... I was introduced to them by my friend Jennifer who had shared her positive experiences with me about working with Joel at Freedom Fit. She invited me to one of the gym’s socials to meet them and check out the gym. At that time, I was really stressed out and burnt out and wanted to start this endeavor. But I literally “negative” self-talked myself out of joining and basically chickened out. So fast forward a year after that first social, and I finally pushed the envelope and set off on this life changing journey.
For me, just going to a gym with huge weights and people with lots of big muscles was intimidating and a bit scary on a social level. The gym’s owner, Joel, talked with me about my personal goals and did a thorough assessment of my current physical and nutritional situation. We set a schedule to train with Vinnie who had recently also just started as coach/trainer. And my adventure began!
Some personal goals I set were:
At that time, I did not even know how to do a squat so learning how to do them with correct form was a challenge in and of itself. Vinnie was so patient and kept showing me the correct posture to use. Hearing the words “butt down” and “back straight” is a constant in the gym and makes us all laugh. Everything he has trained me on was new to me. I’ve had to develop a new awareness of my body in space for each movement and get acquainted with exercise jargon and names. I think strength training is its own art form.
Another challenge we encountered was my lack of balance and dealing with some bouts of vertigo along the way -- which made doing simple step ups difficult. I was so shaky. Vinnie was so knowledgeable and set up special work sessions to develop my balance. He is always encouraging. He keeps me positive and keeps me motivated! And he laughs at all of my cussing. Yes, cussing helps.
Fast forward to today and the improvements I’ve experienced are nothing less than amazing. All of my goals were met and then some. I now have no problems lifting 50 pound bags of compost, my lower back and shoulders are strong along with my glutes (which I’ve learned have to be to support us).
At 56 years old I can deadlift 185 pounds and bench press 65 pounds!
Strength does not happen in a short amount of time. But the time you devote to getting it pays back triple fold. Having the right people to support and guide you is the key to your success. So glad I found the right people!
Go break the cycle and don’t wait, because....time flies.
--Connie B.
For me, just going to a gym with huge weights and people with lots of big muscles was intimidating and a bit scary on a social level. The gym’s owner, Joel, talked with me about my personal goals and did a thorough assessment of my current physical and nutritional situation. We set a schedule to train with Vinnie who had recently also just started as coach/trainer. And my adventure began!
Some personal goals I set were:
- To strengthen my core and get rid of lower back pain
- To lift 50 pound bags of compost and soil to keep building my veggie gardens
- Lessen my crazy stress and sleep better
- Do a push up -- don’t laugh, but I could not do one single “real” push up
At that time, I did not even know how to do a squat so learning how to do them with correct form was a challenge in and of itself. Vinnie was so patient and kept showing me the correct posture to use. Hearing the words “butt down” and “back straight” is a constant in the gym and makes us all laugh. Everything he has trained me on was new to me. I’ve had to develop a new awareness of my body in space for each movement and get acquainted with exercise jargon and names. I think strength training is its own art form.
Another challenge we encountered was my lack of balance and dealing with some bouts of vertigo along the way -- which made doing simple step ups difficult. I was so shaky. Vinnie was so knowledgeable and set up special work sessions to develop my balance. He is always encouraging. He keeps me positive and keeps me motivated! And he laughs at all of my cussing. Yes, cussing helps.
Fast forward to today and the improvements I’ve experienced are nothing less than amazing. All of my goals were met and then some. I now have no problems lifting 50 pound bags of compost, my lower back and shoulders are strong along with my glutes (which I’ve learned have to be to support us).
At 56 years old I can deadlift 185 pounds and bench press 65 pounds!
Strength does not happen in a short amount of time. But the time you devote to getting it pays back triple fold. Having the right people to support and guide you is the key to your success. So glad I found the right people!
Go break the cycle and don’t wait, because....time flies.
--Connie B.