Modern Athletics

Mar 2023

I moved from Sacramento and a fabulous personal trainer to the Seattle area, then COVID happened. I am primarily a runner, but strength training makes me a better runner, especially with the big hills in the area! As I finished of the 2021 race year, my last race aggravated an already worn and cranky knee. I figured it was time to see if I could find a good body work person to help with recovery. I found Dustin and not only does he do great body work, but I discovered he was a personal trainer as well. I did a DEXA scan then started working with him. I started building up strength, even though I couldn't run. Dustin was very careful not to do anything to aggravate the injury as he built the rest of me up, including supporting muscle groups. By April I was starting to run again. I was also trying to drop the extra COVID pounds I picked up, and while the scale didn't seem to be budging, my clothes were definitely feeling better. I did another DEXA scan, and I had dropped 10 pounds of fat (including most of the visceral fat) and picked up 10 pounds of lean mass, so definitely moving in the right direction! Dustin is very knowledgeable in anatomy, nutrition and the science around performance. We enjoy our discussions, and he appreciates my effort and enthusiasm, and the fact that I run around all over the country running these crazy Ragnar races. Not exactly your normal Grandma pursuit! I highly recommend Dustin, whether you are a competitive athlete, you want to be more healthy in general, fit in your clothes better, or don't want to fall over, break a hip and die! I say that last only somewhat tongue in cheek. It is definitely on my mind; I am appallingly close to that age! But I don't feel old, or look old, and my DEXA scan also shows I have very dense bones, another benefit of running and weightlifting! Just yesterday I was doing single-leg dead lifts with two 35 pound kettlebells and he said, "Just think, most people can't even do these without weight, and here you are with 70 pounds!" DON'T BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE! Go get in shape with Dustin! You don't HAVE to get to the really big kettlebells either. Talk to Dustin, figure out YOUR goals!

Jan 2019

I have never met anyone who is as dedicated as Dustin! I am an athlete who, over the years, has found a love of great food and cocktails, and, whose busy schedule hinders me from finding consistency with my workouts. Because of these poor choices and overall inconsistency, I am not in a place that allows me to fully enjoy every aspect of life. Needless to say, Dustin has been such an amazingly important source of positivity, structure, and motivation, which I was lacking. I always thought I knew everything to do: what to eat, what not to eat, what workouts are best, etc. But Dustin has introduced a new way of thinking...and overall "living". His devotion and enthusiasm is contagious and his encouraging, sweet demeanor could inspire you do do anything. His appetite for learning goes unmatched as he is always striving to learn and implement new ideas. I have always been an "all or nothing" type of person, which has gotten me nowhere as far as my consistency. He is slowly and surely changing my mindset on the way I view things, which will lead to sustaining a healthy lifestyle. I am so thankful to have him in my life! Also- he's full of good quotes and I'll leave you with a Dustin Hassard original (and one of my favorites): "Nothing is ever difficult, it's just time consuming."