KRISTEN

Body Rock changed my life. Almost two years ago my new friend and co-worker told me about a class she took on Tuesday’s called “Dance Your A$$ Off” that she thought I might enjoy. Hesitant at first because I am terribly uncoordinated due to a childhood illness that left me unable to play at recess and learn basic coordination at gym class. After about a week of putting it off I figured “Why not?” as I am never afraid to try something new. Upon my arrival at Body Rock there was a wall of accomplishments with ‘before and after’ weight loss photos. I started to think this might be the place for me. As I was looking at all these amazing journeys, a woman (who is now my friend) greeted me warmly and introduced herself as we waited for class to begin. Shortly after that, class started. I fumbled the steps, went left when I should’ve gone right but I had fun. Not one person cared I missed a step. It didn’t matter what I did as long as I kept moving and was sweating. After class the majority of the girls came over and greeted me, and said they hoped I’d come back. Kayla and Nicole (the wonderful woman that own Body Rock) talked with me after class, asking about myself and how I likes the class. I had a blast. So much so I kept going back. And eventually tried other classes. For the first time in my life I wasn’t seen for my tattoos, my crazy hair or my piercings. They just saw me as a person that was there to exercise and have fun. I went home that night finally feeling like I belonged somewhere. Everyone at BR is friendly and positive and they have now become my friends. Over the last two years we have all supported each other with our fitness and personal goals. My journey with these amazing people has been life changing. I battled weight and the feeling of not fitting in for as long as I can remember. Even more so battling this in my 20s when I was diagnosed with a binine brain tumor on my pituitary gland. This threw my hormones off and ballooned me up to my biggest weight. Although I loved myself I was lost as how to shed the extra pounds. From my heaviest I’ve lost 50lbs. Most recently 30lbs when I trained and competed in my first ever fitness competition. And I did it all because I had the love, support, guidance and nutritional expertise of Kayla and Nicole. I had my BR family supporting me. I’m 30 years old, and this amazing place has changed my life for the better because of the love and acceptance they have shown me.

MATT & ALISON

My wife, Alison, and I have always enjoyed being active. During the past fifteen years, we moved around frequently and she has always been my workout partner; we even booked vacations to hike the Grand Canyon and Half-Dome. Shortly after moving to RI from Southern California in 2011, our son, Sam, was born and over the next several years there was less walking, more eating and a lot of weight gain. Determined to help me back on track and healthier, Alison signed us up for a 24-day challenge at Body Rock in 2014. The plan worked great and I lost about 20lbs. Unfortunately after the 24 days, I reverted back to poor diet choices and not enough exercise – the weight quickly came back. Another year passed and I was tipping the scale at 267lbs. High blood pressure and nagging back pain was an added bonus to my unflattering physique. I got to the point where I didn’t even want to go for walks with Alison and Sam – I was not happy and I knew it was upsetting to Alison. One day I decided to make a change and started tracking the food that I was eating and set daily calorie and exercise goals. Of course, Alison was right there with me providing the necessary support. It wasn’t long before I began to notice a change and within a few months was down 55lbs. At this point, Alison had been going to Body Rock classes twice- a-week and she kept talking about how much she enjoyed the workouts and that I should give it a try. While I had already lost a good amount of weight, I felt uneasy about committing to a group workout session especially when Alison told me that bikini models were working out the week before. I really thought I needed to get in better shape before taking the plunge. Finally, a few months ago, I mustered up the courage to go with Ali to “Build-A-Booty”. I know it does not sound like a class for a guy, but it was awesome and I was hooked. After a few more classes I remember thinking, why didn’t I come here sooner? The workouts are fantastic; I always leave feeling like I just gave everything I had. The people that workout at BR are awesome and make you feel welcome from day one. I remember after my first class a woman who I have never met or spoken came up to me and said “great job today”. I thought that was really cool and it made me feel good, like I did alright, and I wanted to come back. Most importantly, BR is a place where we can work out as a family and have fun together. On days when one of us is low on motivation, the other is there to provide the needed kick in the pants. The atmosphere is really laid back and nobody minds if our son Sam joins us. Since he can come along, we have no excuse to miss a session. The benefits that I’ve experienced so far have been very positive. I feel better, stronger and have more energy. Body Rock helps me to stay focused and remain committed to my fitness goals. To date, I’ve lost a total of 72 lbs. and more importantly strengthened the areas of my body that previous workouts neglected. Oh yeah, that nagging back pain is completely gone! Well I’m off to another workout. Hope to see you soon!