Hi Fusers! This month we are giving a big shout out to one of our longest members, Evan McWilliams, who has been working out at Fuse Fitness since 2011. He started out with personal training and now is one of our most regular class attendees. Since his first class in 2012, he has logged in 425 hours of workouts (not including personal training sessions). WOW!! And that doesn’t even touch on the many hours/miles of hiking/running he has logged outside the gym.

As most of you know, Evan always walks in barefoot (even in the winter when it’s RAINING!!!), shoes in hand, baseball cap on, and pretends to be the grumpiest person you’ve ever met. While he does a very good job of being grumpy, he really is one of the nicest and funniest people at the gym.

We first met Evan in 2011, and had the pleasure of training him one-on-one. He was gifted some training sessions from a friend of his who had done work for Pascha and me when we opened Fuse. Evan’s friend kindly allowed Pascha and me to do a trade with him, as he knew we were a brand new business working hard to get on our feet. As the story goes, Evan had helped out his friend by taking care of his children while his wife was battling and beating cancer. In return for Evan’s generosity and friendship during this time, he was gifted the training sessions.

Pascha and I both trained Evan in the beginning for the traded sessions. At first, I’m not sure he was entirely enthused or excited to have been gifted the training sessions, however he had to use them. I wasn’t sure whether he would continue after those sessions were done, but he did, and as time moved forward, a new Evan emerged. During this time, I got to know him quite well, and learned quickly how dry and sarcastic his sense of humor is, which I find to be hilarious. It was clear that getting over that initial hump of starting a new, intense fitness program was challenging, however his consistency and hard work paid off. I really began to see big changes in Evan….he became really motivated and confident, and awesomely stayed grumpy. However, I quickly came to see that while perhaps the initial grumpiness when he first started training was real, the new grumpiness wasn’t quite true. But he does do one hell of a job pulling it off ;)

Here are a few words from Evan himself:

I developed epilepsy in my late twenties and had a doctor tell me all the things that I should not do. I took what he said to heart and basically became sedentary. I had been in law enforcement so had been in okay shape, but spent the next couple of years feeling sorry for myself and gained a ton of weight. When I left police work I started working for an outdoor apparel company that placed a huge emphasis on being active. I did not want to stand out as “that guy” so started to run on my own. No training, no coaching, just running, because I was too self-conscious to workout with other people.

I lost some weight and ran three marathons in one year (despite my doctor's warning) and realized that I was physically one-dimensional. I could run forever, but I was doing nothing but aerobic exercise. I wanted to see if my times improved as my fitness level became more well-rounded. A friend of mine did some work for Pascha and Kristin when they opened Fuse. He worked out a barter with them for personal training. He gave those training sessions to me. My first session was with Pascha. All I remember was feeling completely out of shape, and her saying, “Oh, Evan” as I struggled during the workout.  All I wanted to do was get into decent shape and be done. I figured I would work out for a few months and then continue working out on my own. I had no interest in the classes, but would watch them as I worked out with Kristin, and they looked really fun.  I eased into one class a week taught by Kristin, but it took another year or two for me to work out with a different trainer because I don’t like change.  Now, I try to be in class 5-6 days a week.

All of my fitness challenges have been self-inflicted. I have developed a knack for hurting myself. I have blown out my back, broken my foot, developed tendonitis in both elbows and just last month I had a bunch of stitches put into my knee. In the past I would have felt sorry for myself and probably quit. Now, I see these challenges as a way to figure out how to work through the injury. I was working out with Kristin while in my cast. I was back working out the day my stitches came out. And recently I have started to do 20+ mile walk/hike/runs to compensate for my elbow issues.  I still struggle with being 50 and not being able to do everything that I used to do. Everyone at Fuse is here for their own reasons. There is such a supportive feel here. It doesn’t matter if you are the fastest, slowest or strongest…it matters that you are here doing what you need to do for yourself! I have NEVER had that feeling working out in any other environment.

