ACOSTA FITNESS

ABOUT

   THE FITNESS BUG BIT ME EARLY. I WAS FOUR, AND MY MOM HAD JUST SIGNED ME UP FOR MY FIRST “OFFICIAL” SPORT: SOCCER. MY FAMILY WILL TELL YOU A TALE ABOUT A SHORTS-TOO-LONG-FOR-HIM KID WHO TOOK ONE RUN DOWN THE SOCCER FIELD, DETOURED TO THE SWING SET, AND WAS BRIBED BACK TO THE GAME WITH THE PROMISE OF HALFTIME ORANGES. THAT STORY MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE, BUT IT WAS THE START TO MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL FITNESS JOURNEY.

 

I GREW UP SURROUNDED BY SPORTS. AFTER THAT FIRST SOCCER TEAM, I SPENT MOST OF MY CHILDHOOD PLAYING ALMOST EVERY SPORT AVAILABLE TO ME. AND WHEN I WASN’T AT SOCCER PRACTICE DOING WALL PASSES OR CHASING DOWN A FLY BALL IN A LITTLE LEAGUE GAME, I WAS IN THE BACK YARD PLAYING SOME KIND OF GAME WITH MY SIBLINGS, OR OUT RIDING BIKES WITH FRIENDS. I LOVED BEING ACTIVE! AS I ENTERED MY TEENS, I DECIDED TO FOCUS ALL MY ENERGY ON JUST SOCCER, BUT MY LOVE OF ACTIVITY STILL KNOWS NO BOUNDS.

 

    FOCUSING ON ONE SPORT MEANT UPPING MY GAME. ONE APPROACH I TOOK WAS TO INTRODUCE WEIGHT LIFTING TO MY WORKOUTS AS I, LIKE MOST HIGH SCHOOL GUYS, WANTED TO BE BIG AND BUFF. (LOL). THE COMPETITIVE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS I PLAYED FOR PROVIDED FRAMEWORKS FOR LIFTING ROUTINES AND WORKOUT REGIMENS, AND I BEGAN TO SPEND A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME IN WEIGHT ROOMS OR TRAINING CENTERS. HOWEVER, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I LIFTED OR HOW MUCH I ATE (SORRY MOM AND DAD!), I WAS NEVER THE BIGGEST GUY. SO I TOOK A DIFFERENT TACT—THE GUY DOING THE CRAZIEST EXERCISES. PLOTTING OUT WAYS TO USE MY SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF MOVEMENTS TO REMAIN EFFECTIVE, WHILE THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO RELY ON TRADITIONAL EXERCISES OPENED THE CREATIVE PART OF MY MIND AND TURNED MY LOVE OF ACTIVITY INTO AN ENTHUSIASM FOR FITNESS.

 

  I ADDED THE SCIENCE COMPONENT OF MY LOVE FOR FITNESS IN COLLEGE. AS I CONTINUED TO COMPETE AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL I BECAME VERY INTERESTED IN THE SCIENCE BEHIND WORKING OUT, AS WELL AS THE OVERALL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE HUMAN BODY. I WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY DESIGN WORKOUTS TO MAKE MYSELF STRONGER, QUICKER, BIGGER, AND FASTER. MORE THAN THAT, I WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO ACCURATELY AND EFFECTIVELY GUIDE OTHERS TOWARD THEIR FITNESS AND HEALTH GOALS. THIS MOTIVATED ME TO FOCUS MY STUDIES ON FITNESS MANAGEMENT AND PURSUE PERSONAL TRAINING AS A CAREER.

 

  POST-COLLEGE HAS BEEN A WHIRLWIND OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AS I PURSUE TWO CAREERS: PROFESSIONAL SOCCER AND PERSONAL TRAINING. AS MY OWN PERSONAL TRAINER, I RIDE MYSELF HARD. I MICROMANAGE EVERY ASPECT OF MY EXERCISE, EATING HABITS, AND SLEEPING PATTERNS, OBSERVING WHAT RESULTS FROM MANIPULATIONS TO VARIABLES. I’M NOT QUITE AS TOUGH WHEN MANAGING OTHERS’ PERSONAL TRAINING, BUT I'LL IMPOSE AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE OF MY FITNESS FANATICISM AS IS NECESSARY.

 

  MANAGING FITNESS GOALS—WHETHER MINE OR OTHERS’—BRINGS ME TO MY “HAPPY PLACE.” THIS IS MY PLACE IN LIFE, AND I SEEK TO NEVER STOP GROWING AS A TRAINER.