Client Spotlight! - Hilary Colton

It's time for another dynamic Client Spotlight here at TFN - get ready to meet Hilary Colton, a new barbell enthusiast since working with her trainer, Jenn Stofferahn, and one of the DC area's go-to stingray wranglers. What exactly is a stingray wrangler? Read on!

TFN: How long have you been working with your trainer, Jenn?

HC: I've been working with Jenn for almost a year now, and she's been very supportive and excited for my progress.

TFN: Why did you start working together?

HC: I wanted to gain strength for work, and to learn better ways to keep myself fit.

TFN: How has your physique, strength, and/or mindset changed since you started?

HC: I am able to squat and deadlift significantly more weight than when I started working with Jenn. I also feel more confident working out at my regular gym with her help in form and explanations of exercises.

TFN: How many days a week do you exercise?

HC: I typically make it to the gym twice a week for strength training, but do a lot of walking and stay active with work.

TFN: Life gets busy and people miss workouts, what's your strategy to stay on track?

HC: I've figured out the times of the week when my gym is the least busy that work with my schedule. I'm better able to plan out days to go when I can be certain I won't have to wait long to use equipment, so its not as much time to set aside. If I miss a workout, I immediately look ahead for the next possible day to go so I don't fall too far behind.

TFN: On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard do you work during your workouts?

HC: Probably about an 8, I can always feel it the next day but not so sore I can't move.

TFN: What is your favorite exercise?

HC: Since starting at True Fitness, I really enjoy deadlifting. Previously, that was an exercise I never would have thought I would be good at, but I've made great strides.

TFN: You have a physical job as a zookeeper, how does your fitness and mindset empower you in your work?

HC: I work in a field where we have to be able to do a lot of physical labor, and you don't want to be the weakest link on your team. With my greater strength, I definitely feel like I'm able to help out with everything, and hearing compliments on my strength are always appreciated!

TFN: What's your #1 piece of advice to someone who wants to make significant fitness progress?

HC: I would say that even if it's very hard at the beginning, don't be self conscious. When I started out, I had never been shown how to properly use weights or equipment in a gym so there was a steep learning curve- but I am very proud of how far I've come!

Trainer Perspective - Jenn Stofferahn

TFN: Jenn, what is it like to work with Hilary?

JS: Hilary impresses me every time we workout together, both with how she internalizes the cues I give her for good form, and with her outstanding work ethic. I can teach someone to use his or her body the right way, to engage muscles properly and to handle strength training equipment. What I (nor any!) trainer can teach someone is the value of hard work. That comes from within. Hilary has that quality, and it makes her great at her job working with animals. It has also led to incredible strides in her strength, stability and physique. This past year alone, she's taken on new professional challenges, including working in tanks with marine animals, that her resistance training has helped make possible. It's so rewarding to see a client's hard work pay off at unexpected times - like when Hilary came in one day and reported that she was surprised by her recent ease at handling a stingray at work, and that now her team seeks her out when it's time to move the stingrays! How cool is that?

I can't wait to see what 2016 holds for Hilary!