1. Can you introduce yourself ?
Hi, my name is Kevin Lukarski (@kevinlukarski) and I am a (sports)physiotherapist and Personal Trainer. I work in a group practice physiotherapy (@praktijk2quratio) in Sint-Truiden (Belgium). Sports rehab and physical training have always been my subjects of interest - playing basketball for over 16 years brought me in contact with injury (prevention), rehabilitation and training. I like to help people get injury-free, perform better and get stronger.
2. Why did you choose PCA for your education ?
There are a lot of Personal Trainer courses out there, one more trustworthy than the other. Since I had my basic knowledge about fitness, the human body, nutrition, etc. I was looking for a well-recognized education and certification in the fitness world. I found out about the international Personal Training certification from NASM, which was provided by PCA.
3. What did the NASM accreditation bring you ?
If you doubt if you can get a job as a Personal Trainer after your NASM certification, you shouldn’t. Fitness centers are putting their requirements higher and higher, so this is a great way to show you are confident and serious about your approach.
The NASM course itself brought more structure in my approach with clients. You will learn that not only the ‘strength’ part is the key in your training, but some clients might need more focus on other aspects such as flexibility, core, balance, plyometrics, SAQ,… I even use some of the tools I learned with the postural analysis on my patients.
4. What is your specialization ?
Next to my NASM Certification Personal Trainer’s degree, I have a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physical Therapy. So I am not the typical Personal Trainer, neither as I am ‘just’ a physiotherapist. I firmly believe that continuous education is the key, so I would like to keep expanding my knowledge in manual therapy, nutrition, (advanced) hypertrophy training, etc.
5. What is the coolest exercise you like to do with your clients and why ?
I like to stick with basics: you will have to be able to perform basic strength movements such as a bench press, squat, deadlift, pull-up, … before doing any kind of (fancy) variations.
Since most of my patients have lower limb injuries, I really like to incorporate a Cossack Squat. This multi-planar movement has a great effect on ankle, knee and hip mobility and works so many - mostly weak - muscles.
6. What is the most fulfilling part in coaching others ?
The progression. I am more working as a physiotherapist than a Personal Trainer, but this applies to both. Getting an athlete to his/her next level, getting someone pain-free, improving someone’s physique or even just improving their mental state about themselves really does it for me.
7. What is your favorite quote ?
"The best project you will ever work on is YOU."
