Fitness trainers will push contestants to their limit

For three months, five Daily Herald readers are putting their physical well-being into the hands of trainers at Push Fitness, a Schaumburg training facility.

The five Fittest Loser contestants are competing against each other to see who can lose the most weight by percentage over the three-month period. They will work out three times a week with their trainers, will change their diet based on a plan devised by the Push owners and be shaped into new people when the contest ends in May.

Trainers and contestants are matched based on personality type and the ability of the trainer to get the most out of the individual they're partnered with.

Building trust between the trainer and contestant is key.

“All of these contestants are coming into an environment they are not familiar with, so it's crucial that the trainer builds trust with their contestant,” says Mark Trapp, co-founder of Push Fitness. “They have to know we truly care about their well-being.”

Meet the trainers who will provide the “push” needed to get the Fittest Losers in shape:

Josh Steckler (working with Bob Pearson)Steckler, 31, is co-founder of Push Fitness with Mark Trapp. He is married and the father of two boys and lives in Arlington Heights. He grew up on a farm in Holland, Ind.Steckler received a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from Indiana University. He and Trapp opened Push in March 2008.After working at other training facilities, Steckler and Trapp decided to open their own facility.#8220;Everything we have done at other facilities has been incomplete; there has been something lacking, whether it be in follow-ups, nutrition or accountability,#8221; Steckler said. #8220;Mark and I sat down and really dissected what a client needs to be successful. It's not just diet or exercise. We have implemented a program that works for everyone. We have never had a client who has not been successful in any way.#8221;Steckler has 13 years experience and specializes in high-intensity, total body and functional training to enhance body fat loss and muscle density.Mark Trapp (working with Jayne Nothnagel)Mark Trapp was working at Lifetime Fitness with Josh Steckler, and the two of them started talking about creating their own fitness facility. They would meet after work at a local coffee shop and discuss fitness training, running a business and diet plans.#8220;We built a good friendship there,#8221; Trapp said. #8220;Everything about Push is something we created on our own.#8221;Trapp, 32, was a football and baseball player at Lindenwood University, where he got his degree in physical education. He had plans to become a coach, but eventually got his certifications in sports medicine and performance enhancement. He found that personal training offered the same reward to him that coaching did.#8220;Being able to help somebody is one of the best gifts, and that is why I wanted to coach and teach in high school,#8221; Trapp said. #8220;I used the same practice when I came to personal training. I like being able to save someone's life by getting their lifestyle back in order.#8221;Steve Amsden(working with Dee Levine)Amsden came from Colorado to Schaumburg with no friends, contacts or clients. He met Trapp when they were both working out of another private facility, where they rented space. When Push opened, Amsden joined the team immediately.Amsden, 30 (#8220;but I look like I'm 22#8221;), served seven years in the U.S. Army, including two yearlong tours in Iraq.#8220;That taught me about cultivating a strong mental and emotional attitude in order to accomplish anything you want bad enough,#8221; said Amsden, who lives in Schaumburg. #8220;The Army made me an expert in push-ups as well as running and other body weight exercises.#8221;Amsden has seven years of experience as a personal trainer and boot camp instructor, and said he considers his training style #8220;cardio strength training.#8221; #8220;By utilizing multifaceted resistance training tempos, heavy and lightweight lifting, explosive power exercise and timed sets, clients get both the benefits of strength/resistance training as well as the high intensity and high caloric burn of cardiovascular training,#8221; Amsden said.Wade Merrill (working with John Novak)Merrill, 23, has been with Push for two years after working at another facility. He also tried in-home training before joining Push.Merrill is from Hanover Park. One year after graduating high school, Merrill enrolled at the National Personal Training Institute in Lisle.#8220;Their curriculum provided a solid foundation of knowledge and experience I rely upon for each client,#8221; Merrill said.Michelle Amsden (working with Kristen Kessinger)Michelle Amsden, 32, is married to Steve Amsden, and came to the Chicago area with him in spring 2008. Unlike Steve, Michelle was not a trainer at the time, and was working a series of jobs in search of something permanent. In July 2009, she decided to follow Steve and started studying to become a personal trainer. Once she got certified, she joined Push in January 2010.#8220;I love what I do and I'm very passionate about changing people's lives,#8221; Michelle Amsden said. #8220;I want to help people improve physically and mentally. I want them to know it is possible to lose weight and enjoy foods you love in moderation. #8220;I, too, was overweight my whole childhood through early adulthood, and it was a long journey,#8221; she said. #8220;But I made it, and now I want to help others. 26382288Trainer Mark Trapp with his contestant Jayne Nothnagel. 38722592Trainer Steve Amsden with his contestant Dee Levine. 28522471Trainer Wade Merrill with his contestant John Novak. 34172493Trainer Michelle Amsden with her contestant Kristin Kessinger. 8011132Fittest Loser contestant Bob Pearson of Hampshire wants to get fit so he can keep up with his two sons as well as with the new baby he and his wife are expecting in July.Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com 10251128One of the goals for Fittest Loser contestant Kristen Kessinger of Volo is to fit in a bridesmaid dress by May. She purposely bought a size too small as a challenge.Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com 7471110Jayne Nothnagel, at home with Tucker Max, said one of her Fittest Loser goals is to do cartwheels down the middle of the workout room at Push Fitness in Schaumburg.Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com 1071840Fittest loser contestant Dee Levine is a certified car-seat technician at Sherman Hospital. She wants to lose weight so it’s easier for her to get in and out of new parents’ cars.Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com 328579Hersey High School Activities Director John Novak has the support of students and staff at the school behind him.Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com