The May session of our Group Personal Training classes is now complete and we’re looking for up to 12 motivated people to join the next session in September! We had a great 12 weeks this time around:

• One Gorilla Team (with a muscle-gain goal) had a new all-time weight gain record of 24 lbs (nearly 20 POUNDS of which was pure lean muscle mass!!!),
• Another Gorilla Team saw a member gain nearly 15 lbs during the 12 weeks, with several others also shooting up by nearly 10 lbs!
• Everyone logged big gains in strength, and many noted that they actually lost body fat in the process!
• Our Gazelle Team also did great, with several group members dropping 10 lbs, improving their strength, endurance, and muscle tone while saying they were eating more than before!

Here’s what one Gazelle member had to say after the group:

“I enjoyed the group dynamic more than I expected. In the gym, I am much more of a private person and prefer one-on-one attention so I was intimidated at first to begin. Although many members of our group did not always participate, the ones who I was fortunate to meet with on a regular basis were very supportive and insightful. I loved seeing others have similar struggles to me and providing me with guidance as to how they are working towards their fitness goals. Being accountable for both workouts and food to not just one person kept me motivated to not fall behind the group…I was impressed that even doing the body weight exercises I did not lose but GAINED strength when I went back to lifting weights. I also was very happy with the amount of push-ups I was able to do. I more than doubled the amount I could do from my knees and am able to do some partial push-ups from my toes.. looking forward to being able to do a full range of motion from my toes in the near future! I was very pleased that I was able to drop 10 pounds on the program and was most satisfied with how my arms looked. I was very nervous no longer doing set days for arms and shoulders so was very pleased when I began to notice more definition in those areas despite not training them in isolation!… 

My nutrition habits have changed a lot since I began the program. I was a big user or oils and thought it was the healthy thing to do! I have learned how to cook without the use of oils and am shocked by how much better I feel without them. I am more prepared for the week with pre-made meals and no longer get strong cravings for takeout (my biggest weakness) which has saved me money and has better allowed me to track my protein, calorie, fat and carb intake… 

 Derek was extremely informative and well-read and was able to answer all my many questions efficiently and effectively. In my small, isolated province there is not many vegans, let alone ones that love to strength train, so having the opportunity to learn from one first hand was wonderful. I have been introduced to a world-wide vegan “family” that I intend to use to continued support and guidance. Meeting Derek, those in my group, and seeing posts on facebook about other vegan fitness enthusiasts keeps reminding me of why I chose this lifestyle and gives me the positive reinforcement I need in a world where the vast majority don’t understand and criticize my way of living. It is wonderful to have that kind of support…

I would most definitely recommend it to a friend/family member. Being accountable to a group for your food and exercise habits and having a network of support is wonderful!”

So what is this group personal training business, anyway?! Here’s the breakdown: 

For $30/week, you get:

• Weekly one hour group consultations via Skype
• E-mail communication
• Food journal review (bi-weekly)
• Your workout routine will be updated as you progress
• Nutrition guidelines, resource guide, and 2 week sample meal plan
• Access to the member-only portal, including our video library of exercise demonstrations, workout routines, and more!
• Sessions last 12 weeks

Still more details can be found here!

We are also proud to announce that we’ve brought two new trainers on board so we can spread the whole foods, plant-based muscle message even further!! Will LaNicca and Max Seabrook are both former clients of ours who have demonstrated fantastic work ethic, passion, and done exceptionally well with their programs – so we invited them to join the team! For the past two 12 week sessions we’ve had to turn away enthusiastic applicants due to lack of space, so we’re really excited that having these guys on board will allow us to train many more groups, and I will be able to sit in on many meetings and meet many more of you reading this! If you want to read more about Max and Will, check out their trainer bios here! 

Training begins the first week of September, and we have several applicants who weren’t able to join the last round at the top of our roster so space may be limited! If you’re interested in signing up for any of the available time slots below, please email us as soon as you can with your top 2-3 appointment time preferences, as well as whether you’d prefer to be on Team Gazelle (Lose weight, get fit!) or Team Gorilla (get BIG and strong!):

Mondays, starting September 2nd at 5pm EST

Wednesdays, starting September 4th at 5pm EST (Gorilla only)

Thursdays, starting September 5th at 5pm EST

Saturdays, starting September 7th at 4pm EST

Again, to reserve your spot, please contact us as soon as you can and if you aren’t available at any of the above times go ahead and  contact us with some times you are available – if we get 3 or more requests we may be able to open an additional group!