Meet Client, Anna B. - resident Tabata Dancer, Jokester and KickA$$ Transformation

Tell us a little bit about you, your athletic/fitness background, your fitness routine and what you currently follow:

Before training with the IronPlate team I had periodically joined gyms or started a fitness routine that would basically start about a month before a major event (vacation, wedding, high school reunion) and would swiftly end it the day the event occurred. I have always hated working out and i have always especially hated dieting (who doesn’t)?… so I just never really made either a part of my lifestyle. 

Now I typically do anywhere between 2-3 60 minute training sessions a week with the IronPlate team.  Honestly, besides that I rarely make it to the gym due to my schedule and sheer laziness. But that is why having training sessions work so well for me. Knowing that I am being held accountable helps me work out. Having to make an appointment for sessions that I have spent money on with a person who is relying on me to be there forces me to do the thing I hate doing but know I have to work out!

What prompted you to start training?

I had been in school for a very long time and because of that I never had time, and even more so - never had the money to train. This year I am finally comfortable financially and was turning 30 and I knew that if I didn't start getting in shape now it would only get more difficult as time when on - it was basically now or never. I also knew that if I didn't do it with a trainer that I would never get serious about getting in shape and just joining a gym or taking a class would let me fall back into my old work out habits. 

What is your favorite part of training?

Honestly, I still hate working out! But getting a trainer changed my life and now I love to sweat and jump and not be able to walk down the stairs after an hour session. I also love that i get to walk in, do the job and walk out and know that it was a meaningful session, I worked my ass off, and now it’s done and I can finally go home and sit on the couch without feeling guilty. But also I like the difference i am seeing in my body. I may hate working out, but i love that I don't have a stomach hanging over my jeans any more, or that I feel comfortable wearing a tank because my arms look toned. It’s the confidence that I have gained that makes training great.  OH YEA AND THE TRAINERS ROCK! and they laugh at my stupid jokes.  (We do, we especially love Anna’s Tabata dance, and the Eagle moves).  

Do you follow any type of specific nutritional program?  Why/Why not?  What does it entail?

IronPlate may not want to include this section of the Q&A because it basically goes against all nutritional advice (yes, we embrace your sheer honesty, but some girls reading this may hate you!) - but I do not follow a nutritional program. I tried it for about 3 weeks and it was exhausting and hard to keep up with - oh yea and I freaking hated it. There is nothing I love more in this world than chocolate and bread and I wasn't about to give it up for any amount of weight loss or toned arms. I actually wont even tell you guys what I eat on a regular basis because my trainer would kill me! (I’m laughing as I include this part, Anna) - One good thing though, I did start eating breakfast since starting the program which I hear is like healthy or something like that (you are too much, and this is why we love you). Also, a word of advice - I probably would be a ton more in shape and have lost a lot more weight if I did stick to the nutritional program and I encourage anyone with even an ounce more will power than me to go for it. 

What motivates you?

I did start seeing results relatively quickly, and while I do hate the process of working out, seeing the results is addicting and makes you just want to get to your next session to continue seeing greater results. 

How do you feel training at IronPlate has benefited you?

The greatest thing about training with the ladies at IP is the confidence I have gained with my body. Within one week of training I had already gotten stronger. I also like that each of the trainers are different in their style, which keeps me on my toes, and is also something that I don't think you get to experience with having just one trainer. And I do feel equally comfortable with each of them. 

How do you feel your body has changed and transformed?

I was asked what my goals were when I started. I was not necessarily looking to lose weight, although if I did it would be a welcomed effect. Mostly my goal was to tone my body, tighten the flab, and build a booty. Although I'm sure not following the nutritional plan is slowing down that process, I can say I am excited so far with my results, and people constantly comment that I look thinner even though I haven't lost a pound. But I have toned up substantially and had to buy new clothes because my old ones were loose on me. Most of all, the booty is building! Oh yea and I wore my prom dress this weekend to a wedding, a dress I wore when I was 17. I just turned 30 two weeks ago (see photo below) - so I would say its going well. 

Any advice for those out there not training and mulling it over and over waiting for the "right time?"

There is no right time, its like buying a dog or having a baby. Its just something you need to make the decision to do and stick with it. We are always going to be busy, have vacations and work trips, be tight on cash, get home late. I can use any of those excuses but in reality if I want to get in shape I was just going to have to make the time if it was important to me, just like anything else in life. Looking back I wish I had done it sooner, waaaaaaaay sooner. 

