The Buddy System: Unlocking the Power of Partner Training
At FitMe Wellness, members are invited to find their fit. This philosophy toward health and wellness recognizes that while our paths will often cross and/or parallel one another, every member has a separate path to better health.
Our FitMe Member Spotlight feature seeks to bring to you stories of how members have found their fit in the hopes that it will inspire you on your own path to health and wellness. You ideally will see bits and pieces of yourself in FitMe members’ stories. At first glance, you might not be able to see what you have in common with someone. We all, however, tend to struggle with similar issues when it comes to living healthier lives.
For this installment, we’re excited to introduce Nicolette and Breanne, two friends whose paths to better health and wellness are currently moving in the same direction, being led by their personal trainer, Rachel Carlson.
fit815: Could you tell us a little bit about your exercise history?
Nicolette: “I’ve never been much of a gym goer. My fiancé’s mother had joined FitMe and then Breanne told me that she and her mother had just joined, so I decided to take the plunge and join too. I played sports growing up, but I decided not to try out for them in high school. In college, I played some intramural sports with my sorority. I joined some gyms in the summer during college, but it ended up being more of a high school reunion than a time for me.”
Breanne: “I wasn’t really into sports growing up, but I was always involved in dance. I was on the dance team in high school, which kept me active pretty much the entire school year. Along with working out with friends a couple days a week, I stayed in pretty good shape. I got pretty homesick my first semester of college and ended up gaining quite a bit of weight. I was able to lose a majority of the weight over the next couple years, but never felt that great about it. I belonged to a different health club during the summers in college, but it was always really crowded and I felt very judged. It didn’t help that I didn’t really feel like I knew what I was doing!”
fit815: You two are getting ready for Nicolette’s upcoming wedding. How have you changed your approach to your workouts?
Nicolette: “Getting engaged made me realize that I had to make some lifestyle changes in order to meet my goals. Accountability was a big issue for me; I decided to ask Rachel if she would start training me. I had some problem areas and wanted some guidance to learn how to work on mine.”
Breanne: “I had really started trying to work out three days a week last September. When Nic got engaged in November, we knew that it was really time to get in gear. With both of us wanting to get in shape for the wedding, it made it a lot easier to get there three or four times a week.”
fit815: With adding personal and partner training with Rachel, how has that changed things for you?
Nicolette: “Again, accountability was a big issue for me. Breanne and I decided that Monday nights would be the best time for us to train with Rachel. It was the hardest day of the week for us to get ourselves to the club. Training with Rachel on Monday really sets a good precedent for the week.”
Breanne: “Nicolette and I had been taking Rachel’s SlimMe class, but adding personal training with her added that extra accountability. As Nic said, Mondays were the hardest day for me to get to the club, so doing partner training with her and Rachel on Mondays have been a great solution to that problem. The training has also helped to push me further with SlimMe classes. Nic and I wanted to target the same problem areas, so it was nice being told which exercises were helping with what.”
fit815: Are there any differences in the results that you feel you’re seeing over time?
Nicolette: “I think the biggest thing to come out of this for me is a new love for exercise. Working with Rachel has helped me understand that results don’t happen overnight; you really have to work hard to see them. My routine has been more consistent over the past six month now, and I’m seeing results. The great thing is that once you start seeing them, you just want to keep working harder.”
Breanne: “I haven’t seen much difference in my weight, which people obviously focus on with exercising, but I’m definitely stronger and I’ve gone down two pants sizes — it feels really amazing! I just feel healthier overall; I was always feeling bloated and I really don’t anymore, which is one of the main reasons I love to work out now.”
fit815: Have you found it difficult to find time in your schedule to work out? If so, have you found that working with a personal trainer has created more value and efficiency in your workouts?
Nicolette: “Absolutely! The last thing I want to do some days is go to the club for an hour after work. The key for me has been having a workout partner that I’m close with — not only does Rachel hold us accountable, but we hold each other accountable. I can say for sure that I get more out of a 30-minute training session with Rachel and Breanne than I would working out on my own.”
Breanne: “Working with a trainer definitely has helped keep me accountable. I started a new job this school year and have been putting in a lot more hours; I’d definitely just go home after school if not for our standing Monday session. When you pair that with going to the Tuesday and Thursday SlimMe classes, that’s three nights a week that Rachel and Nic help keep me accountable. Rachel’s teaching has helped me understand the exercises and why I’m doing them.”
fit815: Has your attitude toward exercise changed since working with Rachel as your trainer?
Breanne: “I actually love to work out now. I get to school by 6:45 a.m. almost everyday and by 5 p.m., you’d think the last thing I’d want to do is work out. But it’s actually what I crave. I keep my workout clothes in the car and head right to FitMe; it just helps get everything off my mind from the day. It feels good to do something for yourself!”
Nicolette: “Working a personal trainer is like having a teacher for your workouts; I’m learning new things everyday. It makes it more exciting to come to the gym.”
fit815: What changes have you noticed since working with Rachel? Has anyone else shared with you any differences they have noticed?
Breanne: “As I mentioned before, I’ve dropped some pant sizes and my clothes definitely feel differently. My energy levels are up and I just feel better overall.”
Nicolette: “Just an overall change in my body. They say that you notice weight loss before others do. It was really cool once others started to notice too!”
fit815: Tell me more about your experience doing partner training with your friend.
Nicolette: “In addition to the added accountability, partner training has also created a little friendly competition. We’re always pushing harder, planking longer and lifting heavier to show not only ourselves that we can do it, but each other too. I prefer partner training because it helps the tougher parts of the workout go by quicker!”
Breanne: “I love partner training! We push each other and talk the entire time, which helps things go faster. I’d done some partner training before joining FitMe and on occasions when my partner didn’t show up, it made the workout really long.” •
