Dover Personal Trainer at Breakthrough Personal Coaching & Wellness

Sherry Reese Success Story

I joined Breakthrough as a Yoga student in order to improve my mobility and flexibility.

When the 1st Little Black Dress challenge was posted, I was intrigued. I had never owned a little black dress, but had a secret desire to.

After attending the informational meeting, I came so close to quitting because of the unknown of the excercises, but I stuck with my intention and joined in.

At first the exercises were almost more than I could do, but I found the encouragement of the coaches and the social environment compelling and stuck it out.

When it came time to transition to a full membership, I had no hesitation.

I was hooked on how good I was feeling and the way my body and stiff joints were responding!

The environment at Breakthrough is a mix of working out, social fun, and thoughtful encouragement and that was what won me over to continue.

After starting the yoga, I was surprised to find Chris actually knew who I was immediately and always had a personal greeting for everyone.

That in itself surprised me, but also that the encouragement from all of the coaches is not only freely given and constructive, but always so heartfelt.

It became very hard not to want to try all the exercises because the coaches are always right there cheering you on to greater challenges.

No challenge is viewed as an issue, just merely a road bump and they’re always around to find a way to work with it.

The more I attend, the more I want to accomplish, because I feel like we are in it together accomplishing each movement as we can.

I want to strive to the level that the coaches and fellow members are achieving, and, yes show off that I can finally do whatever I have been challenged to do.

Obviously the change in my body which goes beyond weight loss is one of the biggest benefits I’ve experienced since working with Breakthrough.

But in addition there is a a new flexibility and return to activity that I had thought behind me.

Also, the way I look and and feel about myself has changed.

I have always had a poor self image, but now I am doing things I haven’t done in a while or even never.

I wake up each day ready to move and be active.

I love to travel and now plan trips that include activity not just watching.

Lastly, I find I am learning who I am and what goals I have.

I am understanding what I want to accomplish and why.

I am putting my feelings about myself in perspective and learning how my past, present and future work together to build who I am.

My world has become one of making dreams I can accomplish and share with family and friends.

My life has become so much more fulfilling since starting with Breakthrough.

I can play WITH my grandchildren.

I can hike on vacations and walk with friends on excursions.

I move about on our boat with a renewed level of ease.

I am also finding that I am becoming more outgoing too.

I have shied away from reaching out to people out of fear of their opinion of me; of how I look and how I move.

But now I want to share with new friends not only in my daily life, but also the world at the gym.

These worlds are blending and I have so much fun moving with them both.

If you are on the fence about giving Breakthrough a try I would say don’t be afraid of what you think you can’t do.

This gym works WITH you.

The coaches are there to build you up both emotionally and physically.

The program is tailor built for you to make you stronger, to encourage your body to rebuild itself, and give you a new positive attitude (because you can’t help but smile, laugh, and dance with the coaches).

I love that the workout is mine, even though we all workout together.

Sometimes it takes a bit, but there is always a growth in each restart that if you are patient becomes apparent over time.

-Sherry Reese

Dorene Walton Success Story

My name is Dorene Walton and I have been going to Breakthrough since July 2017.

I work at Dover Health Care Center where we offer Chiropractic Care.

We decided to partner with Breakthrough so we could refer patients who needed help with weight loss, or someone that wanted help to get on a workout regimen.

In order to promote Breakthrough I needed to experience what they offered.

I started going on a trial basis which was one month.

I thought once my month was over that would be the end.

Boy was I surprised, after one month I decided I did not want to quit!

What I experienced at Breakthrough was more than I ever expected.

The planning that goes into each workout session is comprehensive and progressive for strength training, cardio training, nutrition, educational classes, tailored ability group programs and individual training assessment/coaching.

Added benefits include the friendships that are built and the encouragement provided as you work toward your fitness goals.

You become part of a the Breakthrough family and I even found myself being able to encourage others when they were struggling.

My journey with Breakthrough has been my best personal training experience ever.

I love the variety of classes and the programs offered.

I have been working out a long time at several different types of gyms.

My goals have always been the same; eat healthy, tone up and continue with cardio to keep my lungs healthy.

