The Belles are very excited to have had the opportunity to interview Toby Massenburg from Total Max Fitness! Toby is a nationally certified group instructor, personal trainer and top-tiered Master Instructor for Equinox Fitness Clubs. He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science as well as many other fitness certifications.
Belles: Prior to the release of your first workout, Max 30, many at home exercisers were familiar with you as a background exerciser in other workouts. What can you tell us about the difference between being a background exerciser vs. leading the workout?
Toby: The biggest difference has to be the pressure you place on yourself. When you are in the background your biggest obstacle is executing someone else’s vision as best as you can. When you are the lead it’s a whole other ballgame, because although you still want to perform to the best of your abilities, you have to wear many other hats. From lighting, to camera shots, to editing, etc., you have to stretch yourself to showcase your own personal vision. Which makes it mean a lot more to you because it’s your baby and you want others to enjoy it because you love it. In a way you are way more vulnerable. I remember during the last practice run through on Max 30 I was on the verge of tears because I was so nervous and the pressure was so great I didn’t think I could do it. Paul Katami told me to just be myself because the workout is great but what they really want is your personality.
Belles: What motivated you to create your first workout DVD, Max 30?
Toby: My motivation came from Patrick Goudeau for sure. We were filming “Lean, Hot, Body” and he kept asking me “When are you going to come out with a release?” I didn’t even think it was possible, but he pushed me and mentored me step by step. I will forever be grateful to him for believing in me. Thank you Patrick!
Belles: Your workout Max 30 was well received by many home exercisers. How will your new workout Chiseled compare or contrast to the original workout?
Toby: I like to think of Chiseled as Max 30 SUPER-SIZED. I listened to the fans of Max 30 and brought what they loved best about the workout to the next level. While Max 30 was two, 30 min workouts, Chiseled is a full-hour of non-stop calorie burning, muscle building, and core cutting excitement.
Belles: We are extremely excited about, and anxiously awaiting, the release of your newest workout, Chiseled, what can you tell us about it? Do you have any other workouts slated to be released?
Toby: The Chiseled workout moves between 60 sec compound strength drills and 60 sec cardio/plyometric drills, with short rest periods between. The best thing about Chiseled is that at every 20 sec I give an option to increase the intensity so the user can customize how hard they want to work. Too often we either get bored or out grow out workouts, but with Chiseled you grow with the program. If you are feeling like you want the base challenge, you can stay at a level 1, but if you want to push yourself to your limit, you have the option to push it to level 3 for the full 60 sec. Or split the levels and work your way up. I like to think of it as a “choose your own adventure” workout.
I’m currently penning two 30 min releases. One will be a high-impact challenge and the other will be a low-impact challenge. The working titles are “Ignite” and “Afterburn.” I’m shooting for a 2013 release, so you have not heard the last from me yet
Belles: We know the importance of variety in a fitness routine and fitting in all the different exercise genres. But with time
being limited, what advice do you have for us to find a good balance? How do you find time to fit it all in?
being limited, what advice do you have for us to find a good balance? How do you find time to fit it all in?
Toby: Variety is the spice of life and the same can be said about how you move your body. I find that the best way to get a good balance is to schedule alternate intensities in your workouts. If you choose to do a heavy intensity, then the next day you should choose something restorative. The idea that you have to run yourself into the ground with every workout is totally false. The best way to gain results is to challenge yourself past your comfort zone. Then the next day, reward yourself with low intensity. As far as fitting it all in, that comes down to preparation. I recommend to all my clients to sit down with their calendars and actually schedule your workouts at least one week in advance including the day, time and duration. If we write it down and place it somewhere we see every day, it’s more likely it will happen. To truly see a change we all should commit to a goal of at least 300 minutes a week, which comes out to be about 5 hours a week. We don’t always have an hour or more to exercise, but we can all spare 20 min here and there to add to our weekly total. Whether it’s taking the stairs at our office building, taking a short jog around the block, or playing with our children, something is always better than nothing.
Belles: What is the best piece of fitness advice that you personally have ever received or have given to a client?
Toby: Fitness is a continuum. To truly see a difference, we must challenge ourselves past our comfort zones and explore other modes of movement. Too often we find comfort in our normal routines, whether it’s dumbbell selection, type of workout, or the intensity we are willing to push ourselves to. The thought is that if we move outside of what we know, disaster will follow. In actuality we find success when we push past the limits we place on ourselves. So my challenge to you all is to try something different. Something that you thought was not right for you for two weeks. You will be surprised by the amazing results that will follow.
For more information on Toby Massenburg, visit:
Total Max Fitness on the web
Total Max Fitness on Facebook
His current workout, Max30, is available through his site and Collage Video.
Look for his new workout to be out this Fall!
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