Success Stories

Lucinda

woman exercising in fitness centerBefore Lucinda joined Soul.Train. Fitness, she had never worked out in a gym. “At age 40, I decided it was time to get into a regular exercise routine.

I tried Soul.Train. Fitness on a friend’s recommendation when I’d truly never exercised before.

From the very beginning I felt completely welcome and encouraged. If I’d joined an impersonal, corporate gym I wouldn’t have stuck with it. Now exercise is a habit that will always be part of my life.

I’ve been at Soul.Train. Fitness for six years, and there’s always something new to try and to learn – body weight training, kettlebells, suspension training, weightlifting, etc. I was also surprised at how important professional coaching is. It makes a tremendous difference. A good coach pushes you at the right pace, prevents injuries, and keeps you interested and motivated. I couldn’t have made this transformation without the great, highly personalized coaching I get at Soul.Train. Fitness How is she feeling? “I’m strong! I actually have triceps and abs and lats. Before Soul.Train. Fitness, I didn’t even know what those were!

Carrie

woman exercising in fitness centerAt age 39, Carrie stumbled in a new passion. “Before I came to Soul.Train. Fitness, I would go for a walk or a bike ride or take a yoga class, but I had never worked out in a gym or with a trainer.I thought I had nothing but deficits when it came to physical activity.

Since joining Soul.Train. Fitness, I have maintained a 70-pound weight loss and gained a tremendous amount of strength, flexibility, and body awareness. I’ve gotten so into exercise that I joined a weightlifting team and I train for my team on the days I don’t work out at Soul.Train. Fitness. I have participated in about a dozen local weightlifting competitions and even qualified for a national competition last year.

I can now deadlift around 250 pounds and back squat around 220—not bad for a 44-year-old woman who never did anything athletic until age 39! It’s a truly remarkable change.

I had no idea I was strong! I was also surprised to discover that exercise could actually be fun, and that even if you’re not great at a particular exercise or activity, it’s possible to improve.

Ken

man exercising in fitness centerI had done personal training for a while at a few different places before moving to Somerville and joining Soul.Train. Fitness. At a couple places I had different trainers for each session, which made it difficult to establish consistency and to build on what I had accomplished in prior sessions. It felt like I was starting over with every session.

I have worked out exclusively with one coach since I joined Soul.Train. Fitness and it has been great. I have been able to steadily build up the amount of weight I am lifting and stick to a consistent program. My coach is really experienced and has put together a great workout program for me.

I have definitely gained a significant amount of strength and I even lost 10 pounds since joining. I look and feel a lot better.

KRISTINA

woman exercising in fitness centerAfter years of competitive swimming I had a difficult time finding a workout that was challenging and I wanted to stick with consistently. I tried a several local gym classes, at home workouts, and running but these workouts quickly became dull.

I’ve finally found the challenge and accountability that I’ve been looking for. I’ve been able to see consistent progress with the team training sessions each workout. Whether it’s using a heavier weight for an exercise or finishing a specific circuit faster than the last time, I feel myself improving with each workout.

Team training sessions were a great way to cross train while preparing to run the Boston Marathon. It was my first marathon so naturally I was a little nervous, but Soul.Train.Fitness helped me feel strong each week while training. Additionally, I think this has helped me get back into the best overall fitness shape of my life!

Soul.Train Fitness is a place that welcomes and will challenge all abilities and backgrounds – whether you have been working with kettlebells for 20 years or picking one up for the 1st time, you will leave challenged and hooked to come back.

MEG

woman exercising in fitness centerBefore joining Soul.Train. Fitness, my workouts were sporadic, disorganized, and unfocused. I would be at the gym, 4-5 times a week, but because I didn’t know what muscles I should be working, how I should be going about it, or have any idea as to how to put together a schedule that was simultaneously rigorous and restful, the results I saw were limited and slow-moving. This was, predictably, frustrating.

Since joining the Soul.Train. Fitness, I’ve come to a much more genuine understanding of how certain exercises impact specific areas of my body; I’ve also been able to establish a schedule of exercise for myself that allows me to get the most out of each visit to the gym. This creates more space for rest and recovery days as opposed to thinking that I needed to be back in the gym the very next day. I only thought this because my independent workouts were not creating the results I wanted to see. Working with the trainers and teachers at Soul.Train.Fitness, I am working out with more intention and effectiveness.

In terms of results, I certainly feel like I look more in shape; however, this was never my sole reason for working out. The gym, for me, is a helpful way to manage stress and anxiety. Ever since I joined Soul. Train, my confidence in terms of my physical abilities has gone up, and my anxiety and stress surrounding workouts have diminished greatly. Though, there’s nothing wrong with being able to deadlift at some pretty cool weights.

I was happily surprised by the community feel to Soul.Train. Fitness. Because it’s a smaller, local gym, I know most of the people who work there by name as opposed to feeling the anonymity at the larger gyms I’ve belonged to. I didn’t realize this would make a difference to my workouts before joining Soul.Train.Fitness, but it really has. I think, maybe, there is a level of accountability in this, too, that helps motivate me.

I have already made a handful of my friends sign up for classes with me, and they have all had nothing but great things to say about the gym.

TIM
man exercising in fitness center

Tim’s workouts weren’t working out. Before joining Soul.Train. Fitness, “I didn’t know what to do. I would occasionally run a couple times a week with a fitness app that wouldn’t give me a great workout.”

“At Soul.Train. Fitness, it feels like I have a regular workout routine that I look forward to. Every workout is different, so I never know what to expect. The space is larger than you might think (the basement was a surprise the first time I went down there). I was also surprised by the friendliness of everyone. They aren’t drill sergeants, and they really want to see you succeed while also pushing yourself

I have some definition in my arms, legs, abs, that I haven’t seen in years/ever. I can both jump rope for a minute without feeling completely wiped.

Shari

woman exercising in fitness centerI’ve had back problems all my life and pregnancy did me in. I had to get back in shape and strengthen my core to keep my back at bay. I was wary of working with a trainer but my coach was and is amazing!

Early on, after reestablishing a solid foundation of core strength and agility, I moved on to dead lifts and more power moves.

Today, I am more interested in core strength and stability, flexibility and just feeling good and healthy. Soul.Train. Fitness helped me to achieve all of these things always with an eye on functional movements (think safely lifting squirming children and groceries as examples!) and safety, modifying workouts to accommodate and even help resolve injuries.

The more I go, the better I feel. I can safely lift heavy things (and kids!) and enjoy leisure time activities without being stopped by pain. They guide you to success and encourage you along the way. They employ the latest techniques and the tried and true, harnessing what works best for the client, not just what’s currently trendy in fitness.