At other gyms it was like a routine and at times I would get bored.

The first challenge I did at Breakthrough was the 90 day challenge and I was amazed at the results I obtained.

I lost weight, body fat and inches!

Its been exciting for me to see the positive difference in my overall health by having the personal attention and accountability.

I truly had a fitness breakthrough!

-Dorene Walton

Effie Beachy Success Story

Q: What is your name and where do you live?

A: My name is Effie Beachy and I live in Smyrna, DE.

Q: Take us back to your life before joining Breakthrough.

A: I would work 8-12 hour days then go home and sit in a recliner.

I’d try yo-yo diets and workout on and off making me feel bad all over again.

My body ached from head to toe.

Q: Why did you end up choosing Breakthrough?

A: I was impressed with the personal attention everyone got in the training sessions.

Q: What was your first impression of Breakthrough when you first joined?

A: I thought, “They really have my best interest at heart.” Chris knew exactly what I needed to start out with as far as my workouts.

And they noticed and celebrated my progress each month.

Q: How is Breakthrough different from other programs you’ve tried in the past?

A: Accountability, encouragement, knowledge.

Breakthrough is made up of people that truly care for you and call you by name.

Q: Walk us through your journey and where you are now. What changes have you made, benefits you’ve experienced, results you’ve achieved?

A: I finally know what good nutrition is!

I read labels now, but I mostly make and eat foods that don’t have labels.

I’ve lost 20 plus pounds, lost inches and body fat, and feel 100% better!

No more limping when I get out of a chair, feeling swollen, or hurting hips and knees!

Joyce Denman Success Story

My name is Joyce Denman and I’ve been with Breakthrough since May of 2017.

Before joining Breakthrough, I knew I had been gradually losing fitness levels but just couldn’t seem to make the commitment or find the motivation I needed to change my habits.

My work routine was hectic and planning for meals seemed exhausting.

There were frequently events or something at work that would provide irresistible temptations.

The cumulative effect of eating on the run, working through lunch, and late hours really creeps up on you over time. It’s gradual and you are always saying in the back of your mind, “I’ll fix this tomorrow …” but those tomorrows string together and soon you have months or even years of neglect that make the task of getting started even more daunting.

When I was at an LRP conference with my colleagues Tonya and Sylvia they talked me into signing up for the LBD (Little Black Dress) challenge that was starting the next month in May (2017).

I must have been in the right frame of mind because something just snapped and I said ,”Okay, let’s do this!”. There were others that I knew through work that were also signing up for this challenge so we had a good support group in the work place.

In my first week at Breakthrough I was impressed and annoyed by the level of attention.

I was impressed because it was obvious to me that the people really cared and had my success as a priority. However, I was annoyed because I could see I was not going to be able to hide from anybody if I would choose to make bad decisions!

By the end of the project, 6 weeks, I had lost 13 pounds!

I was coming to training sessions twice a week, but it was clear that the nutrition was the root cause for my weight loss.

I decided to continue with Breakthrough as a member, because I knew that without that extra motivation piece, I was likely to slip back into old habits.

Even though the nutrition was the main thing, the frequent meetings with Breakthrough and the opportunities to discuss and share kept the “Mental” piece of the puzzle in place. Without that mental motivation, I have a history of not staying the course.

After one year at Breakthrough I’ve experienced so many changes!

In May of 2017 I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic which prompted my general practitioner to encourage me to lose weight.

I AM NO LONGER PRE-DIABETIC!

I had also been taking cholesterol medication for over 15 years, as of 6 months ago I am no longer on meds and my numbers have stayed favorable.

My energy levels and willingness to participate in activities has increased; and I’m able to take my rescue dog, Jake, for 3 mile walks (or more) every morning which buys me extra calories and keeps his nails nice and trim 🙂

Lastly, my closet is getting a complete overhaul.

None of the clothes I was wearing last year at this time fit anymore. I have lost a total of 50 pounds!

Sandy Wiley Success Story

I am stronger, more flexible, have more energy, eat better, am more confident, have become a fighter, and feel better about myself inside and out!!!!

