Member Spotlight | From Skinny to Strong

Member Spotlight | From Skinny to Strong

by | Jan 7, 2019 | All, Home, Member Stories

“The best way to achieve fitness goals is to find a mentor who has a passion [for] fitness who can keep you motivated. If you are just starting out, it is great to find someone who started where you are and has made improvements. If you have been working out for a while and want to get to that next level of peak shape, find someone who has that similar shape.”

Caleb B.

LA Fitness Member

Before: January 2014

Current Fitness Goals 

My current fitness goals are focused on reaching my ideal weight of 155 lbs. My areas of focus are mastering squats and increasing the size of my arms and legs.

Training Influence 

The facilities at LA Fitness have made my workouts more efficient. I am able to access the equipment that I want to use even when I work out at peak times. I also have also learned from other LA Fitness members and gained lifting experiences that have helped me make progress toward my goals.

Caleb’s Story 

In my senior year of college, while I was still living in Boston, I was looking for a better gym that had all the equipment and weights that I needed. I had tried so many gyms before I became an LA Fitness member. After a week trial at LA Fitness, I decided to sign up. LA Fitness has taken my fitness lifestyle to the next level. Every day after school or work, I would drive to LA Fitness to work out. Sometimes it would take over an hour if I hit bad traffic. LA Fitness provides all the equipment and weights that I was looking for. It helps me lift heavier and achieve my fitness goals. When I relocated to Springfield, I was happy to find another LA Fitness. It had the same high-level facilities. Currently, I usually work out five to six days a week. I like working on a single muscle each day. I have put on a few pounds of muscle since I started to work out at LA Fitness. I am so happy with the changes over these past few months and I am still going. For my diet routine, I consume a lot of protein and carbs every day and drink more than a gallon of water. I usually have a protein shake after I work out. Having enough protein helps my muscle recover faster and maximize my muscle growth. 

 

After: February 2018

After: February 2018

After: February 2018

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Member Spotlight | Have You Ever Asked Yourself, “What’s Next?”

Member Spotlight | Have You Ever Asked Yourself, “What’s Next?”

by | Dec 24, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

I remember finishing my residency, getting my first job, and asking myself “what next?” I had accomplished my goal of becoming a medical doctor but along the way, I picked up habits like stress eating and bad sleep hygiene. I started medical school at a size 0 and was now a size 12. For me, my weight was a reminder that I placed other things before my health in order to achieve my goals. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more than to change my lifestyle. I craved work-life balance. I wanted to have energy, and not by being laden with caffeine, but by being well rested. I wanted to be able to run to an emergency without feeling like I was having an asthma attack. I wanted to look in the mirror and see a woman who practiced what she preached.

So, I joined LA Fitness as an investment in myself. My initial progress was slow. I was always apprehensive of going to the gym and embarrassing myself because I didn’t know how to use the machines. I decided to join the training program for additional help. I met my trainer Ryan in 2016. I made an awful first impression by kicking him in the crotch after he asked me to do a high kick. I believe that’s the only time he has asked me to do that particular exercise. However, over time, we found our groove and dubbed ourselves #TeamRymo.

Left: Pro Results® Personal Trainer Ryan F. Right: Omosede I., LAF Member

Having a trainer basically changed my fitness journey. All of a sudden, I was half of a partnership. I got a roadmap. I got instructions. I got structure. Most of all, I got support. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Working 12-hour night shifts, means that some days, I am low on energy and motivation. Ryan has always been understanding in this regard and has been flexible with my goals and helping them fit my lifestyle.

Its inspiring to see results. My initial goals were to look healthy and work on my endurance. However, I’ve also gained strength, knowledge, and confidence.

My first piece of advice to people looking to change their lifestyle is “know thyself.” I don’t think there is one formula, or one diet that works for everyone. I think success comes when you figure out what works for you. For me, having a trainer works because it takes the stress out of having to figure everything out by myself. I like being part of the “trainees” because I’ve been able to work out with some of them, and I enjoy the sense of community. Honestly, it keeps me from slacking off because I’m being held accountable.

Secondly, “love thyself.” I had to recognize that hating my body wasn’t helping me. I decided to love the body that I am in right now. I still have to squint pretty hard before I can see a “sliver” of abs on my torso and even then, the light from the window has to hit me the right way. The body I envision isn’t here yet but as long as I’m doing my best, then it’s okay. I’m working on changing my mindset. For instance, instead of thinking of dieting as being restrictive, I’ve decided to think of it as putting good things into my body. Instead of thinking of exercise as being bothersome, I’ve decided to view it as being essential.

