💪🏼Power Duo: Strength Training AND HIIT🔥

Sweet Friends,

February is off to a great start! Let's work to reach the goals that we have set for this month—step outside of your comfort zone. Try incorporating Strength Training and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts 3-5x per week to reach your maximum potential.

TransFit is so unique because it provides a combination of both strength training and HIIT workouts. These are two workouts that will allow you to transform—body, mind, and spirit.

You may be thinking, “doesn’t lifting weights make me ‘bulky’” or, “I thought I should only be doing hours of cardio to reach my goals.” Thank goodness those aren’t true. We want to clear up these misconceptions!

Below are some key details and benefits to help you understand why we as women should and need to build strength training AND HIIT into our fitness plans.

Basics of Strength Training

Suddenly, dumbbells sound like a smart idea! Strength training involves resistance bands and balls, hand weights, barbells, and even your own body weight in order to boost your metabolism and lean out your body to create a sculpted look. Strength training is just what your body needs to fight the loss of muscle, bone mass and strength that comes with age.

Basics of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short, was named one of the top fitness trends in the world for 2020, based on an annual survey by the American College of Sports Medicine. These are the best workouts for developing a healthy heart because HIIT is comprised of short, hard bouts of cardio exercise—anywhere from 10 seconds to 3 minutes in length—broken up by brief recovery periods. Workouts may involve jumping, lateral movements, sprints, plyometrics, and quick bodyweight segments. This workout is designed for women of all ages and ability levels at TransFit

Key Benefits of Strength Training

• Improved body composition & increase lean body mass

• Increased metabolic efficiency (burn fat!)

• Increased bone density

• Decreased psychological stress 

• Increased energy levels and mood

• Increase balance

• Increase flexibility

3 Ways HIIT Can Help You Live Transformed:

1. Lose abdominal fat: In a study of sedentary women, 20 minutes of HIIT were compared with 40 minutes of steady-state exercise, and the HIIT subjects were the only ones who lost fat— primarily excess abdominal fat!

2. Protect your heart: Research shows, depending on how fit you are when you begin, HIIT can boost your VO2 max (how much oxygen you can use) up to 46 percent in 24 weeks. It can also increase your stroke volume (how much blood your heart pumps out per beat) by 10 percent after eight weeks of training and significantly lower your resting heart rate.

3. Recharge your cells and boost your hormones: HIIT is proven to make more proteins for your energy-producing mitochondria, which helps slow down aging and boost youth hormones! It fires up the production of your body’s growth hormones that help you maintain muscle and burn fat for hours after you’re done, and it lowers insulin resistance for better blood sugar control.

Need to Reboot Your Nutrition?

It’s a new month which means you have another chance to reach your nutrition goals. Not only do we have great FREE recipes and a FREE MEAL PLAN for you on our website, but our Registered Dietitian, Kaeti Shurling, would love to help you with your nutrition goals for 2020. Learn more about our nutrition counseling options HERE!

College-Girl Client Spotlight: Sarah Kate Jones

Sarah Kate’s Favorite Things about TransFit: 

1. I love that when I walk into TransFit, I feel known by the trainers. They are constantly pushing and encouraging me not only through workouts but through their words and accountability to reach my goals.

2. I love that Transfit encourages a healthy lifestyle where being ‘skinny’ isn’t the primary goal. Instead, I find myself seeking a whole transformation—body, mind, and spirit! 

Goals for February: 

1. Limit my sugar intake

2. Drink more water

3. Take time to rest

We want you to help you live transformed this February! Check out our February calendar challenge. Fill this out each day of the month, with the movement you did daily, send it to us at the end of the month for a chance to win a FREE MONTH of sessions! Let's commit to doing everything with our WHOLE heart! We believe in YOU!

We can’t wait to see you in the studio. TransFormer sessions are strength training based and offered multiple times a day. HIIT sessions are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30am and Friday mornings at 5:30am! If you have any questions, please email us at transfitathens@gmail.com.

If you would like to do a 1-1 or semi-private session with one of our Personal Trainers please reach out. We are here to serve you and want to help you live transformed!

