WOLF SCHMIDTBERG's Journey

Tell us a little bit about yourself :)

After school in the South of Germany I went to the German Army in the Alpes to become an Officer and Platoonleader of an MLRS Rocket Launch Bataillon. In this time I won the German Military Cross Country championship and military had other ideas to push my career...I got a place in the German Military Biathlon team and had a nice welcome by the professional East German Athlets... After 2 years of up and downs (6th place at German Championships) I left the Army and my passion Biathlon and start to study Sports, Rehabilitation and Journalism at the DEUTSCHE SPORTHOCHSCHULE.

My new passion became Fitness - I start as a Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, became a SPINNING Presenter and last but not least a national Trainer for Les Mills Germany and the Mastertrainer Europe for Les Mills RPM. With my background of knowledge in sports and training I was participating to build up LM International in their way to conquer the world. At this time I worked for Gyms, Clubs and chains mostly as a Club Manager or Regional Manager. My biggest Company was 24 Hour Fitness...one of the biggest chains in the US.

With my wife together we developed different tools for Gyms to progress their Group Fitness also their cash flow. Our biggest weapon is the "21 Day Challenge" - a internal and external marketing and trainings tool to change trainings and nutrition habbits for members and friends.

How did you get introduced to Fitness?

Honestly? I was asked by a friend to work at his Gym as a Trainer...at this time I was studying at the Univerity and had a job at a Call Center...this job was great, well paid..and I was able to call some friends for a market research of products connected with sports commercials.

After a while (3 month or so) he asked again and said he is really in trouble and he liked to have me in his team. A rainy evening a entered the Gym - and was surprised about the great athmoshere and also the warm welcome by the team, owner and members.

This became my next family...

What was your most embarrassing moment (in regards to your sport of course ;)

to be honoured after the wedding invitation, which was already done one year ago...les Mills International did this at a Summit for my wife and me... after we got no official feedback by our Agency in Germany...but the Internationals did it...

How did your passion influence your life in other ways?

You are still a role model for healthy lifestyle... so you should be not only looking like one...also your habbits should be following. For me a great athlet is able to do all kind of sports...alone, in a team, at a competition or just for fun. Running, swimming, jumping, cycling, weightlifting, dancing, fighting, Yoga, not only pumping muscles for a narcissistic world picture...

I love the kind of modern training... for example a UFC fighter is doing CrossFit to prepare for a fight... or a Weightlifter is doing Yoga and Stretching to keep his flexiblility.

What does your daily routine look like?

Here in Bali, we weak up early with sunrise...first of all I jump into the pool swimming some laps to be freshed up. A healthy energy breakfast with fruit and vegetables not missing. I am not Vegan but I try to follow up as much I can.

Than my morning shift starts mostly with two classes: HIIT and RPM... 3 times a week... the other days weightlifting is priority with running and swimming... I love to run in the mountains...mostly our fantastic Vulcanos are great Challenges :)... Eating 5 times a day should also be part of a good trainings day!

What about your flexibility training? Where does that fit in?

Training is not only weights or HIIT... training should be holistic: Endurance, Strenght, Flexibility, Balance, Coordination, Agility, Acuracy and ..Speed So a lot I can implement in my classes but try to introduce people to understand for example the necessity of Flexibility... this should f.ex. a separat trainings unit to be focused and not doing Stretching just as a must afer or before training.

My statement is: Keep the muscle tension for a while..so the process in our muscle cells is natural and can adapt to the former workout goals. but then give the muscle routine to keep their Flexibility by focusing on Stretching

What keeps you motivated?

My age :)... and my young boys and my little girl... be a role model for your gym members but also for your loveliest...

I have some great friends like Presenters from LM doing a great job showing some HIIT workout or Yoga poses... but at the end everybody should not learn only by Internet... you need a professsional help to have first of all the right excercise excecution and than we speak about training... I recommend to join only products with a DVD or a workbook on the side... and than take minimum 10 PT sessions to come in the safe and efficient training for great succsess