The Summit at Rittenhouse
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Frequently Asked Questions

About The Summit

What makes The Summit different from other personal trainers in Philadelphia?

A very important aspect of choosing a personal trainer is researching their education and certification. While some personal trainers simply pass one test to become certified, all personal trainers on our staff have obtained a college degree in an exercise related field in addition to being certified by the most recognized certifications in the industry.

Do I have to make a long term commitment?

Not at all! While many studios and gyms in Philadelphia require you to commit to 20 to 30 sessions or more, we have month to month packages with no long term commitment. Why do we do this? Because we don’t need to lock you into a long term program, our quality service will keep you coming back for more.

Do your clients get results?

Every client has a different definition of results. For some, it’s losing the 10 pounds they gained over the last year. For others, it’s doing their favorite activities without pain or discomfort. We let our clients do the talking for us. Check out our Yelp and Google+ reviews. We have over 100 5 star reviews online!

Why is having a college degree that much better than having a certification?

Obtaining a college degree in exercise science says many things about your trainer. First, it tells you that your trainer has obtained the knowledge necessary to train unique clients of varying abilities. Second, it also tells you that your trainer has made a commitment to the fitness industry and didn’t just decide to become a trainer in one weekend. A more committed trainer will take their job more seriously. While some other personal trainers may argue that your continuing education of exercise matters too, we couldn’t agree more. All of our trainers are also certified and under these certifications, they are required to re-certify and obtain continuing education units to stay up to date on the latest science in the industry. You wouldn’t trust a lawyer, doctor, or an accountant without a degree, why would you trust a personal trainer without one?

What else do I get with my personal training package?

A personalized workout plan delivered to you on our app, nutrition tracking, an initial fitness assessment, and tracked progress are all included in your personal training package.

Does the personal training studio get crowded at peak times?

While there are certainly more clients in the studio at peak times (before and after 9-5 jobs), it’s never overcrowded. There are many personal training studios our size that have 7 or 8 personal trainers training at once, sometimes with small group training classes, which can cause massive overcrowding during peak hours. We exclusively offer 1 on 1 training and limit the amount of trainers that train at once to keep the private feel that every personal training studio should have.

What is your cancellation policy?

Our cancellation policy is 24 hours before the scheduled workout. Any appointment canceled with less than 24 hours notice is forfeited.

Can I work out with a personal trainer if I have an existing injury?

Yes! Because all of our trainers have a degree in exercise science, they are fully prepared to take on a client that may have pre-existing injuries. Not only do they possess the knowledge to work around injured areas by coming up with alternate exercises, but they also possess the knowledge to rehabilitate an injury.

What are the benefits of working 1 on 1 with a personal trainer vs. a group workout?

1 on 1 training means you’ll get a personalized workout, created specifically for you. No one client is the same, so no workout should be the same. Think about you and 5 of your friends. Are you all the exact same fitness levels? Are you all injury free? If not, do you have the exact same injury? Do you have the same barriers getting in the way of a healthy lifestyle? Probably not. This is why we exclusively offer 1 on 1 training, so you get a personalized workout that works for you.

What if I'm not in shape enough to make it through my personal training sessions?

Because we personalize everything about your workout, your intensity will be scaled to your fitness level as well. We aim to keep the intensity challenging, but not impossible. Your fitness level will be determined on day one with our fitness assessment testing so you can be assured that you’ll have the appropriate intensity for you.

Do you track the progress of your personal training progress?

Yes! Every personal training client that starts a package with us must go through a fitness assessment with their trainer. The fitness assessment is a series of tests that your personal trainer will run to help determine your current fitness level and what type of program will work for you. These tests include tracking your body fat percentage, girth measurements, strength, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and more. It will also help us develop a baseline measurement of your fitness level. After several weeks, your personal trainer will re-assess you to show your improvement.

How often do I need to train to see results?

This all depends on what your fitness goals are and how soon you want to achieve them. For maximum results in the fastest amount of time, we recommend at least 2 sessions per week.

What kind of results can I expect?

You will feel results before you see results. In the first few weeks, you’ll feel more energy, you’ll sleep better, you may even be in a better mood. Then, you’ll start getting stronger and muscles may feel tighter. After about 2-3 months, you’ll start feeling a difference in the way clothes feel and people will start noticing that you look different.

Where do you train clients?

Our private personal training studio is located at 255 S 17th Street on the 2nd Floor, right off Rittenhouse Square in Center City, Philadelphia. Our studio is approximately 4000 square feet and has a men’s bathroom and women’s locker room with showers for clients on the go. We have multiple studio rooms featuring top of the line free weight equipment and machines as well.

Am I going to bulk up by lifting weights?

Muscle is more dense than fat so 1 lb of muscle is smaller than 1 lb of fat. So if you replace fat with muscle, you’ll actually be smaller at the same exact weight. Bulking only happens when you gain muscle and don’t lose any fat or worse yet, gain more fat. This can be avoided by watching your diet and making sure to do more cardio.

What are the best exercises for getting rid belly fat?

Excess fat on the belly, upper arms and inner thighs doesn’t typically occur in isolation. If you’ve got it there, chances are you’ve got it everywhere, so unfortunately, you can’t spot reduce. No exercise will target fat in just one part of the body, exercises will only add muscle to that part of your body. You need to target them all via exercise and proper nutrition. A personal trainer can help reduce overall fat and increase muscle to give you a more lean look.

Do I need to go on a no carb, low calorie diet to lose weight?

Absolutely not. Healthy carbohydrates are vital to giving your body the energy it needs to fuel you through workouts. While you will want to avoid over-eating, we do not recommend diets with dangerously low calorie levels, which can cause health complications. Our trainers have nutrition knowledge to help you and we also partnered with registered dietitians to help make this process easier.

How do I get started?

To get started, simply contact The Summit using the contact page or call us at 267-455-0100.

Contact us for your free consultation!