Blessings, 

Team TransFit

Happy Mother's Day to the Amazing TransFit Women! 💗

Happy Mother's Day to our sweet TransFit women! 

We are so grateful for each of you! You are so deserving of this day to celebrate! We hope that you feel loved and encouraged today. Take time to spend time with your family, friends, and loved ones rejoicing over the gift of being a woman. You are a difference maker, a world changer, and a beautiful lady inside and outside! 

We loved seeing all of our mother-daughter duos at our Community Session yesterday morning! We were filled with full hearts as we celebrated the beautiful & inspiring women in the community! All ages, sizes, colors, mothers & daughters sweat, laughed and gave their best in the total body mind & spirit workout! We loved honoring all the strong women we know today! Keep living transformed ladies- we love you! 

We pray that you feel supported and inspired today, as you are celebrated! If you missed our April Client spotlight, check out this amazing mother and daughters client spotlight transformation story! 

We will still be celebrating all week in the studio this coming week so come get revived and renewed for a strong finish to May and the Transformation Challenge!  

We love you! 

Blessings, 

Team TransFit

Mother and Daughters Client Spotlight You Are Going to LOVE!

Sweet friends, 

Thank you for challenging yourself to run the race with perseverance this week! Wow, we had an amazing week in the studio!  Today, we have the honor and joy of highlighting three of our amazing clients! These three are special, as they are a mother and twin daughters client spotlight! Elizabeth, Cynthia, and Cindy are our April client spotlights, each with their own personal transformation story! 

These TransFit ladies will inspire you to keep giving your best one hour, one day at a time to live transformed! 

Cindy Lester's transformation story: 

I’ve always been an outdoors “Tomboy” growing up climbing trees, riding bikes, playing baseball and football as a kid…. And I have played Tennis and golf most of my life.  About eight years ago, at 60 years old, playing golf at the Country Club, I was “just slightly” in the woods on one of my drives and slipped on a tree root, breaking my fibula. After that, I started therapy and a workout routine that continues today. I started then and have continued cardio workout at the club for an hour a day, 3 times a week. I generally try to do TransFit two days a week, tennis one or two days a week and golf when it’s pretty (fair weather golfer). I love tennis and we’re on a 4.0, 65 and over tennis team that will go to state in October – just because we have no local competition.  Our tennis team did go all the way to Nationals back in 2009 in Palm Springs, California and came in second place Nationally…. Thanks to everyone else on the team! I have really enjoyed the weight exercises and just feeling more fit after starting TransFit classes… I continue to work professionally at Synovus Trust Company, managing the local Athens division and really enjoy meeting and getting to know new clients and people through my work. And finally, I’m ABSOLUTELY most proud of my girls, their families, and their personal accomplishments. 

Cindy and her grandkids! 

Elizabeth Johnson's transformation story:

Although I have been active in sports all my life, medical school and residency seemed to take my time and slow my focus on exercising. My husband and I moved back to Athens after finishing my residency in Internal Medicine, and I had just given birth to our son, Cole.  Again, it seemed being a new mom and working to build a practice put a daily exercise routine on the back burner.  Finally, Cynthia, my twin sister, moved back to Athens as well.  We have always encouraged and challenged each other. About 6 years ago, we started doing home programs together at lunch at my sister’s house. We kept each other accountable and would text daily about which workout we were going to do when finished seeing patients for the morning.  It got me back exercising 5 days a week and I had so much energy. Even on weekends, Cynthia and I would encourage each other to make up a day if we had missed during the week.  

Elizabeth Johnson and family

In June of 2017, Cynthia had given my mom and I a gift card to TransFit for Christmas, and I finally used it one Saturday morning. Cynthia had already been going so she could show me the ropes.  I got in several Saturday morning classes and loved it, but it was only 1 day a week and I would exercise on my own during the weekday.  I kept telling myself I could never make 5:30 am work. Even Caroline gently suggested I try a 5:30 am class.  Cynthia again had recently tried the 5:30 am class, and I knew if she could make it work with getting the kids to school then I could too. I remember not sleeping at all that first October night I knew I was going at 5:30 am because I was so nervous about making it home, getting dressed myself, and getting the kids up and ready. However, since October I have been going to TransFit most Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and I love it. It starts my day off right and keeps me more motivated during the day! 

