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The true driving force behind any health endeavor and the ability to succeed at living a sustainably fit lifestyle is the mindset in which you approach your journey. When I first chatted with Jen, she was plagued with confusion and frustration – she was working out hard everyday on her own, following a diet plan, but not seeing or feeling the results she deserved. She was stuck in the eat less/move more trap that eventually impaired her relationship with food and exercise.

I could not wait to take Jen under my wing and teach her how to cultivate a more abundant, enjoyable lifestyle of eating and moving to nourish her body. I knew she would fall in love with lifting and harnessing her true strength once she learned what she was capable of.

The hardest part of any lifestyle change is the necessary mindset shift and adapting to a new perspective. Jen has put in the work to shift her focus towards what her body can do not just how it looks, she’s been exploring her strengths and existing on the fringe of her comfort zone both in and out of the gym. She’s currently striving for her first chin up, a 200lb deadlift, and a faster Tough Mudder time…and I couldn’t be more proud or excited to share her story!

“I’ve been a member of Hurst Strength since the middle of January. I’ve always loved fitness, especially running. Since middle school I was on track and cross country teams for the joy it gave me. 5 years ago when I got to college I began hearing about the “freshman 15” and made a promise I would not let myself become unhealthy or overweight. I continued running on my own, but soon I developed a contorted view of my body and what I thought “healthy” really was. Trying on my own to understand and learn about what kind of workouts were the most effective and what home workouts I could do were always a struggle –I stopped balancing fun and health, and it all became a chore to stay on track.

Listening and reading all of these online “challenges” really messed up my head. No one will gain a dream body in just a few weeks. It’s not that easy and after 21 days I go back to eating the “bad” food that was completely banned before. It was a cycle that was not for me and the more I tried to avoid the food I “wasn’t allowed” it was all I craved and my attitude reflected how I truly felt.

Finally I thought to myself what I truly needed was a trainer, I knew I needed someone trust worthy to tell me what I needed to do specifically to help me reach my goals and not just some DVD package that just covers general workouts and common meal plans.

Before working with Erika I was working out 6-7 days a week for close to 2 hours and thought I was in good physical shape. Once starting with her, she slowed me down and taught me quality over quantity and after 3 months of working with her just 2 days a week for strength training and 1 day of conditioning work, words can’t really describe the change my mind and body have gone though. I now balance fun and health and enjoy life with great foods, no stressing attached! Without any restrictions on foods, I subconsciously eat less junk than I have before and more whole quality foods to nourish my body. I feel stronger, I am starting to see the definition in my body I’ve always dreamed of having, and I’m finally proud of what I see in the mirror and I know firsthand changes do not happen overnight. While fitness is important for anyone, it is possible to cause more harm than good, and I am so happy I am now on the right track and can’t wait to see what the future holds!”

Jen owes all of her progress to the exceptionally hard work she put in physically and mentally. I’m humbled to have her as part of the Hurst Strength family and can’t wait to see her continued success moving forward!

Click here to view Kim’s client spotlight

Click here to view Rachel’s client spotlight

Hurst Strength serves a variety of clients and offers highly individualized programs that meet each client at their current ability level – if you’re interested in learning more about a program that works with you, not against you, to harness your greatest strength from the inside out, please contact Erika@HurstStrength.com.