From amateurs to pros, Chris Munford takes personal training to the next level

Written by Mike Treadgold, with files from Justin Dunk

Chris Munford wants the best. And only the best.

Photo by Rashaad Bhamjee.

In the community of strength and conditioning coaches, Munford is in an elite class as an athletic performance specialist. With experience training and developing athletes at both the amateur and professional levels, Munford has dealt with everyone, from aspiring university athletes to professionals earning millions of dollars in the NBA. He takes personal training to the next level.

A former CFL player with Hamilton, Toronto and Saskatchewan, Munford has also worked with the Gryphons and the Charlotte Bobcats, and has created his own business, Corporate Productivity Enhancement Consulting. Munford has seen it all and is widely viewed as one of the top specialists for athletes looking to get to the next level.

In order to work with Munford, prospective clients and individuals within their support network must go through a series of interviews to determine if there is a good fit and a burning desire to commit and develop.

If the interview stage is successful, Munford then goes to work developing a comprehensive, multilayered, and highly individualized program for each of his clients, focusing on their mental and physical capabilities and identifying areas for improvement.

“The first layer (when creating a workout program) is figuring out the athlete’s biomechanics and neurological status,” said Munford. “The second layer is, as you build their program, you have to pay attention to their sports-related and injury-related goals.”

Like other personal trainers, Munford is quick to recognize the differences that exist among athletes and how he must alter his training strategies to accommodate their personalities.

“You have to understand how to communicate with different athletes,” he said. “I’m working with a quarterback right now who is getting over a [knee] injury and he’s unsure of himself. I have to know how to push his limits and press his buttons with what he can tolerate. He’s getting there, but he doesn’t yet know his limits.

“But, I had a receiver last year who wanted to do more than what he should,” he continued. “You have to know how to deal with different frames of mind. You have to learn to motivate those that need motivation and slow down those that need slowing down. It’s all part of the cycle.”

Having worked with dedicated athletes, as well as those who are less willing to put in the same effort, Munford spoke to the frustration that sometimes comes with being a personal trainer.

“It can be very frustrating,” he said of dealing with an uncommitted client. “When you see naturally skilled and talented athletes who don’t work at it, I don’t understand that. I’ll never understand that.”

Despite his remarkable success at the professional level, when he worked as the strength and conditioning coach for the Bobcats, Munford has a great deal of appreciation for, and commitment to the aspiring university athlete who seeks his guidance. While training for the CFL Evaluation Camp in March, Gryphons running back Nick Fitzgibbon solicited Munford’s assistance.

“With a University of Guelph student, there’s definitely more compliance,” Munford said. “There seems to be more of a teacher-student relationship when you can talk to them and expect more compliance. Being in the framework of an educational institution, it lends to that kind of listening role.”