This is the story of Jenna Picklesimer, member of TFW Athens, wife, mother, and professional.
Before joining TFW, Jenna thought she would find results in fad diets, long distance cardio, and zero strength training. “Clearly I was wrong and I needed to change how I viewed nutrition and food”, she said.
With her son already enrolling in SBG Athens’ Growing Gorillas Martial Arts and Youth Enrichment Program and a husband looking to begin training martial arts, Jenna was pleased to have found a place for her entire family.
In the past, Jenna was a member of other gyms in Athens, Ga. “I would go (sometimes) and have absolutely no clue what to do except run on the treadmill. Even if I wanted to do anything else, I wouldn’t know how”, she explained frustratingly.
The personal relationships with both her coaches and teammates is what she believes truly makes TFW Athens different from the other programs in town. It’s what was missing and made it easier to quit going to her other gyms. The encouragement she gets from both her coaches and teammates is like nothing else.
“I will never forget my first day, and how bad I was struggling. Not a single person ever made me feel like I don’t belong- everyone was great. Even recently when I was last finishing- another member chose to do extra and finish with me. You will not find that anywhere else but TFW Athens.”
Having lost 37.5 pounds since beginning the program in November 2018, Jenna has also gained muscle and reduced her BMI. She knows she has more to accomplish and looks forward to losing more weight and getting even healthier.
Jenna would like to share some things that have made a huge difference:
The food/nutrition help is key. If you just listen and act, you will be successful. As the coaches always say, “The system works, if you work the system.”
The classes are so great- it’s not the same thing ever- it truly can be fun.
Every single coach has been willing to help, and answer any questions I have had.
“I cannot thank you enough for everything SBG/TFW has done for us so far!”
Do you want to learn how to drop 10-15 pounds?
Need help with your nutrition?
Looking to start a fitness program?
We have just the thing for you. Click the button below and learn more about our 28 Day Transformation Challenge today! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 28 DAY TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE
This is the story of TFW Athens member Whitney DeWitte finding her place to thrive.
Before joining TFW, Whitney was self destructive and full of anger.
SBG not only offers immersive martial arts programs, but also a comprehensive fitness program dubbed “Training For Warriors” (TFW). As a member of TFW, Whitney has lost weight, gained confidence in herself, and learned to hold herself accountable for her happiness and health. She has reached, in short, many of her fitness goals, set new ones, and broken those. Her story, however, runs much deeper.
Whitney joined during a dark period in her life. Having lost a child, she “needed an outlet for [her] anger,” saying that self-destruction had become her “worst enemy.” Whitney sought to cope with her demons to set a better example for her other children. From what she knew about the program, she understood that it would hold her accountable and help build her own command of life’s chaos. Exhibiting strength rare in most people, she sought to find something positive in an unimaginable situation. She joined TFW not only to lose weight but to take back her life.
TFW has provided her an extended family. One of Whitney’s primary coaches—also named Whitney—has been “the greatest thing that ever happened to me since starting this process,” in Whitney’s words. “She not only became my teacher but my friend. She is the reason that I work hard and push myself. She makes me want to be a better person.” Through these bonds, Whitney—and all of us at SBG / TFW—take a step closer to becoming a better person every day.
Here are a few pieces of advice that Whitney wanted to share directly:
Commit to the process (it works)!
Trust the coaches.
Don’t give up, even if you fail (like I did my first time around). Don’t quit! You are worth it. Don’t just say it to yourself; believe it.
Do you struggle with some of the same things with which Whintey struggled? You CAN make that change and TRANSFORM your life also!
Do you want to learn how to drop 10-15 pounds?
Need help with your nutrition?
Looking to start a fitness program?
We have just the thing for you. Click the button below and learn more about our 28 Day Transformation Challenge today!
This is the story of Stephanie Kosloske, member of the Training for Warrior program at SBG Athens. Stephanie struggled with sustaining progress before joining SBG.
Wanting to get into shape, Stephanie recounts falling into a familiar pattern. She would start a workout program and struggle to stay with it. She began a number of different workout programs over the years in a number of different settings, even hiring a personal trainer, but she “missed the energy of working [out] in a group,” she says. Stephanie tried group classes at other gyms, but she describes feeling like “another number” in the crowd.
SBG/TFW Athens provided Stephanie the “energy” she wanted from working out in a group, but added something else. Stephanie found the gym as part of an online search. She feared that she might fall into her usual routine of losing interest after seeing initial success. She found, however, that the Training for Warrior coaches (and her training partners) stressed accountability. Each workout, Stephanie is challenged to keep showing up and keep improving. She does not have to be alone and bear all of the responsibility of motivating herself.
Stephanie has now stuck with her workout routine at SBG/TFW for three years. She says that her coaches have made sure that her goals and the technique for her workouts are clear. She no longer feels intimidated to take on new challenges or worries that she will be able to persevere. In her words: “Now I am not just another face in the crowd […] I am part of the SBG/TFW family and they care that I come to class and stay motivated!”
Here are three tips that Stephanie wants to share:
Push yourself when you think you can’t do anymore. Your brain says stop before your body does.
