Teale is 30 years old and joined The Strength Collective shortly after we opened as a member of our Warrior Strong Kickboxing class. Not long after she joined our first Barbell Strong group and has been slaying the weights ever since. Read on to learn more about Teale’s fitness journey!

Q: What got you started working out?
A: I was tired of feeling like crap all of the time!

Q: How many days per week do you typically work out? What groups are you a part of?
A: 2-3 I participate in Barbell Strong!

Q: What’s your favorite exercise?
A: Deadbugs- mostly because I get to lay on the floor to do them, and they usually come after a hard workout!

Q: What’s your favorite post-workout meal/snack?
A: All of the food!!!!

Q: What do you find most challenging about working out?
A: Consistency! I personally need a class at a set time/days of the week for me to go… otherwise it doesn’t happen. Now that I have some great gym friends, I can text one to them to workout with me, which helps, I apparently don’t like working out alone.

Q: What keeps you motivated to work out regularly?
A: My favorite part, once I really stuck to it, is how much stronger I have gotten! If you would have told me two years ago that I would be deadlifting over 300lbs, I would have told you that you were nuts! I also really like telling the guys I work with how much I can lift! But the best part is, how much better I feel when I work out!

Q: What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking about getting started in the gym?
A: Just do it! I took a small group training class (Kickboxing) it was 2x a week for 6 weeks. I think the short term commitment made it easier for me to ease into it. I told myself I can go 2x a week for 6 weeks, and if I don’t like it I can quit. Then I liked it, and here I am. Also don’t give up trying new things, you have to find the right kind of exercise/training that you like/enjoy otherwise you aren’t going to go, and what’s the point of you feel like you are punishing yourself? Exercise is supposed to make you feel good! 😊

Q: What is something you couldn’t do when you started, that you can do now?
A: Deadlift 325lbs!!!!

Q: Tell us a random fact about yourself that people might not know:
A: I have have my motorcycle license!

Q: What’s your favorite thing about working out at The Strength Collective?
A: My #fitfam always cheering me on. And the gym dogs, because I am a crazy dog lady.

Thank you Teale for always being a supportive member of our #fitfam! We’re so proud of you and how strong you’ve become!

This month’s member of the month is Eric Williams! Eric is a 32 year old law enforcement officer and we’ve seen him make great progress since joining The Strength Collective. Read on to learn more about Eric and his fitness journey!

Q: What got you started working out?
A: My family history of obesity

Q: How many days per week do you typically work out?
A: 5

Q: What’s your favorite exercise?
A: Leg Press

Q: What’s your favorite post-workout meal/snack?
A: Flank Steak

Q: What do you find most challenging about working out?
A: Staying consistent and motivated to push harder

Q: How do you stay motivated to work out consistently?
A: I set short term goals to get to my long term goals

Q: What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking about starting or just getting started in the gym?
A: Start small, be patient

Q: What fitness accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: I ran 2 triathalons this year

Q: Tell us a random fact about yourself that people might not know:
A: Despite my active lifestyle I am a gamer at heart

Q: What’s your favorite thing about working out at The Strength Collective?
A: The wide range of “Toys” as I call them.

Congratulations Eric and keep up the hard work! Thank you so much for being a member of our #fitfam!

We’re excited to share with you our October Member of the Month- Kathy Brown! Kathy is 67, retired, and has been a huge supporter of The Strength Collective since the beginning…she kind of has to be, since she’s Katrina’s Mom. BUT she has put in a lot of hard work and made a ton of progress over the last year, not even letting surgery on her wrists get in the way of her health and fitness goals. Keep reading to learn more about Kathy and her journey!

Q: What got you started working out?
A: I wanted to gain strength and get my balance back.

Q: How many days per week do you typically work out? What groups are you a part of?
A: 4 – 5. Aging Strong group

Q: What’s your favorite exercise?
A: I love the Aging Strong classes. They are always challenging. I think I might be ready to take the Warrior Strong class.

Q: What’s your favorite post-workout meal/snack?
A: I like lattes. I make my own using almond milk and flavorings so I can monitor my sugars and fats.

Q: What do you find most challenging about working out?
A: Just getting up and going. Once I start I love it and feel great afterwards.

Q: What keeps you motivated to work out regularly?
A: I can feel how much stronger I am and I feel better emotionally too. You can take out any aggressions out at the gym.

Q: What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking about getting started in the gym?
A: Everyone needs to start sometime. The sooner you start, the sooner you will see improvement. Don’t be too embarrassed to start. You can’t do all the exercises? There are still things I cannot do.We are all here to support you.

Q: What is something you couldn’t do when you started, that you can do now?
A: Step ups, squats, lifting weights, standing on one leg, etc.

