Taking the Plunge

I met Barry a few years ago when I was in my mid 60’s, definitely overweight, emotionally and mentally fatigued by recent tragedies. But I wanted to take better care of myself, so off to the gym I went. I had absolutely no interest in personal training, but then I met Barry. He is an unbelievably talented and caring trainer.

Getting My Attention

Although, the first thing he did was show me that I was incapable of standing on one leg without falling over. I told him he was embarrassing me. His response was - he wanted to see what he had to work on to make sure I did not fall down stairs or trip over curbs. Man, that got my attention.

Building Muscle

I warned him I had a bum knee, and listed all the things my doctor told me I could not do. Barry suggested that if I had a compromised knee, given his own personal experience with his own, that I might consider building muscle around it to protect it.

Personalized Workouts - Improving Numbers

So, we began. Slowly at first. Barry designed personal progressive workouts for my specific situation. He inspired and encouraged me, and I got stronger. My knee got better and I lost weight. After several months, my doctors were shocked at the significant improvement in my “numbers” - triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure, and bone density, to name a few.

Strong Is Better

I continue to get even stronger, and that feels good. My opinion? Strong is better. I love being strong. I never saw it coming, but now I’m powerlifting on a regular basis and I love that even more. But powerlifting is not for everyone. That is not what this is about. I know that. But getting stronger on whatever level you desire is definitely possible. Whether you get a little bit stronger, or a bunch stronger, or uber stronger, strong gives you power over your life.

Getting Better - Having Fun

I no longer worry about falling down stairs or tripping over curbs. I can get up off the floor by myself, even holding my grandbaby. And yes, I can stand on one leg and not fall over. Okay, maybe I’m a bit of a fanatic. But at Beyond Conditioning, you can take this conditioning thing wherever you want and maybe even beyond. To better physical health, better mental health, a better quality of life and, guess what, I guarantee you’ll have fun to boot.