Personal Training Success Stories

Before

After

Jeff Audley

Healthcare Management

My challenges with fitness and weight started after graduating from college.  I let the demands of my career dictate my eating and exercise habits.  I would eat quick meals of not very healthy food and spend most of the day sitting at a desk.  I also lived in San Antonio, TX so Tex-Mex food was available everywhere and it all tasted good.

It all caught up to me in my early 40s when my sedentary lifestyle and family history caused the development of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.  I immediately started taking medication and my physician encouraged me to become more active.  I began exercising and watching my diet on my own.  I was very successful over the first several months.  I lost weight and was able to decrease my medication doses.

Slowly, I began to revert to my old habits and my weight started to increase.  I relocated to Providence and my career began to dictate my lifestyle again.  Finally, after a couple of years, I had regained almost all of the weight I had lost.  I knew I had to do something.  I began working out with another trainer in town but it soon became apparent that his schedule was more important than mine.

I met with Aaron in December of 2010 and we decided that Fitness Together would be good for me to try.  I have been coming in three times a week for the past year and completing cardio workouts at home almost every day.  I have spent most of the time at Fitness Together with Holly, but have enjoyed working out with all of the trainers.  “Enjoyed” may be too strong of a word!!  Over the past year my weight has decreased by 40+ pounds and I have lost several inches in my measurements.  I am very grateful to Aaron, Holly, Nanci, Steve, and the other trainers for their support and encouragement.  I definitely could not have accomplished this without them.

After

Erin Kilduff

I have always been a natural athlete and played competitive sports through high school and college.  In my twenties, I became an avid runner but avoided the gym.  I didn’t know how to lift weights and had no interest in learning.  Even though I was fit, I wasn’t very strong.  Three babies later, my fitness level declined and I was weaker than ever.  At my first fitness assessment, I could barely do 2 push-ups! 

Working out at Fitness Together, I not only learned how to strength train, I learned to love it.  I still run and I’m currently training for the Providence half-marathon.  I am a much more efficient and faster runner because of my time at FT. 

Training with Aaron is not only challenging but fun, and I am definitely stronger and more fit.  At my last FT assessment, I could do 22 push-ups!  I have met a lot of great people, both trainers and others clients in pack sessions.  In the crazy world of raising 3 kids, it is something I have for myself that makes me feel good.

After

Santina Siena

Physician

I am a physician who has been in practice for 30 years.  In October 2007, I joined Fitness Together and began exercising on a regular basis.  Under the guidance of my trainers, I lost weight and inches, and gained tone, strength, and balance.  My patients noticed, and I was able to set a good example of a healthy way to improve good health through diet and exercise.  I felt great. 

The past two years have been incredibly stressful, and like many, I found myself backsliding in terms of taking good care of myself (eating a bit more, sleeping a bit less.) I did continue to exercise at Fitness Together.  I looked forward to my sessions with Holly and Steve, and knew that I would always feel better afterwards.   I appreciated that they would adapt the sessions to help me make progress, no matter how tired I was.  And, I do enjoy putting on the boxing gloves and punching to help relieve stress. 

In January of this year, I worked with Holly to set new goals.  With some dietary changes and continued exercise, I have been able to surpass these goals over the past few months.  And that feels great.  I lost weight, my clothes fit better and I am able to hold a plank position for 3 minutes. 

I often talk to my patients about the benefits of exercise for cardiovascular health and prevention of diabetes and osteoporosis.  Recent studies also showed a link between strength training and improvement in cognitive function and prevention of dementia. 

So, improve your health, look great, feel great, have fun!  Thank you Aaron, Holly and Steve.

Amy Palmisciano

Nurse

Years ago I decided the world was made up of two groups of people: those who exercised and those who did not.  I firmly believed I was a member of the latter.  Over the years I had tried every diet on the planet without permanent results.  My weight and unhealthy lifestyle had left me feeling tired all the time with no energy.  I knew I could no longer deny the need to incorporate exercise into my life.  But the reason I had decided I was a member of that "non-exercising" group was because the typical gym setting was completely intimidating to me.  I was so self-conscious about my weight that the idea of working out in a gym in front of other people horrified me.  After discussing this with my doctor, she recommended I check out Fitness Together.  That turned out to be the best advice I have ever been given.

 After my first training session with Aaron my fears were all laid to rest and I knew I had made the right decision.  Fitness Together provides a positive, encouraging, non-judgmental environment in which to get into shape. Aaron and the other trainers are so supportive and invested in your success.  I am already amazed by what I have accomplished and I have no doubt that at Fitness Together I will achieve and even exceed all of my fitness goals!

Raj Bellani

Dean of RISD

Last summer I moved from central New York to Providence not knowing anybody.  Within my first month, I met Aaron to discuss my fitness goals and was drawn to the great program Fitness Together provides.  The workout routines provided me with stability and allowed me to put myself first.  During the past six months I have seen improvements in my strength, flexibility, body composition and most of all – people have noticed!! 

Fitness Together has given me a healthy and balanced lifestyle.  I am happier, healthier, and cannot believe the progress I have made in such a short amount of time. 

As much as Fitness Together has given to me I have given back.  Each morning I welcome my Fitness Together compatriots (Larry, Jane, Dolores, Diane, Linda, George, Laurie, Robin, Tobias, Steve, and the list goes on) with heartfelt hugs and a warm smile to start their day. 

