Ladies and gentleman… you are in for a treat. STAT Wellness had the pleasure of interviewing Jarred English, M.Ed., CSCS, an expert when it comes to optimizing human performance.
Jarred is the Founder of Tidewater Fitness in Savannah, Georgia. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and a Master’s degree in Human Performance from Georgia College and State University. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the American College of Sports Medicine. He also had the privilege of interning at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST) ranked a top ten gym in the country by Men’s Health.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and Tidewater Fitness.
I started Tidewater Fitness in 2014. At the time, I was training clients in several different locations. I was in a local YMCA, a local physical therapy clinic, and had a few clients at my home.
I did this for several years, and one of the things I realized was most people know exactly what they want to accomplish when they go to the gym. They may want to lose weight, get out of pain, feel comfortable in a bathing suit, or just have the ability to play with their kids without getting tired. But the thing that was missing was an accountability and support system. Most commercial gyms don’t offer this.
So I wanted to bridge the gap left by these types of facilities. I wanted to be able to build a community and culture where people felt comfortable going to the gym and were able to work towards their goals with like-minded individuals.
In 2016, I opened my own semi-private personal training facility in midtown Savannah, Georgia. We specialize in helping men and women in their 30s and 40s, frustrated with their lack of progress from previous dieting and exercise, turn back the clock, have more energy to do the things they love, and feel as good as they did in their 20s.
I couldn’t be more proud of the facility and the clients I work with. Its been a fun ride and I’m looking forward to watching it continue to grow.
2. What do you feel like is the biggest barrier your clients face when trying to reach their fitness goals?
I kind of hit on this with the previous answer, but it’s accountability. That’s the number one answer I get when I ask this question to my clients. Most people know they need to eat better and exercise, but after a while it’s easy to lose motivation.
Having someone to be accountable to, who’s checking in on you each week, makes all the difference in the world. It gives you that extra push you need to finally break through all the obstacles that have been holding you back.
The great thing is you can use anyone as an accountability partner. A friend, a family member, or a spouse can each provide the support you need to keep going when things get tough.
3. Do you think cardio or strength training is more important when trying to lose weight?
The mistake most people make when attempting to lose weight is taking a cardio-only approach. The problem with cardiovascular weight loss programs is that they don’t stimulate muscle maintenance or growth.
Strength training, on the other hand, does. And the most important factor in achieving sustainable weight loss is maintaining your muscle mass as you lose weight. This is what will give your body shape and definition as you lose fat. Not only that, but the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn on a daily basis.
Now, while it may seem like I’m saying strength training is best, a blend of both approaches seems to work best based on the current research we have.
In 2013, a group of researchers surveyed 15 different studies of over 700 participants that looked at resistance training, aerobic training, and a combination of the resistance and aerobic training as a treatment for obesity. After carefully looking at each one, they found that a combination of both is the best method to change body composition and prevent obesity over time.
4. You talk about adding finishers to your workout, can you explain what this is and why it is important?
I use finishers with almost everyone one of my clients because they are extremely effective at burning body fat.
Basically, a finisher is an exercise or group of exercises performed for 10 minutes or less at an extremely high intensity. They’re designed to push you to your limit and will test your mental toughness.
I’m going to get a little “sciencey” here but just hang with me! Our bodies exhibit what’s known as homeostasis. This our bodies when we are at rest. We have specific regulatory mechanisms that keep us functioning normally through our environment is constantly changing.
Our bodies love being in homeostasis, and when this is disrupted, our metabolism increases to get us back to that rested state. This results in a spike in the amount of calories we burn.
Finishers are exceptional at disrupting our homeostasis. After you perform a finisher, you’re metabolism is elevated which results in a large amount of extra calories burned.
For those looking to get lean, this is the perfect exercise method to combat excess body fat. And another big reason I like them is because they can be done in such a small amount of time. So even if you don’t have time to go to the gym for an hour, you can push yourself for 10 minutes and still see some great results.
5. There used to be a lot of buzz about “carb loading” before workouts to increase energy and muscle endurance. Now, people are starting to say you need some carbs post-workout to help with recovery and refueling your muscles. How do you recommend consuming macronutrients (primarily protein/carbs) before and after a workout?
This generally depends on the person and their specific goals. I work with general population clients and for the majority of them they don’t need any special pre or post workout nutrition.
If you’re someone who’s exercising for general health and fitness, the best thing would be to consume a meal 1-2 hours before exercise and 1-2 hours after exercise. These meals should be heavily focused on carbohydrates and protein.
Carbohydrates eaten before exercise can help fuel your workout, while carbohydrates eaten after exercise will restore muscle glycogen so you can train harder the next time. Protein eaten before exercise can help you preserve muscle mass while protein eaten after exercise aids in muscle growth and recovery.
Both are very important to your overall nutrition. And a meal that has a blend of carbohydrates and protein will help you perform your best in the gym and recover well out of the gym so you can get the results you want.
Be sure to checkout Tidewater Fitness on Facebook!
