Chris Collins is a graduate of the Lexington Healing Arts Academy’s Personal Fitness Training Program and has been passionate about fitness for as long as he can remember.

In grade school, his parents wouldn’t get him a weightset until he did a year’s worth of calisthenics. “I was already nuts about working out,” he said. “That Christmas I got a pair of six-pound vinyl dumbbells. I was in heaven and did the exercises on the foldout poster that came with them, religiously. It didn’t take me long to figure out I needed more weight, and so I went back hollerin’ to my parents again. I had the bug.”

Along with six years in the industry and a BA in Print Journalism from the University of Kentucky, Chris is an avid researcher who has written articles for Health 360 and various online blogs. As a trainer, he believes it’s imperative to stay current with trends while remaining grounded in training principles.

I’ve always said that fitness is the gift you give yourself. We’re not in this to live longer, although that’s usually a byproduct; longevity is not guaranteed. We do it to enhance and increase the quality of our lives today. The importance of fitness cannot be overestimated.