Sep
17
2008
Doug’s Personal Story
Doug’s Personal Story
of
Struggle and Success
Your Eccentric Trainer
Doug Jones is the Founder and President of Stand Firm Fitness, LLC and Wilton Wellness Center, LLC, both based in Wilton, Connecticut. Founded in 1994 to provide in-home personal fitness training, Stand Firm Fitness has gradually grown and now, at 18,000 sq ft, is one of the largest personal training facilities in the Northeast. Doug has used his professional expertise, coupled with the experience he has gained through his own health and fitness challenges, to design a facility and range of programs providing the most effective exercise in the most time-efficient manner. Now, after expanding into the worldwide marketplace with his revolutionary system of exercise, series of books, and instructional DVDs, Doug is excited to now offer an interactive online fitness solution. TheBestWayToExercise.com is your one-stop shop to learn everything that Doug knows… and a place to get answers to all of your personal questions regarding your own health and fitness regimen.
Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology/Kinesiology Full Academic Scholarship, University of Maryland
Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education Summa Cum Laude, 3.989 GPA State University of New York at Cortland
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist National Strength and Conditioning Association
Former Director of Fitness, YMCA, Wilton, CT
Former Director of Fitness, Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C.
Instructor of Exercise Physiology at Graduate and Undergraduate Levels
Life Member, National Registry of Who’s Who
(Eccentric) Member, American MENSA
Here’s My Personal Story
of
Struggle and Success…
and
More Struggle
1997 and 1998
For two years
I learned the most about my health through disease.
For two years
I could barely even walk and I definitely couldn’t run.
For two years
I couldn’t shake a friend’s hand, let alone hold a dumbbell.
In two months
I was determined to completely reverse the previous two years.
In the 80’s & 90’s (at least most of the 90’s), health and fitness was my passion. 4.0 GPA in Exercise Physiology, full graduate academic scholarships, competitive tri-athlete, fitness author, Fitness Director positions, etc. I lived the fitness lifestyle… at least to the best of my ability.In 1992, six months into my first “real” job after graduate school, I cracked my L5 vertebrae in my lower back and separated the cartilage from a bone in my chest. I was completely out of commission for an entire year. Not a fun experience.So what do you do with a relatively new marriage, twin newborn daughters, and no income? You move from Maryland to Connecticut , live in your parents’ attic for a year, heal, pray, and try to start fresh. At least that was my game plan.Thankfully, I recovered and my fitness business succeeded. However, in March of 1997, I was suddenly and almost completely crippled with the sudden onset of a very severe form of rheumatoid arthritis (so I was told). Basically, this overnight autoimmune attack totally disabled my hands and feet – I mean totally. I couldn’t walk or shake hands without screaming. I literally couldn’t squeeze a tube of toothpaste. I couldn’t even imagine lifting weights or exercising and couldn’t even work with any of my personal training clients personally. I was a physical mess.
“If a struggle doesn’t destroy you… it makes you stronger.”
After spending almost $20,000 on treatment (including going out of the country for “high-tech” holistic treatment), I started to see a glimmer of hope. I was feeling a little better, but I still couldn’t perform one push-up, one calf-raise, or one chin-up. Formal exercise really didn’t seem to be a viable option.However, at the end of 1998, a couple of friends and clients really started getting serious about their training programs. Ironically, I was actually designing some of these programs. I was still talkin’ the talk even though I couldn’t be walkin’ the walk. Based on their excitement alone, I decided it was time that I also focus on my own personal fitness program, hoping my friends’ enthusiasm was strong enough to carry me through.My first goal was to complete my first workout without hurting myself. By the end of the first week, I determined the ten or so exercises that I could safely perform. Success is relative, but that consistent week of exercise rekindled the awesome feeling of being fit. By the end of the second week, my body began to respond favorably. No longer was I just a passive spectator. I can honestly say…after two weeks, I already felt better than I had in at least the previous five years.My routine was scientific and my diet was strict. Because the consumption of any type of animal product wrecked havoc on my joints, I consumed a primarily raw vegetarian diet… lots or fruit, salads, and fresh-squeezed vegetable juice. I was never really hungry (since I was eating 6-8 times per day), but I was never really full either. Focusing primarily on fat loss for the first month, I was hoping to just maintain my lean body weight (muscle).
“Nothing is more motivating than results… especially dramatic results.”