Change your thinking—replace “I don’t have time” with “it’s not a priority.” This trick will make you reevaluate your actions, not only getting to the gym but in other aspects of life as well.
Keep moving—it’s really hard to get started if you come to a complete stop. If you keep moving, even if it’s very slowly, it will be easier to push yourself to do more.
Do you struggle with some of the same things with which Stephanie struggled? You CAN make that change and TRANSFORM your life also!
Do you want to learn how to drop 10-15 pounds?
Need help with your nutrition?
Looking to start a fitness program?
We have just the thing for you. Click the button below and learn more about our 28 Day Transformation Challenge today!
The Secret to Every Successful Diet And Fitness Program
Sometimes the big secret to doing something is just showing up. In this article from TFW Founder, Martin Rooney, he will help you overcome the possible fear and doubt you may currently have about joining an exercise and fitness program. Enjoy the article and I hope you find that which you should really be fearful.
People are naturally afraid of things like heights, snakes and spiders. Put most children and adults up on something really high or hand them a python and they will give you the same reaction.
Fortunately for you (unless you are a skydiver or collector of reptiles,) you probably don’t have to elicit these inborn fear responses very often.
Unfortunately for you, however, since there are centers of your brain always on the hunt for things of which to be afraid, when old fears start to disappear from your life, your brain is excellent at creating new ones.
I see this fear creation ability first hand at almost every gym I visit around the world.
Recently we held an orientation for the new members of our TFW program. I thought this hour-long event was to introduce and explain to the 25 new people about the program and how to best benefit from the training, but I was wrong.
TFW Athens 8 Week Challenge Orientation
Instead, I realized I had to remove the fear all of these people have about joining and participating in an exercise program.
How did I know?
Terror is easy to read on the faces of your audience when you are standing in front of them.
A new member of a fitness program is easy to spot. When the new members entered the building last night, I could immediately recognize most of them were anxious.
Unlike walking into a movie theater, restaurant, or mall for the first time, these people were downright apprehensive.
I was saddened when I saw this behavior, because I realized the current message about exercise being portrayed to people must be too “extreme,” “insane,” and “hardcore.”
Gone are the days that people gladly get a new pair of running shoes, an outfit and join the gym. Now people procrastinate searching the web about training only to get terrified and confused by the concept of having to go “Paleo” and the prospect of tearing off the palm of your hand after switching to “beast mode.”
To be clear, exercise is not scary. And at TFW we will prove it.
At TFW Athens Exercise is Fun
You see, sitting on the couch and eating fast food is scary.
Lifting a bar with weights off the floor while working out is not dangerous.
Lifting too much food to your mouth without working out is dangerous.
Running, jumping and sweating is not going to disable you. Cancer, diabetes and heart disease will disable you.
Click the image below to download the 10 Reasons Why Someone Should Drop 10 – 15 Pounds
Fitness is not the enemy here. Obesity (which can be the cause of all the other diseases I mentioned) is the enemy here and I want you to be more afraid of that.
During the evening, as I talked about the expectations for the program, I could see the fear start to melt away. The initial anxious scowls were turned into optimistic smiles.
But I had to wonder:
“What about all the people that didn’t come tonight because they were too afraid? What about the people around the world that walk up to a gym door, but can’t muster the courage to open it and walk in?”
That was the moment I knew I had to write this in hopes at least one reader is empowered to use the “Most Important Aspect of a Successful Fitness Program.”
The highlight of the orientation was not me presenting, but my wife and another TFW veteran named Michael sharing the results our program has produced for them. Both testimonials about how the program has helped them in terms of weight loss, muscle gain and the reduction of health risks was valuable, but each of them shared the secret to succeeding at anything:
YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP!
Michael let the group know he spends his days driving for work and had gained over 50 pounds. He knew he was eating the wrong things. He knew exercise was important. He heard it from both his doctor and his kids.
Notches on his belts his tailor was telling him too. But he said nothing happened until he committed and SHOWED UP the first day. My wife shared similar challenges and just the simple action of SHOWING UP wiped that fear away enough to let her get started.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.
Do any of these make you nervous about starting something new?
•Fear of Failure
•Fear of Change
•Fear of Injury
•Fear of Rejection
•Fear of Reality
If you are fearful about starting anything new like a fitness program, career choice, musical instrument or even writing a blog, the secret of SHOWING UP will make those nerves go away.
Action is the magical cure to your fears and you don’t need a prescription to get it. Action is where the fear ends and the excitement begins.
SHOW UP and you can no longer let the first step be what’s holding you back.
SHOW UP and your calling, art, passion becomes more believable.
SHOW UP and your potential will start to come through.
The first thing I did at the orientation was congratulate the attendees on his or her courage. When they looked back quizzically, I reminded them they had already taken the most courageous step: they SHOWED UP.
Now I am challenging you.
A warrior is defined as a fighter.
A warrior is also defined as being brave.
And bravery is not the absence of fear, it is SHOWING UP in spite of it.
Time to SHOW UP,
Martin
Do you want to learn how to drop 10-15 pounds?
Need help with your nutrition?
Looking to start a fitness program?
We have just the thing for you. Click the button below and learn more about our 28 Day Transformation Challenge today!
