As the fitness world is rapidly changing — especially as we’re coming out on the other side of the coronavirus pandemic — we’ve made it our mission to consistently level up.
This includes everything from the products we’re making to the app we’re constantly updating to the education we're providing trainers to the people we’re hiring. One of those people is our new head coach, Jeremy Shore. Jeremy has joined ChopFit to lead our efforts in fitness education, building our programming for accredited coursework and training curriculum.
Read on to learn about how he got linked up with ChopFit and his philosophies on training and fitness education. If you’re a member of the #ChopSquad, he’s definitely someone you’ll become familiar with.
Let’s start with your background. When did you get started in athletics and fitness training?
I fell in love with fitness as a teenager, reading every fitness magazine I could get my hands on. I always knew I wanted to be in the fitness industry in some capacity.
I played collegiate soccer and was one of the only athletes getting in extra training sessions in the gym. I majored in Business and Marketing but still took extra courses like weight lifting and nutrition in the nursing school.
After college, I lived in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami where I began working as a personal trainer and strength coach. I was able to work with brands like Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness as a fitness model, and eventually became a contributor. I even created and hosted multiple fitness DVDs including 15-Minute Workouts, The Muscle System Workout, and RUN360.
In 2009, I moved to Austin, Texas with my wife and son where I worked as the Education Director for global fitness companies including Trigger Point Performance, Dynamax Medicine Balls, Hyperwear, and Matrix Fitness. While working for these companies I developed continuing education courses, built programming to support personal trainers and group instructors, and presented courses globally.
I’ve now been married for 17 years and have four children, ages 1, 5, 9, 12.
What certifications do you have as a trainer?
- NSCA - CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
- NASM - CPT (Certified Personal Trainer)
- NASM - CES (Corrective Exercise Specialist)
- NASM - PES (Performance Enhancement Specialist)
What are the 3 most important elements of effective fitness programming and education?
After attending a fitness continuing education course, either in person or online, there are a few important elements you should hope to get out of the training:
- The course is clear and easy to understand so you leave feeling like you can immediately put what you learned into practice with practical programming options.
- A large part of the course is “hands on” application so you can master the craft before teaching it to others.
- The education around a training tool allows you to have fun and be creative as you integrate it into your current philosophies.
What is the background of someone who typically completes a fitness education course?
There’s a wide variety of fitness professionals and enthusiasts that attend fitness education courses.
For fit pros, most are hoping to expand their training knowledge while maintaining their professional status as a personal trainer or strength coach, earning continuing education credits to meet their requirements. Oftentimes, fitness enthusiasts will attend if they love a particular fitness product or methodology and simply want to learn more. I’ve even had elite athletes show up to my courses who just wanted to get better at training themselves.
Are all fitness education courses accredited for continuing education requirements?
Not all fitness education courses are accredited for continuing education units (or CEUs), so it's important to verify before participating in any course. By attending those courses that are accredited, you can ensure you’re receiving the best education available while earning important CEU credits needed to maintain your professional status with leading education providers like NSCA, NASM, and ACE.
So how did you get connected with ChopFit?
A local Austin photographer I’ve worked with on multiple occasions posted some pictures of an athlete using a ChopFit Chopper and it caught my eye.It looked fun, which is of utmost importance when trying to adhere to a workout program. It also looked like it would give you a killer workout, which it does!
I reached out to the founder of ChopFit, Jon Spillman, and he was gracious enough to meet up and share his creation and the ChopFit philosophy. I immediately loved training with the Choppers and knew everyone needed one!
"A fitness continuing education course should be clear and easy to understand so you leave feeling like you can immediately put what you learned into practice with practical programming options."
What do you like most about your Choppers?
The Choppers are one of those pieces of equipment that every time you walk by it you can’t help but pick it up and start chopping. It’s FUNctional! It makes you feel like a warrior!
I also love that Choppers offers a unique training opportunity that’s hard to find. I’m able to train multiple planes of motion with them while building important athletic skills like acceleration, stabilization, and deceleration.
Where do you recommend people new to a workout routine start?
Understanding the basics of good training posture while mastering foundational skills like lunging, squatting, pushing and pulling will help you to be successful in whatever fitness path you take.
Learning the basics of soft tissue self-care through self-myofascial release (like foam rolling) and learning a good flexibility or mobility routine is also essential.
COVID has changed consumer fitness pretty significantly. What do you think the future of exercise looks like?
While online workouts have exploded, I don’t think they should ever fully replace in-person training and classes.
I do believe we thrive in community, and physical presence with others trying to meet their own fitness goals is crucial. I think small group training, outdoor boot camp style training and at-home garage gym workouts are here to stay.
I do think personal training will make a comeback as, more than ever, so many that haven’t been exercising regularly are now very aware of the need to be physically fit for the sake of their own health, their family, and their community.