Fight Obesity in America - Become a Military Fitness Instructor!

Q.

Staff Sergeant Ken and Stephanie Weichert,

Hello. I am in the Army National Guard, stationed at Avon Park, FL. While my unit conducted operations in Balad, Iraq, we used your fitness DVD’s a few times a week to keep in shape. Your DVD’s are awesome! I lost 29 pounds during my deployment, and my entire unit got better scores in the APFT. I was an Administrative Assistant before I deployed. However, now that I am back, I want to become a fitness instructor. I read in GRF magazine that you train and certify fitness instructors. How can I get your training?

Thanks,

SGT Parker S., FLARNG

A.

SGT,
Welcome home and thanks for serving our great country! It’s great to hear that our fitness DVD’s made an impact on you and your team! It’s true, we have recently launched a program to train and certify fitness instructors. Our military program is called Operation Fit to Fight and our civilian group fitness program is called Operation Living Fit. Both offer several hours of training and validation in several exercise-science subjects in order to help people fight obesity in America!

Operation Living Fit went live under our private company called START Fitness in 1998 in San Francisco, and still remains strong today! I am sure that you know that many people want to get in shape, but lack the knowledge and motivation to reach their health and fitness goals. Over the past couple of years, military fitness has grown exponentially. Called “Boot Camp” fitness, the trend has replaced cardio kickboxing and other fitness concepts in gyms and parks across the country!

From what we can determine, military-trained fitness instructors teach only 5% of the Boot Camp fitness programs in the country. While we encourage any program that will motivate people to get in shape, we feel it is important for veterans and reservists to lead by example and to show civilians the true spirit of being a Soldier by using military-style teamwork to overcome fitness obstacles. It’s time to bring reality to civilian fitness Boot Camps!

On 28 May 2009, I will be leading a military fitness certification for civilians at the World Spinning and Sports Conference (WSSC) in Miami, FL. The following day I will be leading a couple of military fitness classes at the same conference. You are close to Miami, and we would love to see you there! Best of all, you will receive continuing education credits (CEC) for completing the training which are valid for civilian gyms anywhere in the country.

After WSSC, our team will be busy working on a combination of training missions, both for the military and for several different civilian fitness companies. What we can do is to use this forum as a way of keeping you and other people informed of where we are training next.

Also, feel free to contact me anytime regarding more information about fitness instructor training and certifications at sgtken@gxonline.com or call toll free at 877-ARMY-FIT (276-9348). Keep up the great work! Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

HOOAH!
SSG Ken Weichert

Want to download the full article about OPERATION FIT TO FIGHT for free? Click on: Download 065-OpF2F (GRF-MAR09)

P.S.

Following is more information about our training at WSSC:

Led by Army Master Fitness Trainer Ken Weichert, and certified Personal Trainer Stephanie Weichert, SGT KEN’S FIT CAMP™ utilizes highly effective physical training techniques practiced by the U.S. military. Complete with body resistance and tubing exercises uniquely arranged to target specific muscle groups, you’ll burn 600 calories in 60-minutes! SGT Ken and Stephanie will lead you through a series of heart-pounding military fitness exercises, cadence calls, and fierce kickboxing drills, all to upbeat music. One recent participate mentioned, "I came looking for a good fitness routine and wound up getting a crushing shot of Boot Camp adrenaline! This ROCKS! HOOAH!" (All levels)

Find out why CBS and ABC calls SGT Ken’s program, “The best Boot Camp in the country!”

WSSC 2009 training dates and locations:
• Thursday, 28 May 2009, 9:00AM-5:00PM - Boot Camp Instructor Training (pre-con certification), Location: I - Mezzanine
• Friday (FR1), 29 May 2009, 7:00-8:30AM - Sgt. Ken Fit Camp (Workout), Location: I - Mezzanine
• Friday (FR5), 29 May 2009, 3:00-4:00PM - Sgt. Ken Fit Camp (Workout), Location: I - Mezzanine • Saturday (SA1), 30 May 2009, 7:00-8:00AM - Mentor Me (Lecture), Location: L - Raphael
• Saturday (SA6), 30 May 2009, 5:00-6:00PM - Discover the Leader in You (Lecture), Location: K - Escorial

All WSSC 2009 classes will be held at the Hotel Intercontinental in Miami, FL.