I joined Breakthrough on March 4, 2016. After working out at the YMCA, doing Zumba, and Kickboxing and losing 35 pounds on my own, I hit a plateau and wasn’t losing the additional 50 pounds the doctor advised me I had to lose.

I was pre-diabetic, had high cholesterol and was considered level two obesity. I was on a downhill spiral and going back to the way I used to eat due to a life changing event causing depression.

I needed to make a change and invest in myself!

Hiring a personal coach was my best choice – I needed the support both mentally and physically.

After researching available options, I found Breakthrough Personal Coaching & Wellness in Dover.

After speaking to Chris at Breakthrough and learning about the types of “Workouts” they offered – and understanding that there would be no exercise equipment involved such as bikes, treadmills, or ellipticals, (all of which I was bored with), I knew this was the way to go for me to get “Fit” – I was sold!

Thinking about my first visit/workout had me scared I wouldn’t be able to do it or keep up with the others.

I had always worked out with close friends, but lost that means of support when I moved back to Smyrna several years ago.

I knew I wouldn’t know anyone at Breakthrough and this was out of my comfort zone – I was completely taken off guard by how friendly and supportive everyone was.

I was impressed with all the screenings Chris did to determine how my workout should be structured so I would achieve the best results.

I have never heard of a color band system before, (having to clear one band to advance up into the program) but it made sense – and the system gave me something to work towards at a healthy pace.

I knew this was a new beginning that I needed. I LOVED IT!!

I took the first nutrition class available to help me get back on track and I got into a weekly routine of food prep every Saturday for the entire week.

My life is a grab and go environment, so this works perfectly. Most importantly – I started caring about me again!!!

After being in the program 7 months another life changing event happened.

I was laid off after 29 years and was diagnosed as being a full diabetic.

When the nurse called me with the blood test results and said I needed to start working out and go on a low-fat diet, I almost screamed! I was working out 2 hours a day and already on a low-fat diet. Why wasn’t my body accepting what I was doing?

Having extra time on my hands I started working out at the gym even more.

I met with Chris and asked him for help with the diabetes – I refused to go on medication.

I only had 3 months to get my diabetes under control before the doctors were going to put me on medication, Chris suggested the Little Black Dress diet – and it WORKED!

I beat the diabetes and lost 9 pounds!

The doctor was ecstatic and said I was on a better diet than what they had given me.

I have been able to beat the diabetes for 7 months now and lost 16 pounds.

I know, and the doctor agreed, that by continuing this routine the rest of my life – will allow me to continue beating the diabetes going forward.

The support and guidance you receive at Breakthrough, no matter what your situation is – will help any person that wants or needs the help.

I love my 5 A.M. workout family and my yoga sessions.

I have had more success at this gym than all the other efforts and activities I have ever tried.

I would recommend this gym to anyone, no matter what health or physical restrictions you have.

You must remember it’s not about the number on the scale, its how you feel, and the fat loss. As Chris says, throw the scale out!!

In May I will be with my daughter as she gets married on the beach in Florida. My intention is to lose the additional weight requested by the doctors and wear a beautiful dress three to four sizes smaller than when I started my journey.

I will continue to challenge myself to beat the diabetes, keep gaining extra confidence, and strive to be the strongest, healthiest, and happiest person I deserve to be.

Sandy Wiley

Nina Graves Success Story

I started with Breakthrough over a year ago around March 2015, I believe, based on an ad that offered a free trial.

I was looking for a small gym that met the hours I needed.  I came in and met with Chris who inquired about my fitness goals which were the typical: lose weight, tone up, and get fit.

But what struck me as different was he put me through the functional testing to gauge my physical limitations so that I wouldn’t get hurt when working out.

What I found out was just how out functionally out of shape I was. All the things I thought I could do, I couldn’t.

I knew this in the back of my mind because I had been struggling for over 8 years with bad knees, having had multiple arthroscopic surgeries and now my hips were also failing but until the testing I had brushed it aside.

My orthopedic doctor said I needed hip and knee replacements as soon as possible or I would eventually not be able to walk.

Shortly after joining Breakthrough, I had a left hip replacement.

