REAL LIFE

AT THE FOREFRONT

By: LaRue Novick

Sammy Jackson, franchisee of the Max Muscle Sports Nutrition store in Garland, Texas is waging war on obesity, one customer at a time. Photo by Becky Gleaves

PEOPLE WHO WALK into Max Muscle Sports Nutrition in Garland, Texas, are instantly greeted with a warm and welcome “Hi. How are y’all? Let me know if y’all have any questions or need anything.” The source of the voice is Sammy Jackson, franchisee of the store he opened two-and-a-half years ago that now ranks 6th out of 145 Max Muscle stores nationwide.

At 6-foot-3, with a lean muscled physique and a ready smile, Sammy never tires of helping people who come through his door looking for answers to their fitness and diet needs. Even if he spends an hour with a customer going over a diet plan and various products and that customer chooses not to buy anything, he is content in knowing that he was friendly and honest – qualities he credits to his father, who has run a local swimming pool business for 45 years. “We have a friendship with 90 percent of our customers,” Sammy said. “They always come back because they can trust us to tell them the truth.”

It’s easy for Sammy to be honest about nutrition and supplementation because he knows what he’s talking about. As a certified fitness nutrition coach with a history of personal training and taking Max Muscle products, he is passionate about the business and the products. “I’ve used every Max Muscle product there is,” Sammy said. “I won’t sell a product that I haven’t used myself.” The list of supplements he takes regularly include Max Pro, Max Vit-Acell, GlutaMatrix, Max EFAs, Max Green Synergy, IsoExtreme, Quadra Cuts Nighttime, Full Blown Extreme, Max ACM, Max Nitro EXT and Max Nitro. “I got into this franchise because of the products, especially the protein. It’s the best in the industry.”

Sammy weighed 145 pounds at age 14 before he started working out and putting on muscle. By the time he graduated high school, he weighed 175 pounds. Today, with consistent training and Max Muscle products, this father of two who just turned 40 stands proud at 230 pounds.

Sammy worked as a police officer for 12 years and during that time, he earned a certification in personal training from the Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research to help supplement his modest income with the Garland Police Department. Eventually he found the Max Muscle store in Bedford, Texas and was so impressed with the products that he would drive 45 minutes each way every month to buy supplements.

When the opportunity came to purchase the Bedford store from its previous owner and move it to Garland (Sammy’s hometown), Sammy said he felt like God was leading him to it. So, he took the plunge. He admits that he didn’t quite realize what he was getting himself into, nor all the challenges that would come with owning a business, but he has no regrets. “I love being able to help people reach their goals and I enjoy building friendships with so many different people,” he said.

A PERSONAL APPROACH
Every customer who comes through Sammy’s door can get a free nutritional evaluation and diet plan. It is a simple plan, really, that incorporates an average of three meals and three protein shakes spread evenly throughout the day. It is supplemented with what Sammy calls the Max Muscle Core 5: protein, glutamine, essential fatty acids, a multivitamin and Green Synergy (a fruit and vegetable powdered blend). He tells everyone to do the same thing and they always get results even within the first week. “It works across the board,” Sammy said, matter-of-factly. As proof, he has a notebook full of customers who’ve lost inches and pounds and have toned up and look and feel so much better than ever.

One such person is Tiffany Edwards, 42, of Rockwall, Texas. At 5-foot-3, she weighed 159 pounds when she came to Sammy for help. He started her on the diet plan and supplements and she began working out at least four days a week. In four and a half months, Tiffany dropped from a size 12 to a size 4, and from 32 percent body fat to 19 percent. She gained nearly 6 pounds of muscle and lost more than 15 pounds of fat. Today, the 134-pound petite mother of three says she has so much more confidence, energy, stamina and joy. “I have had twins and my daughter is a senior in high school and now I feel better than I did in my 20s!” she said. And, she owes much to Sammy’s support. “His constant encouragement and desire to help me succeed without being pushy really helped me the most,” she said. “He definitely cares about his customers’ success.”

It’s true that Sammy cares about each customer’s success. That’s why he teaches them the importance of changing body composition through fat loss, not weight loss. He tells his customers, especially women, not to worry about the number they see on their scale.

As a prime example, Sammy always shows one of his client’s before-and-after photos to new customers and asks them, “How much weight do you think she lost?” The answer usually varies between 20 to 40 pounds. In actuality, this customer only lost three pounds! But, her body shape drastically changed. And, she dropped from 26.7 percent body fat to 16.7 percent body fat in nine weeks.

Sammy explains his theory on weight loss this way, “If people go to Weight Watchers or some place like that, they’ll help you lose 20 pounds. But, they don’t care if it’s 20 pounds of fat, or muscle, or a combination of both. We only want to focus on helping you lose body fat, maintaining the muscle you have and building more lean muscle because the more muscle you have, the more body fat you burn at a faster rate all day long.”

America is at war with obesity. And, Sammy is at the forefront helping as many people as he can to shed fat and get fit. As parting advice to those looking to take back their lives from obesity and being overweight, Sammy said, “You have to make a lifestyle change and be consistent. Don’t expect to lose all the weight you gained over 10 years in three month’s time. You have to want it and you have to work for it.”

And, if you’re fortunate enough to live near Garland, Texas, Sammy will be there to help every step of the way. MS&F