Before and After Pictures
See the About page for "Jennifers Success Story"
Pete's Story
When my fiancé at the time and her mom joined a boot camp/Kettlebell class I thought too myself… “good luck” at that point in my life I had all but given up on the athletic lifestyle I once lead, little did I know how my life was about to change. After their first class Michelle said that the instructor wanted men in the class too, it wasn’t just for women. I was skeptical, but was impressed with Michelle’s enthusiasm towards working out even though she could barely move the next day as she was so sore. I wanted to support her, and prove that this workout wasn’t as tough as she made it out to be, so I decided to try it out. I pushed myself as hard as I could… thought I was going to puke… and I too could barley even move the next day, but I was hooked. As I continued to follow Jen’s instruction the level of training got harder, but my ability to get through it became easier and the pain almost seemed to disappear and was replaced with an adrenaline rush like I had never felt before. I have been athletic my whole life, playing sports and working out in gyms, but nothing has ever given me results like Jen’s classes. After only a few weeks I was beginning to feel like an athlete again, I decided to improve my diet and get into running to see if I could loose some weight before my wedding which was a few months away. Once Jen heard about my goals she began to take a personal interest in my success, unlike a typical gym where their main concern is your money, Jen is more interested in your results and seeing you stick with it. Jen is a truly unique instructor, she has an ability to motivate people, not by being one of those hard ass drill sergeant types, but by making people feel good about them selves and believe that they can accomplish their goals if they work hard for it. Her studio feels more like a family than a business, the support all the members give each other is great motivation to come back day after day, and is one of the contributing factors to the results seen by every member. This was never more evident than when Michelle and I had our Stag and Doe, Jen put up our poster and made it her mission to get as many people to support us as possible. Of all the friends and family that came out to support our event, no group was larger or seemed to have a better time than the group from Make it Happen. Here I am a married man only 5 months later, 50lbs lighter with a whole new outlook on life, it is all thanks to Jen, she truly has changed my life and if you give her the opportunity she can change yours too, you’ve got nothing to loose… except for some nasty fat… Come on, Make it Happen!
- Pete Hildebrand
Before
After
I AM NOT OVERWEIGHT!!!
Well, it’s been a long journey full of hard work, buckets of sweat, motivation and determination. It’s also been full of tough times, including feeling unmotivated, wanting to give up and being sick of it all. But through everything over the past 3 years, I have persevered, worked out harder than ever, and have finally reached the “healthy” zone according to BMI. Yippee!!!
I know that I was likely in the healthy zone according to real BMI, but I always wanted it to say healthy based strictly on my height and weight. Now it does. The cut-off is 206 pounds and today I weighed in at 205.8 lbs. That is also down 3.7 pounds for the week.
So man does that feel good. I wanted this for so long and feel ecstatic now that I have reached this amazing milestone. I started my weight loss journey at a weight I can’t even fathom. I’m guessing I was around 380 lbs at my heaviest. I don’t even know because I was too heavy for any scales. My official heaviest weight was 3 months later at the YMCA and I weighed a whopping 356. So I am officially down 150 pounds but likely more like 170 to 175 pounds. Crazy right?
So my biggest changes came just in last 2 months. I was running all the time but had been stuck around 225 to 230 pounds for the longest time. Then I came across Kettlebells with a trainer named Tina from Kettlebells Niagara. I was hooked. I enjoyed the workout and though most people progress rather slowly (and safely), I wanted to prove to myself that I can quickly progress, lift more weight and do more than anyone. I guess you could say I am a little competitive. I started going 3 times a week, but then I still felt like I could do more. So I started looking into other trainers. I got hooked up with a trainer named Chris in St. Catharines who runs outdoor boot camps. I went there and enjoyed them as well. I then set up with yet another trainer who ran some boot camps. So I was now seeing 3 trainers and paying about $60 a week for 5 sessions. That adds up pretty quickly and I was already thinking of who I would need to drop in order to keep my finances in order as well. Then I got a Groupon notification for this Kettlebell studio called Make it Happen. It was 5 sessions for $39. I thought that was pretty cheap and I saw they had several training classes and it was closer to home. I decided to go for it. I went in and met the owner/trainer Jennifer Hintenburger. She was super nice and I felt comfortable right away. Then the work out happened. Wow I wasn’t comfortable after that, but in a good way. I have been pretty darn fit but this workout wiped me (in a good way). I left feeling that exercise nausea/euphoria wash over me. That is what I crave. So I ended up purchasing a 3 month package that gave unlimited sessions. Man do I take advantage of that, I go everyday! It’s is intense everyday and I also challenge myself everyday to do more than the last day.
