Maximum Effort
Here at Vertex Fitness, we are always pushing (as an aside, muscles pull, so we won’t tell you to push a weight up). We push ourselves to learn more about our craft, we push each other to become better instructors, but most importantly, we push our clients to work as hard as they possibly can each and every workout.
On each exercise, we try to get each person to give what we call Maximum Effort. The definition of Maximum Effort is to take the involved muscle to a point where it can no longer exert enough force to overcome the resistance with proper form. This point is also known as Momentary Muscular Fatigue or simply, muscle failure, one of the hallmarks of High Intensity Training.
Training to this point allows for two main things. Because the intensity is high, workouts must be brief. In today’s over scheduled world, shorter workouts give you time to schedule more stuff to do.
But brief workouts are of no value if they are not effective. Working to Maximum Effort ensures that the muscle is thoroughly inroaded (inroad refers to the number of muscle cells that you can momentarily fatigue during an exercise). If you work to the point where no more repetitions are possible, then you have fatigued enough muscle fibers to force the body to respond (i.e. get stronger).
I can’t tell you that working to that point is fun; it’s not. However, it might just be the best way to get the results you want in the shortest time frame!

About the author
Dwayne Wimmer founded Vertex Fitness Personal Training Studio in 2001, excited to bring a new concept about personal training to the people of Philadelphia’s Main Line in Pennsylvania. Driven by knowledge and results both, while a strength coach at Villanova University, he worked closely with world class athletes such as Brian Westbrook, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, on strength training and conditioning for optimal performance. Dwayne’s client base extends much further than world class athletes. Along with athletes, he works with adolescents to seniors, and he’s a highly acclaimed and sought out personal trainer who has received numerous awards, such as Best of the Main Line Personal Training Studio and Best Main Line Personal Trainer.
A graduate of Missouri Western State University, Dwayne has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, with an emphasis in Coaching. Aside from personal training, he’s spent time as a physical education teacher, strength and conditioning coach, and a football coach, but has found his passion and home in the fitness industry, inspiring and reaching out to others. As a strong believer in continuing to learn, Dwayne has also taken classes at East Stroudsburg University toward a Masters Degree in Sports Management.
He can add author to his list of accomplishments, having created a chapter in the upcoming book The Soul of Success with Jack Canfield, renowned for the Chicken Soup series.
To get to the point where he is now, Dwayne has always been thankful for the support of his father, a man who always believed in his mission and saw the need for what it was that Dwayne envisioned. During his free time, Dwayne is an avid motorcyclist who enjoys viewing the amazing landscapes and finding good restaurants to enjoy that are off the beaten path. He also takes advantage of opportunities to travel and experience many other cities while attending fitness seminars and giving presentations about the industry he is so passionate about. As a way to give back to the community that has been a part of his entire life, Dwayne has created Vertex Fitness PUMPED (People United Making Progress through Education and Donations), which provides support to area non-profits through a community-wide outreach effort. At this time, they help three non-profits per year in the Philadelphia area.
For more information from Dwayne, you may contact him at (610) 525-6604, dwayne@vertexfit.com