Physical trainer - Staff

The physical training office in the Recreational Center can be an intimidating place at first.

When you walk in you’re a greeted with a stand full of multicolored stretching bands, jump ropes, and colorful poster informing you that while the bottomless salsa bowl you had at Chili’s the night before contains zero grams of fat, just two tablespoon of guacamole contains eight grams of fat.

On the wall is a small sign that says “If you’re not sure whether you’re running or jogging, go faster.”

While people might think of physical trainers as drill sergeants and perceive a session with them similar to that of torture, personal trainer Justin Zavala couldn’t be farther from that stereotype.

Zavala, once a part-time fireman, said being a physical trainer allows him to do the two things he loves: train and teach.

When Zavala get a client, whither it’s a member of the community, staff or student, Zavala says his has a person-centered approach to training.

“I’m interested in is what peoples goals and what they like to do,” Zavala said. “There’s going to be some stuff that they don’t like.”

Although he has to push his clients to do something they may not want to do, Zavala said he is not like the trainers portrayed on television.

“I’m a lot less drill sergeant like,” Zavala said as he leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed behind his head. “I like to get feedback of what’s working and what’s not and try to do different programs to see what they are going to be motivated to do.”

One of Zavala’s main goals is educating the people he trains.

“I don’t want them to be dependent on me; I want them to be educated about different exercises and what they’re doing, like different heart rate zones they can be in when they are training for cardio.”

Zavala, who is a certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as well as the National Academy of Sports Medicine, said he has been gifted with a service mentality.

“[Training] is just something I’ve always been interested in and I like to help people.”

“I enjoy passing on knowledge to people and helping people grow and take care of themselves,” Zavala added.