So I quit the outdoor boot camps though I felt so bad about it because the trainers were super nice, and I decided to focus on the 2 Kettlebell places. I go to Make it Happen 6 times a week and am just going to Kettlebells Niagara on Sundays. Both are amazing places and offer different things, but for my money and intensity I am very happy with Make It Happen. I attribute my recent crazy weight loss to it. In the last month and half I have lost 25 lbs. I have been going to make it happen for about 3 and a half weeks. I love it! I also am thinking about going into the sport/competition aspect of Kettlebells. I know, I didn’t know that existed either! But I think I might do that to further progress myself, build strength and find an outlet for my competitive side. I am so competitive I always watch people and see if I can top them. There’s one young guy at Make It Happen who I watch what he lifts and I try to do it myself. I don’t expect to be stronger than him or catch up to him overnight, but the weight increases I have been making in just a few short weeks is getting me closer and closer. Some exercises I am already doing the same weight, but others ones like shoulder exercise (I hate lifting my hands or anything over my head), I have some work to do.
So there it is, not my usual emotional deposit in my notes, but rather for me, a celebration of success and a kick start for what’s to come. My next goal is to be under 200 pounds for the first time in my adult life. I think I can do that in just 2 to 3 weeks. I’ll keep you updated.
So for anyone who ever thought the mountain is too high to climb, or that the work isn’t worth it, I am telling you that it is. Trust me when I tell you that if I can do it, you can. I was never an athlete, never fast and strong, never motivated, and never all that fit, and I changed my life around! You can too. It all comes in small changes. When I started “working out” I literally just walked on a treadmill. I slowly started adding an interval of a little bit faster and then dropping back down. I kept trying to go a little faster until eventually I can do what I can today. I can run a half marathon with no notice whatsoever at anytime. I’ve never done a marathon yet, but I’m pretty confident I could easily. Small changes goes for diet as well. I started by switching to whole wheat breads and pasta, substituting ground turkey for ground beef and tried to not snack as much. Again with diet, it was progression to where I am now. Currently I know (to a degree) almost exactly where my caloric intake is for the day. So you can do it. A little will power and perseverance and you will get what you desire.
So there it is, I am happier and healthier than ever. I still have goals but it’s sure feels good to be officially in a class labelled “healthy”.
What other people are saying
Comments Powered By Trevor Hall Marketing"Training at make it happen is nothing short of awesome. Make it Happen has made me love working out I truly enjoy every class and am honestly disappointed when i have to miss one! I have tried different gyms, workout videos, classes and none have even remotely compared to the training provided by Jen or the atmosphere at Make it Happen , I was hooked after my first class! The workouts are the most challenging and thorough workouts and constantly push me beyond what i thought I was capable of and have provided me with amazing results. The motivation provided by Jen is like nothing you would get at another gym she really cares about every member and it shows in every class. The atmosphere is absolutely amazing there is a camaraderie with all members that makes you feel very comfortable in the class. I have started to do the sport training as well and couldn't ask for a better person to have as a coach. Jen motivates like no other, she makes you feel that the impossible is possible, when your ready to quit she is there encouraging you to go that little bit farther and the sense of accomplishment you get from that is one of the best feelings ever. I am very grateful to be a member of Make it Happen, not only has training there helped me build strength I didn't know I had and a better sense of health and fitness , but it has brought some of the most amazing people into my life that I have had the pleasure of knowing.
Laura Ventresca