6-WEEK PERSONAL TRAINING ENDS
Join us as we follow the health and fitness journey of four lucky participants over the next six weeks. Witness how small changes in their lifestyle can lead to significant, lifelong transformations. We are excited to share with you all the details of how they transformed their health and fitness, and perhaps inspire you to make similar changes in your life!
THE 4 LUCKY PARTICIPANTS
Hannah Stroli (Training with Aneka)
After taking great consideration of all of the applications, I narrowed it down to a few people who I truly resonated with. I reached the decision to pick Hannah Strolii.
Hannah is 23 years old and has never done any true weight training before. She will be leaving soon to continue her education, and a goal of hers was to gain confidence and comfortability in the gym. Like many others, she wants to also gain the confidence in her body and turn the gym into an exciting part of her lifestyle, not just have it feel like a chore.
The true sticking point that drew me to want to help her was when she mentioned “ I want to be stronger so I don’t need to ask for as much help when it comes to lifting things”. Hearing this I knew I wanted to help her immediately. As a woman who was much weaker before entering the gym, I felt embarrassed at times when I needed help carrying boxes or grabbing something at the store that was too heavy. Having the ability to move items without the extra help is such a great confidence booster at any age!
In the next 6 weeks, I will be helping Hannah reach her goals of becoming more confident in the gym by getting her comfortable with the fundamentals. My ultimate goal at the end is for her to gain muscle and knowledge within the gym so when she heads off to her new adventure she has the confidence to continue training to become a stronger woman each day!
Nick Thill (Training with Joe)
Out of all the applications and from the many different people and many different backgrounds, I picked Nick as my Form and Fitness Giveaway participant.
I picked Nick because he comes from a background of being a busy dad of 3 daughters and wanting to focus on healthy habits through proper eating and lifting. Having 3 girls is probably more than enough reason to also be picked, but Nick has also been a hardworking member at the gym but in search of that "little extra push" which I believe I can help him to succeed in.
Nick has a goal of dropping that extra 10-15 pounds and learning to eat right to maintain long term success. He also wants to set a good example for his daughters on healthy living which especially hits for me with what I hope to show to my future kids as well. I believe the combination of him wanting to be at the gym, learn to live healthier for him and his family, and to join this challenge makes him an excellent candidate and on the right path to success. I can’t wait to work with Nick and see what we accomplish together!
Andrea Hayes (Training with Jeremiah)
Andrea is my champion! Andrea works as a physicians assistant with a pretty wild schedule. On top of that she is a mother of 2. One of the big reasons I picked Andrea is her motivation to learn more and improve herself, she wants to exercise with friends and family to get more people, moving more! Andrea’s main exercise choice is long distance running, so much of our focus is adding in what she is missing! Strength work!
Our goals are to improve leg strength, endurance, and mobility. Increase upper body strength, and endurance. We will be tracking Max push ups, pull ups, wall sit time with 50% body weight, and 1 mile time. This leading up to her next half marathon in May! All this in mind the goal is to create a sustainable lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, and sleep to accommodate her variables schedule and various roles! Body composition may change too, but that’s just a bonus! Here we go!
Janet Bolin (Training with Ben)
I picked Janet because I could really relate to her goal of wanting to age strong so she can be a vital part of the lives of her family and grandchildren. Janet also already is a constant exercise but would really like to increase her mobility and flexibility which is a little different than the goals I typically hear people mention. I am really excited to help her achieve some great results over the next six weeks!
Hannah's Progress
First Week
This first initial training week has had many wins and a few obstacles to start it off. I have Hannah on a 3 day full body workout program. The main focuses we have within the next few weeks is to get comfortable in the gym, strengthen her left side imbalance, and gain muscle within the full body with more of an emphasis on the upper extremities.
