Personal Training

How I Got Started Being a Personal Trainer

When I first went to college, I wanted to be a Cosmetic Dentist.  After the first year, I changed my mind and wanted to be a Dietitian, so I could help make people healthier.  I started taking classes in that field, and during my first health and wellness class, I fell in love with the field.  I started signing up for any and every health or wellness class that I could find, even if it wasn't a requirement.  When I took a class that measured all of my fitness levels and kept me on track the whole semester and did the same measurements at the end, seeing those results made me want to get others the same or better results!

From that experience, I fell head first into the Exercise Science field.  I switched to a college nearby that had a better Exercise Science major, and loved every minute of every class I took.  When I took the Personal Training course, I knew I had found my true calling.  The minute that I passed my certification exam, I got a job at the university and started training.

Training as a Career

Since then, I have trained in a multitude of different settings.  While I was in Minnesota, I trained at the university, a 24 hour fitness center, a private studio, in a Firestation (bring on the hot firefighters!) and also trained a few clients outdoors in the summer.

In July 2009, I came to Venice to visit a friend.  I loved the weather, environment, music, but most of all, I LOVED seeing people training on the beach!!  This instantly became my dream job.  I went home, saved up money for 3 months, and moved out here late that October.  I got a job at a gym near where I lived, and by January got my first private client.  Throughout the year, I gradually switched to training more clients outdoors than at the gym, within 6 months was only training 2 clients at the gym, and after giving the gym a year of my time, finally quit and became fully independent.

Previous Clients

I have had the pleasure of working with some of the nicest, hardest working individuals I have ever met in my life.  I heard a lot of horror stories before I first began, but I feel truly blessed by how great everyone has been to work with.

People come to me from all kinds of backgrounds.  I have trained the First Lady of a country in the Middle East, a man who is creating a Unified Rating System for the entire world, a Paralegal, Stay-at-Home Mothers, Students, a Doctor, Actors, Actresses, People in the Fashion World, Business Owners, Models, etc.  It doesn't matter what you do for your career, everyone needs to be healthy to be able to excel at it.

I have also worked with a bunch of different injuries or illnesses.  I have had clients with back and knee injuries, Parkinson's disease, frozen shoulder, hip replacements, stroke, severe obesity, eating disorders, you name it.  I have been able to obtain a lot of experience in helping with these sorts of problems, and have learned the biggest thing I have learned is that you can't let an injury or illness prevent you from moving.  There is always something that you can do, even if all you can do is move your arms.  Just getting your body moving is a step in the right direction, and I will be alongside you every other step of the way.

If you would like to read some testimonials, visit the testimonials section of www.encompasstraining.org

10 Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer

The Future

I have never been so happy with my career choice, I am living my dream job! I am Sports Nutrition Certified, so I am now expanding my business to giving nutritional guidance as well.  I worked at a Nutrition Club in Duluth, Minnesota where I learned a lot about how when people are not eating properly, all the exercise in the world isn't going to make that much of a difference.

I will be hosting weight loss challenges, starting group fitness classes, and helping people online as well.  I want to help as many people as I can in a day, as much as I love doing one-on-one training, I need to be able to reach out to as many people as possible. By doing online counseling, I can help people all over the world, instead of just people within a 10 mile radius.  

Expect bigger and better things from me in the future, and if you know anyone who needs help, I am here!







2 great articles from About.com
10 Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer
10 Reasons to Fire Your Personal Trainer

Herbalife

How I got started

I was working as a Personal Trainer at a gym, where I would go in the mornings and the evenings, while also working for 3 different divisions a company that provided services to people with developmental disabilities in between.  Since I was working 13+ hour days, I was always tired, stressed, and not eating properly.

Due to my lack of energy, my work and training suffered, as well as my body. was working out so I could be in shape enough to be a trainer, but just wasn't losing the weight that I wanted to.  Then I met Matt, another trainer at the gym, who opened my eyes to the world of Herbalife.

I went to an HOM, and instantly fell in love with the business and the products.  An HOM is an Herbalife Opportunity Meeting, where they go over Herbalife products and business opportunities.  I got started right away on Herbalife's Advanced Program.  The first thing that I noticed was that I had a TON of energy!  Everyone at both jobs noticed the huge improvement in work quality and attitude, and we all benefited as a result.

The other huge difference was the pounds just melted off! I ended up losing 24 lbs in just 3 months!  I didn't even know I had that much to lose!

