Fitness that Fits: You Need to Do What Works for You

July 20, 2016
woman doing pushup

“Because I have two children and I work full time, I have to work out between 4:00 - 5:00 am every weekday.” Sarah needed a customized workout plan to suit her schedule.

For Jack, training needed to work around a knee injury. “The rowing machine became my arch nemesis.” Want the best results? Choose fitness that fits your individual needs.

There’s no doubt, personalized approaches have propelled our gym members to new fitness heights. All our Get Fit Challenge contestants have reached their fitness goals by relying on their own particular routine, even when odds were stacked against them.

The lesson? There’s always a way to work out – and in most cases, there’s no need to hold back on intensity and effort. Just find what works for you, and stay committed to it!


If you’re injured or have limitations.

Meet Jack, a GFC 2015 winner. Jack had already changed his body and life, moving from overweight teen to a career as a personal trainer, when his jaw was broken in three places during a random assault.

His health and physical fitness took a downturn after that, and making matters worse was another unexpected injury as he tried to regain his fitness level. “I had torn my ACL from riding the elliptical. This was truly my breaking point. I had lost all faith in myself.”

But Jack’s journey was not lost. His trainer progressed his workouts by focusing on a piece of equipment his knee could handle—the rowing machine would challenge Jack ‘s beyond what he imagined. “High intensity cardio while core strengthening and upper body endurance!!! Wow, that machine is tough.”

Follow Jack’s lead: Stay open to different training styles, and find equipment and functional movements that won’t exasperate an injury. The rowing machine would provide the high intensity workouts that contributed to Jack’s physical transformation.


If you think you don’t have the time.

Meet Sarah, full-time working mother of two who experienced frustration over her body weight and fitness level, and low self-esteem as a result. She wanted to be a good role model for her children, but doing so required a special schedule that followed a truly customized workout plan.

“My goals for the program were actually quite simple: lose 20 pounds, lower my body fat percentage, eat healthier on a consistent basis.” Sarah’s trainer set very clear guidelines for her, so she knew exactly how many calories she needed to burn each day. Critical to her success in meeting those goals were customized workouts tailored to her fitness level, that she could perform in one hour, every weekday before 5 a.m.

Follow Sarah’s lead: Be efficient and know what you’re doing. “Having a customized workout plan every time I went to the gym helped me burn an optimum amount of calories and increase my fitness level, which led to actually losing more weight than I'd initially planned on.”


If you feel too old, too insecure, etc.

Meet Rosemary, a 2014 GFC contestant: “At 52, I had already suffered a heart attack and was losing mobility because of weight gain and arthritis. I had lost my husband to cancer in '94 and my four children did not want to lose me too…”

Rosemary’s program was focused on using her strengths to push past perceived limits, while her trainer helped her keep an eye on staying safe from injury. When she uttered the word “can’t,” burpees were the consequences. Rosemary credits commitment and consistency as the key to her transformation, which included losing 40 pounds in the 12-week program.

“Tim would text me workout plans to complete on the days when we did not meet, and when I was discouraged, he would get right down on the floor and do the exercises with me. I began accomplishing things I never dreamed possible such as 32" box jumps and 450-pound leg presses.”

Follow Rosemary’s lead: Commit to regular tough workouts that maximize your strengths and acknowledge your health issues. With a full range of training options available at the gym, everyone can find the workout push they need to reach their potential, just like Rosemary.