The moment I might Jean, I liked her. She asked several questions and was such a sponge. She was determined to make some changes and boy did she do just that. She applied everything we spoke about and she transformed her body and MIND in a very short period of time. She looked great when she came to Get A Grip, but now she has a certain glow to her now and looks amazing! She works hard every time she comes in the doors and it shows.

People like Jean are why I love what I do; she took the tools I can offer and APPLIED them! The only thing is she blew it out of the water! She exceeded past my expectations and is still going strong. I’m very proud of her and love having her as part of the Get A Grip Family!

Here is her story…

I came across Get A Grip one day by accident.  It was one of the best accidents that happen to me.

Like just about every mom my days are usually all about my kids and their schedule.  Trying to fit in everything and not leaving much time for myself.

One day while I was taking my daughter somewhere I came across Get A Grip.  I saw the studio and decided to go in and find out about it.  I thought it sounded good but just didn't know if I could fit it in my schedule, especially with summer being just around the corner at that time.  So I put it on the back burner.

Exercise has always been an important part of my life. Through the years I belonged to several gyms, exercise programs and even had trainers.  However, it wasn't until the end of last September that I felt like I was in a rut and wanted to do something for myself.  I decided it was time to follow up with Get A Grip.  It was the best thing I could have done.

Once I became a member Carrie and I put together a plan based on my goals.  Within three months I met my goals. I went down two dress sizes and reached my goal weight. I was very excited and felt great.  At first after those three months I was so fixed on a certain number on the scale.  Once again with Carrie's help I realized that number on the scale is not the most important thing.  Through Carrie and fellow campers I have come to understand that there is a bigger picture.  That picture being…doing what I can to live a healthy lifestyle.  Every day I am trying to focus on keeping things simple, making better choices on what is healthy for my body as well as my mind. Carrie also taught me to set one or two smaller goals focus on them and to "not bite off more than I can chew".  This is a great way for me to keep the stress level down.

What I love about Get A Grip is not only the great workouts but also all the incredible coaching and positive motivation.  The fellow campers are awesome as well.  I have made some terrific new friends and I look forward to seeing them at boot camp.  When Carrie asked me to share my story as a Spotlight I was really excited.  I was excited not just to share my great results, or to tell you that I think Carrie is an awesome trainer who totally cares about her clients, but because I know there are others out there like me, who may think I don't have the time or energy for a program like this.  That was what I thought, but now I build my schedule around my workout time.  It is something you can do for yourself and it will make you happy that you are doing it and that will flow into everything you do. 

What a Beautiful Picture of Jean and Her Family!
Congrats Jean!

3 Workout Options for you!

Option # 1:

Run Club 9am

Get A Grip Total Fitness – Lutz Location (1914 Oak Grove Blvd.,  Lutz)

Option #2:

At-Home 15-20 Minute "Touch Down" Workout

(before your parties)

Warm up (5 minutes)

Perform the following exercises in order for 7 minutes – rest as needed

7 Push-up

7 Jump Squats

7 Bench/Chair Dips

7 Burpees

49 Jump Ropes

Repeat for 3-5 sets

Cool Down & Stretch (3-5 minutes)

Option #3

During the GAME!

Perform the following exercises when they happen throughout the game...

Touch Down: 7 Burpees

Field Goal: 3 minutes of Jump Ropes

Extra Point: 1 minute of Plank

First Down: 12 Jump Squats

Time Out: During the time out – Snow Angels

Personal Foul: 7 Walking Lunges each Leg

Fumble: 7 Bench/Chair Dips

Interception: 7 Deck Squats OR 14 crunches

Quarterback Sack: 7 Side Plank Tap Downs on each side

Commercials: Jumping Jacks throughout

Win in the Football Squares: 100 Butt Kicks!

No Excuses, I gave you 3 options, choose one of them!

Have fun!!!

Leave in the comments below, which one you choose:)

This is my favorite part of my weekend, submitting my spotlights! They ALL accomplish things they may not believe can come true, but trust in them to keep working at it. Gwen is no different. Some people look at tiny little people and say…”they don’t have a problem” but we ALL have a comfort of how we feel about ourselves, no matter what shape or size we are.