There’s a Reason they call them “Love Handles” by Kara G.

Hey all. For those who read my intro post, I’m sure the picture I painted of myself leaves you doubtful I’ll ever put the Ben & Jerry’s down long enough to get my stretchy pants-clad ass on the path to good health, but the sad truth is, I know what it feels (and looks) like to be in shape.  Let’s travel back in time together to my wedding day. An absolutely beautiful, picturesque summer day—one I will truly never forget. I am so happy I can look back at the photos and admire the breathtaking beach scenes, my handsome husband, loving family and amazing friends. I’m also incredibly happy to have concrete proof that there was actually a time I had a small waist, defined arms and a flat stomach. Now back to real time, circa 2014, where unfortunately those body parts are now prefaced with much less appealing adjectives like flabby, saggy, bloated, and—well, you get the gist. I’d love to blame my husband for all of this, because let’s face it, what sane woman would actually blame themselves for their weight gain, but the truth is, he had little, if anything to do with it. He actually likes to eat healthy (weirdo) and even if I made him a pile of bean sprouts for dinner, he’d eat it with a smile—I’m not kidding, he’s that easygoing. He’s one of those freaks of nature that will take out a package of Oreos, carefully pull two out and then roll the bag back up and put it away. Again, I’m not kidding, these people really exist. 

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and if that’s true, then my first few years of marriage, cooking up all the comfort food he could handle, certainly cemented my place in my husband’s heart—as well as plenty of extra insulation to my ass and thighs. I had been laid off shortly before our wedding, so once we moved in together and I had more free time than I knew what to do with, I threw myself into trying to be “the perfect wife,” spending hours cleaning until there wasn’t a speck of dust to be found, cooking HUGE homemade meals every night (if I went to the trouble of preparing and cooking it, then I should be eating half, right?) and food shopping for all his (a.k.a. my) favorites. But my Martha Stewart act only kept me occupied for so long before boredom and all my extra “love weight” began to take its toll. 

Some people say you should never let your work define you, but I’m guessing those same people were never laid off for eight months straight living in a 600-square foot apartment, where I can literally reach the refrigerator while still sitting in my desk chair. At first, it was nice having some time off—I could go to the gym whenever I wanted, the house had never been cleaner, and I had plenty of time to catch up with old friends and do those annoying tasks you never seem to get around to with a full-time job, like organizing your sock drawer or restocking your medicine cabinet. I felt free, determined and excited to embark on my next adventure with a clean slate. So I fired off hundreds of resumes, got in touch with former colleagues, bought myself a new suit for interviews and waited; and waited, and waited some more. But all that came were rejections, cloaked in attempted cheer—“We don’t have anything right now unfortunately, but we’ll definitely keep your resume on file for when we do,” and “We really liked you, but decided to fill the position internally” or my personal favorite, “We feel you may have too much experience for the position and are overqualified.” And so on, and so on. I had phone interviews almost daily, went into the city on a weekly basis, and still nothing. My full-time job became looking for a job; and after awhile that fire that had been lit inside me when I was first laid off, started to burn out. 

I felt lost and out of control. I had entirely too much free time to sit around and think about what I was doing wrong or why I wasn’t good enough to get one of these positions. I felt like I was in slow motion, trying to run through quicksand. The sadder I got, the more I ate—bingeing on cookies, ice cream or whatever junk I could get my hands on. I had even resorted to waiting until my husband went to bed and then sitting out in the living room and “relaxing” a.k.a. shoveling down whatever treats I had bought myself at the grocery store or picked up from a fast food joint on the way home. What started out as an exciting journey full of possibilities had turned into a tiresome voyage with no end in sight; and before I knew it, I was right back to square one—all 37 pounds right back where they started (insert any body part capable of jiggling here).

Lesson of the day: Job loss+ tiny apartment=love handles. 

Tales of a Dieting Disaster by Kara G.

Hi all!  I want to introduce to you, Kara G.  Kara is taking the IronPlate Challenge and going to follow our nutritional and training guidance over the course of the next several months, and guess what - write about it for you on our blog!  We are super excited to have her on board.  Think of her as our very own resident IronPlate guinea pig.  She's thrilled to share with you her woes, her measurements and her lightbulb moments to give you all a perspective on what it takes to transform: from the inside out.  So enough said, here's Kara!

