Personal Training Success Stories

Before

After

Juanita Williams

I am a retired Clinical Social Worker, enjoying life, traveling and volunteering, in spite of arthritis in both knees and one hip. Due to a family crisis in 2000, my dear sister was in need of a kidney transplant and I volunteered to be a donor and that was very successful for both of us. Unable to take arthritis medications and experiencing pain and discomfort and moving with difficulty, I was gaining weight and had limited mobility. In August 2004 I had both knees and one hip replaced. While recuperating, I was still gaining weight and I knew something had to change. I enrolled in several exercise programs because I needed the activity. I did aquatic aerobics and used various equipment (i.e. treadmill, stationary bike, etc.), but none of these programs gave me the results I was looking for. Meanwhile, in 2010 I had my left rotator cuff repaired and due to over usage of my right arm, I could not lift my right arm above my head. So at this point something had to be done. The pounds were adding up.

So there at three score and thirteen, I am a work in progress. I found my way to FITNESS TOGETHER personal training because, for me, staying fit and being healthy are of prime importance. The ability to move and live independently means a great deal to me. When I first came to FITNESS TOGETHER I could not lift my right arm above my shoulder and staying on the treadmill for fifteen minutes was an ordeal. My stamina was low and I had labored breathing. Of course I had put on more weight. Since joining and continuing on the program, however, I have had a metamorphosis. I can use both of my arms normally.
I feel better about myself, I follow a healthy diet, my clothes fit better (some have even been tossed), and my energy levels have increased substantially. I do this because it keeps me going and active; it keeps me feeling young.

People often ask, “How do you keep participating in an exercise program?” I tell them what my father often said, “When you rest, you rust,” and he remained active until his death at age 94.

Thanks to all my fitness trainers for the patience, knowledge, care and understanding for giving me a new lease on life as I continue to strive to improve my body and spirit. I plan to be around forever.

Before

After

Anne Wismer

  I initially came to Fitness Together in Timonium because I wanted to run another Marathon and after a challenging time the previous year I needed to get back on track both physically and mentally. Back in March of 2008 when I started at Fitness Together with my personal trainer I didn’t have too many expectations. I knew it would be a lot of work but with my determination and the help of others I knew I could reach my goals. I actually look forward to my personal training sessions on Monday and Wednesday at 6:00 AM.  I love my trainer.  She is creative, fun and makes me work hard which is what I need.  I also occasionally work with other personal trainers in Timonium at Fitness Together if my schedule changes and each one continue to teach me something new. They tailor each training session to progress me along to reach my fitness goals. Having set appointments twice a week is the discipline I need to stay focused.  Life is busy and that can easily be one of the first things that are dropped. Since starting at Fitness Together in Timonium I have lost 36 lbs and dropped three and a half dress sizes. I have a significant increase in the amount of energy I have throughout the day and most important I feel better about myself! My husband is reaping the rewards as well, he has also lost 30 lbs because I am cooking healthier meals and we keep each other focused at home. Last October I ran the Marine Corps Marathon and improved 28 minutes from my previous marathon.  October 2009 I completed the Chicago Marathon and improved another 25 minutes and 29 seconds from the Marine Corps.  I am going to continue to train twice a week at Fitness Together and consult with my personal trainer about my goals to figure out what is best for me in the future.

Before

After

Helen V

I began working out at Fitness Together in Timonium last summer.  Six months earlier a friend told me what a great place it was and encouraged me to go.  I knew that mentally I wasn’t ready to fully commit to a new lifestyle so I put it off and then decided in July of 2009 that it was time to join Fitness Together for personal training.  I was very determined when I started, including in my weight loss goal, that I wanted to lose 40 pounds and get into much better physical shape.  Although I came to Fitness Together regularly it wasn’t until Melanie told me that it was time to revaluate my goals in November that I fully committed.  While I had been coming to my personal training sessions regularly I hadn’t changed my eating habits and I was doing very little cardio.   Being held accountable for my behavior has made all the difference for me.  The fact that my personal trainers genuinely cared about my fitness success and were invested in helping me make my goals a reality, made me care.  I didn’t want to let them or myself down.  I followed my personal trainers plan for me including the cardio that they suggested and I took their advice when it came to my eating plan.  Now I have almost achieved my weight loss goal of losing 40 pounds!  I never thought I’d say that I love working out, but I really do look forward to going to Fitness Together now.   All the personal trainers are great to work with. They are constantly changing things up so I never can predict what exactly I’ll be doing any given day.  Therefore I never get stuck doing the same old routine. I’ve been to several gyms, but I have never found personal trainers as great as the ones at Fitness Together in Timonium and I have never achieved such fitness success. 