I came back after 6 weeks and Chris modified my workout to accommodate newer limitations while encouraging me to do as much as I could.

The 4pm workout team was very supportive and as I grew stronger, I could do more things but was still limited because of my knees.

In 2016, I took time off from Breakthrough to have both knees replaced at the same time.

I came back after 8 weeks and again, Chris modified my workouts to help me increase the strength in my legs.

When I went back to the orthopedic doctor 6 months later to have a mid-year recheck he was very pleased with my progress of being able to do squats and have more functional movement in my legs.

However, he also felt that I would not improve much more than where I was at.

That set me on a mission and I have been determined to get to the top of my game in with my lower body, so I now not only do corrective exercises at Breakthrough but at home too.

I am not where I want to be, currently working on hip flexor and shoulder movements, but I am a long way from where I was when I started with Breakthrough thanks to Chris and the Breakthrough team.

I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without Breakthrough.

Chris, Karen, Krista, and Jim have been extremely supportive as I have embarked on this journey to be able to move like a normal person.

I am so grateful for the 4pm team that consisted of Patty Shirey-Pierson and several others, as well as the 6am team of Kim, Jane and others.

We encourage each other while improving our individual selves.

Breakthrough offers a lot: fun personalized challenging workouts, community service, nutrition, various challenges, and they even send birthday and Christmas cards to each person.

Breakthrough is definitely not your normal gym.

Breakthrough is a family that I look forward to coming to see and be with a few times a week.

-Nina Graves

Cheryl Whitney Success Story

My recent success began when I was invited and accepted into the “Breakthrough Fitness Family”.

I previously felt like I was broken; and I didn’t know where to begin, or even believe that I could possibly put the pieces back together.

My downhill slide began very gradually and comfort food slowly became my best friend, so I thought, which allowed me to eat myself into a very unhealthy state.

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and that was only the start of numerous health hurdles; such as, hypothyroidism, hypertension, depression, hearing loss, vitamin D deficiency, and the worst – kidney failure.

Prior to joining the “Breakthrough Family” my last visit to the nephrologist, wasn’t so good, she was quite concerned about my weight gain and pleaded with me to lose just 1 pound before my next visit.

My kidneys couldn’t handle the excessive weight, so she prescribed a third hypertension medication.

I left her office very depressed and had a full book of excuses as to why I couldn’t lose weight, hypothyroidism, bad knees, and no time to work out with a full time job.

Fortunately, my path crossed with an old friend, who filled me in on Breakthrough.

I followed her link on Facebook and at that time Breakthrough was offering a free trial.

So, I took a deep breath and started with one small step forward by signing up and taking advantage of the free trial.

It only took a few days to realize my new “Family” truly cared about me and put my needs first, coaching and guiding me into a new routine that has ultimately transformed my life.

Their support, guidance, and patience has allowed me to shop from the back of my closet!

I honesty never thought I would ever fit into those clothes again.

My short adventure and small success with my new “Family” has allowed me to regain my confidence and overcome a life full of obstacles.

I’ve realized my new friends are real people just like me, bonding together, there to lean on and to support each other every day, every workout, and every challenge.

Breakthrough is an amazing place with an interesting name. I would imagine we all have our own interpretation of “Breakthrough”.

To me, it’s a unique name for a remarkable organization, with an awesome family behind it. One which has welcomed me with open arms and given me the tools and guidance to enjoy life to the fullest.

Cheryl Whitney

Cheryl Anderson Success Story

 

April 10, 2017 marks my 6-month anniversary at Breakthrough.

If someone would have told me 6 months ago, that I’d be where I am today, I literally would have laughed out loud.

I was miserable.

I was 186 pounds and struggling to get myself into a size 14.

I wasn’t active at all.

I hated the way I looked and the way I felt.

I knew I had to do something, but lacked motivation.

I had struggled with my weight for over 30 years, trying many fad diets, only to gain the weight back, plus some.

One day I happened upon an advertisement on Facebook about free Yoga for 30 days, so I decided to check it out.

A few days after my first class, I got a call from Chris Gray.  He wanted to know how I liked the Yoga class.

This is the first time in my life that a gym owner took the time to reach out to me.