Hannah is doing two days on her own, and one training session with me. Within this first week, the realization of the left side imbalance has truly come into light. As we were working box step ups, with her left side she was only able to do about 6 solid reps without form compromising. However on the right side she was able to do 8-10 reps comfortably. With this recognition of how much of an imbalance there is, I have decided to adjust the program to work on more unilateral exercises starting them on the left side and matching the weight and reps on the right. With this change the goal is to correct this imbalance so going further into Hannah’s journey she hopefully won’t run into any injuries or pains from her body compensating with her right half.
Some exciting accomplishments are that she has been increasing her protein intake, and was able to successfully go through two days on her own! With her mindset on building full strength and her desire to continue learning,
I fully believe Hannah will be a life time lifter.
Second Week
Hannah’s second week in has been a very exciting turning point. This past week she not only crushed her workouts, she also had the desire to go to the gym on an off day!
One of Hannah’s goals entering in was to get comfortable and excited to go to the gym without it feeling like a chore. She mentioned that her “confidence with the exercises really helps…” This shows that having a little more knowledge and understanding of the various exercises and tools throughout the gym can make a large impact in comfortability here.
An obstacle that we faced this week was the day that we met for our workout she was feeling pretty drained. Hearing this, I decided that we would really slow down the reps and not worry too much about weight and take a bit more rest time between sets. As we continued on she realized that her sleep wasn’t great quality the night before and she didn’t have enough food throughout the day before our lift, which led into great conversation.
We discussed the importance of eating good Whole Food meals throughout the day in order to fuel the body properly with a focus on muscle building and recovery. After Hannah realized the energy depletion and feeling of fatigue during the lift the importance of proper fuel came into full picture. We talked and came up with a game plan for the rest of the week to continue prioritizing protein as well as
getting in meals containing healthy nutrient dense carbs and fats.
Hannah doing Bench Press for the first time!
Third Week
Week three Hannah and I were able to move into some barbell bench! She was a little nervous at first, however ended up feeling very confident in the movement with the last set.
We also had kettlebell rdl on the workout plan for today however she was saying that it was causing discomfort in her low back, which she has had trouble with in the past. Before the movement moved to a pain, I made the decision to do back extensions instead. Still able to target the glutes and hamstrings and position herself in a way where she can still strengthen her posterior chain without causing too much stress in one area.
Throughout our three lifting days there are 2 other hinge movements we have that don’t seem to agitate her back. Those include cable rdl and single leg. We will continue strengthening her hinge movement and add in some isometrics to strengthen her posterior chain.
Fourth Week
As we come up on week four, Hannah felt ready to try barbell deadlifts which I was very excited about! We have been working on trap bar deadlifts and hinges, making sure she keeps her core braced and it feels strong and sturdy.
As we transitioned into barbell I had her first try conventional deadlifts (narrow stance and feet inside the hand grip). Hannah’s ankle mobility and hip tightness caused her to struggle getting the bar up comfortably, so instead of raising the bar I decided to switch her to sumo deadlifts (wider foot stance with hands on the inside). Immediately it felt more comfortable and she loved how much she felt it in her legs and glutes specifically! Her first time sumo deadlifting Hannah was able to
pull 85lbs for 6 reps!
Although the deadlifts were a huge win for this week, I believe her step ups were even more impressive! The first week we did box step ups her balance was struggling and her legs would fatigue very quickly within 4-5reps holding a single 15lb dumbbell. This week Hannah was able to do a 20lb dumbbell with 10reps on each leg consecutively- without her balance getting thrown off!
The confidence Hannah is building in the gym is radiating. Seeing her go from feeling intimidated and unsure of the gym to hearing she’s working out on her own and is excited about it is inspiring! I am so excited to continue helping her and watch her grow into an even stronger woman!
Hannah improving her step ups with 20#s!!
Final Week
Wrapping up the sixth week with Hannah is very bitter sweet. The week prior, she got sick so we took the week off and focused on recovery and rest, even though she felt the urge to want to go to the gym. This last week she began to feel better so we hit the weights and everything moved so smooth! Her form on RDLs, Squats, bench, and lat pulldowns were very controlled and she felt much more confident throughout the movements.
