For 9 years now, Helgi Gudfinnsson, of Grindavik, Iceland, has been driven by the thought of helping people reach their goals. In addition to playing professional basketball in Holland and Belgium, he earned 63 international caps for Iceland and was named MVP of the Icelandic basketball league twice.
He owned and ran Helgasport, but decided to sell it so he could concentrate on coaching.
“I really like teaching and sharing the knowledge that I have gained,” Hlgi explained. “Nothing makes me happier than when I see people reach there goals.” He works mostly with weight loss clients, but he also works with athletes between the age of 16 and 20. Helgi has also been teaching the personal training course at Keilir Atlantic Center of Excellence as an IAK personal trainer.
- Helgi has several certifications including:
- CHEK practitioner level 2
- NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist
- NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist
- NASM Certified Personal Trainer
- Advanced Metabolic Typing Advisor
- Posturology level 1
As we have seen becoming more and more popular, Helgi’s training philosophy follows a holistic approach. “I look at the body as a whole and integrated system,” Helgi said. “I know this by my own experience.” At the age of 28, he had to quit playing basketball because of a back injury. After trying doctor after doctor with no answers, he decided to take matter into his own hands and completely change his lifestyle. Now, it is important to Helgi to not only focus on training, but also on nutrition, mental well-being and emotional fitness. Helgi is pleased that today he is pain-free and playing basketball again.
“Since I became a coach 9 years ago, I have had the motto ‘Never stop learning,’ because I am so fascinated by how little I know. My favorite part of being a Speed Insider is getting all the valuable information that I get each month,” stated Helgi. He added, “The information that I get from Lee Taft expands my knowledge account every month. Attending the Athletic Speed Formula seminar has been one of the best seminars I have been to, so I recommend to everyone to study Lee´s work.”
Michael Romano is the co-owner of Millburn Short Hills Athletic Club, a private fitness and performance enhancement facility located in Millburn, New Jersey.
He earned a B.A. in biology and holds several certifications including CSCS, USAW, and IYCA (YFS Level 1).
Michael’s training philosophy is all about quality work. “It is not about how much but, how. We train hard but train smart, having fun in the process,” Michael said.
Michael has seen firsthand how fitness can change a young person’s life. “The fact that I am in the business at all still amazes me,” he said. “Unlike most others in this industry, I am not the ex-athlete turned coach, but I am the 14-year-old who lost 100 pounds and realized my life’s work early on.”
Michael quoted the famous saying, “If you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life.” He considers himself lucky since he hasn’t worked a day in the last 20 years, so to speak.
“Thank you Lee. The Speed Insider program has been an incredible learning experience for me. Lee’s thoughtfulness and accessibility make this program unique. In a business full of big egos and pretenders, Lee stands out above the rest. He is one of the few I trust my business too.” – Mike Romano
