Whether the goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, most soon to be married folks change up their routines. I see a lot of men and women sweating their way to a better mental and physical state at the Wall in Manayunk! Kellie from the Wall was actually trained by Julie for her wedding!
Check out some info that Kellie shared with us from The Wall! You can check out more information about The Wall by clicking HERE.
1. Do you offer a pre-wedding specific program?
While The Wall doesn't offer a pre-wedding specific program, we recommend ramping up your fitness routine about 6 months before your wedding. We offer about 40+ classes a week, and find that with regular attendance of 3-4 classes a week and a healthy diet, you'll see results in time for your wedding. We cannot stress enough the importance of a routine and the impact of working out and making healthy choices when it comes to prepping for your big day. We also offer private, personal training sessions where you can workout with a trainer 1-2 times a week that focuses on your main concerns and target those tricky areas brides are most concerned about. Like we tell our brides, wedding photos are forever and we want you feeling your best! Strapless dress? We know just the arm workouts for you! Want a toned butt for your honeymoon? We have lots of tricks to share that will get your booty in shape!
2. Do you see couples coming together or is it mostly just the bride or just the groom?
While we do get the occasional couple that workout together, we find that primarily it's brides coming to us looking to get toned before the big day and for their tropical island honeymoons. We are able to create workouts for grooms, and welcome and encourage couples that want to workout together for their wedding! It adds accountability, it brings couples closer together, and the added competitive aspect of it is great to help people reach their goals!
It feels good to know that the work you put in gives you results that you're proud of, and who better to share that with than your future spouse?! And, who doesn't want to relax and feel good in a bathing suit or away with their spouse for the first time as a married couple?!
3. What is your favorite thing about training people who are prepping for their wedding?
The motivation and dedication they have to changing their physical well-being and their lives! The newly engaged, and those about to get married are so excited, and that happiness is contagious. Our wedding clients bring with them a certain energy that we love; they never miss a workout, they are doing moves on their own at home, and they genuinely are dedicated to their goals.They share with us their struggles and achievements, and it's amazing to share in that. Just because we're in the fitness industry doesn't mean that we've never skipped a workout, or maybe extended that cheat day longer than we should. Our wedding clients remind us that we're all human, working towards improving ourselves, and that we're not alone in our fitness journeys. They take advice well, they improve with each workout, and, we often become good friends with the clients we personally train in private sessions. Sometimes we get invited to their wedding and it's just the icing on the (wedding) cake! It's a really happy time in people's lives and we're always so flattered and thrilled to be a part of their wedding day and their journey. It's one of the most rewarding things to be invited into people's physical journeys, and we don't take that for granted. If working out at 4:00 am is the only time you have, we'll make time to be there right with you.
4. What goals do brides/grooms usually set?
People prepping for their wedding do usually come to us with specific goals of toning up certain areas. We try not to focus on numbers; we find things like "I want to lose x pounds before I walk down the aisle" aren't always the most beneficial when creating goals. What we find to be more important and healthier is working together on your goals, whether that's creating and building muscle, getting stronger or faster, or even just learning how to love working out. It's all about creating a workout and fitness lifestyle that someone will actually enjoy. No one is going to love working out and physical activity if goals are unrealistic and never met. Each person is different and we really make an effort to understand what will work for each person.
We like to get to know our clients, whether they are partnering with us for personal training or group classes, and create reasonable, obtainable goals together. If you're getting up at 5:00 am to workout, we're also getting up with you. If you hate running, we're not going to make you run, but we're going to come up with other cardio activities to you can to make sure you feel good about your physical health when you get married, and the time beyond that. If you are doing group classes with us (and not personal training), then we're going to check in with you and make sure you're getting to class, are developing a routine, etc.
5. Any advice for the recently engaged?
Celebrate! But, don't stray too far from your normal, healthy routine! It's okay (and we do it too!) to celebrate with a few glasses of champagne, but if you have fitness goals, don't forget about them just because you're newly engaged. People will want to celebrate with you, which usually involves drinking and eating out, so stay true to your goals, drink lots of water, don't cancel your next workout, and if you want dessert, maybe order a salad or veggies instead of a side starch everyone once in a while! Cheat days are okay, but don't make it a cheat-week and derail from your goals.
6. What is YOUR personal favorite workout/class that you offer, or another Manayunk studio offers?
We really love Goals Fit and find that they have awesome workouts that compliment what we do in-studio. They get a lot of clients that are new to working out, and they've created a stress-free and anxiety-free environment that keeps you coming back for more. Their drop-in style classes make it easy to find a workout time that works for you, and they are personally invested in their clients goals. We love them and often recommend our brides and grooms to check them out as a way to change it up a bit.