Hi everyone.  I’m Kara, a 30-something freelance writer and professional yo-yo dieter, currently 30-something pounds overweight. Over the course of my life I’ve lost over 300 pounds—granted it was the same 30 pounds 10 times, and have tried (and failed at) just about every diet and  weight loss plan imaginable. Seriously, if dieting was an Olympic sport, I’d be a gold medalist by now. There was the low-carb diet—which ended about a week in when my husband came out of the bathroom to find me maniacally eating the French Bread pizza he’d heated for himself, the 7-day-cleanse which collapsed on day 4 after I cried myself to sleep because I could only eat bananas and milk;  and my personal favorite, the grapefruit diet, which ended in a fit of rage when my husband had the nerve to come home still smelling like the Chinese food he’d thoughtfully eaten in his car on the way home and I went absolutely postal.  He swears to this day my head actually spun all the way around. It may have been that exact meltdown that earned me the nickname Gizmo—cute, warm and fuzzy—until I get hungry, and then watch out for my inner Gremlin. That was also the same day that my husband informed me if I went on one more crash diet he and the dog were moving out. He also suggested (while hiding behind our bedroom door) that I try channeling my weight loss struggles into something constructive, like a blog, and since I’m about a stuffed crust pizza away from the point of no return, here I am. Ready to share my ups (and hopefully) downs with all of you. Stay tuned!

Team IronPlate Studios Kicks A$$ at HoBOOken5K!

Nothing like a little IronPlate love on a Sat morning. IronPlate Torturess, Caitlin H., took IronPlate Men, Matt M. and Ed G., on a run for their lives at the HoBOOken 5K this past Sat, October 25.  What fun!  

Torturess and her Team!

My IronPlate Fitness Journey by IronPlate Client, Jennifer Belser

Despite the frequent urging of my mom, I never worked out in my life. I was a cheerleader in HS, but wouldn’t consider myself athletic by any means, and was able to fake my HS gym teachers out when it came to running the mile, and would walk so slow, it would seem as if I did 4 laps, but I probably jogged 1 and walked the last 2, finishing in about 15 minutes, so it seemed “normal”. 

The fitness bug hit my Mom in about the year 2000, when I graduated college, but it never hit me. I would listen to her get up before work and clear out our living room so she could do her workout videos and I would hear her huffing and puffing away. Later on, after I moved out, she got a gym membership at Gold’s. She was able to convince me to go take a class with her only once. After that class and not being able to walk for 3 days, I never went again. 

Jen and her Mom

I never struggled with my weight very much and am relatively lucky in that regard. I could definitely fluctuate about 15lbs up or down, and at my heaviest, I may have been “voluptuous” and “curvaceous”, but I was never “fat”.  I was also extremely out of shape and ate whatever I wanted. 

I lost my Mom 4 years ago to cancer. She was extremely dedicated to fitness and health, and even during her grueling chemotherapy treatments, would wake up and exercise and do what she could. She even had plans to retire in 2016 and pursue fitness as a job, encouraging baby-boomers to get and stay fit, like her. Losing her continued to keep me out of the gym, as the machines, the mere idea of exercise, would remind me of all the opportunities I had to spend time with her and had missed. 

When I turned 35 last year, I knew that something was going to have to change. I couldn’t continue to be lethargic, eat whatever I wanted, be tired all the time and not feel as good about myself as I knew I could. I never understood the “once you to go to the gym and work out, you’ll feel so much better!” mentality. I hated it. I felt awkward, I didn’t know what exercises to perform, and I didn’t like people watching me, or worse, judging me.  But I knew that I had to take a leap and do something out of my comfort zone. At 35, I wanted to give myself the opportunity to look and feel better than I ever had before, and I knew it was time to put in some work. 

Jen on a typical Monday morning - "leg day"

After doing some research, I came across Kristin’s website, and thought that it seemed like a great fit. The idea of working out in a private space where I could learn and grow was ideal. I went in for a consultation in April of 2013 and signed up for 20 sessions on the spot. Since then,  I have not stopped!! Kristin worked with me, starting slow and assessing my strength levels as well as my ultimate goals and body type. I do a hybrid type of workout which consists of some traditional bodybuilding type of exercises with weights, as well as mixing in some metabolic and plyometric training to get my heart rate up. This is ideal for me because I love the idea of being strong, and I have realized that I love to throw around some weight! Who knew!?