Exercise isn’t everything though, it's a piece to transformation. Having my son in travel baseball and daughter in gymnastics makes for eating out a lot during the weekend. This can blow an entire week of hard work. I try, although definitely not always, to make good choices.  I am better some weeks than others. I have started packing a healthy snack bag thanks to Katie Woodall’s great suggestions recently. I love the Oatmega bars, Chomps beef sticks, and Organic fit bars. Plus, my children now will go to the snack bag first instead of asking for money at the concession stands, so they are getting less junk. I have a small refrigerator in my office that I can keep Greek yogurt and cut veggies to snack on at work. I have started getting weekly meals from Perfect Portions with Kaeti Shurling during the week to help keep me accountable with weeknight sporting events. My current goal is the late night snacks or meals. Many weekend nights, we are driving home from a tournament at 10 pm and my son needs something to eat after his game. At that hour, fast food is about the only thing open. I’m tired and this is when I make my worse food decisions. If home, I probably would be asleep.  So, my goal going into more Spring and Summer sports is to make better food decisions.

Cynthia Shepherd's transformation story:

I grew up in Watkinsville. My mother, Cindy Lester, and twin sister, Elizabeth Johnson are also clients at Transfit. I grew up in a very active family. Elizabeth and I started playing tennis at age 5. We were very competitive and played tournaments growing up. We eventually played in high school at OCHS at  No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. We also played basketball and volleyball. Learning to study and do homework with a busy after school sports schedule was something that definitely prepared me to for the years ahead in medical school, residency and fellowship. As a family growing up, my parents also instilled the importance of being active together as a family. Despite both parents working full-time jobs, they supported us at every event, home and away. We enjoyed playing golf, water skiing and going for long walks in Madison with my grandmother. 

My husband and I moved back to Watkinsville, our hometown, in July 2011. At that point, we had a 3-year-old daughter and a 9-month-old son. I was not back to my pre-baby weight and this affected my mood and outlook about myself. I started doing home workouts and ultimately encouraged my sister to be my accountability partner. We would work out at lunch together 4-5 days a week. Still, I was not happy with my weight and knew that my diet was not where it should be. I signed up for Caroline’s Nutritional program in the Summer/Spring of 2013 and loved the weekly meal plans and grocery lists. Her meals are healthy for the whole family and easy to cook. While exercising consistently 5 days a week and following my daily meal plan, I was able to get to my goal weight. 

I started working out with Transfit approximately 2 years ago and love the Transformer workouts. I initially started going 1-2 days per week and worked out at home the remaining days. Now I have found the 5:30 AM class fits great with my schedule and helps me start my day more alert and on a positive note. I usually work out 3 days a week at Transfit and 2-3 days a week at my home gym. I love HITT training, running and interval training. My husband has done a number of Ironmans and ½ Ironmans, so he encouraged me to do the Tri-to-Beat Cancer’s Duathlon a few years ago.  I find working out with others is very motivational and love the positive inspiration and encouraging smiles from all the Transfit trainers.  I have definitely gained muscle and strength. It’s also pretty awesome to work out with my 67 y/o mother at Transfit on some afternoons. My children know that if I don’t get to exercise, I am grumpy. They see that exercise is an important part of my life and have learned more about making healthy choices.

As an oncologist, I stress to my patients that exercise and eating a heart-healthy diet with plenty of lean protein and veggies is the best way to fight and prevent cancer. Exercise also relieves stress and anxiety and can also help prevent other diseases such as Alzheimer’s dementia (particularly interval training), cardiac disease and osteoporosis. 

In regards to meal planning, I have found that using Kaeti Sterling’s Perfect Portions has been a wonderful time savior for my family and a nutritional way to feed my family quickly when I get home late from work.  My family’s favorite recipes include turkey meatballs and turkey burgers.                                                                                                                                                                                              

Thank you, ladies, for sharing your transformation story! We are so proud of each of you!

