protein and water intake and increasing calorie amounts to help build muscle and give my body what it needs to conduct these workouts, I got over the exhaustion and started thriving.

Before, I would wake up achy and stiff and tired. Everyday tasks like laundry, picking things up off the floor, vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher, lifting heavy objects – all of it was done with pain or discomfort. Now, I'm stronger and can do those things with ease. I still have to manage some knee pain but it's far less significant.

But the biggest achievement I’ve experienced is getting rid of my back pain. It's liberating.

This relief has been such a blessing in my life. And as a midlife woman, I also am happy to see muscle definition where I didn't have it before.

The strength I've gained at The Perfect Workout supports my back and my overall ability to function in daily tasks more easily.

I'm stronger. I feel better. I’m more confident in my body and more positive about the future.”

If you are new to The Perfect Workout, try a FREE workout with us.

We know strength training is important, but nutrition is also a huge piece of your wellbeing. If you'd like help learning how to implement these new habits alongside your workouts, schedule a Nutrition Intro session today! Email [email protected] to get started.

Member Feature John Aspebakken

Posted on by Jordan Thomson CPT

His secret to feeling 20 years younger at 66

His secret to feeling 20 years younger at 66

Trainer coaching Member John on the compound row machine

John Aspebakken worked in an office environment all his life and rarely set foot in a gym throughout his career.

After retirement, he started traveling and doing projects around the house. His increase in activity quickly made him aware that he didn’t have as much strength and balance as he needed.

John’s partner, Lin, had started at The Perfect Workout and easily had strength for activities while John struggled to keep up. So, John set out to see what these 20-minute workouts could do for him.

Strength Training Basics

In addition to improving strength and balance, John had other important goals to tackle. He had a family history of people starting to “hunch” over as they got older.

“I noticed my posture was starting to get bad. And when I'd go up a set of stairs, I'd be all tired out, and my knees would hurt.”

Within the first 6 months at The Perfect Workout, John began to feel big benefits of strength training…

“Stairs don’t bother me anymore whatsoever. My strength, my knees, and my whole body improved greatly. I noticed my posture started getting a lot better.

When I'm doing projects around the house or lifting groceries, my balance feels a lot more stable. It’s amazing how much it's improved over time.

The thing I feel best about was when we went river rafting recently and I almost felt like I was a teenager again.

Three years ago, I was on a downhill path in terms of being able to do that type of thing and now I'm able to do those things and enjoy them.”

Training coaching a member with a quote bubble

Being a stranger to strength training, John noticed an unsuspected benefit to his workouts – and that’s the attentive, personalized support he gets from his trainers.

“I really like the personal attention. Not having done any training before, I didn't know one muscle from another, or how to do [the exercises].

Having the trainers there to watch my every move so I'm in the right position when I'm lifting the weights is something that’s really important to me.

Over time I’ve had different trainers, and they all use the same information – how much weight I'm lifting on a particular machine and the same methodology.

It's very consistent training, even while I’m traveling.

I've gone to different studios in Texas, California, and Pennsylvania, and they all approach everything the same way.”

“The Perfect Workout is a way to age better.

It’s a way to keep your strength, balance, posture and to be able to do things you used to do when you were younger.

In fact, there are things I can do now better than when I was 20 years younger! The Perfect Workout is the solution for that.”

John Aspebakken, 66
The Perfect Workout Member
SW Ft. Worth, TX

—

If you’re a current member and you’d like to share how The Perfect Workout has helped you achieve results- inside and out, please apply by filling out this form.

If you are new to The Perfect Workout, try a workout with us and Book a FREE Introductory Session.

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How She Eliminated Chronic Knee Pain with Exercise

Posted on by Jordan Thomson CPT

How She Eliminated Chronic Knee Pain with Exercise

Rebekah Bickham - Personal Trainer at The Perfect Workout

It can be common for people to feel lost or uncertain in the gym, especially if they have joint pain they aren’t sure how to work around.

Trainer Rebekah Bickham found herself a little clueless in the gym with chronic knee pain after she graduated from high school sports and lost the guidance of her coach, the routine of scheduled practices, and the consistency of regular exercise.

In this feature we celebrate Rebekah and her journey to finding a workout that keeps her safe and consistent – fulfilling our mission to revolutionize the way people exercise.

—

Rebekah Bickham grew up in Austin, TX with three active older brothers. Naturally, she followed in their footsteps by running in track and field, tumbling, and cheerleading.

Her passion for strength training flourished in high school. She took nutrition and anatomy-physiology courses at her local community college to begin her career path toward becoming a Registered Nurse.

As high school graduation got closer, Rebekah realized she would also leave behind her sports programs where she had the accountability of practices and a coach.

Once again she took her brothers’ leads and joined them in the gym. Despite her athletic background and active siblings, Rebekah found herself clueless and intimidated in a gym setting.