Last of all, “we are made for now, not tomorrow.” I’m trying to learn to live in the moment. So, do what you can today. It all adds up, even if it feels like it’s little.

April 2016

January 2017

January 2018

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Member Spotlight | Meet Female Stuntwoman and Mom, Danielle G. – Part 1

Member Spotlight | Meet Female Stuntwoman and Mom, Danielle G. – Part 1

by | Nov 12, 2018 | All, Fitness, Home, Member Stories, Workouts

Meet Danielle G., a stuntwoman and mama-bear who wasn’t always the strong superwoman she is today. In college, Danielle weighed well over 200 lbs., wore size 18 pants, and felt uncomfortable in her own skin. Wanting to make a change, she started training at a local gym but a move to a new area brought with it limited access to the gym she was attending. As a result, her training started to slack, there was a decrease in motivation and subsequently, she began regaining the weight she had lost. A friend and mentor of Danielle introduced her to LA Fitness and encouraged her to continue with her training. Danielle credits the wide range of LA Fitness gym locations for making it possible for her to continue training again. With training once again underway, Danielle set a goal for herself to compete in her first ever NPC (National Physique Committee) Figure Competition. When the big day finally arrived, she recalls being in the best shape of her life.

“With the open environment, friendly gym goers (some of which I call friends now), I continued to see improvements in myself and was planning on competing again, but then I was given the blessings of being a mom (well, stunt mom).”

Danielle G.

LA Fitness Member

Even once pregnant, that didn’t stop Danielle from continuing her training at LA Fitness. She combines weightlifting and cardio and pulls ideas from the LA Fitness Living Healthy blog on nutrition to help her better balance her diet at the same time. Many of Danielle’s friends at her home gym are impressed with her continued dedication. She plans to stay a healthy mom and to continue her training to become a better and stronger stuntwoman. She is a firm believer that if there is a will there is a way. While she is now a mom, she believes that it is possible to find a balance between family and yourself. Danielle hopes to one day get back on stage for her second NPC figure competition.

“Don’t let excuses get in the way of what you want. Whether single or a mom, make sure to take time to take care of your health because if there is no you then the family will suffer.”

Danielle G.

LA Fitness Member

Typical Gym Routine –

My typical gym routine is basically working to separate muscle groups (i.e., legs and arms, biceps and back, etc.) for about an hour, followed with 30-45 min of cardio, and some days strict cardio only. Always mixing it up to keep the body aware.

Nutrition –

In the very beginning (college days), I would eat whatever was in front of me. Originally obtaining my degree in medicine meant a lot of stress dealing with early to late night classes, lab time and exams. So, I did a lot of emotional/stress eating, such as eating fried foods, high carbs, sugars, you name it. When I was prepping for my competition and my career as a stuntwoman, I was on a stricter diet. I was on a high protein low carb diet eating about 1,675 calories per day and drinking a gallon of water per day as well. I focused primarily on making sure I was meeting my macro count per day. Eventually, I was seeing about 0.5-1 lb. of weight loss per week. Occasionally there were times I plateaued, but with encouragement, the weight continued to drop. I had to keep reminding myself it took me time to get to being overweight, so it’s going to take time to get it off.

Changing Lifestyle –

In all honesty, I wasn’t happy with who I was with the amount of weight I was carrying. I didn’t feel attractive at all. And in complete honesty, it took one guy, when I was in college, who was the first to tell me he loved me. That made me think: how could he love me when I didn’t love myself?! Talk about a wakeup call. I gave myself a hard look at myself, being over 200lbs and asthmatic where the outside world literally was my enemy. I knew I had to make a change. So that initially started me on my journey to redevelop myself into the person I wanted to be. I focused on finding a balance between school and going to the gym with diet, and slowly started to see the changes that I didn’t think could happen for me.

Setbacks –

I don’t care if you are an average person or the fittest person in the world – there are always setbacks. And it’s really just finding that push/dedication to overcome it and not make bland excuses. For me, it wasn’t just being overweight; being asthmatic also was a huge setback for me. How did I overcome it? I just listened more to my body and the orders of my doctor. I figured by doing that, it would mean a faster way for me to get back into the gym and continue training.

Active Lifestyle & Career –

Fitness plays a huge role for me as a stuntwoman. You must not be just mentally strong, but physically strong and flexible as well. If I was going into my career being overweight as I was, that would have made it difficult, if not impossible. The physical aspects of the job are so demanding that being overweight will not just tire you out faster, but it would also be so much harder on the joints, increasing chances of injury. So, striving to be not skinny but fit is imperative. Fitness is also important especially for stuntwomen in the fact that the clothes and pads we have to wear on set are sometimes minimal compared to our male counterparts. So the added weight, in addition to pads and clothes when you are doubling for the actress can be a big thing.

