10 Questions with personal trainer Brent Bishop

You know you want to, but you just don’t know how. It’s not as easy now as it was when we were in our teens and 20s. For some reason, at 40, the pounds start to stick in all the wrong places, and they’re more stubborn than we remember them being. So we caught up with personal trainer Brent Bishop, owner of Think Fitness Studios, where in addition to regular training, they offer specialized ‘Mom and Baby classes. We asked him the questions you know you want to know about about working out and getting into shape.

Brent at Think Fitness Studios

1. Why are people so unmotivated to work out?

This all comes down to a lack of inspiration. Motivation and inspiration are two different things – you need to be inspired first. You can’t maintain motivation without inspiration. The best place to start is to choose activities that inspire you. An exercise program must be interest-driven in order to be successful.

2. How do you inspire people to get physical?

I find out what their interests are, what they have enjoyed in the past – sports they may have played or maybe what they have always wanted to try. Starting with interests creates momentum.

3. What exercises can moms and dads do in their livingroom every day?

There are so many exercises you can do without leaving the comfort of your own living room. Some examples would be lunges, abdominal planks, squats – even using your couch or chair for push ups and triceps dips can be effective. Creating a circuit of 3 to 5 of these exercises and completing 2 to 3 sets can help you keep fit while being very time efficient.

4. Can you recommend any exercises or physical activity you can do with babies?

There are many. A lot of this comes to creativity (and of course safety). At my fitness centre, Think Fitness Studios, we have 15 ‘Mom & Baby’ classes per week that expose participants to a great array of effective exercises such as lunges with baby, squat press (pressing your baby in the air as you come out of a squat) and trunk rotations (sitting on the ground while twisting side to side with baby in hand).  Not only are these great for fitness but also allow for some great bonding time with your little one.

Doing lunges, pressing his son – that’s the daddy workout way!

5. What are your thoughts about working out with your kids?  

Everyone should workout with their kids, or have their kids involved somehow. My weekend ritual is to take my 3 1/2 year old with me to the gym where I get my workout in, and involve him in some of my exercises. What’s great about this is that exercise becomes ‘the norm’ for him due to this early and consistent exposure. Later we go to the park , run around and play some active games together. Fitness is absolutely essential for the health and development of our children.

6. How important is diet?

What you eat plays an very large role in your health. There is so much to be said about this. Developing good eating habits can make an enormous impact for weight loss, energy levels, disease prevention and overall health. For fitness results, diet is about 80% of the picture. What you eat impacts your body’s ability to metabolize calories, recover post-exercise and your energy levels for the next day.

7. Do you have to go to or belong to a gym to get a good workout?  

If the gym is not you’re thing, don’t sweat it. You don’t need a gym to get great results. There are some many exercises you can do at home our outdoors that provide variety and yield results. In addition, there are many programs that you can follow to provide program direction. One program I’m involved in allows you to access effective workouts anywhere, on your phone, computer or TV – it’s called Evolve Function Fitness (evolvefunctionalfitness.com) and the great thing is, you don’t need any equipment – just your own body.

8. Why do you love being a personal trainer?  

I feel I was born to help people achieve and I’ve always loved being physically active. Being a personal trainer allows me to utilize my passion to help people tap into their inner athlete.

9. Best part about being a dad?

One of the best parts of being a dad is the new perspective it gives you on life and what’s really important. Also, being a dad really allows you to realize just how much influence you have on the development of your child. There’s nothing like hearing my son’s little voice and having him hug me.

10. Your favourite way to workout?

I really like variety when I workout so I would say for in the gym, I love functional strength training with weights, particularly full body movements with barbells. In saying this, one of my favourite modes of exercise is running – particularly trail running, where I am far away from the hustle of the city and taking in fresh air.

Brent Bishop is an on-air fitness expert, lifestyle host, and celebrity trainer. He is the owner of Think Fitness Studios, a performance-inspired, boutique personal training centre in Toronto. Bishop is an on-air Fitness Expert on national television, Functional Fitness Host of the series Body Fuel, author of The Think Factor and the male Fitness Brand Ambassador for New Balance Canada. Brent has made several media appearances on North American networks including KTLA, WFLA Daytime, Global TV, CTV and CityTV to name a few. Additionally, Bishop is a regular contributor to numerous print media such as Best Health Magazine, Canadian Health and Lifestyle, Inside Fitness, Fitness Business Canada, Canadian Living and Sweat Equity Magazine.

Twitter: @I_AmBishop