Let these stories inspire you to start today on your journey for total body transformation! The time is NOW!  We are here for you! We hope that you feel inspired and encouraged by each of their stories! 

To finish April strong we wanted to share with you a FREE Spring Meal Plan and recipes!! Challenge yourself and meal prep on Sunday! Get ready for an amazing week! 

If you have any questions, please email us at transfitathens@gmail.com. Don't forget to sign up for our Lunch and Learn on Wednesday! Sign up on our FREE app under SPECIAL EVENTS!

Blessings, 

Team TransFit

Check Out Our February Client Spotlight Kathy Cousart! Feel Inspired to LOVE your body!

Happy Monday! 

We are so proud of all of you who completed our TransFive Challenge! Thank you for committing to five days of no sugar and giving it your all! Let's start this week STRONG! Love your body today and take time to make a plan for your exercise and nutrition.

Today, we want to share a client spotlight that will encourage you on your transformation journey! 

I met sweet Kathy Cousart, years ago when I was a GymDog and she was the Assistant Golf Coach at Georgia. We did aerobics together in the old PE building on campus!  Little did I know, 20 years later our paths would cross again! God is so confirming and so good!  I love how He brings us all full-circle and connects us with special people who touch our lives deeply along the way! Each person that crosses your path today could be someone who inspires you and could possibly change your life- you never know what God has in store- but we can be sure His plan is so much greater than we can imagine! Kathy's story is so inspiring because no matter where you are on your health journey YOU CAN begin again and reach your goals.  She was was 5th in our Holiday Extravaganza Contest (love it..still a competitor...always ALL IN) and just told me about her new goals for 2018! Dream it, believe it, achieve it! 

 Kathy, thank you for sharing your story with us and for living transformed by doing everything with your whole heart!

I am so proud and happy to be a part of the community at Transfit. So very special to have finished in the top 5 of my first Transfit Challenge and appreciate the many connections to finding my way to work out there! My admiration and appreciation for Caroline goes back a long way to UGA Athletics. I was actually coaching Women’s Golf at the same time that Caroline was competing in Gymnastics. My Golf Team did aerobics and worked out with the Gymnastics Team and it was always a fun supportive environment all the way around. Loved it!

Fast forward with all the fabulous twists and turns of life and I am now a full-time successful Artist painting almost every day out of my Carriage House Studio right here in 5 Points. I had continued working out and being active over the years but had some issues with my torn Rotator Cuff. I need that arm and shoulder to paint daily so felt I sometimes had to make a choice and painting always won out. I needed a safe way to work out and get back to being strong and lose that bit of weight that has slowly crept on. 

I have been in that “sandwich” place for quite a few years with finishing raising up my daughters and getting them through with college and starting careers while also caring for my Mom and Mom in Law. It gets tough being a full-time caretaker and 11 years really took its toll on me….everyone and everything came first and I just was too tired and worn out to make myself any kind of a priority. I was busy beyond busy with being a full-time caretaker, my art career taking off and beautiful grandchildren beginning to make an appearance. Blessings like I have never known along with some “hards.”  Life. 

I believe that my art and painting came to me at just that right time.   I was watching my Ph.D. Mom- the smartest woman I have ever known - struggle through a battle with Severe Vascular Dementia. I found that my art and painting was such a gift and place of peace to go to escape that sadness.  As my Mom needed full-time care, it was important to me to be there while she still “knew” me and care for her.  I learned the most important lessons I think I will ever learn about myself during that time and was such a gift. She remains the kindest person I have ever known and I try so hard to be that kind every single day.   

Over a year ago….Within a 9 month span….I wound up losing not only my Mom and my younger brother 6 weeks later but two other family members and finally my big sister best friend Meg.   It was a huge wake-up call to taking care of yourself and being strong enough to fight whatever fight comes your way.   