My biggest [fitness] success was finishing the Spring Cleaning Challenge (clean-eating, fat loss challenge) last year. It came at the right time, as I was training to climb Mt. Rainier. It showed me that I could successfully complete something (while hurt) and finish what I had started in a strong manner. I ended up losing 35lbs which was a huge benefit for the climb. After climbing Rainier, I started to look at things differently, and now I try to find things that a couple of years ago I would not have even tried. Right now, I want to do an unassisted hand-stand. For no other reason than 50-year-old men are not generally known for their handstands!  I also want to be able to keep up with my family. Both my wife and son are major outdoors people. We spend an awful lot of time hiking and mountaineering. I want to be able to keep doing that for my entire life.

I LOVE the atmosphere at Fuse. There is such a nice support network here. People check on you if you have missed class. They welcome my son whenever he shows up. AND they hold you accountable in the best possible way. I know when I am slacking, and I love being called out on it because it shows me they want me to do the best that I can!

Evan, while this tells the story of how your fitness journey at Fuse began because of a gift from a grateful friend, the way I look at it, the gift was really to us. You have become one of our most loved and appreciated members at Fuse! We are very proud of how far you’ve come and all the awesome, positive changes you have made. Thank you for your support. AND STAY GRUMPY!!!!

If you're interested in joining Fuse Fitness and becoming one of our next success stories, please fill out the form below to sign-up for a free fitness consult.

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Hi Fusers! This month we're celebrating one of our amazing members, Marni Gonzalez. If I could describe her in one word, in relation to how she is in the gym, I'd say tough. By definition, I mean that she "demonstrates a strict and uncompromising attitude or approach."  When presented with any challenge in class, she always creates a strategy, implements that strategy and then very successfully completes the challenge. Just. Like. That. If you've taken class with Marni, you know that she maintains her strong pace evenly, keeping her focus on the goal. It's quite impressive.

Having been a member at Fuse since March 2015, Marni has without fail, (unless she is traveling, which is one of her passions) showed up and stuck to her very consistent schedule, for a total of 345 times, logging in just over 300 hours of working out. Consistency and keeping a schedule for working out is what gets results, and Marni has that figured out.

That's just a glimpse into Marni's gym life--as you can see, she is hard-working, disciplined and goal oriented. I'd wager to say that her tenacity probably has something to do with how she became a neurologist. Just a guess on my part :) She has been a practicing neurologist since 2006 and is a senior physician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. She also led the creation and implementation of The Memory Center, where she and other team members provide medical and social support for patients with dementia.

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So yeah, in one word I'd say this woman is tough. But since I don't have to only describe her in one word, I'd also like to say that she is incredibly sweet, supportive and I love having her in class. Marni has made a serious commitment to her health since joining, both with her workouts and her diet, and she has really transformed her body. She's super strong, works really hard, motivates everyone and inspires us all. And I love how devoted she is to her family and her faith.

Here are a few words from Marni about her fitness journey:

"Approaching middle age prompted me to contemplate my future self.  Do I want to be a “healthy” and “active” 65-year-old, enjoying retirement?  Or, do I accept the alternative?  At this crossroad in my life, I made a commitment to get healthier, physically.  I joined Woohoo Fit in June 2012, two months after my 39^th birthday and have been working out consistently ever since.  When Woohoo Fit closed in the Spring 2015, some of us former "Woohoo-ers" transferred to Fuse Fitness.  I am so thankful that I decided to do so!  It was a pretty seamless transition for me.  The challenging classes, wonderful trainers, and community of fellow "Fusers" make this place very special. I felt welcomed from the beginning.

"I realized that exercising regularly does not necessarily result in weight loss.  Don’t misunderstand me – I know that it is essential for cardiovascular health.  However, working out three times a week while I continued my undisciplined food habits gradually but surely resulted in a size increase in my clothes!  I also felt I reached a plateau in my fitness level.

