Atlanta personal trainer Rahman “Ray” Grayson is the president and CEO of AEIM fitness. Mr. “Shut Up and Train” spends his days and nights motivating, educating and promoting the adoption of healthier lifestyles in the lives of hundreds a people a month with his 30-day challenge. He helps people achieve their fitness goals with his signature “In Motion” style of training, which focuses on keeping the heart rate elevated and the body in motion. We caught up with Grayson to talk about his passion for helping others achieve their fitness goals.
How long have you been a personal trainer?
Eleven years.
What inspired you to become a PT?
My love for sports and fitness; it’s something I am very passionate about.
At what point in your life did you know this was the job for you?
When it stopped feeling like work or a job. I can honestly say I have never worked so hard and even putting in so many hours a day but I still love what I do every day.
How much time should people set aside each week to effectively reach their fitness goals?
I look at it as a ‘total’ fitness approach; take a healthy approach to everything you do in life daily, whether that is preparing healthy meals for the week or taking the elevator or stairs to get more steps in your day while at work, or whatever works best for the person. Everyone is different. Make sure to incorporate eating healthy, exercising and getting rest each day.
Have you ever encountered a difficult client? If so, how do you deal with difficult clients?
Yes. I experience difficult clients and situations each day and every person and situation is different, but my mom always said look at the positive in every situation and you cannot let anyone’s negative energy bring you down.
What methods do you use to motivate your clients?
Results start when you do hard work.
What does your typical day diet consist of?
Lean protein and good carbs, fruits and leafy vegetables. I eat 5-6 meals a day and hydrate myself with plenty of water. My motto is, “Eat to live; don’t live to eat.”
What’s the most challenging aspect of being a PT?
The long days and early hours. Balancing work and family . I give my clients 100 percent 24-hour access to me and that is a challenge sometimes but it’s my commitment to my clients.
What is the biggest myth you hear about carbs in one’s diet? Do you suggest that your clients delete any food group(s) from their diet?
The biggest myth is that “all” carbs are bad for you; there are “good” carbs. You just have to eat the right ones in moderation. When dealing with nutrition, I believe in the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent clean and healthy foods and 20 percent exercise is key.
Which has the most impact on weight loss – diet or exercise?
Both diet and exercise in combination together have an impact. If I had to pick one, I would say diet though; nutrition is the first key step for weight loss.
If you had to chose one exercise, which would be your favorite? Why?
I don’t have “one” favorite exercise but my clients love burpees. The NY Times rated this as the #1 exercise in America. It provides good cardio and total body workout.
Learn more about PT Ray Grayson at Mrshutupandtrain.com or @shutupandtrain on Twitter.