“Looking back now we had no idea what we were doing. I was just following them like a blind sheep.”

She hated the feeling of not knowing what to do in the gym.

Client Testimonial of Doug McGrath

Read about our client Doug and his journey overcoming his insecurities in the gym.

The transition from the track and tumbling mats to machines and dumbbells created an opportunity for Rebekah to learn how to exercise on her own.

“I started to read, watch videos, and learn as much as I could about strength training so that I could be sure that I was training myself properly.”

During this time, her mother began working with a personal trainer and Rebekah would frequently tag along and get trained alongside her.

The experience of being coached by a trainer made her realize she also wanted to train people, and most importantly, teach them how to lift weights safely and properly with confidence.

She Exercised Her Knee Pain Away

Years of running track, cheerleading, and tumbling impact on Rebekah’s joints resulted in chronic knee pain. Although the pain got better when she stopped running, it would still creep in whenever she would squat and do traditional weight training.

She knew there had to be a better way.

“I was never truly able to exercise my legs the way I wanted to without having knee pain until I started doing Slow-Motion Strength Training.”

Founder's Testimonial - Matt Hedman

Read about how this method of strength training saved our Founder’s shoulder and sparked The Perfect Workout

After only 2-3 months of consistently doing slow-motion workouts, Rebekah was able to properly strengthen her legs to help support her knees. Now, she’s able to push over double her body weight on the Leg Press without any knee pain during and after the workouts.

“I don't get any pain anymore when I work out, which is unheard of. That hasn't happened since before high school.”

After experiencing her own personal journey with slow-motion strength training, Rebekah knew this was the method she was meant to share with others.

Quote from trainer Rebekah Bickham

Now a Personal Trainer in Burke, VA

Rebekah was selected to join The Perfect Workout’s team of trainers and went through an extensive certification process. Now, she manages the Burke studio where she also trains clients 1-on-1.

“My favorite part about working with clients is the fact that I am able to share my passions about health and fitness with others every single day.”

Rebekah loves when her clients come in saying they feel more confident in themselves, like they're more energized, stronger, or they can go up and down the stairs without knee pain.

With our 20-minute workouts and nutritional guidance, Rebekah recently helped a client lose 10 pounds and finally break a weight loss plateau.

Getting the opportunity to walk alongside clients and find what works best for them, their goals, and work around any limitations they might have is what drives Rebekah. She’s always pushing to learn more so she can use that knowledge to help support her clients no matter where they are in their fitness journey.

“I truly believe in this workout and I love being able to share with others how they can improve their quality of life just by coming in twice a week for 20 minutes!”

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Full Range of Motion While Strength Training

Posted on by Dr. Sean Preuss Ed.D, M.S

Full Range of Motion While Strength Training

Female Lifting weights with full range of motion

Strength training isn’t simply “lifting things.” In fact, there’s a science to strength training. When that scientific approach is used, great results are achieved.

One of the pillars of exercise is effectiveness – and one science-backed way to ensure exercise is effective is to lift challenging weights using full range of motion movements. (Pushing or pulling a weight as far as you can possibly go on an exercise.)

Unfortunately when many people do lift challenging weights, they sacrifice range of motion.

  • Examples of shortcutting range of motion include:
  • Leg Press: Beginning with the thighs far away from the body instead of closely, leaving very little room for movement.
  • Leg Curl: Not pulling the heels all the way back on the leg curl, past 90 degrees.
    Biceps: Curling the weight 90 degrees or less before lowering the weight.

This is concerning as full movement is key to achieving the benefits of strength training!

Full and Partial Range of Motion
Source: Health Fitness Club Connect

Why Do People Lift With Limited Range Of Motion?

Before we get into the benefits of full movement, why do people lift with partial ranges of motion? There are a few reasons:

  • Lack of awareness of good form. We’re not all exercise professionals. Many people we’ve seen in public gyms simply might not know what full range of motion is, or they don’t know it’s value.
  • Strengthening a part of a movement. Our muscle strength varies in an exercise. On the leg press, we are weakest at the start and strongest when our knees are almost straight. Some use partial reps in the weakest part of the movement to gain more strength. Your personal trainer might recommend this if they feel it’s the best course of action to modify an exercise and help reach your goals.
  • Limited joint movement. For older adults, people with arthritis, or people who had periods of severe inactivity (i.e. bed rest), joints may be very stiff. Thankfully, for those of you who fall into this group, strength training will help you increase range of motion by lengthening muscle fibers and reduce stiffness by producing synovial fluid, an oily substance made by the body to lubricate joints (Interdisciplinary Toxicology). In fact, a research article featuring 11 studies and over 450 people concluded that strength training is just as effective as stretching for improving joint movement.
  • Injury/pain. If you have a joint which was previously injured, has pain, or is arthritic, it’s possible that you are performing a partial range of motion in some exercises. This is a wise approach as it’s better to move in a limited but pain-free range of motion than to avoid the exercise entirely. Your personal trainer might recommend this if they feel it’s the best course of action to personalize the exercise to your body’s needs.
Partial Range of Motion Infographic

Benefits of Training With Full Range of Motion

Unless pain, injury, or joint stiffness limits movement, The Perfect Workout’s trainers coach lifting through a full range of motion on each exercise. This is intentional and one of the important ingredients in The Perfect Workout formula.

