FEATURED FITNESS PRO : ERIC SU

Eric Su, Fitness Professional

A few weeks ago, I had the honor to be a guest on a health and fitness podcast presented by Eric Su. He is a Healthy living Expert  and entrepreneur from Chicago that caters to those that want a head turning body, an enriched mind and a fulfilled life. Through his fun and addictive podcasts and blog posts and breakthrough coaching calls, he is here to shake up your idea of healthy living! When he is not transforming lives, you can find him indulging in a bit of tennis, traveling, or the occasional ice cream cone! You can listen to my podcast with Eric by clicking here.

We had a great time talking about our views on fitness culture, body image, nutrition, and pretty much realized our views align in many ways. I decided to ask Eric a few questions myself, because I know all those Transcending Normal always want to meet more awesome people with awesome ideas!!! Here is what he had to say!

 How did you get started in the fitness industry?

- While in college at Purdue, I had to make a decision which was to study to become a physical therapist or get certified as a personal trainer.  There were the two areas that interested me.  Becoming a personal trainer interested me more so I decided to let go the desire to be a physical therapist and focused on helping be live healthy lives with fitness training.  I got certified in 1999 and never looked back.

What is your philosophy and what makes you different in your approach?

- My fitness approach has always been a functional fitness approach.  This means I do not use machines to help people strengthen or condition the body.  I use free weights, bands, stability balls, and straps like TRX to design workout routines.  What makes me different is that I focus on routines that produce a specific physiological outcome based on my clients goals.  If my clients want to burn fat or extra calories, I will design routines that are effective and safe while producing fat calorie burn.  The other part is that I train people on their mindset.  We can do all the technical training and show people how to workout and if the person is not in the right mindset, working out may not happen.

What do you think is the number one obstacle for people that want to improve their fitness? And, what is your solution for it?

- Excuses.  This is the #1 obstacle.  We all come up with reason we cannot workout, eat healthier, or educate oneself about healthy living.  My solution to this is to make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.  I also help people program their mindset.  So positive reinforcement and encouragement or a support system can help improve one's mindset and then help that person form healthy habits.

How do you feel, Crossfit or bodybuilding?

- Both offer unique outcomes.  I was in the bodybuilding mindset growing up because I wanted to have bigger muscles.  I liked how it made me feel and look.  As i grew older, the idea of a body that was huge or very muscular like a bodybuilder went away.  It’s still there, however, the desire is not as strong as when I was growing up.  When it comes to Crossfit, it’s a unique workout that produces a body that is highly conditioning and strong at the same time.  I have nothing negative to say about it.  I like the design of the routine and some of the exercises.  All in all, for me, it's just another method for working out.

I noticed you do a lot of features about yoga, how do you think it benefits people?

- I am not the expert, however from what I have learned, yoga provides a whole body benefit.  These include stress relief, relaxation, flexibility, and balance.  I like to integrate this method into my overall health program.

 What do you think is the ideal diet for wellness?

- In my opinion, portion control, enjoyment, and flexibility make up a healthy eating lifestyle.  Specifically, I am talking about whole foods (fruits and veggies), water, seafood, and clean proteins.  I advocate eating good healthy foods to fuel the cells in the body.

 What is one thing that you would want to be remembered by? What would be your contribution to a better world?

- I want to be remembered for my passion to help people live a healthier lifestyle.  All of us make decision that affect our physical, mental, and emotional health.  I would like to be the voice and message that helps people make better decisions.

Meet Eric Su + get his FREE gift 4 Must Do Techniques For Faster Ab Toning Results at www.ericwsu.com.

Also, stay tuned for a new episode of Eric and me discussing more in depth about body image, the effect of society on how we perceive ourselves, the new Barbie body types (and why the “fit Barbie” is not one of them J)