Denise Schuster

3 Ratings

5.0 out of 5 Stars

• 

  by Fay Hendon on Feb 01, 2021

  Throughout my life I have been active in a fitness routine. However, it was under my own terms doing my own thing...mostly being involved in group classes. These were all good but not good enough. I was always intimidated working out in a gym and uncomfortable using the equipment improperly. I thought it was time to get more serious with my workout. Denise was "assigned" to me as my personal trainer by the club where I work out. I love her style, her professionalism, and her genuine care. She is attentive watching and if necessary correcting my form. I can tell the difference in gaining strength and am becoming more comfortable on the gym floor using the correct form and equipment. Denise has help me build confidence in my workout. The knowledge she has acquired from her studies and advanced certifications all benefit me. I take my time with Denise very serious because I want to do better. She gives me "homework" and I am a good student to follow through with it. I am a firm believer in preventive care and personal training is preventive care for me. I would rather pay for personal training and learn how to take care of my body than pay a doctor for any aches or pains that spring up. I look forward to continuing my training with Denise and taking advantage of her knowledge. :) Fay H.
• 

  by Denise Schuster on Jan 30, 2021

  From Client Karen Bouton

  In 3 sentences or less, can you describe any reservations that you had before we started working together?
  o Didn’t have any reservations but the cost :)

  Can you describe your 1-2 top goals when you started?
  o Lose weight. Specifically 25 pounds.
  o Become physically fit and be able to run or jog again.
  o Improve my knee pain (I have osteo arthritis), and my posture.
  o Improve my golf game – better stamina, longer drives.

  Can you list your achievements with training thus far?
  o Increased strength am able to easily lift my grandkids.
  o Lost 10 pounds and am keeping it off so far.
  o Posture is better and knee pain is completely gone (amazing!!) due to learning correct form from Denise during workouts and building up muscles relating to protecting my knees.
  o Golf game is still a “work in progress”, but I do have longer drives and no knee pain.

  What motivated you to start your fitness journey?
  o Feeling tired, sluggish, out of shape, and over-weight.

  What were some of your goals when you started?
  o See above. Main goal was to become physically fit.

  What are your goals now?
  o To continue the habit of working out – weight training twice a week
  o To increase cardio workouts to 3 times per week and increase the time. Currently only doing once per week. Would like to be able to jog again.
  o To lose another 15 pounds by the spring time.

  · What have been your greatest achievements?
  o The fact that my knees no longer hurt. This is a big motivator for me by the way.

  · What were/are your biggest struggles?
  o I run my own business and my work is very demanding so I would say scheduling the time to go to the gym is my biggest struggle. I found that if I go in the morning I’m more likely to succeed, later in the day it gets busy and I get tired.

  · What advice would you give to new clients/members?
  o Definitely should try working out with a personal trainer and if you do, you have to make a deep personal commitment in order to get the results you’re looking for. I honestly didn’t really realize how much of a difference it would make having a trainer. Denise worked with me, pushed me beyond my comfort zone by increasing weight and reps, and she taught me the types of exercises that are right for me.

  · What were your favorite things about your workouts?
  o I always feel good after my workouts, I sleep better now too. It’s no longer just a workout to me, I see it as part of taking care of myself.
• 

  by Denise Schuster on Jan 30, 2021

  "Prior to working with Denise, I had worked for years to improve my overall health, including quitting unhealthy habits, changing my diet, cleaning up environmental toxins, tons of massage, bodywork, chiropractic, and PT, with a hefty dose of spiritual work and personal development on top of it all. All of the work I’d done prior to working with Denise had been transformative already, yet the one piece I’d never been successful in adding was physical activity, having tried and ended up injured over and over again due to weak connective tissues, and a long history of injuries, combined with overzealous, well-intentioned, but unsupervised workouts. Denise listened to my concerns and moved slowly with me, establishing competency in foundational movements with lighter weights before pushing me beyond what was safe or before challenging my limits. This allowed me to build strength slowly, and to work through the pain and discomfort using my team of bodyworkers to keep me going. Eventually, the initial pain and discomfort of building up muscles I hadn’t paid attention to in years gave way to a new, more balanced, more competent, stronger human being. Now, 18 months later, I feel like I wish I’d known about this whole “working out at a gym” thing for my entire life! I’m stronger in more ways than just physically, my mind is clearer, my ability to manage stress is better, and I have a trusted ally in helping me to achieve whatever new health goals emerge as life goes on. Initially, my goals were mainly around getting stronger, supporting my personal and professional life, and doing right by myself in making smart choices, but over the past year, my aims have become more objective. In January, I set an aim of reducing my body fat percentage by 10%, not knowing if that was even possible, but being willing to do take the actions to do so. Although I have not yet reached my 10% aim yet, I have watched that metric move consistently in the right direction, and I don’t believe I would have gotten there without my girl Denise by my side. As someone who has always struggled to have a healthy relationship with my body, it’s been amazing to experience large and small improvements that make me appreciate more than ever the plasticity of this incredible body I inhabit. I feel like a badass for probably the first time ever. Activities that used to take me out for days or weeks at a time no longer phase me. I climbed up onto a friend’s roof last week - FROM THE GROUND! I can pick up my 4 year old niece and carry her around without injuring myself. Overall, I’ve seen major improvements in every area of my life, and I intend to keep going. If I could, I’d work out with Denise every day, but the results I’ve achieved were because I stayed consistent with my actions, even if that meant only getting in one workout a week a lot of the time. For someone who is really out of shape and considering taking some action around changing that circumstance, I say stop procrastinating and do it! Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you." Lauren Robertson