With all of that in mind and circling back….I had heard amazing things from several friends about Transfit and started going.   As with almost everyone there…..that last few minutes of stretching out and taking a moment to appreciate that we are here and embracing this day gets me every time.   I can’t say enough about how knowledgeable Caroline is.   I have always been pretty lucky and able to eat anything I wanted with my level of activity and good genes.   I finally understood to watch carbs at my age—-I can’t quite process them like I used to could.   I learned to eat a healthy snack when hungry and to make better choices.   I learned to LOVE water….what a difference when you listen to your body and really re-fuel it with healthier options. 

I have changed so much with being at Transfit…it’s a positive and uplifting environment with gals of all ages encouraging each other along this journey.  My tastes have completely changed and it’s a lifestyle now——with healthy options to satisfy that sweet tooth.   I want to know that I am doing all I can to take better care of myself and able to be all that my grandbabies want me to be.

I want to be strong for whatever comes my way. I want to be strong to be able to carry around my grandchildren who trust I will catch or carry them at their whim. I want to feel as good as I do working out at Transfit and being surrounded by everyone else there working on their own journey. It’s an amazing place and always a supportive environment. I have loved reading everyone else stories and am inspired by every single person there each day. I have always believed that anyone can do anything they set their mind to….if they want it bad enough and work hard enough. If I can do this….so can you!

Kathy, we are so proud of you! Ladies, may we all feel inspired by Kathy's story! Let's make this week count!  Keep pushing yourself to get active every day this month! Send us your February calendar challenges at the end of the month! 

We are also offering two NEW session times! Starting tonight, we will now have a 7:15 PM session and we will offer a Saturday at 10 AM session starting February 24! Come join us! Sign up on the app HERE! Also, don't forget you can always find FREE recipes, workouts, inspiration, and videos on our website and app! 

If you have any questions, please email us at transfitathens@gmail.com. 

Blessings, 

Team TransFit

Goal Setting Takeaways that will help you Finish January Strong!

Sweet friends, 

Last Friday, we had an incredible Lunch and Learn where we heard from our TransFit Personal Trainers, our Dietitian- Kaeti Shurling, and Kristy Smith from lululemon. We walked away feeling refreshed and renewed, ready for this new year and ready to conquer our goals and dreams. We wanted to share some of the key takeaways and the delicious salad recipe.

3 Key Things that Can Transform Your Life in 2018:

1. The people you spend time with! 

Are you spending time with people that lift you up, encourage you to be your best? 

2. The books you read! 

Are you reading books that challenge your mind and spirit? Here are a few that we recommend.

3. Encountering the presence of God! 

Are you taking time to be still, rest, and listen? Even a few minutes of calm and stillness can change your day and enhance your mood.

Kristy spoke to us about how to identify our core values, write them down,  and reminded us to come back to those values each day as a reminder of the amazing woman you CAN become! Listen to this beautiful song we played while centering our minds....

Remember ladies, even more important than the dreams and the goals you achieve is the person who you become along the way! The journey to your goals is where the real transformation takes place! These dreams make take a lifetime to achieve but they are worth waiting for and working for! Let's start today by CREATING the future of our dreams! Pray big bold prayers! We are here to help you! 

Transformer Plate at The Pine (Above)

Mix greens, curry vinaigrette

Herb roasted heirloom carrots and cauliflower (Roast veggies on 425 for 25 minute)

Crispy quinoa cake, sweet potato puree, goat cheese, toasted pecans

Curry Vinaigrette

• 1/2 c Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp turmeric
• S&P to taste

TransFit Quinoa Cakes

Makes 10-12 cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon oil, plus more as needed
• **any seasonings you like to add deeper flavor

Directions:

1. Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, and lemon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the parsley, onion, and garlic.

2. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into 10 thick patties (use a ¼ cup to form into patties). You want the mixture moist, so the patties aren't dry tasting. However, you want the mixture to hold together when cooking

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 5 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a large plate while you cook the remaining patties. Add more oil to the skillet if needed between each batch.

A goal that one of our TransFit trainers had last year was to serve the community well. After praying bold prayers and lots of hard work Shelley is in the process of opening a home to help women called HOPE 139! If you want to help Shelley with her ministry in anyway, please reach out to her at shelley@transfitathens.com. 