 Gwen has done awesome at camp! Up until her BIG transformation she was getting stronger and showing visual improvements we all could see at camp.  Then she decided to compete in the “Hot for The Holidays” which included a done-for-you meal plan, daily motivation, and fat-burning boot camp workouts! She all of sudden become the person to BEAT! Little Gwen, was getting smack talk from her “boot camp friends” and it turned into a huge competition especially with the SB girls! Let’s just say she came out of her shell after that. She won the SB competition and took 3rd place in the women’s competition, too. She did AMAZING! So proud of her!

I don’t want to steal her story, so I’ll just say I love having her as a part of the Get A Grip Family and I’m looking forward to her next big thing!

Here is her story…

I guess I’ll start out by giving a little bit of background information about myself. I was a dancer (tap, jazz, and ballet) from the age of 3 until the age of 16. Throughout high school I was involved in some extracurricular activities that required dance and other physical activity. Starting college, I weighed right around 98 lbs. Although I never really gained the freshmen 15, I did gain about 15-16 lbs from the time I started college, until just recently when I went for my initial weigh in for Hot for the Holidays contest at Get A Grip.

For the longest time, after graduation (May 2010) I wanted so badly to be in shape and just tone up my body, however, I loathed going to gyms where I would be surrounded by guidos, guidettes, and meatheads. Needless to say, I NEVER stepped foot into a gym after college.  After purchasing Carrie’s Groupon in November of 2010, it took me five months (March 2011) to gain enough motivation to use it!

Even though I have been unhappy with my job, my crazy schedule allows me to attend boot camp three times a week, whether it be at 6am or at 7pm and at any of the three different locations Carrie has. I consider myself to be a strong minded and strong-willed individual, so quitting has never been an option to me (even though, yes, I am FINALLY quitting my job, my last day is Tuesday). (:

Going to boot camp, I felt healthier, I felt like I was in better shape, and over all, I gained more self -confidence. From the time I started (March) until the beginning of Hot for the Holidays, I didn’t really notice big results, no weight loss, and my clothes fit me about the same. But not once did I ever consider quitting boot camp, because I was happy with the way I looked and the way I felt about myself.

My goal for taking on the Hot for the Holidays challenge was simply to learn to eat healthier and live a healthier lifestyle. I was already confortable with my weight and with my body, I just wanted to be healthier. Following the diet plan pretty much to the T and going to boot camp three times a week religiously, was pretty much the way I lived my life for those six weeks.

My Results…

· Memorizing the diet plan, committing it to memory, and probably never being able to forget it for as long as I live.

· Feeling super guilty if I skipped out on a boot camp class

· Constantly trying to figure out how I can rearrange my personal, work, and social life around going to boot camp so I won’t feel guilty and so Carrie won’t try to make me feel guilty with her accountability check-ins

· Losing 12.8 lbs, losing 5.70% of my body fat, and losing 12.25 total inches

· Winning the SB contest (in your face guys!) (:

· And coming in 3rd place for the overall women’s challenge!

Gwen 11/8/2011

I consider my personal results to be greatly satisfying, and I know that whether the results be physical, mental, or emotional, everyone and anyone who attends Carrie’s boot camp will get amazing results!!! Thank you so much Carrie for always holding me accountable and pushing me that extra little bit to be a better me. Get a Grip has become a place where I look forward to coming, I make sacrifices to attend the camps, and where I am always challenged to do better. Hot for the Holidays has also brought out the competitive side of me, and I am finally beginning to show you guys the real me…. Can you handle it?

        Gwen 12/18/2011

Gwen 12/17/2011

I’d Say she accomplished “HOT for the Holidays!”

Congrats Gwen!!!! Very proud of your dedication!

Bonnie has always impressed me with her determination and hard work at EVERY workout. When she joins us, she is hardcore as you will read below. She is very committed, also. I always laugh, because she ALWAYS pulls in her boyfriend to do it with her (they are very cute). This last Hot for the Holidays Contest, she leaned out so quickly, she looked incredible. She was living proof with the right tools, guidance, and her own determination you can accomplish anything! She took 1st PLACE!