To my surprise, in the first four weeks I actually gained over 8 pounds of muscle while simultaneously reducing my waist by 5 ¾ inches and hips by 3 ½ inches. By the end of the twelve weeks, I had lost 20 pounds of fat, gained 15 pounds of muscle, and reduced my waistline from 39.5 to 32.5… 7 inches in 12 weeks.The key to me staying committed to the challenges of my physique transformation is that I actively exercised the most powerful muscle in the human body… the tongue. Proverbs states that people are snared by the words of their mouth. The tongue is a small muscle but directs your entire being; what you say is what you get.Speak what you want that you don’t have; don’t speak what you have that you don’t want. It is so important that, once you begin a fitness program, you truly visualize yourself at the fitness level you would ultimately like to achieve. Eat like that person and train like that person (within reason, of course) and you will become that person. Success breeds success.
“It’s never too late… to join the club.”
So… let’s make a long story longer. I whipped myself back into shape just in time to lose it all. In May of 2001, just after I finished a great workout in fact, I was in a severe car accident. Thankfully, everybody was “all right.” However, I was hit head on at around 40mph, which launched my SUV into a “Dukes of Hazzard” rollover.Unfortunately, the only part of the roof of my car that was crushed was the section right above my head. I ended up having a major brain injury. My neurologist said it was as if I had just come out of a three month coma. I had VERY bad short-term memory for at least a year… or was it two years? I did try to fake my way through it as best I could, but I did embarrass myself on a fairly regular basis.Maybe not remembering much helped me get through the pain, but it was bad for my family, bad for my business, and bad for my health. I just didn’t have the mental fortitude to aggressively and proactively pursue proper medical treatment. Though I had numerous X-rays, CAT scans, and MRI procedures, nothing showed much. I hurt A LOT but nobody knew why… and most people probably didn’t believe me.After months of complaining, my “team” of physicians finally sent me in for bone scans. Good news… bad news. Good because the bone scans finally proved that I was indeed hurt… bad because I had small fractures all over my body… basically, everywhere that the seat belt touched during impact. However, if I hadn’t been wearing my seat belt, I’d probably have large fractures everywhere else too. And because of the delay in diagnosis, things healed kind of funny. I still have quite limited range of motion in my shoulder and neck. Granted, it could have been a lot worse, but it was pretty bad nonetheless. I’m in pain every day but I count my blessings on a daily basis as well.
Years went by… once again… before I could begin a formal exercise program. My body was a mess… much worse than my initial “before” photos. Doctors thought that the stress of my car accident sent my body into another auto-immune arthritic attack. Everything became inflamed and I had all of the symptoms that I’d had with the Rheumatoid Arthritis. Although I “only” injured my head, neck, back, shoulder, chest, and leg in the car accident, the autoimmune response is systemic. In other words, everything in your body goes bad. My body was in such horrible shape that I won’t even show you the pictures. My symptoms of a systemic problem continued to worsen… more tests, right?I had one of the most expensive tests for a very specific disease performed. I was positive for Lyme Disease, a quite “popular” Connecticut (also known as Connecti-tick) malady. There are about 60 known major symptoms of Lyme Disease and I had half of them. Worse yet, some of my physicians believed that I may have had Lyme Disease for 8 years.My entire fight against Rheumatoid Arthritis back in the late 90’s was probably in vain. Though I was tested for Lyme back then, many tests are false-negative, meaning that, even though I may have had Lyme then, the test didn’t show it. Regardless, I knew I had it now and it was time to, once again, get on with my life. A little aggressive treatment and I was good to go. Time to get back in shape.I always tell people that, just because I own a fitness center, it’s no easier for me to get (or keep) myself in peak condition. However, I think that all of the physical struggles I’ve been through allow me to see things a little differently. If you aren’t in the best of shape right now, I can definitely “put myself in your shoes.” Regardless of what you’ve been through, or where you are now, you CAN change your situation and change your health. Having been “there,” and having been “here,” I can honestly tell you it’s worth it. And YOU’RE worth it!!! I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to help thousands of others also begin their journey down the road to good health. I’d like the opportunity to help you too! The first step is usually the toughest, but “putting the blinders on” for 12 weeks is a great way to start the process. The decision to do it only takes a few seconds, yet it’s often the hardest step. Today, at least make the decision to become proactive in the health of your body. Step by step, exercise by exercise, and workout by workout, I look forward to helping you learn everything you need to know to achieve your own personal physique transformation. I’ll be with you for the entire journey and I look forward to your success!!!
In Health,
Doug 
