You have no doubt seen the guy who is close to retirement age and yet has somehow found the need to go and get his ear pierced and start buying his clothes at The Gap. You want to simply say "Excuse me, but you are not 19 years old anymore."

I won't even get into the folks we see at the pool or the beach each year that need a really big "Excuse me, but" statement made to them. I will just suffice it to say that certain types of swimwear should be banned from public, period.

I personally see people that I want to make comments to all the time as well. But, my observations are generally made in the gym while training people. I commonly see grand examples of bad form, poor breathing and just good old general unsafe habits there. Mind you, if it is something too unsafe, I will do the "Excuse me, but that is going to hurt you" thing. These are generally people that are training on their own or maybe with their friend or a buddy who "knows a little something about weight training." Usually though, very little.

It is certainly worth your time and efforts to have a professional fitness trainer show you how to lift weights. There are more than just strained muscles at risk here. Did you know that by improperly breathing during a lift you can actually spike your blood pressure to a very unsafe level? Even holding your head in the wrong position during a lift can create a dangerous spike in your blood pressure. You don't want to come to after passing out and having someone look down at you and ask "Excuse me, but are you ok?"

You should note, not all trainers are qualified to take you through a workout. I think it is critically important that you find someone who is certified through a well known and trusted organization. For instance, my own certification is through the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research. Almost everyone has heard of the Cooper Institute and can trust the level of education and training they provide before granting a certification. Other trainers have received their certification through an on-line certification service. Obviously, not good. I can hear it now "Excuse me Mr. Trainer, but does your certification really say Acme Fitness School?"

Primarily, I would trust your gut instinct. You know whether a person is genuine and "squared away." You also know when something about a person makes you just not feel right about them. By all means, move on in your search. Be sure that the person you find matches your personality and understands your goals. Amazing things can be done to your body in a short time, but the person directing those changes had better know what he or she is doing.

Don't be afraid to ask all of the questions you need to in order to feel comfortable with your trainer. Ask for references. Talk to other people the trainer has worked with and find out what other people's experiences have been. This is a great time to ask "Excuse me, but did you get good results from this trainer?"

Find a good trainer that is properly certified, that you feel good about and that comes highly recommended. Establish your goals and start this wonderful quest for better health and a better body. I always tell my fitness boot camp recruits and my trainees that they have to be "consistently persistent" to reach their goals. The same holds true for you. Start a good program and stay with it. Make it your goal to have people walk up to you and say "Excuse me, you look great!"

Harold and Jill have faced some real uphill challenges in trying to get the facility open and now the future of that dream seems to be very uncertain. It is trying times for them and their family. All I can say is that I appreciate having them as my friends and I want only the best for them in the future.

In the mean time, I have converted my at-home studio into a training location until the next location is open and ready for business. I have a brand new commercially rated piece of Body Solid equipment for chest press, incline press, shoulder press, chest flyes, tricep push downs, overhead tricep extensions, cable rows, seated back rows, lat pull downs, leg extensions and leg curls as well as cable crunches and many other exercises.

I have added dumbbells from 10-60 pounds, a commercial treadmill with twin fans, carb counter and i-Fit CD training, a stationary bike and other equipment to help train abs.

Within a short time, those who are truly committed will be training in a great new facility. I appreciate those of you who have committed yourself to a new you and are willing to do anything required to get it. Since a couple of spaces have opened up, I will be bringing onboard a couple of new trainees who can't wait to get started. The upcoming weeks should be fun.

One thing I want to touch on for the boot campers is that although the training is tough, without eating properly, you may still hold on to excess weight. Your body may actually think that it is a situation whereby it is being asked to do more so it will take full advantage of the fattening foods it is still getting by storing them as bodyfat.

I would recommend that you eat a very healthy diet by cutting out the high sugar, simple carb, high fat foods and eating a diet rich in complex carbs and clean proteins. It really will make a difference to your boot camp workouts!

I have been very impressed by many of the boot campers as well. Denley and Erica, Blue Hat, Mrs. Tellinghuesen, Mary Ann, Chex, Wayne, Ranger and many others. Welcome back also to Marci (Tigger) after a few years off. Keep up the good, hard work. It WILL pay off.

Also, you should note that you can either pay the initial join up fee of $150 or the re-up fee of $100 on the website now. All it requires is a PayPal account.