What I love about working out with Kristin is that I know each workout will be different.  If I’m feeling tired, we can go lighter or switch things up, but if I want to test my limits, she’s happy to oblige me.  Now, I’m around the same weight as when I started to work out, but my lean muscle has increased, my body fat has decreased, and when I’m compliant with a good diet (I know, it’s hard, but abs are made in the kitchen!), I even have a visible 4 pack if I flex. 

My fitness journey is only just beginning, but I owe it to Kristin and IronPlate for giving me the tools to work with. My Mom is my inspiration, and I workout with her in mind every time I hit the gym, pick up a weight, or step on the treadmill. I use her weight gloves when I lift and it allows me to feel closer to her. Even after her passing, working out with Kristin has allowed me to have a continuing bond to my Mom, and that is priceless. 

Lean, ripped and fit!

Sinead D., IronPlate Bride, Not-so-American Woman!

Sinead D., came to IronPlate a few months before heading off to her Motherland of Ireland to get hitched to her Down Under Groom.  Sinead, an amazing and natural athlete and yogi, pulled it together and has been a delight to train.  We still get the pleasure of training  Sinead post-wedding and honeymoon, and all during the build out of her latest project (name to be disclosed only by her!), a fantastic NYC Yoga Studio to be launched in 2015.  

Sinead embodies what every bride does – great definition, leanness and feminine athleticism!  We heart you, girl!  

IronPlate torturess completes first Tough Mudder!

Throwing a big shout-out to IronPlate Trainer/Torturess, Caitlin Harrington, for completing her first ever Tough Mudder this past weekend in Upstate, NY. Going in worried she might not come out, Caitlin killed it with ease and is now excited to put together Team IronPlate for 2015 (and even I’m scared!).  Congratulations Cait for being a fit beast, and inspiring the rest of us at IronPlate to do our best and KICK ASS!

Best bridal biceps ever: IronPlate bridge Danielle R!

We work with a lot of brides.  A lot of really great brides.  But this girl takes the proverbial wedding cake.  Best transformation to date with a body that was stage ready.  Danielle R., kicked it into high gear 3x/week at IronPlate for months training like a body builder, ate clean (and complained the whole way through), but the results and hard work shows!  

Best of luck to Danielle and her new life!  XO

We are growing!

IronPlate Studios is excited to announce that we have moved to a bigger and better home at studio C408 at the Monroe Center.

Now with TWO private training studios, a private nutrition counseling office, changing station and waiting nook, we are bigger and better than ever!

Stay tuned for more offers, news and exciting details of our new digs (as well as details on our Grand Opening Party) and by all means, email us at info@ironplatestudios.com for more information or to book your first session or consult.

JK, Newly hitched and throwing us a little LOVE here at Iron Plate!

What can I say, I have a soft spot for JK since I’ve been working with her and her man, MC, on and off for years now.  When she came to me and said she was getting MARRIED, I almost dropped a kettlebell on my head, but hey, I was up for the task.  One of the most hard working, never satisfied (in a good way) and un-bride-like ladies I know, we had a great time kicking la derriere in the studio.

And the best part of my job is getting a photo like this…  makes it all worthwhile!  Mwah!

COLBY: Getting down to business for Wedding Day!

Colby came to me almost a year ago with big goals of looking amazing for her August 10, 2013 Wedding Day, and just like that, it’s here!  With a lot of blood, sweat, breaks and tears she killed it in the gym and her kitchen and is now 6 days out of walking down the aisle (with her super nice fiance who joined us periodically for some butt-kicking!).  Not only is she walking away with a great husband, but she is walking away with a wealth of knowledge on proper nutrition, meal prep and training which will last her a lifetime – though I do anticipate more questions from her in the future :)  Best of luck, Colby! 

XOXO,
Iron Plate Studios

IRON PLATE: What does it mean?

In June 2011, the Food Pyramid was sent on it’s merry way and with it came the start of the new MyPlate; a simpler way to be more mindful in the foods that we choose.  Here at IronPlate Studios, we are a group of personal trainers AND Registered Dietitians (and Sports Dietitians / CSSD) that believe in combining strength/weight training and “training hard” (the Iron in IronPlate) with proper food choices and “clean eating” (and the Plate in IronPlate).   We believe it’s a synergistic mesh between the two that gets people the results they want; a lean, tight physique, a healthy weight and a strategy for a healthful life. 

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