Below are some questions people often ask about our company, products, services, and programs.  If you don't find the answer to your question here please contact us and we will answer any questions you may have.

Q. What exactly do you do?

A. We teach people how to tranform their body with time efficient exercise and effective nutritional strategies based off their unique metabolism. Best of all we help people implement these strategies into their busy lifestyle. Unlike many personal trainers our objective is to actually work ourselves out of a job. We're in the results business and not the training business. We know that if help you achieve the results you're looking for you'll tell your friends, family and business associates about us.

Q. What makes your personal training different from that in a health club or other studio?

A. We've teamed up with a variety of health and fitness professionals to provide you with the best personal service available in the marketplace today. That begins with only employing fitness professionals that are highly trained and educated to assist you. We require all trainers to have a nationally accredited certification and maintain continuing education credits. Unfortunately, in the personal training industry individuals can call themselves "certified" by completing a weekend course over the internet. This is not a reflection of professionalism and often times these trainers are unqualified to work with your unique needs. Unlike in a traditional health club, our trainers must meet the highest standards of professionalism through education and continued learning. You can be assured you're working with some of the most qualified and best fitness professionals in the area when you're at a Shaping Concepts location.

More specifically, we are one of the few providers that actually guarantee your results or your money back. That's not just talk, we're that confident in our programs to back it up. The difference is we're not just providing you with a cookie cutter exercise program. Your needs are unqiue especially when it comes to weight loss. We'll base your nutrition and exercise program off your actual metabolism. Everyone is different due to bioindividuality and therefore needs a personalized solution. We are on the ONLY personal training studios in South Carolina to exclusively provide metabolic profiles to assess your needs. With a metabolic profile you can learn exactly how many calories you should be consuming for weight loss and at what intensity (heart rate) you should exercise at for maximum fat burning. Many people don't know these factors and therefore struggle with seeing results. We'll provide you with all the tools you need for an amazing body transformation and be with you every step of the way with encouragement, education and accountability. The difference is real and our hundreds of satisfied clients are the proof.

Q. Why should I invest in your services when I can join my local gym for $30-70 a month?

A. Well, the first reason is we guarantee your satisfaction AND your results!  The second reason is we teach you everything you need to know about being successful, whereas, your gym or health club will pretty much let you do your own thing.  Plus, many people pay for a membership each month and never go, and that's not money well spent.  Think of our services as an investment in your fitness, health, and your life!

Q. What if I have never exercised before?

A. It doesn't matter if you are an advanced level athlete or someone totally new to exercise.  We have numerous programs for all different situations.  Plus, every one of our programs is individualized to meet the needs and goals of every client.

Q. Where are your programs available?

A. Currently we have programs available in our state of the art personal training studios located in Charleston, Bluffton and Myrtle Beach, SC. We also provide corporate fitness programs in all three of those markets.

Q. How can you offer such a strong guarantee?

A. We design the most effective fitness programs and are 100% confident that if you follow the program guidelines you WILL be successful... or you are entitled to a complete refund! We've helped hundreds of individuals change their shape and know that if you play your part success will follow. The difference is in our unique approach that personalizes your program based off your bioindividuality. There is no "one size fits all" approach to weight loss and we understand that. You'll be evaluated and given a program that best fits your needs and not just given a template workout. We'll find out what works best for you and then help you make the necessary changes to see your goals become a reality.

Q. What can I do about the muscle soreness after my first few workouts and how long will this last?

A. Although discomforting, the muscle soreness and pain your experience after your first few workouts is a positive sign. It means that your muscles have responded to the increased demands of your new workouts and are breaking down in order to rebuild stronger. The muscle soreness often referred to as “DOMS” or (delayed onset muscle soreness) may actually start 24-48 hours after your workout. This is due to micro trauma or small tears that occur on the muscle fibers. The best treatment for DOMS is simply ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation and discomfort. Your body will adapt to the new demands of your resistance training and the soreness will go away after your first few workouts. Periodically through your program, especially when your trainer introduces a new stimulus you will be sore again for a day or so. This is part of your normal progression and should be expected. However, if you continue to be sore after every workout it’s an indication that something is wrong. You may be overtraining and/or not receiving adequate nutrition and rest for recovery. Please consult with your trainer if you’re experiencing persistent soreness and muscle or joint pain. 

