Category: Fitness

Summer is coming, and that means swimsuit season is coming, too. Everyone wants to get in great shape to turn heads at the beach.

For Joel McCauley, being fit and healthy isn’t just for summer. It’s an all-the-time routine and lifestyle. If you want to get started, you may check out this blog.

It’s this belief that lead Joel to open Freedom Fit Gym in Ashland, Va. He’s extremely excited about his small-business venture, and I’m so excited to share it with y’all here on Pretty Southern! After all, we do love our small businesses. In a gym or leisure center environment where customers are exercising without supervision, it is easy to think you do not need to take much action, but as the owner or manager, both your staff and customers’ well-being is your responsibility. So I considered this gym risk assessment support from Avensure to ensure that my center is compliant with HSE regulations.

Joel is one of my close friends from college. He’s a certified personal trainer (CPT), and has wanted to open his own gym since he was a teenager. Helping people is in his blood. Operating his own gym gives Joel the opportunity to help people achieve their personal health and fitness goals and teach them about living healthfully. And going the small-business route lets him do it his way. He started working as a personal trainer just one month after graduating from college. He’s competed in baseball and track, and has also done bodybuilding competitions. All of his experience, combined with years of studies and research on the best methods, diets and healthful habits will help him help his clients at Freedom Fit Gym reach their goals.

“My hope is to create a space where people feel like they can come to better themselves,” Joel says. He wants Freedom Fit Gym to be a place “where people can come to make progress” toward their fitness goals and personal health. You can check out this source if you want to get started in juice cleansing.

At the gym, Joel offers open workout space with a wide variety of machines and equipment including ones from Allvibrationplates.com, personal training sessions and small-group bodyweight and powerlifting classes. In addition, he can craft custom nutrition plans to optimize clients’ diets for the best results.

Most of all, though, Joel knows that movement is a gift that should be celebrated. We are made to move, and Joel wants us to be able to celebrate our gifts to the best of our abilities, all year round. So if you have any kids, you can entice them to keep moving by providing them with the right gifts. All you have to do is to know where are the best outdoor playhouses and perhaps other suitable gifts as well.

“Now is the perfect time to get my dream started,” he says. “I can grow my business as long as people come to me.” And that’s just what we want, too!

Want to follow Joel’s journey and learn more about Freedom Fit Gym? He’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and has a website and blog!

All photos courtesy of Joel McCauley.

Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern and a Virginia Tech alumna. She also holds an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

Born in North Carolina and raised in Georgia, Kate hopes to further her career as a social media maven and kick-ass writer in the lovely southeast.

Follow Kate on Twitter @kate3robertson and check out her blog, A Thought and a Half.

 

There’s been much discussion in the media over the hailstorm created from “Dad Bod”. Today, we want to share a “Mom Bod” success story from one Southern lady about how she got her body back after birthing three babies in seven years. All mothers know how hard it is to shed the baby weight, especially if you’re starting a big family. Dana Griffin Tamasi is a native of Loganville, Ga., and after graduating from the University of Georgia, she immediately started her family. Her kids include 7 year-old son, Tripp, and two girls: 5 year-old Paisleigh and 2-year old Tinsley. In addition to being a mom to three small children, Dana also works full time as a school teacher. All the working mamas out there know that time for the gym doesn’t exist with a packed schedule, and Mama Dana was kind enough to share a few secrets of her success.

What was your body like before Baby # 1?
Before Tripp, I could eat whatever I wanted, drink on the weekends, and not gain weight with little or no exercise. I was between 125-130 lbs.

How did it change after Babies #2 and #3?
After Paisleigh, I never lost all the weight I had gained before I got pregnant with Tinsley. Once I got pregnant with her, I gained weight faster and I got up to 190 lbs. When I left the hospital I was in the 180s and I really thought the weight would come off. I tried walking because I could push my girls in a stroller while Tripp rode his bike. Unfortunately only a few pounds came off and I quickly lost motivation to keep going.

