We like to think of our Fusion Athletes of the Month as representatives of everything the Shop stands for: positivity, strong determination, and community. Our next June Fusion Athlete, Meghan Brindley, perfectly encapsulates those principles in and out of the Shop.
Meghan is a regular attendee of both our Fusion and Strength classes. Whether she’s at the Shop for her regular dose of endorphins or training hard for her next triathlon, you bet Meghan will be racking up the reps and stacking on the weight with a smile!
Congratulations, Meghan!
How long have you been a DBS member, and how did you hear about us?
I’ve been at Dane’s for just over 2 years (my first class was actually on Cinco de Mayo … which turned out to be Cinco de Burpees). I live on Guadalupe and passed the Shop everyday, and a friend of mine recommended it.
You are a woman who loves strength class. What is it about the programming and lifting that you enjoy?
As a newbie I had this preconceived notion that “strength class” meant a bunch of protein pounding, grunting, GTL characters. Coupled with that, lifting always seemed pretty extreme, and I knew that if you didn’t lift something correctly, you could get hurt. But even with those thoughts, I knew that it was still a new challenge I wanted to try. I asked Matt if a beginner could come to the class, and he encouraged me to join. It was pretty apparent after my first few classes that there was a central theme to everything: support. From the support I got from the coaching staff to lift correctly and safely, the support I got from the other people in the class, and finally the literal support that I got from other people spotting when I hit my maxes, Dane’s provided an excellent learning environment for what turned out to be a new passion.
A few weeks into the series I was amazed at how my other fitness activities and general confidence had increased. I found myself wishing that I had that type of training when I was swimming in high school and college. I was shocked a year later when I cut almost 30 minutes off of my triathlon time! This year I cut off another 12 minutes. Strength class has really created a solid foundation for me to build other fitness routines on. And truth be told, while watching my strength and confidence increase has been awesome, the best part has been watching so many other ladies join the group (when I first started there were two or three of us).
Have you ever considered competing in a lifting meet?
Now that I’ve been through the tri circuit a few times I think it’s time to try something new, and a lifting meet sounds like a great challenge. Besides, it’s pretty neat to be a small girl and lift things that weigh more than you do!
You often bring friends to class and refer them to the Shop. What is it about the Shop, the community, and the atmosphere that gives you to confidence to refer your friends?
There are a lot of things that I absolutely love about the Shop, but one of the best things is the variety. It’s not just the variety of the classes that are offered, but it’s the variety of the workouts, as well as the variety of fitness levels that join our classes. I think when it comes to fitness, it’s especially intimidating to start something new. I work in social media and was always afraid that someone would be secretly recording my workout at the gym and I’d end up on one of those #FitnessFail sites for ridiculous form.
Dane’s will provide a challenging environment for you regardless of your fitness level. As long as you’ve got a positive attitude and you’re ready to get work done, everyone here is welcoming and supportive. It’s because of that attitude that I’ve been able to make so many great friends. Between the classes and the social events that Dane’s hosts, the majority of the people I hang out with I met at the shop. In fact in April when I celebrated my birthday, half of the people that joined my celebration were from Dane’s, including Dane’s father who I fondly call Papa Body Shop. A true an indicator that it’s a pretty special place if you ask me!
How would you convince a friend who’s on the fence about joining a gym to give the Shop a try?
I actually get asked this a lot and I always answer with “You’ve got to start somewhere.” Even after I’ve taken a few days off due to work travel or scheduling conflicts, it can sometimes be tough motivating myself to get back in the fitness groove because you know it’s going to be difficult. Then I think about some of the people I’ve talked to who have been out of the game for weeks or even months for a variety of reasons, but it always comes back to “You’ve got to start somewhere!”
To ease that initial intimidation factor, I love that Dane’s offer Fusion Fundamentals as a class, so new members can get acquainted with the types of workouts we do and our overall culture. Part of that culture is learning how to lead a healthy life where fitness is just the start. The coaches at the Shop are always available and happy to talk about nutrition, stretching and overall wellness which is extremely helpful.
What visions do you have for Dane’s Body Shop in the future? Juice bar, new location, pet grooming, ha! Anything you want!
A juice bar would be pretty legit … but since it’s summer, I vote DBS boat party.
Click here to register for a DBS membership!
