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WestConn Student Tailors Workouts As Personal Trainer At YMCA In Brookfield

BROOKFIELD, Conn. — Do you play high school sports? Did you have knee surgery? Do you need to get in shape? Alex Miller can help you.

Danbury resident Alex Miller is the new fitness trainer at the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut in Brookfield.

Danbury resident Alex Miller is the new fitness trainer at the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut in Brookfield.

Photo Credit: Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut

Miller, a 20-year-old student at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, is a a new personal trainer at the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut in Brookfield.

"I started a month ago and have worked with a lot of kids, but I can train anybody. A big goal I have for my clients is to help them learn to work out safely and have fun with it," he told Daily Voice.

Miller received his personal trainer certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and studies exercise sciences at WestConn.

The affable Danbury resident said his job allows him to meet new people and get to know them during the workouts. He works in half-hour and one-hour sessions for the personal training and gives introductory sessions for new Y members.

"When I first meet someone, I ask a lot of questions. I want to get to really know what they like and don't like, and any injuries they've had," Miller said. "I can't have them coming in the first time wearing a knee brace when they never mentioned a knee problem."

A good trainer needs to be adaptable, he said.

"What we do in the workout always depends on what they can handle. For instance, if someone had a knee surgery or hip replacement, I wouldn't do box jumps with them, and would give recommendations on cardio like using the elliptical, not the treadmill." 

"One of my biggest goals for clients is that they become comfortable enough to do their workouts on their own," said Miller.

His own workouts involve a lot of weight training. "I hope to do a physique competition," he said. But weights should be part of every exercise regimen, he said.

Women often ask about weight lifting, proper technique and whether they will bulk up, he said.

"I encourage weight lifting for anybody if their body can handle it. Women don't put on as much muscle as men, they put on about half what the men do. They would have to work really hard to get that big," he said.

For information on personal training at the Brookfield Y, call Lisa O'Connor at 203-775-4444 Ext. 135.

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