This is me with my trainer Fred. He pushes me to do things I wouldn’t do on my own and I curse heaps in the 30 minutes we are together. It’s a love hate relationship. Nine months into my fitness journey I was ready for a change and was looking for gyms to join after completing several rounds of Fitgirls Guide and BBG workouts at home. I wanted to take my workouts to the next level with the right guidance and support.
One day walking out of barre I see a new business open up next door. The name caught my eye – Beyond Health and Fitness. I looked them up and read that they were a private gym offering small classes and personal training. How does the universe know what I need exactly when I need it??
I have been lucky enough to meet the greatest people just by chance and the same happened with Fred. We connected via email and set up a date to do an assessment. I think he made me do sit ups and burpees and plank variations just to see where I am fitness wise. It was good to hear from a trainer that on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being bad ass) I was about a 7. Not bad for a middle aged mom just doing at home workouts! After the assessment and as a 40th birthday present to myself I signed up to be his client.
I have to admit our first training session was very easy. I almost called to say don’t be afraid to take it up a notch, but I didn’t have to because he made the second workout significantly harder. He could tell from our first real workout that I could do more.
When working with a trainer the both of you need to have the same goals and communication is very important. One of the main things I told Fred was that I didn’t want to look old and fit. I just wanted to be strong and increase my endurance. I do have dreams of looking cut, but I am realizing now that might not be a reality for me. Some bodies are just not genetically programed to be very muscular unless you do something drastic. I am already eating very clean with a huge focus on plant based eating, plus I am working out 5 to 6 days a week and most of those workouts are resistance based training workouts.
I am giving myself the grace to be happy with the way I look given that I am feeding it well and being very active already. I would have to really alter what I eat to see my muscles, but I can’t live on chicken breast, sweet potatoes and protein shakes.
With the directive I gave him, he crafts 30 minute workouts with a focus on heavy lifting for me. Before I started training with him I had no idea that lifting heavy for short reps could get your heart rate up. It really changes your body fast and it has made me more flexible and given me more endurance.
If you have been working out for a while and need a change I would highly recommend getting a trainer even if it’s just for a session or two. They will help you correct your form and let you know how much more you can do with your body. Sometimes you just need that extra push.
I had a chance to sit down with Fred and ask him some questions about his journey and ask him what is the best workout to stay looking young.
Rezel: What motivated you to open Beyond Health and Fitness?
Fred: Opening Beyond Health and Fitness has been something that I’ve been wanting to do for years. I have a passion for helping people reach their goals in life. Being able to be part of the success in someones life is priceless.
I like the idea of being able to offer people something special and different. Being a small private studio it gives the people that train there a sense of ownership in the studio. You get personalized one on one training, small classes at a great value.
Rezel: We only workout for 30 min each session. Why?
Fred: Here at Beyond health and Fitness Studio we offer both 30 minute and 1 hour sessions. I like the 30 minute workout because it is enough time to get a great workout in while keeping the person motivated and consistent. Sometimes it can be a daunting feeling to know that you have to spend an hour somewhere. Its a lot easier to get up for a 30 minute workout. At the same time it keep the stress levels in check and allows for a quick recovery. Being close to half the price of an hour it allows those that can’t afford multiple days a week at an hour to attend multiples times a week all while getting quality results from their workouts.
Rezel: What advise would you give to other 40 year old women like me who are looking gain some muscle tone, but not loose all that fat that keeps us looking young?
Fred: The advice that I would give to women over 40 would to not be worried about dieting so much. I think a healthy well balanced diet is more important than calorie counting and restriction. As we age lean muscle mass is a very important asset to our overall health, It helps with keeping the metabolism high, strength and confidence. Food provides the energy to feed your muscles that help you burn fat. A lot of women are afraid of getting too muscular or looking like a man. That’s highly unlikely unless you are taking a foreign substance that helps you gain muscle. Heavy resistance training brings out hormones that promotes cell rejuvenation for healthier skin, nails, hair, focus and an overall sense of feeling good. Too much cardio can lead to muscle loss and early aging in appearance brought on by free radicals during heavy cardio training.
Rezel: What is your favorite resistance move with no weights?
Fred: Favorite exercise with no weight is the plank. When done properly it engages every muscle in the body and the core is the most important part of the body. Second is the squat.
Rezel: Lastly just for fun – Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate?Fred: Dark, Its the beneficial, mature treat.
If you want to workout with Fred you can ask for consultation here and you can find a list of classes at the studio here.
BEYOND HEALTH AND FITNESS STUDIO
675 Ygnacio Valley Road
Suite B-107
Wanut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 300-3443
HOURS
Monday – Friday: 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday: 7:00 am to 12:00 pm
Sunday: Closed
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