Subscribe
Community
Going beyond getting in shape
On the job with Cliff Long
Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by GRETCHEN PHILLIPS
Cliff Long, owner of Longevity Studios in La Plata, works to meet people's fitness goals while improving their lifestyles.
|
E-Mail This Article
Live long and prosper: Cliff Long isn't looking to make his clients buff but to increase their longevity and vitality, hence the name of his company, Longevity Studios.
Long, who has been in the personal training business for 18 years, started Longevity Studios in 2002 to help individuals and small groups meet their exercise goals and reach their full potential.
"That is the biggest thrill," he said.
Longevity according to Long is more than just exercise and training but also wellness education.
Long said his specialty is corrective exercise, where a particular weakness or need is addressed, and he enjoys watching his clients make the changes necessary to meet their potential.
"We meet people where they are," he said about working with different age and body types.
Longevity Studios offers, fitness and wellness services, assessments, personal and partnered training, corporate wellness programs, nutritional advice, wellness testing and consultations, and educational health and fitness events.
All sessions are by appointment .
Trial, no errors: Long said when he first sits down with a potential client, he will begin with what a person is looking to achieve and what they have been doing in the past to see what has and what has not worked.
Long said he works to meet fitness goals while staying within a client's budget.
Clients work out with Long anywhere from once a month to several times a week based on their individual needs, schedules and goals.
Part of the package includes a science-based wellness education.
Long taught wellness programs as the wellness coordinator at the College of Southern Maryland's La Plata campus for several years. He realized that he needed to do more with his talents than sit behind a desk, although he admitted he misses teaching, which is why his clients get an education with their workout.
Long's studio in La Plata is not too small and not too large, just the right size for a personal workout without getting lost in a crowd.
"It's a customized program in a fun and educational environment,' he said.
So much more: Long said people can often get lost at a big gym as there are many different machinery and programs to be a part of. He does not discourage his clients from using gyms and works with many clients at La Plata Fitness but he said some like one-on-one contact or a smaller environment which is what Longevity Studios offers.
For those who are more motivated and self-disciplined, Longevity Studios offers customized self-guided workouts and Web-based sessions designed to help guide individuals as they choose when and where to exercise. The self-guided workouts follow an initial consultation and come with options for a Longevity team member to personally walk clients through a program if needed. The program comes in different levels to meet different needs.
Long said with customized self-guided workouts, clients get a "real/virtual trainer" because Longevity employees design the workouts based on consultations and are available to assist throughout the client's journey.
While the goal is to help clients reach their fitness goals and increase longevity, Long said they can help those who want to be buff get buff; however he emphasizes that his studio is more than building muscle and more than just having a personal trainer.
With all the focus on wellness and customized training, Long smiled and said "[Longevity Studios] has become bigger than just a personal trainer."
Send your On the job suggestions to Kayleigh Kulp at kkulp@somdnews.com or 7 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf, MD 20602. Call 301-764-2851.
