A personal touch

The 6-foot-7-inch tall, 290-pound Alex Huddleston may intimidate people walking into Brian’s Gym for the first time, but his love for fitness shows when he’s helping his clients.

Fiancée Beth Taylor, 20, has trained with Huddleston for more than a year. She said he helps her stay healthy and is willing to answer any fitness questions she has.

“He enjoys his job and he enjoys helping others,” Taylor said.

Huddleston, 22, of Dresden, has been at Brian’s Gym, 1400 S. Limit Ave., for 15 months. His enthusiasm for helping others and staying in shape helped him become a certified personal trainer.

“A lot of my job has to do with helping people here,” Huddleston said.

Huddleston’s love for fitness began in high school, where he played varsity basketball and soccer for La Monte High School.

Huddleston likes to get to know clients to be able to help them set up their goals and find a routine that is right for them. He looks at the individual’s goals, hours of availability and where he wants to go with his fitness routine.

"Most people come in and say I want to tone up and get in shape. We help them set up something more concrete and something they can measure,” Huddleston said.

His day begins at 4 p.m. by checking schedules and preparing for his clients. Currently, Huddleston has four clients but he can have up to 10 at a time.

“The gym is generally slower in the summer and picks up in the winter,” Huddleston said.

Brian’s Gym doesn’t only cater to people who are already fit and healthy. Huddleston said he has trained a variety of people, including new mothers and marathon runners.

“The most enjoyable part of my job is working with clients from all different walks of life,” Huddleston said. “It’s definitely an interesting challenge.”

Huddleston encourages his clients to focus on their progress and not the progress of others. He likes to create an environment that is inviting and not critical, he said.

“It’s more about your goals, and you shouldn’t look at other people and compare yourselves to them,” Huddleston said.

Huddleston assesses clients at least once every three weeks. If he sees a client slipping, he will offer her a new machine to try or encourage her to go beyond expectations.

“It’s amazing how much you can complete if you put in the effort,” Huddleston said.

The hardest part of his job is convincing people that they are more capable than they realize, he said.

Huddleston has certifications from the National Council on Strength and Fitness and the National Endurance and Sports Trainers Association.

Outside of the gym, Huddleston attends the University of Central Missouri, where he is pursuing a degree in exercise science.

Ultimately, he would like to be a strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level.

“Training here has given me the personal experience I could take with me to a job like that,” Huddleston said.

His new interest in body building has been keeping him in the gym even when he is not working.

Huddleston does resistance training five days a week and cardiovascular workouts three to four times a week.

“The longer I work here, the more I learn and the more effective I am at training myself,” Huddleston said.