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The Training Studio

The Training Studio

Dale Benedict

Dale Benedict

Dale founded the Training Studio in 1996 with a vision to change people’s lives with a comprehensive approach to fitness.  His emphasis on functional dynamic movements, core strength, balance and body stabilization has created an exciting and very successful program not only on a local level with The Training Studio (now with 2 locations) in Louisville, KY, but also on a worldwide level with a DVD series called Snow Angel Fitness.  Coach Dale still teaches several semi-private and private sessions throughout the week primarily at the River Road location.  He also dedicates a tremendous amount of time managing both locations and designing, developing and integrating the new digital products. 
 
Dale used his knowledge, expertise and passion to learn first-hand what it takes to push his body to it’s limits. Over the last 25 years, he has completed over 35 marathons, 6 ironman events and multiple ultra running events.
 
Direct quote from Coach Dale:
“After 25 years of seeing outstanding results with hundreds of clients, I can honestly say that I look forward to every day of coaching.”
 
Education:
University of Louisville , Bachelor of Science in Sport Administration: Concentration/Exercise Science, Award date December 1998
 
Certifications:                                                                                                                                          
Certified Personal Trainer: American Council on Exercise – since 1995
Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach – Precision Nutrition
Adult/Infant/Child CPR Certified – American Red Cross
AED certified – American Red Cross   
TRX certified
 
Media Credits:
 
Coach Troy Jacobson podcast with Dale Benedict of Snow Angel Fitness
 
 
 

Contact Dale to schedule a consultation

Stacey Hardin

Stacey’s experience with personal fitness training began as a client of The Training Studio. Seeing the changes it made in her own life led her to want to do the same for others.  Thus, in 1999 she began her pursuit towards certification as a personal trainer.  Stacey’s dedication, work ethic and passion for helping others are the reason why The Training Studio is what it is today.  After 20 years or fine-tuning her trade, Stacey now has quite a following, she spends the majority of her time coaching private and semi-private groups at our St. Matthews location and working with the run/walk group on the weekends.
 
Direct quote from Coach Stacey:
“Being an aging “baby boomer” myself (with bilateral hip replacements), my annual continuing education has been primarily focused on this specific demographic.  As a result, I have created a reputation in the local area as the “go to” person for the aging adult trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  No matter the age, it is never too late to invest time in your health through proper exercise and nutrition.  It is an honor to help young and “older” alike achieve their goal of living a healthier life. “
Certifications:
Certified Personal Trainer: American Council on Exercise- since 1999
Adult/Infant/Child CPR Certified – American Red Cross
AED certified – American Red Cross
 
Media Credits:
(Click images for details)
 

Contact Stacey to schedule a consultation

Cindy Geer

Cindy’s journey with The Training Studio began as a client working with Coach Dale.  This experience opened her eyes to the endless opportunities available to share her knowledge with others.  Her previous experience working as a teacher/coach was the driving force behind starting our very popular Train Like A Girl (TLAG) program that focuses on teaching adolescent female athletes the importance of strength training.  Cindy also specializes in creating “personal” workouts for clients of various ages.  These workouts include innovative, safe exercises designed to help clients achieve their goals.  Cindy coaches private and semi-private groups of adults and young girls throughout the week at our River Road location.

Direct quote from Coach Cindy:

“I care about the health and wellness of each of my clients. I develop a personalized workout to challenge you but not to injure you. I want to encourage my clients to work hard and achieve their best.”

Degrees & Certifications:
  • University of Alabama Bachelor of Education, Minor in Biology
  • Certified Personal Trainer – American Council on Exercise
  • Adult/Infant/Child CPR & AED  – American Red Cross
  • TRX Certified
  • Certified Level 1 Nutrition Coach – Precision Nutrition

John Foland

John teaches constantly varied, functional movement performed at high intensity.  He is also the driving force behind our periodized group class workouts.  His guidance and expertise have guided The Training Studio in the right direction for several years.  John has developed the curriculum for our Kickstart program and is responsible for keeping all of the coaches educated and on the same page.  John works both early mornings and evenings at our St. Matthews location.

Direct quote from Coach John:

“Proper movement.  As we get older, we don’t move as much.  We may sit at a desk all day.  We wear big stiff shoes that make us weak.  My job is to make sure you move as your body was intended.  Run, jump, squat, pull.  Let’s have fun!”

Degrees & Certifications:
  • Crossfit Level 1 Coach
  • Crossfit Mobility Coach
  • Crossfit Endurance Coach
  • Adult/Infant/Child CPR & AED  – American Red Cross
  • TRX Group Certified

Susan Hiken

Susan also started out as a client of Coach Dale’s for several years.  Her experience created a desire to share some of her knowledge with others.  Susan’s background in modern dance coupled with this knowledge created a coach that understands how the body moves and what it takes to keep it moving.  Susan spends her time teaching group strength classes at both our St. Matthews and River Road locations.  

Direct quote from Coach Susan:

“Exercise does not come easily to everyone, often due to fear of injury. I want people to live a long and healthy life and always be able to do the things that make them happiest. Becoming fit can be fun and invigorating for anyone if you can develop the kinesthetic awareness to guide your body safely and work your muscles effectively. The transformation is incredible, and the feeling of accomplishment is even more rewarding!”