HOOAH!

Ken Weichert (a.k.a. “SGT Ken”) is a Six-time Soldier of the Year, Master Fitness Trainer and veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm. Ken and his wife Stephanie, a Certified Personal Trainer, founded START Fitness, a group exercise and hiking business that delivers military-style workouts to Soldiers and civilians since 1998. Ken and Stephanie have led thousands of Soldiers to better health through Operation Fit to Fight, a tactical fitness instructor training program designed to prepare Soldiers for Basic Combat Training, deployments, leadership schools and post-deployment reintegration. Operation Fit to Fight creates tactical athletes who lead by example and are ready to perform necessary duties in response to natural disasters or in defense of our country! Ken and Stephanie currently produce health and fitness programs for GX magazine, and for the National Guard website.

Comments

[#1 Posted by: Weight Loss Diet]

The best way to make your weight loss diet a success is to follow a healthy weight loss program which is sustainable and lasting. For healthy weight loss diets you have to make a plan and stick to it until you reach the desired weight.

___________
Weight Loss Diet

[#2 Posted by: SSG Ken Weichert]

That is the trick, isn't it. Make and plan and stick to it. I agree. I wrote a nutrition blog called Operation Diet Dissection under blogs for Staff Sergeant Ken Weichert. Go to that one, and stick to it!

Thanks for reaching out! HOOAH!

SSG Ken Weichert

[#3 Posted by: artwine]

I have always struggled with weight and fitness

[#4 Posted by: SSG Ken Weichert]

Check out our blogs and get to work. We can help!

HOOAH!

SSG Ken Weichert

[#5 Posted by: Sharon]

We have a 15 year old son that has his sights set on joining the military after college. We would like to begin the physical preparation now. Can you suggest and exercise and diet regime for his age?

[#6 Posted by: SSG Ken Weichert]

Hello, Sharon!

If you go to my library of fitness blogs, you will find one called Operation Pushing for Points - http://military-fitness.military.com/2008/12/operation-pushi.html. Operation Pushing for Points is a great workout to prepare for the military, using no weights that could potentially stunt growth in young adults under the age of 16. If the exercise program is too hard, I suggest one of my youth workouts, such as http://military-fitness.military.com/2008/12/basic-training.html.

Let me know how the program works for you. HOOAH!

SSG Ken Weichert

[#7 Posted by: Hope]

Hi, I am in the process of enlisting and am having a hard time sheading the weight. So far I have lost only ten pounds but went from a 42 inch waist to a 31 and 45 in hips to 39. I still havent made the 34% bmi in order to be able to join and even when i make it to the acceptable bmi i am nervouse that i wont make it through bct. I am 33 years old and close to being too old to join. Do you have any tips to help me befor i go so that i can be successful at btc and ensure that i can become a soldier. Thank you so much for your time.
Hope.

[#8 Posted by: SSG Ken Weichert]

Hope,

Hello. Thanks for reaching out! There is another fitness blog I wrote called "Operation Pushing for Points." That workout will help prepare you for BCT, as it is a 30-day APFT workout calendar. There is also nutrition advice, and iPod-ready video clips for FREE.

You might also consider practicing the ARMS test (step test). Email me directly for more guidance at sgtken@startfitness.com.

HOOAH!

SSG Ken Weichert

[#9 Posted by: yvonne]

Hi,

Great site!!!! Obesity is the cause of many diseases. There are a lot of American's that are over weight. We have to stop eating FAST FOODS it is killing us. Good health is our greatest asset without good health we are doomed to die. We need to eat right, exercise , pray and drink plenty of water to help maintain good health and well-being

[#10 Posted by: SSG Ken Weichert]

Hello, Yvonne!

You are correct! America has been dealing with a 'super-size' me challenge for quite some time. We all need to add more fruits, veggies and water to our diets over carb-infested fast foods and acid-filled colas. HOOAH!

SSG Ken Weichert