Check out this wonderful testimonial from Julie’s personal training and Muscle Activation Techniques™ (MAT™) client, Dave, about his experience working with Julie at Muscle Activation Schaumburg!  Dave describes the changes he has noticed over the past few months of regularly exercising with Julie, as well as his progression with strengthening the muscles of his legs and feet using MAT™.  He talks about how regular daily activities became easier as his body started functioning better with MAT™ and personal training, as well as the many benefits he experienced by making sure the exercises he was doing were appropriate for his body.

“Hi, I’m Dave.  I’ve been coming to Muscle Activation [Schaumburg] for the past three to four months.  I have been working with Julie.  When I came here I had several goals.  The first goal was I was having problems with my right leg, particularly with the right foot and calf and hamstring.  It was an injury that has been lingering for the past year.  I went to see doctors, I did physical therapy, and I got it partially treated but it always seemed to come back all the time.

I started working with Julie, and the first thing that I wanted to work on, before I could work on any kind of personal training, was I needed to get the muscles and everything working in my right leg again.  We spent the first month to month and a half on that with a variety of MAT™ [Muscle Activation Techniques™] and through particular exercises.  I was able to build the strength back in my right leg and my right foot.  The basic difficulties I had, like going up and down stairs, went away.  I was able to do the basic daily things without any difficulties.

Once I got to that point, we were able to work on personal training.  Basic things like walking on the treadmill to jogging on the treadmill, which I wouldn’t have been able to do several months ago, I was now able to do.  We have been working on the treadmill as well as on different types of [weight] machines.  We are working on all different muscle groups of the arms and the legs.  It has been a good workout because it has been a blend between cardio and strength training, so I liked that.

One thing that I particularly liked working with Julie is that, in the past, whenever I would use equipment, you think you are supposed to lift something a certain way and you thought you were doing it right, but actually you have been doing it wrong all these years.  When you are working on any particular machine you are actually working on specific muscle groups.  [A goal of mine was] to know how to do the machines properly so you are engaging those muscles [in order to get] the maximum impact from the machines you are working on.  [I wanted to make sure I was] actually working on those muscles and building strength there versus possibly doing damage to the muscles by not knowing what you are doing.

I have been doing this for the past three to four months.  I have learned a lot here.  I thoroughly recommend that anybody who wants to [try this], if they have any issues with some of their muscles or their legs or their arms, or if they just want to do some overall personal training, I would highly recommend coming to [Muscle Activation Schaumburg] and I highly endorse Julie as a personal trainer.”

Interested in learning more about the personal training and Muscle Activation Techniques™ experience at Muscle Activation Schaumburg?  Contact us and connect with us on Facebook!

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Julie Cates

Julie Cates is an experienced, certified, and insured National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Personal Trainer and mastery level Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®) Rx Specialist (MATRx). She is one of 88 certified mastery level Resistance Training Specialists® (RTSm) in the world. This combination makes her style of training impactful and still preventative and restorative of joint and muscle issues and pain that are common with exercise. Julie specializes working with women 50 and over. Specifically, her main focus is working with women with bone density loss, muscle loss, Osteopenia, and Osteoporosis. Julie has incredible experience working with brand new exercisers. Very specific types and styles of exercises are needed for restoring and maintaining bone density, and Julie guides her clients through these in a pain-free way. She is also well experienced in helping women exercise even with various joint, bone, systemic, and neurological diagnoses. Julie is definitely your go-to personal trainer for women with Osteoporosis! Julie graduated cum laude from the University of Florida. She earned her degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology with a specialization in Exercise Physiology. Julie is the co-owner of Muscle Activation Schaumburg in Schaumburg, IL. She is a wife and mother of two. Julie can be reached via e-mail at julie@matschaumburg.com. Follow her on Instagram at @julcates!