I have been a recreational runner/jogger since high school and started doing marathons and running local races just after college. I also started weight lifting during my freshman year in college to supplement my cardio. Ever since I lost my “freshman 15” from college, I have maintained a healthy weight of about 140lbs for the last 10-15 years. I never thought of myself as heavy but just like any girl, I always wanted to lose 5-10 pounds, or wished my legs or butt were just a little smaller.

I have belonged to a gym in one form or another for almost 20 years and I can truly say that they are all about the same…some have fancier equipment than others but they all depend on the motivation of the members to use the fancy equipment. The reality is that some days you’re motivated, some days you’re not. But if you chose to stay on the couch, I guarantee that the guy working the front desk won’t call and ask you where you are.

I heard about Punch Kettlebell gym from a friend. He said that they do crazy things like flip tires, lift stones and use ropes during their workouts. Being the competitive person that I am, naturally I was intrigued. So I called the number and left a message. I remember playing a bit of phone tag with Chris initially but he was very persistent (Chris? No way!!) and never gave up trying to make contact with me. A few days later, I had a consultation appointment with him. During the interview I remember telling him how I was generally self conscious about my body and how my main goals were not necessarily to lose weight but to convert fat to muscle and see if I could push myself to the next level of fitness. I was skeptical that this could ever happen based on a long track record of running and working out with the same results. But I decided to sign up anyway and give it a try…why not? I didn’t realize at that time that my decision to join the Punch family would change my life.

During my initial measurements in early March 2010, my weight was 143lbs and body fat at 18.5%. I committed to working out at Punch 4 days per week…3 of those days being at 5:00am…while maintaining 6 days/week of cardio (running or cross training). I already had a relatively good diet but I cleaned it up even further by eliminating all refined sugars, choosing mostly low GI foods paired with high quality/lean protein sources and only eating small amounts of healthy fats. I also started incorporating Sunrider tea and Fortune Delight into my daily routine. By January 2011, I had dropped 9 pounds and 7% body fat and lost inches from every spot on my body.

Fast forward to September 2011… by continuing to maintain my workout schedule of 4 (sometimes 5) days per week at Punch plus 6 days per week of cardio and having a very clean, healthy diet, I have dropped another 7 pounds (16 total since March 2010) and 3% body fat (10% total since March 2010). All of these changes have resulted in more energy, motivation and even faster running times! I frequently race in small local 5K and 10K charity runs, and win in my age group (sometimes come in first place for all females!). And the last marathon I ran in December was my fastest time in over 5 years! I am almost 36 years old and feel stronger, leaner and healthier than I have ever felt before in my life. And I am 100% certain that Punch Gym and its wonderful staff have EVERYTHING to do with it!

Teresa Hutsell-McKinney

Dover, Delaware

 

 

My name is Madison Ray and I am a mother of two wonderful children. I have a son who is two and my daughter is five months old. After gaining an extra sixty pounds from both pregnancies, I wanted my body back. I was ready to lose the weight and fit back in my old clothes again. I started boot camp at Punch four months after having my little girl. I was excited to learn in just thirty minutes a day I could get in a great workout without missing too much time from my family.

Immediately, within the first week I started seeing results. After just five weeks, I lost sixteen pounds of fat and 6.7% body fat. The staff at Punch has given me knowledge, confidence, support, and motivation to get my body back and better than ever. Not only did I lose double digits in terms of weight, but I gained overall muscle tone and strength.

I would tell any new mother who is ready to shed the baby weight this program is a must! It has given me the jump start I needed to continue on my weight loss journey and to feel like I did before having children. Thanks to all the staff at Punch I know I am on the road to a healthier life for myself and my family.

Madison Ray
Dover, Delaware

When the Air National Guard decided to adopt the same fitness standards as the Active Duty Air Force I was a little worried. While I had never failed to meet the standards before, each of the past five years I kept getting closer and I certainly would have failed this year. I was always the person who pushed off testing until the last minute, convincing myself that I would start training tomorrow. Tomorrow always turned into next week, then next month and the next thing I knew it was Friday night before Drill Weekend, and I hadn’t run since last year’s test. On the rare occasion that I was able to muster up the motivation to hit the gym, it never took longer than a few days for me to get bored and stop going. (There’s just something about a bunch of power-lifters admiring themselves in the mirror that makes my want to gag.)

I knew I needed to do something, but just couldn’t find anything I thought would work for me. Then a good friend told me about a different kind of gym, one that promoted a lifestyle change rather than the latest weight loss gimmick and mundane gym routines. I stopped at Punch soon after, not expecting to be too impressed considering how much I loathed a typical gym. After talking with Chris and watching just one workout, I signed up as a member! Although I was nervous to start, I had finally found something that looked FUN and would keep my attention!

However, half way through my first week, I was ready to quit! It was much more difficult than I anticipated and I was frustrated that I couldn’t keep up with everyone else in the class. If it wasn’t for Christen’s positive encouragement I probably would have quit. By the end of that week, I already felt stronger and could see small differences in my body.