Q: Tell us a random fact about yourself that people might not know:
A: My nickname is Robbie, a shortened version of my maiden name.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about working out at The Strength Collective?
A: Everyone is friendly, supportive and soon feel like family. #fitfam

We’re so proud of how hard you’re working and how far you’ve come! Thank you for being a part of our fit fam!

I want to share a crazy idea with you today…

It’s the concept that truth and reality don’t really exist.

Think about it. Two people could perceive and experience the EXACT same scenario in two totally different ways.

For example, let’s say you have two working moms who know they need to lose weight and increase their strength so they can live longer and have more confidence.

One of those moms could BELIEVE with her whole heart that she’s too tired and too busy, leading her to continue skipping her workouts and picking up convenience food rather than cooking.

The other mom might see it as an exciting challenge. She might move the puzzle pieces of her life around to make it work and successfully complete her goal.

This stuff happens all the time, and it simply comes down to perspective.

So, what’s the solution?

I believe we should always question and challenge our own truths.

See things from different perspectives.

Challenge your beliefs.

Ask yourself, “Has anyone else in my situation ever accomplished what I want to accomplish?”

If the answer is yes, you can do it too – all it takes is switching your perspective and changing the story.

Curious as to how this resonates with you – would love for you to comment, and let me know!

September’s Member of the Month is Eddie Peters! Ed is a 38 year old computer scientist and has been a member since we opened in July 2018. He’s made a lot of progress in his fitness over the last year! Read more about Ed’s fitness journey below:

Q: What got you started working out?
A: I wanted to lose weight.

Q: How many days per week do you typically work out?
A: 3

Q: What’s your favorite exercise?
A: Chest

Q: What’s your favorite post-workout meal/snack?
A: Steak

Q: What do you find most challenging about working out?
A: Showing up

Q: How do you stay motivated to work out consistently?
A: Knowing what it feels like to be overweight

Q: What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking about starting or just getting started in the gym?
A: It’s never too late

Q: What fitness accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: All of them

Q: Tell us a random fact about yourself that people might not know:
A: I once weighed 320lbs.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about working out at The Strength Collective?
A: The Ownership

Thanks Ed for your support over the last year, and keep up the consistency! We’re proud of you!

Anytime someone comes to work with me for fat loss, there are two things I am listening for.

The motivator and the trigger.

The motivator is their deep WHY. It’s the thing that is driving them to make changes to their health.

Often, it’s something like a new grandchild, fear of getting a lifestyle-related disease, or simply wanting to be more confident and happy in their skin.

There’s no right or wrong why, but the why absolutely be powerful enough to keep you going in the moments you don’t want to eat well or get up and exercises.

The trigger is different. The trigger often leads to the motivator.

Triggers tend to be specific events that spur action…

A scary report from your doctor.

Observing the early death of a family member.

Having the realization in a dressing room that you’re no longer the size you thought you were and the shame of having to ask for a bigger size from the rack.

Whatever the trigger event is, it leads to motivation.

Temporarily, motivation will lead to action.

So, if we have a trigger event that leads to motivation, why not just assume all is well and you’ll be motivated enough to achieve your goals?

Because the truth is that motivation, no matter how serious the trigger event, never lasts.

What I want you to take from this is that ACTION is the only way forward. Action yields results and increased motivation is a byproduct.

Not feeling motivated to exercise? Do it anyway. The motivation will follow as you get results.

I’m curious, , what are your experiences with this? Comment and let me know!

P.S. If you need ongoing motivation, action, and accountability to stick with your health and fitness goals, we’ve got you. Simply click here to let us know you’re ready for a no pressure chat about what you can do to start getting healthier and leaner right now. 

One of the most powerful ways to not only stay committed to your fitness and health routine but to actually fall in love with it is by supporting and recruiting those you care about to join you.

Less than 7% of people in the western world are “chronic exercisers” – meaning they’re consistent with exercise multiple days per week for an unending timespan.

That’s sad and scary.

But one of the ways to ensure you get into the 7% is to lift up those around you.

Lead them to join you in health. Recruit them in your mission to make everyone and everything in your life stronger, happier, and more vibrant.
Don’t let them buy their own excuses (and you don’t buy your own either).

Because you know you love and care about those who are close to you.

You want the best for their health, strength, confidence, and more.

Start the change and be the change.

Take them by the hand and ensure that you and those you love never sit on the sidelines of life again.

And of course, if you want to become part of a community and movement of change that’s ready to fully embrace and support you, email us at info@strengthcollectivegalesburg.com and let us know so we can have a chat.

We’ve got you.

The mindset and perspective with which you approach your health and fitness journey can have a huge impact on your results and ability to sustain your results over time. 

You may have heard this phrase before, and it’s absolutely true: 

“Workout because you love your body not because you hate it.” 

If you take action from a place of self-loathing and wanting to fix something that you perceive as “broken,” you may find the motivation initially to get some results, but the likelihood of sustaining those results is extremely small. 