I always enjoy her at camp and love that she uses us to get back on track. That is what it is all about. When you lose focus, get accountability and use the tools that work. Find an incentive. Find a SOLUTION, period! She did just that, and had amazing results from it.

I always enjoy her and Jon at camp and look forward to their next return and running the Rock N-Roll Half with them.

Her is Bonnie's Story…

Whatever I do, I do it with passion and intensity…so when I work out, I do it intensely and when I slack off, I do it intensely too. I first found Get a Grip on Groupon last year and purchased a month of bootcamp for myself and my boyfriend Jon. At about the same time Jon gave me a bunch of belly dancing DVDs and outfits and had found classes that a friend recommended. I had been in one of my slacker modes for quite some time and was too embarrassed of my belly to even think about going to a belly dancing class. I had recently got back into yoga, and then joined a gym. I was getting back into things at the gym and seeing some results, but nothing spectacular. So finally, last April I decided to start my month of bootcamp with Carrie – wow, what a difference in my workouts! When my month was up I decided to do the belly blast while Jon did his month of bootcamp. The workouts were going so well I decided to get back into doing some triathlons and signed up for a sprint in May, Olympic distance in October and half Iron distance in November. Between the diet plan and bootcamp I leaned up quite a bit in a very short time…lookout belly dance class, here I come… or so I thought.

A few days after I finished the belly blast I smashed up my foot with a SCUBA tank (the perils of having a gear warehouse in the garage). I did manage to hike up (and down) Mt. Washington with a busted up foot (not a great idea)  but it put a big dent in my training plan…and was too easy of an excuse to use for why I wasn’t working out. Summer is always hard to stay motivated here between the heat and rain and step-kids being here for a summer visit. I went into total slacker mode. Diet went to crap. Training went to crap. I managed to get things back on schedule a bit in August; training for my Olympic distance tri was going well…then for some reason in September I hit slacker mode again, at least for working out.  We started working on the house a bit and did that to the exclusion of pretty much everything else. At least I have a fully functionally, and absolutely gorgeous master bathroom to show for it:). In October I did the Longleaf Olympic distance triathlon and somehow managed to pull off third in my age group. I had a PR on the bike and one of the worst runs of my life (have I mentioned that I HATE running!) but finished on the podium with crappy training…which of course makes you think about what might have happened if you trained well….

Now Jon and I had the half Ironman looming over our heads. Instead of kicking up the training we kind of went into denial about what we should be doing. There was a lot of talk about training plans but very little training! That’s when Carrie started sending out emails about Hot for the Holidays. I was going back and forth about whether to do it or not and finally decided to sign myself up (and Jon too) at the last minute. The contest lit a fire under both of our butts! Going into it, I didn’t think I had any chance of winning, but I was using it more to get myself back into shape and back into a regular workout routine. After week one of the contest I completed my first half Ironman distance triathlon (ouch!) then hit the diet and workout hardcore. Any time Jon or I were tempted with a unhealthy decision or wanted to skip out on a workout I would remind us that we were in this to bring home the money! Even though that really wasn’t either of our ultimate goals, it was a fun motivator. My other great motivator in this contest was Gwen – every weigh in she was 1-2 pounds down more than me, so she became my target. Everything we did at bootcamp I tried to do at least as fast, or faster than her. I made sure I used more weight. I ran at least 3 days a week. I stuck to the diet. I cut out beer and booze (except for the beer at the end of Tough Mudder…after running 12 miles of mud and obstacles painted as a clouded leopard, I earned it!)

I was realistically looking to lose 10 pounds during the contest – a challenge, but not unattainable. I reached that goal by week 4. By week 5 I had taken 10 minutes off my run time for 2.5miles and was easily running 7+miles on my long run days. This time around my fitness gains have been much more dramatic – week one of the contest I was using an 18# kettle, at the end of week six I was using a 28# kettlebell. My running has improved by leaps and bounds. My “skinny” clothing is loose and I think I need a whole new set of sports bras – the old ones are not tight anymore!