"Fortunately, last February 2016, I committed to a change in my approach to food.  I also increased the frequency of my work outs (from three to four times a week), threw in Monday night yoga sessions with Kelly, and exercised even while on vacation (which I never used to do).  Now, also thirty pounds lighter, I don’t think I have been stronger and more physically fit in my life.

"I am very grateful for the phenomenal trainers who so patiently worked with me over the years at Woohoo Fit and Fuse Fitness – Eva, Kelly, Amy B., Kristen, Pasha, Gail, Beverly, and now Michelle.  My life has forever changed!"

Marni, we are grateful for you and the example you set. Thank you for being such a wonderful and integral part of the Fuse community!

Yours in health,

Kristin at Fuse Fitness

P.S. As always, if you're reading this and interested in finding your own path to success with your health and fitness, fill out the contact form below to sign up for a free fitness consult today!

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Hi Fusers! This week we’re shining light and appreciation on another one of our awesome members! Caroline McCall has been working out at Fuse Fitness since June 2014 and has logged in 181 visits during that time. That may seem impressive, which it is, however she’s also logged in hundreds of miles of running during that same time—so awesome!! :)

Caroline is an avid distance runner and has been since around the age of 13 years old.  She’s also a hard-core 6am Monkey Ninja Bootcamp regular who often goes for a run before class even starts. A natural morning person, Caroline is out before the sun comes up, either coming to class or going for a longer run. While many clients moan and groan about having to do the “longer run around the block,” Caroline just laughs—around the block is nothing.

Professionally, Caroline is the sole proprietor and director of Center for Church Vitality, through which she provides leadership and organizational development consulting in the Episcopal Church. She is also the Director of Field Education and Lecturer in Congregational Studies at Church Divinity School of the Pacific (the Episcopal Seminary in Berkeley).

Recently, I had the opportunity to do some personal training with Caroline—suffering from a torn Achilles tendon, she had to put a halt to both running and Monkey Ninja Bootcamp in order to heal. While this would typically derail most people, Caroline was not interested in this route. In conjunction with doing physical therapy, she trained privately 3 mornings a week, split between Pascha, Fana and myself. As any athlete knows, your sport is often your therapy/mediation—so when taken away it can be extremely challenging. Pure grit and tenacity kept Caroline going, not allowing her injury to inhibit her ability to train—this is one of the reasons she’s such an inspiration and an all around awesome client to have!

I’m going to reflect on a fun story Caroline told me during one of her training sessions with me. When her now teenage children were littler kids, and their energy would amp up inside the house as kids’ energy often does, she and her husband would send them outside to run the perimeter of the house. They had created an obstacle course of sorts that the kids would run through multiple times. I just love this story and think it’s such a great idea. More importantly, what an incredible gift—to encourage and teach children at a young age the importance of exercising their bodies to release energy, stress and feel calm.

And now, a few words from Caroline….

“I joined Fuse because I knew I needed to compliment my running with strengthening my core. I have been a distance runner for 38 years, so I was in good shape – at least for endurance running. Unfortunately, I was also beginning to suffer from more frequent injuries.

“In 2014 I decided to look for a gym where I could go in the early morning, was close to my home, and would be fun. (Every time I joined a gym and took classes in the past, I found it incredibly boring). I found Fuse in June 2014, and although 6:00 AM was later than I wanted (really!) I decided to try a Monkey Ninja Bootcamp class. After my one free trial class, I was hooked. My goal was to go to class two times a week while continuing with my running…ultimately to be able to run more distance races (half-marathons and marathons) injury-free.

“The biggest challenge for me is exactly what I knew I needed to work on—my core. Somehow 38 years of running had not done much to strengthen it and 14 years of motherhood was not helping either. Although I am certainly much stronger than I was when I started, I get pretty discouraged about my (lack of) core strength even after almost three years of classes at Fuse.