Instead, it is critical that you adopt the perspective of taking care of your health and your body because you love yourself. We get one body and one life…what a waste to not give it our best! 

Benefits include: confidence, better sleep, more intimacy, prolonged lifespan, avoidance of lifestyle related diseases…to name a few. 

So, find that drive and desire to take care of the one body you’re so lucky have and give it your very best. 

You with me?

Waiting to strength train until you’re at your goal weight seems like a good plan in theory, but in reality you’re holding yourself back from even better results by waiting. 

If the only thing that matters to you is the number on the scale, then go ahead and just do cardio and diet. Just know that it’s going to get harder and harder to lose those “last 5 pounds” and LOOK the way you want to without muscle. 

There’s 3 main benefits to strength training when your goal is fat loss:

1. Weight training boosts your metabolic rate for longer than cardio alone does. This means you burn more calories for 24-48 hours after a strength training session than you do after a cardio session. 

2. When you lose weight cardio and/or diet alone, you lose muscle along with fat. This causes your metabolism to slow down more and more, so you have to eat less and less or increase your cardio continually to keep losing weight. This is why you end up eating very little and still aren’t able to lose weight. 

3. If you want to look “toned” you have to strength train. With (relatively) heavy weights. There’s no difference between toning and muscle building. It’s all the same. When you lose weight without strength training, you usually end up the same shape you were when you were overweight, just smaller. You need weights to change the shape of your body!

Don’t waste your time doing just cardio and diet now- it will just make things harder for you later! If you want to get started with strength training, but you’re feeling lost or intimidated, email info@strengthcollectivegalesburg.com to schedule a strategy session to help get you on the right track.

There was a time when cardio was all the rage. It was the center of the fitness industry for decades, but oh how times have changed!

Today, muscle is coveted. And fairly recently, for the first time, women strive for the athletic, muscular look of an athlete over being thin.

And you know what? I think this is awesome! Not just because it shows how we are evolving but because there are tremendous benefits to carrying more muscle mass (and less body fat).

You see…life has changed A LOT in the last century. Day to day life once involved physical labor, which is great for building and maintaining muscle. But because the world doesn’t work that way anymore, it’s very easy for humans to be low on muscle mass and high in body fat. It doesn’t look good when you’re young and it’s detrimental to your health, vitality, and mobility when you’re older.

As I see it, here are the top 5 benefits of building and maintaining muscle mass:

1. Increased metabolic efficiency – when you hold more muscle, your body needs higher amounts of energy to survive. Muscle is 3-5x more metabolically active at rest, which means muscle tissue burns significantly more calories at rest than fat.

2. Improved insulin sensitivity – this means more control over blood sugar levels and lower instances of diabetes. You’ll also have better blood glucose control. So, less dietary glucose (sugar) will store as body fat and you’ll have more energy overall.

3. Fight sarcopenia – this is age-related muscle loss. This actually starts around the age of 30, but you can reverse and prevent it by hitting the weights. So, if you want to get around the when you’re older, not shrink in height, and be strong rather than frail, work to build muscle and keep it! Use it or lose it!

4. Avoid disease – we all know that excess body fat causes a variety of serious health conditions. One of the best ways to keep fat off is by building muscle. And in doing so, you can avoid potentially deadly conditions like stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and many others. Are you doing all you can to avoid lifestyle-related disease?

5. Gives you confidence – when you have more muscle you have less body fat, and it should be no surprise that it’s a huge confidence booster! This confidence will spread across all areas of your life, as a better version of YOU emerges. You’ll inspire those around you as you become more positive, fearless, and proud of the body you’ve created.

So you might be wondering…what’s the best way to build and keep muscle?

First thing is first – you MUST be lifting! Here at The Strength Collective, we are experts at designing safe and effective programs that will have you growing your muscle mass to result in all the benefits above and more!

Other important factors include proper nutrition that supports building muscle, sleep, hydration, stress management, and mobility work. If you or someone you know has been putting off the exercise or maybe even fearing building muscles (ahem, ladies!), I hope you see how essential it is. Not just for now but for your future as well. So much of what we face when we’re older can be prevented by the choices we make now.

So, if you’re currently training in one of our programs consistently…BRAVO! You’re giving yourself a gift every time you walk through our doors, so don’t forget that! Who can you forward this email to/share this post with who NEEDS to hear this message? Our future and current health and happiness depend on it.

If you’re not actively working on building or maintaining muscle, I ask you, for the sake of your future self, to come in and have a chat with one of our expert coaches. It will change every aspect of your life from how you feel when you look in the mirror to potentially how long you live and with what quality of life. Don’t put it off. You deserve your best. Just email us at info@strengthcollectivegalesburg.com so we can get in touch.