Degrees & Certifications:

  • Florida State University – Bachelor of Fine Arts
  • Certified Personal Trainer – American Council on Exercise
  • Adult/Infant/Child CPR/AED – American Red Cross
  • TRX Certified

Why this childhood habit is bad for you as an adult

Dale Benedict

You’ve heard of siblings like this, right?

Three brothers, all within about 6 years of each other. Everything is a competition. Even eating. Whoever gets the food onto their plate first gets to eat it, but it had better be gone fast or it could get stolen.

If the serving dish on the table only has one piece of chicken left, you can be sure someone will be stabbed with a fork as everyone grabs for it at the same time. Blood everywhere… Tears… Pointing fingers…Whining…

And that’s NOTHING compared to when they were kids! 😉

Seriously, it’s not just males who eat quickly, without thinking. Many people have developed the habit of eating as fast as possible. Often it’s because you developed the habit while in elementary school, when lunch breaks were short.

And then you continued when you got home from school, wolfing down dinner in order to get to some rehearsal, or practice, or study session on time.

Then as an adult, you work long hours, rush home through painful traffic or on overly-crowded public transportation, only to rush through eating again, because there are bills to pay, bathrooms to clean, kids to shuttle….

Our fast-paced society includes fast-paced eating.

Yet, there are plenty of reasons to eat slowly.

If you eat slowly, it helps your digestion, you stay hydrated more easily, it’s easier to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and you enjoy your food more. If eating slowly creates these benefits, eating too quickly obviously causes the opposite effects.

One of the most important reasons to eat more slowly is it allows your brain to catch up with your stomach. It takes about 20 minutes from the time you begin eating for the brain to recognize when you are satiated, that is, full.

Many people eat so fast, their brain doesn’t have time to tell them they are done eating, and they end up consuming more calories than they need!

In addition, if you eat slowly, you help your digestion. Like any system, digestion has to go from step 1 to step 2 to step 3, etc. But it takes time to get ready for each step.

Here’s what I mean. When you think about eating, you start to salivate. Saliva contains enzymes that break down your food and moisten your mouth for easier swallowing.

While this is happening, your stomach starts to secrete more acid in order to digest the food completely. In addition, your small and large intestines begin to get ready to do their jobs. Etc.

When you eat too fast, you send food into this relatively fragile system before it’s ready. This is especially true if you don’t take time to chew your food sufficiently; it lands as a lump in your stomach without having been as well processed as it should be.

So if you suffer from indigestion or other GI problems, you might want to evaluate how quickly you eat your food.

Let’s take a look at a study done by the University of Rhode Island (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18589027), in which they brought in 30 women of “normal” weight, for two visits.

The women were told to eat until full (satiated), but one time they were told to eat quickly, and the other time they were told to put down their fork after each bite.

When they ate quickly, they consumed 646 calories in 9 minutes. When eating slowly, they consumed 579 calories in 29 minutes. That’s 67 fewer calories in 20 more minutes! In addition, when they ate slowly, the women drank 209 grams of water (fast) vs. 410 grams (slow).

Finally, when they ate quickly, the women felt hungry sooner than when they ate the same amount of food slowly.

If you imagine these kinds of results three times a day, seven days a week, week after week, you can see how quickly these women would eat more calories and drink less water, when eating fast.

OK, so I hope I’ve convinced you that eating slowly is much better for you than wolfing down your food. So how do you do that?

There is actually a mindful eating movement afoot. This is when people count their bites, or how often they chew each bite. To do mindful eating very thoroughly, people first sit and look at their food, experiencing it with as many senses as possible – sight, smell, touch – just thinking about what it’s going to taste like and feel like. After five or more minutes of this, THEN they begin to eat their food… slowly.

So sitting and looking at your food for five minutes doesn’t fit your particular lifestyle, here are a few suggestions you can consider incorporating. Even doing a few of them each day will make a big difference in how quickly or slowly you consume your food, and give you the attending health benefits:

  • Eat more high-fiber foods (like fruits and vegetables) that take longer to digest.
  • Cut your bites smaller before putting them in your mouth. Then actually count how many times you chew before swallowing.
  • Drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat – and during the meal – as this will make you feel more full, and less desperate to get the food into your mouth.
  • Use smaller plates for smaller portions.
  • If you usually use a fork, try using chopsticks! (If you’re not familiar with them, this will definitely slow you down.)
  • Give yourself at least 20 to 30 minutes to eat…. Not the usual 5 to 10.
  • Eat with others and engage in witty, engaging conversation. 😉 
  • Put down your utensil after each bite to savor both the flavors and the company
  • Don’t eat when you’re bored; only when you’re truly hungry
  • Don’t multitask while you eat; pay attention to the experience of eating
  • Eat on a schedule, not all day long

Pause to consider where your food came from. The people who harvested it, transported it, stocked the shelves with it, and prepared it; maybe even the animals that were raised for your sustenance. Consider the cultural traditions that brought you to that table, and the recipes shared among family and friends. When you stop to consider all this, it may slow you down and help you make wise choices about sustainability and healthy food.

If you’re like most people I know, you probably lead a pretty busy, hectic life. But when you mindfully, intentionally slow down during your mealtime, you will feel healthier, have more control over your weight, and feel more connected to your food and to those at the table with you.

I’d love to have the chance to speak with you about this, and other health issues that you may be wondering about. Please reach out to me via email (dale@thetrainingstudio.com) to schedule a time for us to chat. I look forward to speaking with you!