One of the main goals was to get Hannah confident and comfortable in the gym, as you will see after watching this video i believe we’ve pushed past that barrier. Seeing her go from feeling unsteady with step ups, intimidation from the gym, and a lack of confidence to now looking forward to her training, seeing immense strength and stability in her legs and confidence radiate off her.
I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to train Hannah as she begins her health journey. From having great discussions about different whole food meal options to talking about our favorite music artists it’s been a pleasure getting to know her full story. I hope this inspires other young adults to start prioritizing their health and build up the sustainable habits to promote a strong, long, healthy life.
Andrea's Progress
First Week
Third Week
“Is it better to lift heavy with a smaller ROM or lift lighter with a bigger ROM” Great question! I personally strongly believe we should most often use our full available ROM. BUT, the most value would come from a combination of ROM and weight. It’s okay to lift lighter and move bigger and lift heavy - move smaller. Today’s workout with Andrea was a combination of both!
Fifth Week
Andrea ran a Half Marathon!
Final Week
That’s a wrap on 6 weeks! We were focused really on one thing the entire time. Lift weights and make them heavier by the end. Andrea was very successful in this for example her back squat started at a shaky 10 reps with 95lbs and we ended week 6 with a confident 10 reps at 135lbs! With her minimum of 2 strength training days a week and runs on her own her mile time improved by over 15 seconds! When you’re already a good runner the cherry on top can be the strength training. It also help that Andrea was very hard working and consistent in and out of the gym. Long story short Andrea is a great client because she trusted the process and gave great effort in and out of the gym! Success is on the other side of starting!
Nick's Progress
First Week
Nick was killing it this week! He got a taste of 3 different coaches and different style training!
Third Week
Consistent lifting helps the body adapt to workouts and not be as sore often! And remember to have fun like Nick!
Fourth Week
A little humor helps the body rest from a great workout with Joe!
Fifth Week
Joe with his humor again...
Final Week
The last 6 weeks were nothing short of awesome for Nick. We set a goal for him to do 2 SGT, 2 TT, and 1 personal training session each week and he committed to it and came everyday without fault. During our personal training time, we went over core exercises he should put in his personal program and proper form to execute them. During TT and SGT we just kicked his butt. Nick made many friends along the way that served as his reliability partners and helped him become integrated in class. Going forward, Nick is going to use his new knowledge to continue his progress and keep pushing forward. He’s also working on a deck at his house so if you’re a handyman/woman offer some help!
Janet's Progress
First Week
Janet had a great first session. We had an in-depth talk about what she wanted to get out of her six-week coaching experience in addition to doing a full movement/posture and muscle length screen to see how Janet was moving. We also completed a body composition on our "magic machine" to get a baseline on her muscle/fat/weight.
Our initial goals are to establish and get Janet fully comfortable doing a workout routine that helps her AGE STRONG. Meaning incorporating flexibility, strength in the right areas and maintaining her cardio fitness levels.
Some specific goals are a mild reduction in weight to get her BMI to under 25, loosening up her tight muscles around her ball and socket joints to improve her posture and help her have many years of being able to get to the floor and up with ease to play with her grandchildren.
Second Week
Janet had two great strength training workouts this week. She learned form on new exercises and stretches she had never tried before and did well. She also made the comment that a weight had been lifted off her shoulders when I told her she did not have to do the same workout routine she did in her 40s now that she is in her 60s. Janet has been really open about all the changes I have been making to achieve her mobility, workout, and weight-loss goals.
For the goal of weight loss, we have started with these two steps:
Implement a secret recipe for a fat-burning shake in place of breakfast.Going NA for the six weeks of the contest.
Even with these first two modest steps, I can see a change in her!
For the goal of mobility.
Janet is implementing a home mobility program I am training her in and gradually adding.
For the goal of coming up with and appropriate exercise program.
Janet and I have established a weekly schedule of fitness/workout activities to complete that will evolve over the next six weeks.
I am already feeling like with Janet's level of commitment the sky is the limit for her results!!!
