Remember when you were afraid of the monster under your bed as a kid? Or was yours the variety that lived in the closet? Either way, we humans learn to fear at a young age. And the #1 fear–despite what some say about public speaking–is the fear of death.
While fatalities from monster attacks last year tied the all-time record low of 0, the fear of death hasn’t changed in millennia. We may outgrow our fears of the mythological but few of us ever escape the confines of fearing death entirely.
But what if you made yourself harder to kill? Is it possible to transform yourself into a hardened, indestructible force of nature? If you train with Adam Harris, owner of Adam Harris Fitness and consistently voted one of the top personal trainers in Denver year-after-year, you very well have a chance.
We interviewed Adam last week to get a sense of how he trains his clients, which range from world record-setting rowers to a 55 year-old fresh off ACL surgery. For all you Mile Highers ready to make a physical transformation, or simply looking for one of the best workouts in town, this Q&A is for you.
Adam, left, was voted the #2 ranked trainer in Denver by Denver A-List. It’s his third top-three finish in the past four years.
Q: You hail from the UK originally. What brought you to this side of the pond, Denver specifically?
My Wife! I was working in the UK as an Exercise Physiologist for the US Air Force and was introduced to her by a Spin instructor that I was employing. We dated in London and Denver, which is where she lived, then eventually pulled the trigger, and decided on Denver as our permanent home. We love it!
Q: When and why did you decide to open your own gym?
I have always wanted to own my own gym, ever since I could out-lift my older brother, using his own weight set in my Mum and Dads garage! The opportunity presented itself to me in Denver, and I grasped it with both hands. I am excited to grow my brand and be hugely successful.
Q: What level of fitness would you say the average member of your gym is in? Do you work with newbies to the fitness scene?
I instruct every single level of fitness. I currently personal train a 55 year old woman, who is 12 weeks out of ACL surgery, through to world record holding rowers. I have minimum standards of fitness for class participation as I want an intense environment for fitness, with no weak links. I have found people who can not complete my classes are never seen again, so forewarned is forearmed. My classes are really intense, and the toughest in Denver! I personal train to every ability fitness level, so if you are behind a little, come train 1:1 with me. On the whole, all my clients are fitness monsters, but I can always make everyone fitter.
Q: Denver is an incredibly active city–and with the mountains nearby there are more options for staying active than most places. You seem to capture this diversity with the classes you offer: trail running classes, personal training, strength and conditioning, boot camps—just to name a few. There’s only so much each of us have time to do; how do you recommend going about settling on a fitness activity?
Why settle at all? Try all of them. I love seeing proficiency in a multitude of fitness modalities, hence my diverse and varied class schedule. My argument is, why not be able to run 7 miles on the trails, then get in the gym and deadlift twice your body weight? I am training people with the objective of “making them harder to kill”, so if this seems like your cup of tea, come to my gym!
Q: Shifting gears to nutrition. What does the perfect workout fuel look like to you? How about post-workout recovery–what kinds of food do you recommend your clients eat?
I am a big advocate of feeding the machine (your body) for your training needs/requirements with REAL food. I love big amounts of calories and protein pre and post training sessions, especially with increased intensity of exercise. I am sick of hearing so much BS regarding nutrition and diet from so called “experts” or “coaches”. If you are struggling with your diet, nutritional habits, see a professional. I would recommend me! A pre and post workout meal for me includes: meat, eggs, olive oil, veggies, fruit, and milk.
Q: Let’s end with a hypothetical. You just woke up from a 10 year coma. Your body is as weak as can be and your health is in precarious condition. How would you go about getting back to your current level of fitness and health in the next 10 months? Can it be done?
OH MY! Regression of fitness is always slower than progression, so YES, it could be done. It would take such a strong will, a great attitude and amazing programming, but yes, I believe it could. What a journey, though.
Lastly, please tell readers how they can connect with you and list a few reasons why Adam Harris Fitness is the best gym in Denver.
I run the toughest gym around. I train athletes to look and perform like athletes. If you truly want to be in top physical condition and strong as hell, come train with me. Bring your ‘A’ game and a will-do attitude because it will be harder than hell, but infinitely worth it.
Just “hanging out” at Adam Harris Fitness
A huge thanks to Adam for being a good sport, per usual. To get in touch with him or learn more about his classes visit adamharrisfitness.com or email him at adamharrisfitness@hotmail.com.