After training at Punch for about a month, it was time for my dreaded annual fitness test with the Air National Guard. I was surprised to see that I had shed about 3 inches from my waist in that short time. Without that, I would have failed my fitness test before even starting it. I also posted improved scores in all other areas of the test! It’s been about a month since then and I have lost over 7% body fat, 15.6 pounds of fat, 3.5 inches in my waist, 3.75 inches in my hips, and 2.5 inches in my legs and have tons more energy! With the support of the entire Punch staff, I have been able to accomplish more than I ever thought I could in just a couple of months. So I want to thank them all for getting me on the right path to a healthier lifestyle! I can’t wait to continue the journey!

Amanda Barron

Dover, Delaware

Growing up, I was the kid everyone picked on. I was overweight my entire life, as far back as I can remember. I was also a very sedentary person, exercise, for me, was walking to get the mail, or raking leaves. Throughout my adulthood, through two pregnancies, I gained weight till I was almost 200 lbs, at 5’2” tall.  I tried EVERYTHING to lose weight, from starving myself, to Atkins, to South Beach…none of them worked. At almost 40 years old, I knew that I had to do something. I had no energy, I couldn’t sleep at night. My back was always hurting, I took naps frequently. My kids wanted to go do this or that, and I had no energy or desire to do anything.

One evening, I was at a local salon, getting my haircut, and someone pointed out a sign to me on the wall and said I should give it a shot. It was a poster that Chris Gray the owner of Punch Kettlebell Gym had put there, advertising the 5 week Boot Camp contest.  He said he knew Chris and he was a good guy who knew what he was doing. I thought about it throughout the month of December (2009), and finally, because the Grand Prize was a gift certificate to my favorite salon, I thought, why not, I’ll give it a shot. It’s only 5 weeks, and maybe it’ll give me the knowledge and motivation to start working out at the YMCA. Those first 2 weeks were the most painful 2 weeks of my life!  But I was hooked. I started seeing results within a week, and by the end of the 5 weeks, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. I loved the kettlebell workouts, I loved feeling like I was getting a good workout, in 30 minutes. I’d walk out of the gym exhausted, but proud of myself for having gotten through another training session.  In those 5 weeks, I lost over 7lbs of fat!

In August of 2010, during one of my testing sessions, Chris suggested that I seriously reconsider my nutrition. I was journaling, but was not really focused on KNOWING what I ate. I started working with his nutrition coaches, and within a month, started seeing amazing results! In those next couple of months, I lost another 12 lbs of fat!
It is now a year and a half later, I have lost over 20 % body fat (more than half!), and 50 lbs of fat!! I still work out 4 times a week, looking forward to every training session. I have discovered that I LOVE working out! I like heavy weights and challenging myself. I am no longer a sedentary person. I walk whenever I get the chance, just because I like to do it. I have found that rock climbing can be a real rush! I would never have even tried to climb a rock wall a year ago, now I’m climbing walls in the “difficult” category. I have played paintball with my kids.  I look forward to every opportunity to DO something. I sleep better at night and wake up refreshed. I have the energy to get through my day, and I work 2 jobs and have teenagers.

The staff at Punch are amazing! They know what they’re doing, and they understand that each person is different and know what to do to help each one. They are completely dedicated to seeing that each and every client reaches his/her goal and are behind each and every one of us. There is no other place like this, you will most likely not get this dedication to YOUR life from a regular “gym”.

Dawn Creasy

Dover, Delaware

My name is Fran I am a 54 , a mom, grandmother and a Pre-school teacher of 3 year olds. In September I really began feeling terrible I was tried all the time, I could not sit on the floor with my students and moving was becoming difficult. I had put on quite a lot of weight in the last three years and I knew I had to make a change. I began praying and asking people who understood about nutrition and exercise because I wanted to make a life change with no diets, just real foods.

In January I joined a Biggest Loser Contest with the encouragement of a good friend (Kyle) she believed in me and knew this was the chance I was looking for. Five weeks into the contest I won a weekly challenge so I was able to pick a prize from one of the local contributors. I Thought…”I will pick the Punch Kettlebell Gym-Boot Camp but then I thought I don’t know if I could do this?” Boot Camp at 54 and not in good physical condition but Kyle said you can do this so I picked it. Chris called me and I explained my concerns and he listened and understood, he said watch the video’s then decide but he believed he and his staff could help me.

I met with the co-owner Karen for my orientation she helped me believe in myself and I even learned something new that night, how to do a squat properly I was doing them all wrong that was the start of the best 4 weeks of my life. Chris and his staff always helped each client achieve their best without hurting yourself. They looked at you as a whole person helping with nutrition, exercising and emotions. They helped me to believe in myself, I worked hard and with their help I took 3rd place in the Biggest Loser Contest. ( two men took 1st and 2nd ) The best part of this was just 2 weeks into this I was standing taller, sitting straighter and my arthritis medicine was cut down to once a day from 3 to 4 time a day I was feeling great! I can now sit on the floor with my students, dance to silly songs and I am smiling and laughing more, I got my life back.

So if you are sitting on the fence or scared to step out of your box just do it this is the BEST GYM I have ever been to and at my age I have been to a few. Chris and his staff will believe in you and help you believe in your self again. A last note on my 4th week I was outside lifting truck tires who would have thought but I did it and boy it felt great to be able to say ‘I DID IT’.

Chris Thanks to you and all of your staff, your friend Fran.

Fran Ellsworth
Dover, Delaware