Ian Holmes; Not Your Average Instructor
By Stephanie Miller, Marketing Coordinator
I think that it is safe to say that we have all been there. Starting to slack off a little at the gym or maybe taking a couple too many breaks, that is until Ian Holmes notices and is all too quick to get you back to work. Ian works at our Cedarglen Gym as the Personal Fitness Trainer. With Ian providing new workouts every week, a yoga instructor teaching classes bi-weekly and a sauna, the Cedarglen gym is something that all employees should take advantage of! For those of you who have had the opportunity to train with Ian, you know that he is not afraid to be vocal, can make extremely hard exercises look effortless and will push you to make sure you get the most out of your workout. That’s why I wanted to take the opportunity to find out more about him and what he brings to the gym for this week’s blog.
Ian has now worked with Cedarglen Homes as a personal trainer for four years. However, what started his current career at Cedarglen actually began as volunteer work. Ian would come and use the gym where he would often end up helping people with their workouts. So once the Personal Fitness Trainer position became available, Ian was the natural choice.
Having previously worked and travelled with Cirque de Soleil, Ian has definitely come to Cedarglen with an interesting background. So how does an acrobat end up a personal trainer? For Ian, a good portion of his background has always been an athlete first, and then would find himself teaching others as a result. “I got into training because I figured that if my workouts were going to be disturbed with people asking questions all the time I might as well get paid for it” (and there’s that Ian charm!). You would think that spending 40 hours a week in a gym would be enough exercise, but not for Ian. Even on weekends he stays active by either mountain climbing or snowboarding depending on the season.
One of the hardest parts of a workout or going to the gym is just maintaining that motivation to go. As a personal trainer, I can only imagine the excuses Ian must hear. His solution for this is simple but effective; provide an environment that people want to be in. He strives to create a space that is challenging while also being a bit of a refuge from the rest of daily life. But at the end of the day, he says that what you can get out the space really comes down to an individual's willingness to engage in the space. Again, his goal is to offer a place to challenge oneself, but do so with some guidance and direction. So whether it’s going the gym or an activity that you do on your own, it’s important to take that time out of your busy day and remember that you will never regret a workout!
Now that we know more about what Ian brings to the Cedarglen family, let’s see his answers to our favorite questions:
Favorite Hobbie: If I am not in the gym training I am likely to be found in the mountains doing something extreme. Right now I’m focused on back country and mountain climbing.
Favorite place in Calgary: My favourite place in Calgary would likely have to be Analog on 17th.
Favorite Restaurant: Meh. Who knows, I am always trying new places in the hunt for good food in this city.
Favorite part about working at Cedarglen Homes: My favourite part of this job would have to be the people.
Enjoy your weekend,
Cedarglen Marketing