A few thank you notes from Renegade clients.As fitness professionals, a client's end result is always most rewarding. These testimonials are stories and letters written by Renegade Personal Training and Fitness clients and are published with client permission. "A Poster Child For Good Health!"
I had been overweight and out of shape most of my adult life. I always joked that I was on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it! It is a known fact that I tend to hide my insecurities behind a joke. At 42 years old, 320 pounds, a 48 inch waist, and out of breath to just bend over and tie my shoes; it was no joke! I remember being embarrassed when I had to ask a flight attendant for a seat belt extender on a flight. I knew I needed to do something, but I was too content with my current situation and weight." "It finally took a health scare and an overnight visit in the hospital to give me the wake call that I needed. I was driving home from work one evening and feeling so light headed and dizzy that I had to stop and get out of my vehicle to get some fresh air. The following weeks I began having chest pains. Upon calling the medical clinic, they directed me to go directly to the emergency room, and not to drive. It was discovered that my blood pressure and cholesterol were both dangerously high. I was kept overnight for observation and a stress test was scheduled for the following morning. I was concerned, as heart disease is hereditary in my family. During a follow-up visit with my doctor, I was put on medications to reduce my high blood pressure and cholesterol." "Unfortunately, the medications were not enough. My blood pressure and cholesterol did lower, but they were still high. Deep down, I knew the answer; get in shape or suffer the consequences." "I knew that I needed to find an exercise routine that I would enjoy and would benefit from. I decided to join the Eagan, MN Life Time Fitness. I was committed to having a healthy lifestyle, so I made a few decisions. One of those decisions was hiring a personal trainer." "When I hired Ryan Branson, he assured me that the process would be straightforward. He took my goals very seriously and focused his attention towards all of my uncertainties and weaknesses. He structured my program around a periodized schedule which met different phases my body was going through." "Working with Ryan over the past two years I have lost over 120 pounds, went from a 48 inch waist to an amazing 35 inch waist, and have completely removed my blood pressure and cholesterol medication from my daily routine." "The most recent time I met with my doctor he referred to me as a poster child for good health!" -David Waugh- * * * * * * * * "The Rewards of Hard Work"
I'd always been a tall and lean type of guy, one who dabbled a bit in weight training in my late teens/early twenties until a shoulder injury made training very hard to do. A sedentary lifestyle, a job where I sat for hours on end and the changes that one's body undertakes with age all chipped away at that lean form little by little. One day in 2001, after returning from a convention trip to Cancun I was shocked to see a flabby, weak, middle aged guy with my face looking back at me from our vacation photos. Those pictures were a wake up call. I went straight to the local gym and started up with a personal trainer. My goals were to lose body fat but also to build muscle and strength. In about 18 months I went from 230 flabby pounds to 210 of pretty lean muscle, losing 35 pounds of fat while gaining 15 pounds of solid muscle. It was hard work, but I stuck with it. Then my trainer moved away to start a new career and education. I was afraid I would not be able to sustain what I had accomplished. Before he left, my trainer introduced me to Ryan Branson, and I began training with him. That was two years ago. Ryan listened closely to my goals, which had changed to more power/strength and size gains with fat loss mixed in. Building muscle was going to be harder than ever, since I was then 39 and had been stuck at a plateau for some time. Ryan was inheriting a client who had already undergone one physique metamorphosis, was at a more advanced stage of training and was trying for another big body change without the use of drugs or steroids. Ryan combined a constantly changing regime of power, strength, hypertrophy and endurance programs with strong advice on diet and proper nutrition to break through that plateau and start advancement on my goals. Today, at age 41, I am the biggest and strongest I've ever been in my life at relatively lean 225 pounds. Ryan deserves the credit for his effective training programs, hard work and his obvious desire to see me reach whatever goals I set for myself. I'm looking forward to seeing where we go from here. -Tom Richmond- * * * * * * * * "Trying a Different Approach"
Growing up I had always been thin. However, exercise was never a part of my daily routine. Almost 10 years out of college and 2 kids later, I realized I needed to do something physical. I joined a local fitness center and for over 8 years worked out 3 to 4 days a week. In the beginning, I saw my body change and dropped 2 dress sizes. At that time I was taking classes and doing the occasional weight training program. Year after year I kept seeing the same people, none of them ever really changing. It occurred to me I was stuck too! It was then that I knew I needed to try a different approach. I joined a women’s weight training group that Ryan was leading. At first I couldn’t do any of the core exercises, maybe one or two reps and my abs would give out. My balance was even worse; I cursed that stability ball each time Ryan brought it out for class. Don’t even get me started on the hanging abs. As the weeks went by, I got to know the other women and Ryan better and I actually enjoyed coming to class. My balance was changing and I felt stronger and more confident in my abilities. Ryan kept asking us for our goals and giving us diet tips each week. After a year with Ryan I decided my diet needed to change in order to reap the benefits of all this weight training. I felt I was stuck again and needed to lose a few extra pounds. Ryan encouraged me to start journaling my daily food intake and keep track of calories. After 3 months of lean protein, fruits and vegetables I had lost 18lbs. I know that might not sound like a lot, but for my height of 5’6, getting down to 125 pounds, was a huge transformation. All the muscle Ryan had worked so hard to put on me could finally been seen. I never knew I had muscles under the fat! Ryan was really encouraging during those moments of despair. I wanted to give up more than once and dive back into my old eating habits. I made it through those tough times and have maintained my weight for more than 6 months. This fall will be my 20th High School Reunion and I know I can be confident in my appearance! Thanks, Ryan! -Karrie Reasor - |
