Liam Keane ’26: Optimal Fitness

Liam Keane ’26: Optimal Fitness

Previously, when I had thought of personal training, the science aspect of that field was not what first popped into my mind.  However, as I have learned over the summer, a tremendous amount of exercise science, data, and meticulous programming goes into how, what, and why personal trainers do what they do. This summer, I had the opportunity to explore that science as well as a wide range of sports performance training during my internship at Optimal Fitness, a personal training facility based in Lexington. Optimal Fitness works with a wide range of clients, from elite athletes to senior citizens, and is led by Bryan Doo, the former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Celtics, where he spent 15 years working with some of the most elite basketball players in the world.

During my time at Optimal Fitness, I shadowed Bryan and two other trainers, Laurie and Amanda. When I first met Bryan on a Zoom call, I referred to him as Mr. Doo, but he corrected me and asked me to call him Bryan. Everyone in the gym is always on a first-name basis, both the clients and the trainers, mostly because of how friendly and close everyone is with each other. My first few days were spent observing sessions on how different clients were evaluated and coached. The first thing that immediately stood out to me was how customized each workout was. Every single client had a personalized program written by the trainers based on their strengths, weaknesses, goals, and injury histories. The second thing was how many different types of clients worked with the trainers. I had the opportunity to see a wide range of clients, from a 13-year-old hockey player to an 85-year-old man with dementia, and everything in between.

 This is Bryan Doo and I working with a group of high school athletes, who all played different sports

As I became more familiar and knowledgeable with the gym, I started to switch from shadowing the trainers to taking a more hands-on approach during workouts. Prior to starting a workout with a client, I would discuss the workout plan with the trainers, and I was able to learn all about the reasons behind what they were programming. I learned how to structure workouts in a way to maximize the results of each exercise, always beginning with power, explosive, or agility movements, and then incorporating compound strength movements that use multiple muscles at a time with more targeted small muscle movements. Within each individualized program, I found that the exercises done to target each section of the body were way more complex than I had thought. It was in observing these moments that I really started to understand how much science is behind every workout.

 This was me helping with an explosive chest exercise while monitoring her form

However, I also learned that recovery is by far the area of personal training that incorporates the most science. I was able to absorb the trainers’ wealth of knowledge on stretching, mobility, and exercises to reduce pain in different areas of the body. If somebody had shoulder issues, I learned how to mitigate the risk of pain through keeping the shoulders in a stabilized and comfortable position during a pushing exercise. For someone like me who has gone through knee surgery, I learned how to keep the knee away from compromised positions and what muscles in the leg are most important in knee stabilization.

This is a picture of Will and I; Will is going to be a senior at UNH studying exercise science

My main project of the summer around the gym was working on the app Superset, which is used for clients who train offsite. My job was to write descriptions of the details and correct form for different exercises that would be uploaded into each client’s workouts. Along with the descriptions, I helped with creating and uploading videos of each exercise they program that will go onto their YouTube channel and then also into the Superset App.

This was how we kept track of the project

Additionally, I had the opportunity to sit in on a few client assessments, where trainers would evaluate mobility, strength asymmetries, and movement deficiencies. It was in these assessments that the data proved extremely useful. A 60-year-old patient who loves outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and rowing came to Laurie with hip pain. Laurie first took measurements of her hip mobility, hamstring, quad, glute, and hip flexor strength.  Laurie was then able to determine that the patient had a hip strength imbalance by over 20% which was causing her to have to counteract that weakness by shifting and rotating her hips in an awkward way.  This awkward shift was causing the pain. By understanding which way she was shifting, Laurie was able to program certain exercises, stretches, and different mobility movements that would help with the pain. 

The area where I saw the most growth throughout the summer was in patient interaction. At the beginning of the summer, I struggled to correctly explain and demonstrate exercises to target what the trainers were trying to accomplish. However, by observing Bryan, Laurie, and Amanda, I was able to adopt their language, demeanor, and knowledge, which allowed me to get much better at those interactions.

 This is me demonstrating an agility exercise for a group of high school soccer players

This summer, I gained hands-on experience in workout construction, learned about pieces of exercise science, and was also able to see how high-level personal trainers do their job so well. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to work at Optimal Fitness, and especially to Bryan Doo for sharing his wealth of knowledge with me. Thank you also to Mr. Schlenker for making this internship possible. It was an incredible experience that deepened my interest in exercise science and opened my eyes to all the ways this field impacts people every day.