We hope that you feel inspired. It's never too late to set your goals! You can print off our 2018 goals handout and kickstart this year! Don't forget to send us your January challenge calendar! Remember, the winner wins a package of FREE sessions!! You can email the calendars to us at transfitathens@gmail.com. 

 If you have any questions, please email us at transfitathens@gmail.com. 

Blessings, 

Team TransFit

October Client Spotlight: Paige Colquitt

Hi sweet friends! 

We are almost though the month and our October Challenge is going strong! Activity daily and one positive statement is the October Challenge! We hope you are trying to get in some type of movement everyday and recording it on your October calendar! Also, it's not to late to start the challenge, or restart the challenge! Make every day count this month! Today, we have the joy of introducing you to our October client spotlight- Paige Colquitt!

Paige radiates inner and outer beauty and shines her bright spirit on everyone she meets! Paige is transforming daily in body, mind, and spirit and we LOVE Paige's daily goal "to take it one hour, one day at a time!"  YES, that is what living transformed is - resetting, restarting, refocusing one hour at a time- giving your best with what you have! Not comparing yourself but being grateful for your little blessings! 

Thank you Paige for that reminder! We are so proud of you!  

My journey to good health began after the birth of our second child in 1998. I had lots of baby weight to lose, so I started running... and running... and running. Running still continues to be my favorite cardio exercise. Running combined with less eating helped shed all those pounds.  

As I aged, I continued to exercise regularly. In addition to running, I love to swim, hike, bike and have just taken up paddleboarding with my husband! I LOVE the way exercise makes me feel...strong, confident and ready to tackle the day! Although I felt like I had the exercising part down pat, I quickly realized that I was missing a key component in to my health routine, that of good nutrition. I began to understand that eating the same types/amounts of food as a 50-year-old didn't yield the same results as when I was a 30-year-old. I began to feel frustrated. I was still exercising as much as ever. Why was I gaining weight? That's when I discovered TransFit. The timing was perfect.

I made an appointment with Katie Woodall, nutrition specialist at TransFit, who explained to me that the food choices I make should be looked at as a way of fueling and energizing my body. I had always looked at it as depriving myself of tasty foods and missing out on good food. This was a huge paradigm shift for me ... one that I desperately needed. Katie instilled in me four nutrition goals that I try to adhere to each day. 1) Drink lots of water daily. 2) Eat more protein. 3) Consume more greens. 4) Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Everyday is not perfect by any means, but I've realized by doing these four things, I feel so much more energized and happier!  

At the same time, I also enrolled in Caroline's Transformer classes. I had been doing some exercise "boot camps" at home, but knew I needed to change things up. After taking Caroline's first class, I knew it was different. The strength/interval training was just what my body needed. The class itself challenged me, kept my body guessing and had me coming back for more. I loved it and continue to enjoy it twice a week. Losing some weight, decreasing body fat, and increasing muscle mass have all been positive results I've seen. I sweat like I've never sweated before and leave each session ready to tackle the day! Another plus is that all the teachers are so encouraging and truly want you to succeed. TransFit has helped change my mindset as well. I've always been really hard on myself and expect perfection at times. I've learned not to beat myself up when I make mistakes and that God doesn't expect perfection from me... all He asks for is my dependence on Him. He loves me just as I am and asks that I trust Him daily. My favorite part of each TransFit class is when Caroline prays a closing prayer to lift us up and remind us that God's love is unfailing.

Lastly, a huge part of my health journey has been the fun of sharing it with my husband, Steve. He, too, is on board with making healthy food choices for himself and exercising daily. He is an awesome accountability partner and encourager. We've learned that we work so much better together as a team and strive to enter each day with positivity. 

Paige, we are so incredibly proud of you! We hope that Paige's story inspired and encouraged you! We love how Paige shared about the importance of whole body health through exercise and nutrition and accountability!  

Ladies, we can finish this month strong! Let's make it count and give it our BEST! We believe in you! If you have any questions or would like to schedule a 1-1 appointment with any of our trainers or dietitian and nutrition consultants, please email us at transfitathens@gmail.com or register on our website or FREE app! 

Blessings, 

Team TransFit