Janet, doing cardio workout homework 😀
Ingredients in Janet’s secret fat burning shake😀😀
Janet’s new piece of equipment for her home mobility routine.
Janet N/A at a concert
Third Week
Janet had another great week! We got in two intense workouts this week, and I am noticing BIG improvements in flexibility and mobility. The biggest so far has been in the hamstrings. She has gained an incredible 30 degrees of hamstring range of motion in the first 3 weeks!
We are also really working on improving Janet's posture. The blue TRX straps exemplify the stretch/mob we are doing for her tight chest muscles. We immediately followed up with band strengthening for the opposite side of the shoulder joint to strengthen the muscles that pull her into good posture.
We have added a fourth goal to Janet's list: to increase her plank time to 2 minutes by the end of the six weeks.
Finally, the thing I am most excited about this week is that Janet, who currently has a very "meat-heavy" diet, is shifting to adding more vegetables and fruits. Check out this pic. of her recent great haul from the grocery store!
Janet, working on an upper body stretch😀
Fourth Week
Janet had a fantastic week. Achieving two of her goals for the six weeks all ready. First, she has loosened her quads to the point that she can touch her heel to her butt, allowing her to be able to do the child pose in yoga for the first time in years.
She also improved her hamstring flexibility to get excellent marks for her flexibility.
Goals for next week are to start calorie tracking in My fitness pal.
Fifth Week
Janet's achievement this week is truly commendable. She faced a challenge many of us can relate to maintaining our fitness routines while traveling out of town!
Instead of just "skipping them," she used a little creativity and had fun with her daily exercise! While in Philadelphia for her favorite band's concert, she decided to run the Rocky Steps for one of her workouts. (This is Something I would like to do.)
She also packed some lightweight exercise equipment to complete workouts where she was lodging. We always have
stairs, which is my favorite go-to while traveling.
One other PRO-TTP. If traveling, Rey Darbee's book 100 No-Equipment Workouts is excellent for shaking things up a little. It has 100 creative bodyweight strength, cardio, and mobility workouts, one per page. --- See ya next week.
Running the steps Rockie style in Philly
Sixth Week
Janet, I'm thrilled to share that she's been unwavering in her fitness journey. In the first few weeks of our collaboration, she not only met but surpassed all of the mobility and flexibility goals we had set. Despite the modest body fat reduction goal not showing immediate progress, her physical transformation was evident. We had been unable to get her modest body fat reduction goal to budge. And this week, it moved BIG TIME with a 5-pound body fat loss! This is such an exciting milestone in Janet's journey, and I couldn't be happier for her. Sometimes, you have to stay consistent long enough with the right approach, and THEN the results come. Many people stop without achieving their goals when success was right around the corner. Janet achieved this fat loss goal through the following steps:
Implementing consistent strength training at the proper intensity and volume.
She changed out some of the higher-calorie foods (meat and dairy) in her diet with lower-calorie veggies and fruits.
She added three Fat-burning foods anyone can purchase on Amazon to her morning health shake.
She exercised with creativity and persistence when she traveled last week, and taking a break probably would have been easier.
Final Week
So, Janet and I have completed six weeks of focused work on her diet/lifestyle and exercise routine. We have blown our goals out of the water. She has good mobility and strength now, has lost 6 pounds of body fat throughout our time together, and radiates good health!
Here are the items that moved the needle for her.
An appropriate stretching and mobility routine focused on the "lynch-pin" areas where she had restrictions.
A new strength training routine focused on the big moves like squats, Rows, and Presses at the appropriate intensity to create adaptation.
Making food swaps from high-calorie meat and dairy to more "Veggie" heavy options.Inclusion of weight-loss-accelerating foods.
Finally, going NA for the entire six weeks of the contest.
I am genuinely proud of Janet for her commitment over the six weeks and looking forward to helping her switch to a more "Unprocessed Plant Based" diet that she has set as a goal for the next three months!
Form & Fitness Health Club
2020 Cheyenne Ct. Grafton, WI 53024
262-375-4577
info@formandfitness.com