There are a few benefits to training with a full range of motion:

  1. More strength gained. People who train with a full range of motion gain more overall strength than those who train in a partial movement.

  2. More strength at all angles. If you only perform only half of the leg press movement, your thighs and butt will only become stronger in that half of the movement. Therefore, training through a full movement leads to greater muscle strength at all angles of a joint’s movement.

  3. Additional muscle size growth. In almost every study comparing full versus partial movements, using a full range of motion led to superior muscle gains.

  4. Increased flexibility and reduced stiffness. Using as much range of motion as possible in a strength training exercise will help lengthen muscle fibers and reduce stiffness by producing natural joint-lubricating synovial fluid in the body (Interdisciplinary Toxicology).
Benefits of Strength Training with Full Range of Motion
@theperfectworkout_inc

Why you should be exercising with full range of motion #ROM #theperfectworkout #fittok #science

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How to Find Your Ideal Range

Not everyone’s range of motion is going to be the same. Finding your ideal range of motion on an exercise may require a little bit of trial and error in the beginning. Your trainer will adjust every exercise to your body’s needs, including range of motion, using a combination of “adjustment points,” “axis points,” “hole gaps,” and other seat settings.

Adjustment Points

Adjustment points help to… that’s right, adjust parts of the machine to properly fit your body. Whether you are long in the torso or short in the legs, your trainer will use adjustment points to align your joints to the right place and help find your perfect seat setting and range of motion.

Most adjustment points are easy to find on machines because they are often brightly colored handles or pins. Look for yellow dots or handles on our Nautilus machines.

Axis Points

Some machines also have what we call axis points, or axis of rotation. These are typically seen on isolation exercises where one muscle group is targeted and one joint is used, like on our Preacher Curl machine.

Think of these axis points as guides to be lined up with the joint used during the exercise. On our Preacher Curl there is a red dot that serves as an axis point for the elbows. Ideally, you want the elbow joint lined up with this point the entire exercise to allow for proper extension and flexion during the range of motion.

Most adjustment points are also brightly colored and just as easy to find on machines. Look for red axis points on our Nautilus machines.

Axis points for finding your range

Hole Gaps

Hole gaps help increase or decrease the distance of an exercise’s starting point (and therefore the total distance traveled in an exercise) by inserting a pin to hold a gap between a weight plate or set of plates in a weight stack. For instance, someone with shorter arms using a Compound Row machine would want to increase the hole gap to bring the handles closer to them so that they can reach the handles at the beginning of the exercise.

Your trainer may also increase a hole gap to create an easier range of motion at the beginning of an exercise, or decrease a hole gap to make the exercise more challenging.

It may feel a little bit like musical chairs when trying to figure out your ideal range of motion and seat settings. Get in the machine. Get out. Make an adjustment. Repeat until you find your sweet spot. Luckily, all trainers at The Perfect Workout are experts and finding this for you and can do so quickly.

Hole Gaps for finding your range

If you are reading this but use partial movements due to past injuries or pain, don’t stress. You can still gain strength and muscle in a partial range of motion.

Ideally, your joints will become stronger and healthier over time. As this happens, you and your trainer will increase the range of motion until eventually reaching a full movement.

Client Testimonial from The Perfect Workout

Training through a full movement leads to better results. The Perfect Workout’s trainers will ensure that you are safely lifting as far as you can during each exercise. As a result, you’ll become the strongest and fittest “you” possible.

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  • Afonso, J., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Moscao, J., Rocha, T., Zacca, R., Martins, A. … Clemente, F.M. (2021). Strength training is as effective as stretching for improving range of motion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  • Pinto, R.S., Gomes, N., Radaelli, R., Botton, C.E., Brown, L.E. & Bottaro, M.J. (2012). Effect of range of motion on muscle strength and thickness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2140-2145.
  • McMahon, G.E., Morse, C.I., Burden, A., Winwood, K., & Onambele, G.L. (2014). Impact of range of motion during ecologically valid resistance training protocols on muscle size, subcutaneous fat, and strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(1), 245-255.
  • Schoenfeld, B.J. & Grgic, J. (2020). Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: a systematic review. SAGE Open.

Live Longer And Pain-Free: Strength Training

Posted on by Dr. Sean Preuss Ed.D, M.S

Can Strength Training Help You Live Longer And Pain-Free?