“In addition, despite me hoping that taking classes would magically make me injury free, I have still had to deal with injuries and other physical set-backs. Coming back after needing to take one or more weeks off from class is always daunting. I miss the coaches and the regulars in my class when I cannot be part of it, so I get back in there as soon as I can.”

“Most recently, I tore my Achilles tendon and have had to take over 2 months off from classes. BUT I have done as much as I can by working with Kristin, Pascha, and Fana in private training sessions, and now I am healed well enough to go back to classes again!”

“My biggest success has been finishing 15 half-marathons and 3 marathons since I started at Fuse. I am a stronger and better runner because of Monkey Ninja Bootcamp! I was able to qualify for the Boston Marathon at age 50, by several minutes, and felt great doing it. What I am most proud of is that I continue to run and continue to work on my overall strength despite the inevitable injuries and aging.”

“One thing I really love at Fuse Fitness is the people! The instructors, the other people in my classes, the whole community. It is supportive and fun while also challenging me to push myself further.”

Caroline, you inspire us and we appreciate your hard work and determination! Thank you for being an awesome part of our fitness community :)

Yours in health,

Kristin at Fuse Fitness

p.s. If you'd like to sign up for a free fitness consult or find out more information, please fill out the contact form below!

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Hi Fusers! This week we'd like to shine light on Lisa Miller, a member at Fuse Fitness since January 2013--4 years now! She is the Director at Classroom Matters in Berkeley, a personalized, tutoring business for students in 6th-12th grade. I have had many clients over the years talk about sending their children there and loving the results and support their children get!

As of this morning, Lisa has been to Fuse 401 times. I can still remember her first visit on Jan. 5, 2013, it was to my Saturday morning Monkey Ninja Bootcamp class with her friend Tatiana, who was a member at Fuse for a couple of years as well. I remember this class because the two of them together had such an infectious energy, it made class so much fun!

Over the years, Lisa has tried out all of our classes, but knowing her well and looking over all of her visits, she truly had a love for Michael's Strength and Mobility class. Unfortunately, we no longer have this class, as Michael no longer coaches at Fuse. Since Michael has departed, Lisa has fallen into a new routine, mostly taking Gail's class on Monday mornings and hitting up my class(es) on Wednesday and/or Friday mornings. Selfishly, I'm happy for her new routine because I love having her in my classes!

What we love about Lisa is that you can count on her to always bring a fresh dose of reality and keep it real--she doesn't hesitate to express when she doesn't like something or it doesn't work for her, and alternately is always grateful and appreciate, never leaving the studio without saying thank you. She is funny and definitely adds a great personality to class. She always stays true to her own needs and stays within her limits, however always pushes herself and works really hard. She is someone who keeps a steady, even pace and gets her workout done, showing the endurance athlete within. Prior to working out at Fuse, Lisa was a distance runner, which I appreciate, as she is always able to pace herself, allowing her to finish the workout without fatiguing too early and petering out.

Another attribute I value in Lisa is her sensitivity and empathy. On a few different occasions over the years, I have found myself so appreciative of a genuine, loving hug from her just when I need it most. She has an innate ability to read emotions, even when you think you're doing a good job masking them. It is a gift, and I have been the lucky recipient of it a few times. Lisa truly cares about us and our business, and we have always felt very honored to have her love and support.

Now, a few words from Lisa about what brought her to Fuse and her experience working out with us  :)

"I joined The Fuse to maintain my fitness level after “retiring” from triathlons. Due to chronic plantar fasciitis, I had to give up long-distance running. My goal was to stay fit and build muscle.

Boot camp is very different from my former swim-bike-run routine, so learning some of the movements were challenging at times. I still can’t do the diving pushups!

I have mastered most of the exercises and have built up my upper body strength. My core is also much stronger. Thanks to all of the strength training, I am back to running short distances.

I enjoy the classes and the community at Fuse. I really appreciate all that you do to make it fun and engaging!"

