My Journey to Opening Fitness Excel

I have had many people ask me how I got into the fitness industry. The short answer…. I get relief from my overactive mind when I move my body. I fell in love with the benefits that I got from a good, hard workout. 

Growing up I was always told to “sit still” Ha! That was an impossible task for me. My mind and body wanted to run, not walk…much less sit still. I played sports and was fortunate to grow up on a working farm so activities were plenty. It wasn’t until I started “adulting” that I realized that I needed to carve time out of my day and prioritize exercise in order to stay focused and balanced. I bought an elliptical machine and used it every day after work. That did the trick for a while, but as you can imagine, I got bored of that and needed something more, so I joined a big box gym. I would take classes because I was unfamiliar with weight training and the classes were comfortable enough for me to keep coming back. 

At the age of 21 I gave birth to my first of five kiddos. Obviously this changed my life and routine drastically. It didn’t take long before I realized that I needed to find a new way to move my body. I got myself a jogging stroller, strapped on my Rollerblades :) and wore the wheels out. One baby turned into two within thirteen months. I upgraded to a double jogging stroller and invested in many exercise VHS to do in my living room (with babies crawling on me most of the time). I eventually figured out a schedule that got me back into the gym. 

Fast forward about 10 years, all the while doing whatever I could to get my workouts in every day with five kids and their crazy schedules, I walked into a non-traditional gym that had cross training classes. These classes had all the weights, heavy med balls, sand bags, box jumps, pull up bars….. and an instructor leading the class on what to do and how to use the weights!! It was love at first class! I was obsessed with the results I got. The endorphins surging, the stress relief I felt, and eventually the muscles and strength that I gained from this type of workout. I took as many classes as I could, sometimes twice in one day (as your trainer I do not recommend two a days:). I hired a trainer who gave me nutritional guidance and that’s when my physique really started to change. My confidence in the gym started to grow and I wanted to share this wonderful state of being with anyone who would listen. I wanted them to feel as good as I was feeling. 

I decided to get certified as a personal trainer. I started out training friends and family. I had a ton to learn but they were gracious, and we had a good time together figuring it out. From there I surrounded myself with like minded people, got a job at a fitness studio and then another and another until it was time for me to open my own studio. All the while learning so much from my fellow trainers, but mostly learning from my clients. My clients have always been the ones who have helped me learn and grow in this industry. Everyone is unique. Each individual comes to me with different goals, different roadblocks, and different reasons for why they need my guidance. Their goals become my goals. In my career life, there is nothing better than my client’s successes, big and small. I love celebrating every single win that each client has! I could go on and on about that part of my “job”....but that is for a different time. 

Best in health,

Adria Lombardi