Woman holding neck wanting to Live Pain Free

Accepting illness and physical deterioration used to be the norm because we just didn't know any better. It was all just a part of getting old. 

But now that we know better, we can do better. Our health is in our control even as we age.

The same is true for health. Pain, independence, and premature death are common age-related concerns for many adults. These concerns, though, are just that: concerns. They aren’t guaranteed. 

In fact, there are specific approaches you can take to avoid these side effects of aging. In this article, we’ll address how strength training is one of those approaches.

The Most Common Age-related Concerns that can be avoided with Strength Training

Living With Pain.

According to the CDC, 49.6% of seniors have diagnosed arthritis. This produces a number of side effects, which can vary depending on what joints have arthritis. Common side effects are issues with walking form, limited range of motion, limited function, disability, and pain.

Losing Independence.

About one in every 14 seniors require personal care assistance, according to the CDC. About one in every six adults age 85 years and older live in a nursing home. 


The loss of independence is due to a few factors. Arthritis and other sources of pain limit physical abilities and could lead to relying on others. Strength is one of the biggest factors in determining how well we can physically function.

Infographic on living pain free

We lose about 3-8% of our strength per decade, which adds up when reaching our older years. Independence is also lost when major injuries occur and the individual never fully recovers. 

About a third of older adults suffer at least one fall every year. The CDC states that 20-30% of falls lead to injury. Some injuries, such as hip fractures, lead to the permanent loss of independence

Premature Death.

The average adult lives 79 years in the US. However, many don’t reach this point for a variety of reasons: 

the onset of chronic disease, a lack of exercise and overall movement, and many other reasons. 


(If you’re reading this and are thinking, “This is bringing me down.” …keep reading. There’s a happy ending.)


As noted at the beginning, you have a lot of control in what happens with your life. You can take actions to improve your health and longevity. Starting and maintaining a strength training program can prevent or decrease pain, maintain independence, and lengthen your life.


Don’t take our word for it, though. Let’s look at the research:

    • Arthritis/Pain. A few months of twice-weekly strength training substantially reduced arthritis pain, disability, and improved joint range of motion. Training also led to big improvements in strength for the muscles that support the arthritic joints.
    • Fall Risk. A research review which included over 100 studies showed that strength training decreases the risk of falls for older adults.
    • Physical Functioning. As little as 12 weeks of strength training can increase strength and balance in adults between 85 and 97 years old! The increase in strength translates to greater ease with general daily activities: walking long distances, walking upstairs, carrying groceries, etc.
    • Longevity. People who strength train are more likely to live longer lives. A 15-year study of adults 65 years and older showed that strength training at least twice per week was connected with a 46% reduced risk of death. In other words, strength training was linked to one in every two adults living a longer life.

If you take anything from this article, remember this: many side effects of aging are optional. You have control over how you age. You also have an influence on how long you live. 

As the research showed, strength training twice a week can reduce pain, enhance overall function, add strength, build balance, reduce the chances of falling, and might increase your life expectancy.

With slow-motion strength training, we can revolutionize the way people exercise… and live! Share with a friend today,

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  1. Baker, K. R., Nelson, M. E., Felson, D. T., Layne, J. E., Sarno, R., & Roubenoff, R. (2001). The efficacy of home based progressive strength training in older adults with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.  Journal of Rheumatology, 28, 1655–166.
  2. Cadore, E. L., Casas-Herrero, A., Zambom-Ferraresi, F., Idoate, F., Millor, N., Gómez, M.,…& Izquierdo, M. (2014). Multicomponent exercises including muscle power training enhance muscle mass, power output, and functional outcomes in institutionalized frail nonagenarians. Age, 36(2), 773-785.
  3. El-Khoury, F., Cassou, B., Charles, M. A., & Dargent-Molina, P. (2013). The effect of fall prevention exercise programmes on fall induced injuries in community dwelling older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Bmj, 347, f6234.
  4. Foroughi N., Smith  R. M., Lange, A. K., Baker, M. K., Fiatarone Singh, M.A.,  & Vanwanselle, B. (2011). Lower limb muscle strengthening does not change frontal plane moments in women with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Clinical Biomechanics, 26, 167-174.
  5. Kraschenewski, J. L., Sciamanna, C. N., Poger, J. M., Rovniak, L. S., Lehman, E. B., Cooper, A.B., … Ciccolo, J. T. (2016). Is strength training associated with mortality benefits? A 15 year cohort study of US older adults. Preventative Medicine, 87, 121-127.
  6. Serra‐Rexach, J. A., Bustamante‐Ara, N., Hierro Villarán, M., González Gil, P., Sanz Ibáñez, M. J., Blanco Sanz, N., … & Lucia, A. (2011). Short‐term, light‐to moderate‐intensity exercise training improves leg muscle strength in the oldest old: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,59(4), 594-602.

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