I feel much better on so many levels since getting into better shape.  It is so great to be able to fit into old clothes that I haven’t worn in such a long time and it’s been fun buying new ones.  I have so much more energy and time. I have to say that being in shape has really changed my outlook on everything.  People are so nice and complementary which has made me feel great, but the best part has been not going to bed every night thinking to myself “I have to start tomorrow.”  My long range goal is to maintain the progress that I’ve worked to achieve.  I plan on staying with Fitness Together in Timonium for a very long time.

Rudy Spraycar

My goals in coming to Fitness Together in Timonium for personal training included both general and aerobic fitness, improving in strength, flexibility, and appearance, and helping both to recover gently from a bout of sciatica (I had suspended unsupervised activity at my old gym because of the back and leg pain) and to prepare for and recover from major abdominal surgery--I needed to lose 30-40 more pounds besides the 15 I had already lost on my own through diet.

I've succeeded on all fronts!

Some of the other clients I know stick with the same personal trainer pretty exclusively, but my approach has been to rotate through a variety of trainers, and their individual styles and emphases add an element of variation that fosters greater strength development and reduces my opportunity for boredom.

I'm keenly aware of all the benefits to my health, but these have been trumped by the notice given by my friends and family and especially by me to the improvement in my physical appearance and feeling of well-being.  Above all, I have gone from size 2X (even 3X in swim trunks) and pants in the 50's down to size L and 42 pants.

After a total weight loss (in fairness, this campaign started before I came to Fitness Together and included eating Nutri-System) of nearly 60 pounds, I've been sitting on a plateau for a couple of months now and am about to go back into high gear, including daily walks and more Nutri-Food, to drop another 15-20 pounds to reach my permanent weight loss goal.

Elliott Driscoll

I joined Fitness Together in Timonium in June because I was really out of shape, had tons of stress, and needed an outlet to feel better. I chose Fitness Together for a couple of different reasons. It is a top notch organization; the studio and equipment is always very clean, and there is always bottled water, clean towels and fruit available to my liking. When I was heavier I was quite self-conscious of people in “regular” gyms seeing my body and my struggle to do what felt like were simple exercises. Another advantage of Fitness Together in Timonium is there are very few people there at any one time and I have the space and time to work out in private room with just my personal trainer. I come in every week to do cardio before my session for at least 20-30 minutes. Then I spend 45 minutes together with my personal trainer doing exercises I never would have even started, let alone continued, to do on my own.  They are exercises that I can tell are very good for me and my trainer never gives me more than I can handle, always checking with me about the weight or the number of repetitions, and giving me support and guidance to do the exercise better.

Through Fitness Together and my diet, I have lost more than 40 pounds! I have been trying off and on for ten years to lose the weight I gained when I was in graduate school, but not until now have I been successful and sustained exercise for this long a period of time. My blood pressure is down, as is my stress and I now spend a lot more time with my two kids able to play with them. I am stronger than I have been in a great while and my need for sleep is less.   My wife has lost almost 20 pounds and I believe that my getting fit inspired her to take action as well. I plan to stick with Fitness Together in Timonium and to figure out a long range eating plan that works, so I keep my energy level up, and my weight constant.

Charmie C

On October 8, 2009, I joined Fitness Together in Timonium in effort to increase my core strength and improve my balance after having broken my femur in November of 2008.  I had a lengthy recovery and had finished my rehabilitation, but felt I needed more exercise.

Fitness Together in Timonium came to my attention and after meeting with Mark Dees, I signed up.

I am feeling more energized and much stronger.  I am not afraid of injuring myself as I was at the thought of just going to a gym on my own.

My friends and family are very happy with my progress. I told them I was writing this referral as the oldest member of Fitness Together in Timonium - 81 years old.

This has been an enjoyable experience for me!