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Joann Waclawek
I have a degree in Clinical Exercise Science from Ithaca College. I am an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist. I currently work as a fitness specialist, personal trainer, and nutrition coach for a corporate fitness company in Boston, MA. My other certifications include Precision Nutrition Level 1, TRX Trainer Level 1, and Intrinsic Biomechanist Level 1. I have a passion for helping people improve their lives through fitness. I specialize in fat loss, strength increase, and working with people who have never exercised before. Personally, I am a competitive powerlifter, having competed seven times in the past three years.
Instagram: @cahrissay
“I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with supplements. I currently only take a multivitamin and fish oil”
“I tried every fad diet and supplement there was. I was obsessed with finding products that would help me lose weight, lose fat, gain more muscle. There’s no magic pill!”
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1 – How can I get motivated to start a healthy/active lifestyle?
Don’t jump into it too quickly. A lot of people go all in for a few months and then burn out fast. Start by making small changes every month and building up lifestyle changes that you can maintain over time. I would also recommend seeking out a personal trainer if you need help or guidance. It is absolutely worth the price (even I have a coach!). It also helps to have a great support system-people who motivate and encourage you, or even a workout buddy to make exercising more fun.
2 – What are your best tips to get a flat stomach?
There is no quick fix. That is the most important thing to understand. The pathway to a “flat stomach” starts in the kitchen.
3 – Do I need to take supplements? Why?
I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with supplements. I currently only take a multivitamin and fish oil. I do not think supplements are necessary. As long as you eat a full, healthy, and balanced diet, you should be getting all the nutrients and protein you need. Supplements can do more harm than good, because a lot of them have weird ingredients. I never recommend supplements to my clients. **The ONLY exception here is if someone isn’t getting enough of something because of dietary restrictions (ie, vegetarian/vegan, celiac, etc).
4 – How do you make exercise a more enjoyable activity?
There are lots of ways to make exercise enjoyable. Workout with a friend so you can motivate each other and hold each other accountable. Listen to music, or make a gym playlist with all your favorite songs. If you don’t like something, don’t do it! This is especially true if you’re working with a trainer-speak up, communicate with them, and let them know how you’re feeling about the workouts they are having you do. If you hate waking up early to workout, go at night, and vice versa. There’s no “rule” stating you have to be in the gym at 6am if you’re not a morning person!
5 – Please, give us your best pre-workout tips
Be sure to eat a healthy, balanced meal 1-2 hours prior to working out, but no closer than 30 minutes. It’s not fun to work out on a full stomach. Warming up is very important, a lot of people skip it. My warm-up routine includes foam rolling, mobility work, and active stretching, and takes about 5-10 minutes. You could also do 5-10 minutes on a cardio machine to warm-up. Whatever you need to do to get your muscles ready to work should be included in the warm-up. I do different ones depending on what body part I’m working that day.
6 – What’s a good exercise & diet routine?
This is hard to answer because everyone is different and has different needs. I never use cookie-cutter diet and exercise routines. Every one of my clients has personalized routines that are specific to their needs.
What I can say is that you should try to eat has healthy and balanced as possible. Learn how to read food labels and how to shop the grocery store (shop the perimeter, make a list, etc). Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks. Watch your alcohol intake, and drink lots of water. Do some sort of exercise at least 4 days a week. If you have a sedentary job, get up and take a walk at least once an hour. And ask for help if you need it!
7- What newbie mistakes did you make when you first started training?
I tried every fad diet and supplement there was. I was obsessed with finding products that would help me lose weight, lose fat, gain more muscle. There’s no magic pill! I feel like I wasted a lot of years using bad products trying find the magic pill.
I also didn’t have a coach for powerlifting for my first year. Having a coach makes a huge difference. I don’t specialize in powerlifting training, so working with someone who does makes it a lot easier for me. I don’t have to worry about writing my own programs anymore and wondering if what I’m doing is what I need to be doing. If I could go back to when I first started powerlifting, I would absolutely get a coach right away.
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