Carrie – Thank you for giving me the tools to aid me in getting back in shape, but if I hadn’t put as much effort and determination into my workouts and getting my lifestyle back on track, I never would have seen the results that I did. Carrie gives you the tools – you have to find the desire and will to use them to your maximum advantage. So what’s next? I’ll see a bunch of you at the Run for the Manatees and Rock and Roll Half Marathon in February, and watch out belly dance class…here I come!!!

Bonnie and Jon NOW!!!! Congrats to you both! You look GREAT!

Jessica has hit some huge milestones in the last 2.5 years!

When you have a client for a while, you think they might stop achieving but not at Get A Grip and certainly NOT Jessica! You will read her accomplishments below but I do want to say, she continues to impress me and I love to watch her get out of her comfort zone. Like it or not, she puts in 150% into the workouts. She has built a great group of friends and you’ll see through her spotlight her flare of sarcasm. It wouldn’t be her story without it.

She truly is amazing and I am SO looking forward to her 5K (I must be there) as that will by far be her biggest accomplishment this first half of the year! For someone who hates exercise and says she stops everything, she sure does kid us! 9am Class and Get A Grip would NOT be the same without her!

Jessica is also a big fan of spreading the word about our Get A Grip Family, which I would like to thank her. But, the true blessing in that is she too, plays a BIG part of helping someone change their life and for that there is nothing better!

Here is her story…

The best way to explain how Carrie’s boot camp has affected my life is to simply list my fitness accomplishments before and after joining Get a Grip Total Fitness.

My nutrition/fitness goals accomplished BEFORE boot camp (birth-2008):

*Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Niente. Niets.

My nutrition/fitness goals accomplished AFTER boot camp (2009-present):

*Attended a grueling boot camp three times each week. (Grueling is an understatement.)

*Completed “Spartan 1000” in 1:32:50 without dying. (I looked like death but I did it!)

*Ran Miles for Moffitt (one mile) event. (I still believe you should only run if the cops are chasing you.)

*Lost 50+ inches of body fat from my neck to my ankles while increasing my lean muscle mass. (Including losing  “parts” I thought were permanent like the ‘tank top overlap of skin’—LOST IT!)

*Completed the 21-day Belly Blast Challenge and lost 3+ inches in my waist. (I still don’t believe water is a “snack” but I learned so much more from the challenge than I thought!)

*Tried classes/workshop that I NEVER thought I would show my face in: kettlebell, nutrition planning, grocery store tours, TRX, yoga, hard core abs, etc.

*Completed home workouts while on vacation!!! (I am usually sitting on my butt, drinking a glass of wine and eating foods that are not nutritious.)

*Found inspiration and accountability in other campers and hopefully offered the same to them. (I know if I miss a class with the excuse “I just didn’t feel like going”, the girls will be all over my Facebook wall tormenting me!)

*Learned positive eating habits and that one day “off the wagon” doesn’t have to be an entire month. J

My nutrition/fitness goals for 2012:

*Run a 5K and finish!

*Continue to attend boot camp three times each week.

*Cross train two other days each week with either yoga or running.

*Continue to make better food choices with NO “diets”.

*Push myself to try things I would normally not do if there was a gun to my head (see “Run a 5K”).

This may all sound ridiculous and exaggerated but I promise you if I can do these things, anyone can do them. I have never had a single shred of athleticism or coordination in my body and, yet, I accomplished all these physical goals.

The way I explain boot camp (our cult) to potential members is that it’s fail-proof. Carrie gives you ALL the tools you need to succeed so the only way you can fail is if you simply don’t show up or talk yourself out of trying. Those who know me all thought I would quit this “fad” like I did a million others in the past. I’m not exactly known for sticking with my exercise regimen. J But, I can proudly say that after two and a half years in boot camp, I don’t plan on quitting for anything or anyone.

Jessica and her Husband Justin!

Congrats Jessica for continuing to grow and achieve! You’re an inspiration to many!