Meet Your Trainer

Hi, I’m Thomas Morrison, the Fitness Coordinator for the fitness staff and a personal trainer. Thanks for taking the time to click on my name and giving me the chance to let you know more about me.

Who am I?

Before we get into my background, let me share a few personal sides of me. I am first and foremost a devoted Christian and the happy husband and father of a beautiful wife and five wonderful children.  I was born and raised in upstate New York and graduated from college before moving to Oklahoma and receiving a certificate of completion from Rhema Bible Training Center. It was in pursuing a life of ministry that I was led to use my degree and become a health/fitness instructor.

Background

Growing up skinny and painfully shy, I was a natural target for Charles Atlas type muscle ads in comic books, and had my father purchase my first program at the tender age of 10.  By 18 I had accumulated more books on exercise and muscle building than some of the leading book stores of the day!  Being naturally so skinny I sought to learn every trick I could to build muscle on my thin frame without hurting myself.  I got a bachelor of science degree from the State University of New York at Cortland, and even competed in my first bodybuilding show there. In the end I built myself up by over 40 lbs before trimming down a little for the show.

Having satisfied the “iron bug” I then fully turned my attention on spiritual things, tossed my degree over my shoulder, and pursued the call of God.  What a surprise several years later, when I discovered that working in the fitness field was to be part of that call!  I had lost all of the muscle I had gained and then some!  At 144lbs and a height of 6’2” I would need to reeducate myself and build back up to become a physical trainer!  I began training again at Gold’s Gym in Calhoun in 2000, and became certified with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) before starting as a fitness consultant at Bradley Wellness Center in August of the same year.  A couple years later I started working in the community as the supervisor of the “Working Well” program doing on-site health screenings, teaching and writing educational articles weekly on various health topics. As I continued to learn and grow in the field I also began teaching the fitness staff at BWC and eventually became their coordinator.  I will still work occasionally in corporate wellness, but my full-time work is with the fitness staff and training clients.

My Favorite Client

Is someone who is open to change and enjoys learning about their health and what they can do to improve it.  I enjoy working with people who understand that they are in it for the long-haul and are not just looking for a quick fix (though I understand and can do that too).  Having dealt with body image problems I work equally well with clients who struggle with feeling too skinny or too fat and like to work on the spiritual/mental/emotional side of progress as much as the physical side.  Because these things take time I tend to be a patient trainer and work the change process one habit at a time to make the changes permanent.

As a full-time employee of the hospital, a manager, and a father of five I really understand the struggle of trying to find time for exercise.  I have had to learn many time saving techniques to get the most bang for the exercise buck and love to share them with clients.  So I also work especially well with busy people who feel like they don’t have time for exercise.  With the right knowledge and tools you will be surprised how much fitter and healthier you can become!