Lisa, you've been with us a long time and we love having you in class! Your support for us and our business has not gone unappreciated, and we value your opinions and advice. Thank you so much, we love you!

If you'd like to get results and join our awesome fitness community, please fill out the contact from below to sign-up for a free consult today!

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Hi Fusers! This week Fuse Fitness is taking the opportunity to highlight Barbara Higbie, one of our longest members, who has been working out consistently with us since the summer of 2012! She is an amazingly talented, Grammy nominated musician - check out her website/bio/upcoming events here!

Before joining Fuse, Barbara was trying to manage her weight and stress levels. At the time she joined, she had been jogging about 30 minutes a day, five days a week for the past 20 years. She had also tried lots of other classes throughout the years, but nothing stuck.  The weight was beginning to pile on in new places and her mood was up and down, because she was taking care of both her young daughter and mother with Alzheimer's disease, while also maintaining her music career. Barbara saw the Fuse Fitness sign one day while in the neighborhood, decided to drop by to try out a class, and has been hooked ever since. She says, "It's one of the easiest and best things I've ever done in my life."

As most of us at the studio have figured out, Barbara loves interval training! She is one of the only clients who always wants intervals - she says it's because she doesn't like to count reps or keep track of the exercises herself. She prefers not to have to think too much about what comes next, and would rather have a set of exercises that get her heart rate up and get what she calls "a good work out in." Outside of interval training, her other favorite thing to work on is handstands, and can't get enough of them. Barbara once told us, "Who knew I'd ever crave doing a hand stand? It is so hard to believe!"

The challenges that Barbara has encountered along the way have been minimal. She still has trouble doing a free-standing pistol squat, a very challenging move that can take quite a long time to master. Despite that difficulty, she says, "It feels like one big positive wave that moves me along. The environment is great - high standards and low pressure." Due to her demanding music career, sometimes she is out of town for a couple of weeks at a time touring, thus having to miss her workouts. It is always challenging for her to deal with the muscle aches/soreness that come from having missed a couple weeks of classes.

Looking back to her start at Fuse, she still remembers her first class, when she couldn't do a Turkish get-up - now she can do many in a row with great form. Barbara says she has never been great at following extreme diets, but has slowly cut out lots of sugar and flour since working out at Fuse and it has made a big difference.

One of the results Barbara is most proud of achieving since working out at Fuse is having great core strength. "As a professional singer, it has made a HUGE difference to have a strong core!" Barbara recognizes that her consistency with coming to class has really paid off in regards to seeing such great results - she has maintained her weight loss and continues to manage her stress levels, keeping a steady, positive outlook on life. According to her, "It's easy for me to get to class. The community at Fuse is made up of real, down to earth people, who enjoy working hard and having fun while staying focused."

Barbara has been very supportive of us and our business from the very beginning - we are so lucky and grateful to have someone as loyal as her. She brings a fun, upbeat energy to class each day. We love her random comedic outbursts in class when performing an awkward or suggestive movement, which makes teaching class so much fun - we always get a good laugh in.

As you can see from Barbara's success story, working out isn't just to stay fit and look good. Fitness is a lifestyle that requires consistency in order to achieve results. While clients may have different goals and seek different results, a fitness program is beneficial to everyone. If you are currently not getting the results you want with your fitness program, we encourage you to sign-up today for a free fitness consult by filling in the form below. As Barbara says, "Having a fitness 'home' makes my whole life so much better! Finding Fuse was the biggest gift of the last five years! Thank you Pascha, Kristin and team Fuse!"

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Barbara, thank you for your love and continued support. We love having you as an integral part of our Fuse Fitness community! Class would not be the same without you!

Hi Fusers! This week Fuse Fitness would like to highlight our member Geoff Piller!

