Getting Fit on Main

Now that Cranbury residents can of Coffeelicious at and at , do you folks think it might be time to perhaps shed a few pounds and tone those muscles for the summer at the shore?

With the milder weather, there is no reason not to venture out and make your way up to Maplewood Avenue, where you will find Bill DeSimone’s .

Since 2007, DeSimone — an American Council of Exercise (ACE) and National Strength and Conditioning Association-certified physical trainer — has helped many Cranbury residents tone up and slim down.

DeSimone began his professional training in 1983 at the Sports Training Institute of New York, but according to DeSimone, by the 1990’s the physical fitness business had changed from clients going to small exercise studios to the large national chains. 

DeSimone, though, works one-on-one with clients who usually come to him for a specific exercise or biomechanical advice. “I do not compete with the large fitness centers but I see myself as a consultant,” DeSimone said.

"The people who go to the big box exercise locations are probably in shape already and have a good idea of how they want to exercise on their terms. I think a good trainer should also be a good listener,” he stressed.

The prospective clients who enter and take in the well-thought-out array of equipment at Optimal Exercise can devise a workout and exercise program that suits their individual needs.

DeSimone went on to clarify his philosophy with his clients.

“I try not to intimidate nor come on too strong,” he said.

He implied there are trainers who, while feeling they have to show their clients something new, bring on unwelcome or unintended injuries.

DeSimone flipped though his appointment calendar that revealed many clients with just their first names and their next workout session.

“I have worked with some of these people for years. Developing a trusting relationship is a major part of my program,” he said.

Those looking to commit to a regular program with DeSimone can opt for as little as two or three 30-minute sessions per week, a 10-session package or even a single consult to rectify or lessen a muscular or biomechanical issue.

A resident of Monroe, DeSimone saw that many of the clients he was helping at a former fitness center were clustered in the Cranbury-Plainsboro area. When he learned that the Maplewood Avenue space he now occupies was available, DeSimone said he thought it would be the ideal site and size to offer his professional services.

I asked DeSimone how his training regimen helps keep people fit.

“When someone signs a contract with the large fitness centers, that person does not have to attend any workout sessions if they choose not to. My program involves more of a personal commitment by the client,” he pointed out.

His business card highlights the fact that “Two half hour sessions a week can have you toned and ready for summer.”

He revealed those three questions a client must consider before working in the studio:

• What is your current physical condition?
• What is your personal level of motivation?
• What is your goal?

He also noted the most common0sense approach to keeping physically fit: “Eat Less, Move More.”

As Bill DeSimone concluded our hour, he asked this reporter,” So what do you do to stay in shape?” I thought I had escaped the teacher’s homework assignment. I drove home promising to eat less for lunch and move more quickly away from the dinner table.

DeSimone can also be seen at youtube.com/optimalex.