? Subscribe to Living Healthy and keep an eye out for Part 2 of Danielle’s fitness journey, coming soon!

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Member Spotlight | Aim for Progress, Not Perfection

Member Spotlight | Aim for Progress, Not Perfection

by | Oct 1, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

I have been a member of LA Fitness for the last 4 and a half years – I joined the LA Fitness Vanderbilt Beach location in January of 2014! Over the last 4.5 years, I have used my gym (my second home) to do countless things including lose fat, build muscle, gain self-confidence, train for a bikini competition, prepare for a mud obstacle course race, and just plain get my endorphin fix!

Right now, my fitness goals are to continue to beat my personal records, try new things, whether it is a fun Zumba or Cycle class, sign up for my first marathon that I need to use the cardio equipment to build stamina for, and last but not least continue living healthy and staying as active as possible.

When I joined LA Fitness, I had never lifted a weight or even stepped foot in a gym, I was actually the girl who opted out of PE and team sports in high school for fear of failure. I was self-conscious and shy at the time, but the other members of LA Fitness and its employees welcomed me with open arms. I enjoyed learning about the different machines, experimenting with different workout routines, and of course, rewarding myself with a delicious shake from the smoothie bar after a hard work out! I’m not sure of how much weight I lost or how much muscle I’ve gained, I’m only sure of how my transformation has made me feel.

I’m much happier in my own skin and I have a sense of confidence today that I never knew prior. LA Fitness has felt like a home away from home for me for close to 5 years and I’m excited to see what amazing changes the next 5 years bring! Thank you, LA Fitness, for changing my life!

My piece of advice to others would be – its progress not perfection that matters! Set little goals for yourself and pat yourself on the back when you conquer each one. If you focus too much on the long-term goal you may get discouraged and feel like you’ll never get there. Continue making progress on your short-term goals every day and every week and I promise you’ll blow your own mind when you look back at how far you’ve come!

Left: January 2014 | Right: January 2018

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Member Spotlight | The Sunshine of the Gym

Member Spotlight | The Sunshine of the Gym

by | Sep 17, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

Let me introduce myself. I am Donna S., and this is how my fitness journey began. On January 6th, 2016 I joined Weight Watchers and Curves for Women. At 198 pounds, I knew I had to take charge of my life. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Polymyositis, in which I was prescribed Prednisone for 4 years, my weight started creeping up and up until it was out of control.

I began this fabulous journey towards a healthy way of life. I used a different weight loss program to learn how to eat healthy and by tracking what I ate, my weight started going down. However, after 7 months I realized that it wasn’t giving me the results I really wanted. After my daughter had taken me to an LA Fitness club, I knew that I would get better results going there.

I should tell you that my daughter has been my biggest mentor and supporter during my weight loss and fitness journey. I was apprehensive at first to join LA Fitness, but my husband and I joined together in August 2016 when it opened here on Hollywood Road. We walked on the treadmills, rode the stationary bikes, and did some of the machines.

Pictured from left to right: Mary N., Donna S., and Cassie S.

Then on August 28th, 2016, I had a fitness evaluation with Mary. At that time my weight was down to 160 lbs., but I was still overweight for my health. My body fat was 41.7%, BMI (body mass index) was 31.3%, and I could only do a plank for 31 seconds and a wall sit for only 43 seconds. I trained with Mary for over a year every week, and then once a month for 6 months until I decided that she taught me all the skills I needed for me to meet my fitness goals.

On December 4th, 2016, my weight was down to 120 pounds, my body fat went to 27.5%, and my BMI was down to 22%.

I started going to the classes. I started with Zumba®, then added Body Works, Kickboxing, Power Circuit, and Boot Camp. I have a regular routine schedule for each day of the week. I go to the gym 6 days a week now.

Mary has always called me the “Sunshine of the Gym”. Yes, I do dress in colors and for all the holidays.

It’s something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember since I taught primary grades for 40 years, and my students always loved the colors.

I feel younger today than I did 20 years ago, and I owe it all to the support, help, and confidence that everyone, especially my daughter, has given me and still gives me. I have met a lot of people here and have fun every day.

I’m living a very healthy and happy life.

Some slight adjustments have been made to the member’s story for grammatical reasons, length, and/or clarity.

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