Geoff is one of our most dedicated clients when it comes to his health and fitness. He is self motivated, extremely consistent and laser focused. Before class even begins, he is off to an early start with a quick sprint outside and then comes inside to foam roll and stretch. Something about Geoff that demonstrates his great work ethic is that while everyone else takes a break to chit chat, he never stops, speeding through his workouts staying super focused, while most others have stopped to talk. He is usually the first one in class to finish an AMRAP or RFT workout.  Afterwards he can repeat everything that was discussed/small-talked about in class--he takes multi-tasking to another level--"listen while you work".

This sentiment is shared by all of us trainers here at Fuse--Geoff is one of the sweetest people we know. He is one of our biggest cheerleaders and is such a caring and giving person. He always has something encouraging and/or positive to say. And let us not forget what an amazing baker he is! And he shares with us :)

Thanks to incredible members like Geoff, we have such a wonderful, interesting and supportive fitness community! With that being said, here is Geoff's Fuse Fitness success story in his own words:

"I was a long time runner and used this method of exercise to stay in shape. I developed a hamstring injury and had to evaluate whether I could continue to run.  I concluded that running was making me fit, but it was not a complete total body workout- I felt limited. I decided I could get a better return by putting the time into a bootcamp style workout. My goal was to have overall balanced fitness, weight loss, and efficient use of my time.

"Some of the challenges I have encountered were working out with other people, as well as being inflexible.  I now enjoy working out in a group setting and have slowly achieved flexibility victories over time at the Fuse. Lastly, I hate Turkish Get Ups or any other exercise that begins with the word Turkish and still cannot jump rope. However, I do have many strengths and would like to focus on the things I'm good at.  I'm able to keep up with people in class who are considerably younger than me and I like the challenge of a rigorous workout. I can also sprint up the hill several times in a row like a bat out of hell and able to to exercise and play well with others.

"Overall I feel like I am in much better shape than when I was just running."

Very true, Geoff! When he says he can "sprint up the hill several times in a row like a bat out of hell" he is not joking one bit. Geoff, you are an inspiration to everyone here and we truly appreciate you!

Yours in health,

Fuse Fitness

Over the next few weeks we are celebrating our amazing clients here at Fuse Fitness. Everyday we come in to work we can’t believe that we get to work with such amazing people that inspire us by showing up day in and day out.

Today I have to tell you about Lia Swindle.

We are so proud of Lia! She has made amazing progress this year towards her goal of feeling stronger and empowered. It hasn’t been an easy path for Lia, as it isn't for anyone to reach his/her goals. But Lia has consistently shown up and worked hard at getting stronger one day at a time. Her results have been amazing.

Lia joined Fuse Fitness two years ago, and she has been a pleasure to have in class and witness her growth over these past few years. While having an ongoing pelvis injury, she is careful to modify certain movements to avoid further injury, but is still a beast when it comes to lifting weights. Watching her goblet squat a 35lb kettlbell, push press two 35lb weights overhead and then deadlift a 70lb kettlbell is so inspiring.

Lia now looks forward to coming to class with a drive to work on getting stronger and feels good about lifting her bags full of groceries within one trip, as she says "I got this"! Lia is also proud of setting a positive example for her cute, yet "rock star" daughter Hannah. Lia loves that Hannah sees her working out and representing what a strong female is capable of. Overall, Lia feels so much better about herself physically and mentally.

Fuse Fitness is a boutique fitness studio, in which we work hard to provide the safest and most effective way to achieve an active and healthy lifestyle, build strength and lean muscle. Our fitness program is also known for injury prevention and helping our clients keep up with their kids, in a supportive, noncompetitive and community oriented environment.  As you can see from Lia's success story, we are so proud to know that we have amazing clients who have achieved their goals and understand that health and fitness is a lifestyle and not a trend or something you only participate in during the new year.

Sign up HERE to schedule your free consult today and be our next success story!!

Keep up the amazing work Lia. We are all inspired by you and so proud of you. Bring on 2017!

Yours In Health,

Pascha at Fuse Fitness