Good news, Fall is considered one of the best times to start a fitness program! Healthy habits you create now will carry you through a holiday season filled with temptation. Need a little motivation?  Meet Eric, an inspiring Bethesda Personal Trainer, and learn how setting goals & staying consistent will help you maximize your success.

Name: Eric Stolte
Location: Equinox – Bethesda
Title: Personal Trainer
Specialties: Calisthenics, Functional Training, Taekwondo
Years of Professional Experience: 1 year
Follow Eric on Instagram: gennairic

Interview with Eric Stolte, Bethesda Personal Trainer

  • What got you started in Personal Training?

I’ve worked out since college, but my training style has evolved quite a lot since then. In college I just wanted to get big.  Armed with GNC pre-workout, excessive whey protein, and fueled  by the typical college diet (beer, wings, and pizza) I got my weight up to 175. I am now a lean 150 but in much better shape. The boredom of the basic bodybuilder split (“bro split”) drove me to find other styles of training. I learned how to use my bodyweight as resistance and train effectively with the suspension trainer, TRX. A personal trainer friend of mine also taught me how to use kettlebells and my focus shifted from just getting bigger to moving better and integrating strength in a functional way.

  • What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success as a Personal Trainer?

I record my progress and stay consistent. My two main goals right now are strength and body weight skills/control. I’m following the Starting Strength 3×5 program while coming off the tail end of my gymnastic rings program. Both require planning and consistency to achieve progress.  You should know what you’re going to be doing at the gym before you get there and record the reps/sets so you can track your progress and keep pushing the envelope.

  • What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

Eating enough. I try to meal prep when I can and drink huge smoothies with bananas, dates, berries, greens, almond milk and Sun Warrior Protein.

  • eric-2What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?

Squatting 225 lbs and deadlifting 300 lbs both fall into my greatest strength achievements. I can do some cool movement flows with the gymnastic rings, but I’m still working on a strict muscle up.

  • What is your diet like?

I eat a primarily plant-based diet. I was a strict vegan for 4 years but I am currently eating eggs and some fish. These days I am more flexible with my diet which is better for social situations and life in general. But I do think eating majority whole food beans, grains, veggies, fruits and nuts make for the best long term health.

  • How many times in the last year have you been to see a physician?

Zero!

  • What 1-2 things do you believe differentiates you from your contemporaries?

I take a holistic approach to my training and business. I started out as a wellness consultant at MOM’s Organic Market. Then I became an IIN certified Health Coach and I incorporate this knowledge into helping my clients get better results. Equinox also puts clients through a Functional Movement Screen, an important tool which assesses 7 basic movement patterns to check for any imbalances or dysfunction. This insures I can program not only what the client wants but also corrective exercises which will help to prevent injury in the future.

  • Do you have any recommended resources to share?
  • Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there. You must go beyond them!”

-Bruce Lee

  • Where do you draw your inspiration from?
  • Anything else you’d like to share?

Health is in your hands. Start with small changes which are doable. These little victories will help encourage you to keep going and you will make amazing progress. A quick 5 minute meditation to start your day and focus your thoughts,  as well as a 5 minute meditation before you go to sleep, will help you go a long way.

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