Q. How fast will I lose weight and how much weight can I expect to lose in the first 4-6 weeks?

A. This will vary from individual to individual so I can’t give you an exact number but here’s what you should expect. Remember this is not a “Hollywood Diet” or some other quick-fix where you’ll lose a significant amount of weight overnight. There’s only ONE way to effectively lose body fat and keep it off and that’s with a nutrition & exercise program. When you first start your program the increased physical activity will often result in weight loss of a few pounds. The better you are at making the recommended changes in your diet the better your results will be.

Some individuals will also find they actually gain a pound or two in the beginning. Relax! This is ok and completely normal. When you start doing resistance training and your muscles get sore they’re actually going through inflammation. Your body responds by having your muscle cells hold more water to aid in the repair and rebuilding process. The water weight gain is only temporary and will go away after a few days.

The entire process of getting your body to effectively and efficiently burn fat stores requires a synergistic approach of changes in your diet, cardiovascular exercise and resistance training. Your objective is to continually improve and progress in all THREE of these areas if you want to see a body transformation. You can’t just do the resistance training for example and not make changes in your diet or with cardio and expect to see significant changes.

A decrease in 1-2% of body fat in the first 4-6 weeks is very good. If you follow the program correctly you’ll start to see significant changes after about twelve weeks. This is due to the fact that as you progress to higher levels of intensity with your workouts you’ll begin to maximize fat burning. It simply takes several weeks of progression before you can get to that level. Evaluate your progress by how your clothes fit and use the mirror instead of the scale.

Q. How much time do I need to commit to exercise if I want to see a body transformation?

A. For best results you will want to complete physical activity a minimum of five days each week. Your resistance training can be completed in thirty minutes, three times a week but you’ll still need to do cardiovascular exercise. You’ll want to complete cardiovascular exercise Monday-Friday with approximately 30-45 minutes devoted to each workout. We’ll recommend you do your cardio after your resistance workouts on the days when you do both. Plan your exercise just like you do other activities in your schedule. You must do this if you want to create an effective routine. If you block out an hour for exercise five days a week you’ll be on your way to results. Just showing up for your personal training workouts three days a week is not enough to see a body transformation. We’ll provide you with the ability to do cardio in-house with the guidance and accountability of your trainer but you must commit to putting in the time if you want to see the results.

Q. How often will my progress be evaluated?

A. We evaluate your progress at each workout as a means of knowing when and how to increase intensity. Specifically though, you’ll complete a weigh-in once each week and undergo an assessment of body fat and circumference changes every eight weeks. We’ll notify you when it’s time for a follow up assessment. If you would like to schedule a personal nutritional consultation you can do so at any time.

Q. What should I do if I reach a plateau in my weight loss?

A. Weight loss does not always occur in a linear fashion but rather happens in accordance to the physiological changes that are happening in your body. Think of it this way, your body likes to be in a state of homeostasis or balance. It will always look to achieve that sense of balance. If you’ve reached a plateau that means you’re in a state of homeostasis and need to change things up. Our objective is to provide your body with the correct nutrition for releasing fat stores and continually increase the intensity of your exercise so you’ll burn more of that fat. The most common mistake people make is failing to increase their calories as they progress to higher levels of intensity with their workouts. Remember, calories are nothing more than fuel and you must provide your body with enough fuel to keep your metabolism on high and effectively burn stored body fat.

A metabolic profile is an extremely valuable and effective tool in times when you’ve reached a plateau. You can learn exactly how many calories you need to consume for weight loss and at what intensity (heart rate) you should be completing your cardio for maximum fat burning. Ask your trainer about completing a metabolic profile if you’ve reached a plateau in your weight loss. Better yet, complete a metabolic profile early on in your program and eliminate the plateaus altogether. The right information is always an essential part of any successful program. Your metabolism in unique due to bioindividuality and therefore a personalized approach must be taken with nutrition and exercise strategies.

If you have any additional questions about your programs please contact us for more information. We’ll be glad to help in any way we can. Our system has worked for hundreds of individuals and can work for you too if you follow the strategies outlined by your trainer. Best of luck, you CAN do it!

To speak with one of our fitness professionals give us a call at our

Charleston Location (843) 971-8665

Hilton Head Location (843) 757-8626

Myrtle Beach Location (843) 839-5066

or click here to e-mail your request.