We started talking and he convinced me to come try out his program for free.  I could try it to see if I liked it, no obligation. So, I thought what could it hurt, right?

I was skeptical in the beginning, because I know myself.

I know that I have never stuck to any gym or workout regimen and I am a true foodie at heart.  I love to cook and love to eat even more.

But in the back of my mind, I also knew I had to make a change, a LIFESTYLE change.  So, I went to the gym to meet with Chris.

I was impressed by his methodology, of focusing on not just weight loss, but FAT Loss, muscle gain and strength.

Fast forward 6 months later to today.

I have lost over 31 pounds, but I have gained muscle and strength. I have biceps! LOL. Currently down to a size 8.

I have learned how and WHAT to eat through the Nutrition Academy.

I still love to cook and eat even more, but now I cook healthy whole clean foods.  I am very lucky to have a supportive husband who has embraced our healthier lifestyle and encourages me constantly.

Life is Good!
If you are on the fence at all about Breakthrough Personal Coaching and Wellness, I urge you to come to the gym to talk with Chris Gray.  You have nothing to lose, except FAT, but what you will gain is immeasurable.

Breakthrough truly focuses on your Mind, Body and Soul.

My health and fitness journey is not over, I am excited to see what is yet to come!

Leslie Donovan Success Story

 

I am a six month member of Breakthrough Personal Training and two months into my program I tore a muscle in my lower back while landscaping in my backyard.  I was in extreme pain and thought it’s all over for me.

I had missed out on over a month of classes and was getting depressed.  I finally decided to join a strength training program to take care of me and look what happens!

Deciding after three weeks that the pain was too much, Chris suggested I see Rob at CORE Physical Training to help relieve me of my pain.  Rob worked miracles and I felt better faster than I expected so I begged him to let me rejoin my classes.

I was already missing the workouts and was worried that this setback would be the excuse I needed to give up on myself as I had done so many other times in the past.

During this time Chris was in constant contact with me checking in to see how I was feeling and to support me when I felt that overwhelming urge to give up.

His words of encouragement meant a lot to me.

When I was cleared by Rob he suggested that I ease myself slowly back in and that I talk to Chris and have him put together a one on one program for me.  Chris came up with a routine that also included a weekly yoga class and off we went.

When I started my training eight weeks ago I was embarrassed at how little strength and control I had.  It’s easy to get lost in the crowd but now it was all me out there.

What in my mind should be a simple exercise was not so simple to my body.  It took me a while to stop beating myself up and stop over thinking the movements.

Chris has been patient and supportive through it all and always starts our session off with how are you feeling?

In retrospect, the individual training has been the best thing that has happened to me.  I am amazed at how much stronger and in control I feel and my back pain is gone.

I have my confidence back and am in a place physically that I never thought I’d ever be in.  I’ve even discovered yoga which I go to twice a week!

Now I’m off to strengthening other body parts!

This is what I had hoped Breakthrough would be for me the day I signed up and Chris has not let me down one day.

This is an amazing total body program that I’m excited to be a part of.

Leslie Donovan

Patty Pierson Success Story

patty-sideEmbrace all that Breakthrough has to offer.

It’s life changing!

One year ago I was depressed over my weight and tired of being exhausted all the time.

I was diagnosed pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, an my risk of stroke was high.

Mentally, I carried everyone else’s baggage and it sure was weighing me down.

I joined Breakthrough back in October after finishing my first Total Transformation Challenge, which is an 8 week challenge focused on group accountability and support.

I thought I was on my way to big losses with my weight, and improving physically during cardio sessions.

But after 3-4 months of what I thought was eating right and working out, I realized something wasn’t right.

I needed more guidance, and that’s when I reached out to Chris for 1 on 1 nutrition coaching.

During our consultations we dug deep into what my goals were and why they were important to me.

We fine tuned my meals until we found out what worked for me.

And boy did things start to fall in place!

Fat started dropping, and started gaining muscle too.

After 30 years of struggling I’ve never felt better, and I realized I can do this! You can too!

Reach out-don’t wait.

Invest in yourself.

I did and couldn’t be happier!-Patty Pierson