These results would have never been possible without my lovely trainers, Kati, Aaron, Nanci, and Mike.  Thank you and I love you!

Michael Coppola

Teacher

Although it was only two years ago, it seems like it has been ages since I weighted in at 230 pounds, and my waist size was a snug 40. Unhappy yet determined, I took matters into my own hands and changed my eating habits over time. After 18 months, I lost over 55 pounds and dropped down to a 34 waist. Most importantly, I found that if I could set a goal, then I really could commit to it and succeed. So, I decided to make a second goal. That goal was to learn how to make even healthier choices regarding my diet and exercise.

 That is when I found Aaron and his colleagues at Fitness Together. From day one, I found Aaron and his staff to be supportive, understanding, motivational, and challenging with their workouts. I appreciated the time that Aaron took to understand and help me with crafting my specific goals, I am also thankful for the fitness and nutritional advice that he has offered me. Above all, I am thankful for the incredible amount of self-confidence that I have gained by working with Aaron and have discovered because of the support of his staff and from the support from the other members of Fitness Together.

 I knew my workouts at Fitness Together would help shed pounds, build muscle, and help me tone up. I never knew it would help me become a more confident person who is more willing to try new things and discover new passions in life. It is because of this that I thank you Aaron, thank you Fitness Together staff, and thank all of the other members of Fitness Together. You are all motivational and inspirational to me.

Melissa Crisafulli

I was one of those people who everyone hated. You know the one who could eat pancakes for breakfast, followed by a mid morning snack of oreos, a lunch that consisted  of a loaded sandwich on “white” bread, potato chips on the side and maybe a few cookies to top it off.  For dinner I would have a cheeseburger with “extra cheese” smothered in onions.  The onions would be sautéed in real butter, of course, which is something even to this day I refuse to substitute.  I ate like that pretty much every day without ever gaining a pound.  All of that changed when I hit my mid thirties.  One day about five years ago while standing in front of the mirror I realized that I did not recognize the body  looking back at me.  This was a devastating moment.  I did not gain a ton of weight, but enough to make me reevaluate the way I was eating. In addition to cutting out the unhealthy snacks and fattening meals I chose to run and within a few months I lost the weight.  

A few years later my family and I moved to Providence and I got wrapped up in renovating out house .  During that time running took a back seat. I started to feel the weight creeping back and my level of energy starting to plunge.  Overall, I didn’t feel that healthy.  My husband Marc was working out at Fitness Together and loved it.  He kept telling me to check it out, but I resisted.  To be quite honest, I was intimidated.  I had never formally “worked out” and didn’t feel like I was strong enough.  Little did I know at the time that it would become an obsession.  I have been training with Aaron for almost two years and am thrilled with the results.  He challenges me every week and pushes me to my potential.  

While running was a great way to jump start the weight loss, I never realized that lifting weights and circuit training would have such an impact.  I have never felt better or more fit in my life. 

Laurie White

President of the Providence Chamber of Commerce

 I had always "worked out" and "eaten right."  Or at least I thought so until I met the team at Fitness Together! During my first visit, Aaron and I talked about my exercise regimen and my diet.  He asked a lot of good questions and was very precise in seeking to understand my specific goals and health status.

 As it turns out, I was doing a few things wrong, which probably explains why I never saw any results on my own. For instance, I wasn't eating frequently enough.  I wasn't working out hard enough. And I wasn't taking my physical fitness seriously enough. By recording my daily food intake and activities in my journal, I gained a clear and measurable picture of what I was doing and how I could improve.

 Almost from day one I started to feel better.  I immediately had more energy and the digits on the scale began to track downward. My training sessions with Aaron have been rigorous and enjoyable.  He makes sure that I am doing the exercises correctly so as to avoid pain and injury.  One of my biggest accomplishments has been the ability to do a side plank!!!  (Phew, I never thought I would say that.) I have also enjoyed the camaraderie of the fitness studio.  I have been motivated by Amy and Susan's disciplined routines and enjoy seeing them having fun.

 By training with Aaron on a consistent basis, I am stronger, more flexible and more cognizant of my diet.  I understand the metabolic significance of eating five small meals a day and making sure I get enough protein. I also have greater endurance on the cardio equipment.

 At the end of the day, it is all about being healthier. There's no "one size fits all solution."  Aaron and his team deliver personalized solutions in an upbeat, non-threatening way. And the solutions work!

Susan Farmer

Former RI Secretary of State

  "The idea of working out always seemed to me to be, well, work. It was always easy to decide to go the next day instead. I never wanted to go to a gym...I wanted something lower key, and didn't have the self discipline to work out at home.
 
Then came a day when I realized I need to be stronger and more physically fit...my health depended on it. I'd often walked by Fitness Together, and one day in January stopped in to sign up. Setting goals with a coach and trainer (Aaron), scheduling a regimen and learning techniques were much easier than I thought it would be. The privacy of being one-on-one in a studio with a coach who seems to really care how I am progressing has made all the difference. The only competition is myself. Our sessions are fun as well as productive.
 
My goals of getting stronger and fit are being met. It is great to have such a super team of trainers available in such a convenient location. Now, if they can only make me look like Jennifer Anniston...."