What motivated you to get started with your weight loss program?
I finally hit a turning point when I’d had enough feeling depressed about my weight every time I looked in the mirror. I was trying to fake the way I felt about myself. I am a happy person most of the time and I felt like I was constantly pretending because inside I was not happy. I also LOVE pictures and I take pictures of my kids every chance I get, but I HATED pictures with me in them. Every time I saw a picture of myself, I was reminded how unhappy I was and I refused to buy the pictures or hang them up in the house.

I desperately wanted to take family pictures with the five of us and be proud of them.

One day while on Facebook I saw a post about how a girl I knew from UGA and how she went from 164 lbs to 128 lbs in eight months. I decided if she did it then maybe I could too, so I messaged her. She told me about a challenge group she was running and about Shakeology. I ordered a sample pack of shakes and joined the group.

How did you kick off your training?
I began my journey in a 10-day slim down group and sampled Shakeology. Shakeology is Beachbody’s superfood shake. Their slogan “It is your healthiest meal of the day” is absolutely true. I vowed that during those 10 days to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, sleep at least seven hours (this product at EU Meds was a great help), drink at least 64 oz of water and drink one shake every day. I lost 4 lbs in those 10 days and felt energized throughout the day. If you also need effective supplements to fuel your weight loss journey, products like sarms uk may be ideal for you.

What exercises, shakes, supplements, social media, etc. really helped you on this quest?
The first Beachbody product I bought was T-25 and Shakeology. T-25 is a 10-week program with a Alpha cycle and a Beta cycle. I completed T-25 in 10 weeks and lost 16 lbs. Since then I have done PiYO, and have done a 21 Day Fix. I do not think I would have stayed motivated and accountable to my workouts and nutrition without the online Challenge groups through Facebook.

I have learned that the most important part of weight loss is nutrition.

The nutrition aspect is what had been missing after Baby #2 and #3. The groups keep me accountable with my food because I post pictures of what I am eating for each meal in a group. It really makes you think before you eat.

You lost 30 pounds in 2014! What are your weight loss goals for 2015?
I would love to lose 12 to 15 lbs in 2015 and tone up. I want to try some weight loss programs or smartlipo to get definition in my arms and a slim tummy. However we are throwing around the idea of Baby #4.

Between being a mommy to three kids and working full time, how do you find the 30 minutes each day for training?
I get off at 3 pm and pick up my older two kids at 3:30 pm. I try to fit my workout in at 3:45-4:30 pm and then go get my baby. My older two kids can entertain themselves for 30 minutes, but I can’t workout with my littlest one. I can also squeeze in a workout at 7:30 pm after my baby is in bed if I don’t get it in in the afternoon.

I have realized over the year that I watch way less TV because I just don’t have time!

Once I started working out and making it a daily habit, I just feel better after it’s over. I feel guilty when I don’t get a workout in. However, there are busy days it just doesn’t happen but I pick back up the next day. My rule is never go more than two days without exercising because then you might begin to talk yourself out of it!

I find working out in the weekend harder sometimes especially when we are super busy but most of the time those are the days I like to run because my husband is home to watch the kids for an hour or so. Training to run takes more time than 30 minutes but I use this time for ME! Before I never really did anything for just for me after having kids! Running refreshes me and helps me clear my mind, challenge myself and the come back home ready to be the best mom and wife I can! Thanks to this post about How to run a faster marathon for the training techniques that help me run faster.

My hubby had hunting and I now have running! The online Facebook Challenge groups have been monumental in helping me achieve my goals. I equate it to having friends or a trainer at the gym without leaving the house. The groups give you a coach or coaches that give you nutrition tips through recipes and menus, workouts and workout tips, motivational posts and quotes to keep you going and pick you up when you feel like giving up or eating that whole pizza! Even the challengers get involved and get to know each other and begin to comment and offer support to each other! Like I said the groups are all about accountability and motivation!

So what did you think about Dana’s “Mom Bod” success story? Share your own successes, challenges, or thoughts in the comments section below. If you’d like to join Dana’s fitness quest, please say so in a comment and we’ll get y’all connected