October Fusion Athlete of the Month- Lizzette Reynolds
Our new Fusion Athlete of the Month is a very special member of Dane’s Body Shop. Lizzette joined Dane’s Body Shop early in May of 2011. Since joining she has participated in not only the Fusion classes but yoga and strength as well. She has served as an advocate for the Kids Fusion program and all three of her children participate in the program. Lizzette has earned this award because of her drive, desire and dedication to physical fitness and the community at DBS. She is always here to support our events, new ideas and programs. Her willingness to promote the gym at work and in her community is greatly appreciated by everyone at the Shop.
Lizzette is a 47 year old mother of 3 and devoted wife. She is also a very successful business women who was recently promoted to Chief Deputy Commissioner by Governor Rick Perry. Her daily life consists of working out, running an agency with a $28 million dollar budget and 700 employees and ultimately being a mom and wife. Her dedication and drive is a inspiration to everyone around her and we couldn’t be more proud to have her in our DBS community. We proudly name her The October Fusion Athlete of the Month.
How long have you been a member at Dane’s Body Shop?
I joined DBS in May 2011. I had just left my trainer at 24 Hour Fitness (she was awesome but expensive and too far away) and I really missed having someone craft workouts for me. By this time, I had also started my Bikram yoga practice and was looking for something more diverse than running and spin class. I ran by the Shop for months before finally just signing up and going to my first class. After that first day, I was hooked!
What have you gained by joining the DBS community?
I am stronger than most women in my age group. Thanks to Leann and Veronica’s nutrition program I have finally started to loose the weight that has been alluding me all this time despite my vigorous workout efforts. Really getting a handle on what I put into my body as opposed to just working out has made the real difference. I was always over weight as a child but after moving to Austin and discovering Deep Eddy and Town Lake I was able to get into a healthy lifestyle routine. I completed my first triathlon at age 28. As I get older I find that the variety of workouts at DBS allow me to be even more successful. I took a bone density test at UT Fit Institute and they have me at the top of the scale and they said it was due largely to the type of workouts we do at DBS.
With all the many hats your wear, how do you find the motivation and time to come to Yoga and Fusion classes at DBS?
My kids. I was 38 when I had Luke, 39 with Lilli and 41 with Joaquin. If I want to live long enough to see them graduate from college, buy their first house, get married and have kids, I better keep this up! As for Kids Fusion, it is well worth the effort to find the time out of my busy day to pick up the kids and share with them my love for working out.
Finally, DBS workouts and yoga combined with my regular Bikram yoga practice help me deal with the evident stress in my day to day life.
What difference have you seen in your life since joining DBS?
Strength, confidence, peace and motivation are more aligned within myself than ever before. I am more mindful of what I put into my body so I lose the benefits I gained in class earlier that morning. I am more patient with myself. Who cares if I am not a size 2, I have healthy bones, a healthy life style and a plan to live forever! I have kids that love to workout and do pull-ups and box jump burpees, it is amazing!
What is your favorite and least favorite exercise?
I love all the following: burpees, sprawls, weightlifting (minus strict press), tabata push-ups, handstands, windshield wipers on the pull-up bar, and the crazy push up exercise 4 rounds of 25 push-ups with a run between each round.
I don’t care for the following: strict press, wall balls and pull-up negatives.
I have a love/hate relationship with pull-ups and toes to bar.
What has been your biggest accomplishment since joining DBS?
Getting my TOES TO THE BAR!!!!!!
What are you working on right now and goals you have for yourself?
I would like to lose more weight. I would like to be more cognizant of my accomplishments in class and recognize them and be proud. I want to be able to do at least one strict pull-up without the band, especially since I am planning on competing in the AFM Fittest competition this next year. I want to increase my weight load during strength week and run more while also staying injury free. I am determined to appreciate the strict press.
What is your favorite healthy food and what is your favorite cheat meal?
My favorite healthy food is a really nice crunchy salad with homemade vinaigrette and a tasty protein.
My cheat meal is Vietnamese Pho with white meat chicken and shrimp spring rolls from Pho Saigon.
What vision do you have for the future of DBS?
My vision is that DBS never leaves the neighborhood. While I am super proud of DBS and all its accomplishments in the last two years, I selfishly hope you stick it out in Hyde Park.
I would love to see some spin classes pop up in the future. Most importantly, maintaining your Kids Fusion classes is a must!