By just switching  2 meals a day to Herbalife's Healthy Meal, eating 2 snacks, and dinner,  plus using these supplements I lost all the weight I had wanted to and more.  It was such a quick, easy product to use that I had no problem sticking with it.

I knew that I had truly found a product that I believed in, and wanted to share it with the rest of the world, especially my clients.  I got started working at Cold Fusion Canal Park, which was a Nutrition Club where people could come to:

Eat a Healthy Meal shake, tea, and shot of aloe made from Herbalife products

Receive Wellness Evaluations

Participate in Weight Loss Challenges

Within the first 2 months of using Herbalife, I became an Herbalife Supervisor, so I could get a discount on all of the products that I was using!  Since I was able to sell the products myself and coach people on how to use them, I was also able to use that as another source of income as well.  

Once I got to the weight that was ideal for me, I switched to the maintenance mode, where I just have a shake for breakfast, plus take other supplements to make up where I am lacking in my diet.  I have tried a lot of products since then, and still have found nothing even remotely comparable to Herbalife.

Herbalife for YOU

People come to me for all different issues.  Weight loss, muscle gain, heart health, digestive issues, energy, etc.  Herbalife has products for any health goal that you want to reach, and by discussing your current habits, diet, and goals, together we can find the right products for you.

If you would like a FREE Wellness Profile, contact me as soon as you can!  You do not have to be in Los Angeles to benefit from these products, or to have me as your coach.

To set up an appointment today:

Call 218.393.7323

Email encompasstraining@gmail.org

Visit encompasstraining.org

Dance!

My history of dancing

I used be on a competitive hip hop dance team in high school, plus I did ballet, jazz, and tap.  I took ballet dance/movement therapy classes my first 2 years of college, but then I sadly transferred to a college that offered no dancing.  I have gone 4 years without it, and yesterday I finally was able to dance again!

Flashmobbing

I got the exciting opportunity to be part of a flashmob yesterday.  We rehearsed the dance for 3 hours prior, and I realized I had forgotten how much I absolutely love dancing!  I cannot believe how long I have gone without it. After the rehearsal, we got to perform at Hollywood and Highland for a band called Allstar Weekend.  Here is a video of the flashmob, to their song "Not Your Birthday"

I also am going to be in one tomorrow, which will air on a television show in June!  Until then, I am sworn to secrecy about which show it is.. but I am very excited to be able to do 2 within one week!

As a workout

Dancing is so great for the body, both mentally and physically*. Here are some of the benefits:

Gets rid of stress and tension (you don't have time to think about what is troubling you)
Releases endorphins (enhances feeling of well-being)
Improves cardiovascular fitness (Gets your heart rate up and keeps it up the whole time)
Improves flexibility (Stretching is a very important part of dancing)
Improves strength (forces the muscles to resist against a dancer's own body weight)
Improves endurance (the muscles learn how to work in increasing amounts of time without fatigue)
Improves mind/body connection (your brain has to control movement of your entire body at once, which studies have even proven to decrease risks of dementia in the elder population by up to 76%!)
Promotes social interaction and self-confidence (in most cases, everyone is just having fun and not competing against each other.  Dance classes are a great way to meet positive, energetic people that share the same interests)

*Plus, it's good for your wallet, since no special equipment is required!

How you can apply it to your life

Dancing doesn't have to be choreographed.  You can dance alone in your room to your favorite songs and still reap the same benefits.  Many people choose to go to a club and dance freely to their own beat.  The other option is to join a dance class (or join me flashmobbing!)  There are many dance classes available in almost every area of the country,  from swing, to ballroom, to salsa.

To sum it up: Dancing is good for your body, your soul, your mood, and almost any other aspect of your life. Get your body moving to the music, and feel free to share where and how you did!

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Introduction

Hello!

My name is Kammi Bakke, and I am the owner of Encompass.  My company is designed to help you reach all of your health goals.  Every single person has a different need, from motivation to education to just being held accountable.  I have many different options and packages to cover the most common needs, but if you feel like you need additional help and don't see what you need on my website, feel free to ask me if I can do it!  If I can't, I will learn how, or refer you to someone who can!

I will be posting a lot of different items in this blog.  My personal workouts, new exciting things I learn, websites that talk about different health topics, Q & A from clients, etc.  Thank you for visiting and following along with me!  I hope I can help you become a healthier person!