Meet Jay.
Jay is a trainer. Jay tries to motivate his trainees to do these moves. These moves aren’t easy. Jay does them easily. The end.
But, see, the thing about Jay? He helps people. Wholeheartedly. Unreservedly.
When I first hung out with Jay, I could hardly lift my arm over my head. A car accident last October had left my arm weak. Useless. Aching. Frustrating. I avoided using my arm. Even emptying the dishwasher became a one-handed operation. My camera-stabilizing arm was…well…unstable. (I distinctly remember being crouched in position at the beginning a wedding ceremony and watching my camera shake — my hand exhausted and unable to keep the camera to my eye continuously. SOMETHING had to change.)
A round of neurology appointments, an MRI, and a nerve study later and the news came back with bittersweet flare: your nerves are fine. Yay. So glad. Truly. Kinda. Damaged nerves are bad. Bad bad bad. But talk about even MORE frustrating: no hope for relief except “with time for the muscles to heal”. Not helpful. Not reasonable. Why was my arm still not fully functional?
My primary care doctor suggested one more outlet: functional therapy. Skeptical, I met with him. Felt him immediately find the injured points in my muscle with hardly any guidance. Felt the relief after just a few brief sessions. And then started attending his group sessions.
Two months later, I’m a believer. Through group sessions, active release therapy, and some at-home tecniques, my arm ached less and strengthened more.
The crowning moment of glory? I thrust a 12kg kettle bell straight overhead. With one arm. And no problem.
I almost did a happy dance in front of everybody. Six months of pain and weakness became a distant memory. A bad nightmare. A fleeting backstory.
So why would I tell you all this?
Because Jay — the one who can support himself in an elongated plank [see top] — is the one who put his vast level of skill and resources into happy use on my unhappy arm.
He’s a hero with a stash of kettlebells.
Conclusion? Go see Jay. Seriously. Do it.
I’ve seen the weight loss of Jay’s friends. I’ve seen my own strength improve. I’ve seen muscle definition and endurance increase.
He’s the one-stop-shop.
Yes.
The hero with a training studio.
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