Barb is a valued, active, and hilarious member of the Inner Circle group. As a self-described “sponge,” she soaks up all the knowledge she can and always ensures she understands the “why” behind things. To say she is passionate about fitness is an understatement. Let’s hear more from Barb!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Well that's a loaded question! LOL! Where do I begin? I am 42, mom of 5 kids....ages 18, 16, 14, 8, and 6, and married to my best friend and greatest encourager, my husband Rick. I was a personal trainer for most of my 20's but then got busy with 3 little ones and that passion was benched for several years (I continued working with friends, but not as a job). I always knew I'd get back into training/coaching again, as this has always been my passion. I got recertified in 2017 and started a local outdoor boot camp. This single location quickly grew to more locations, and I had to start hiring other coaches for more locations as the demand kept growing! I now have 14 coaches and over 30 locations, including a Virtual Gym that offers unlimited group fitness classes with HIIT, strength training, power core, yoga, Pilates and even kickboxing.
How did you hear about/find the PCES Program?
In 2018, I was still struggling with my own core strength and issues that were chalked up to my "new normal" since having 5 kids. I had this gut feeling that I was missing something, but couldn't figure out what. Then came Sarah Duvall and the PCES course. From the minute I read about the program I KNEW this was that missing link. This was going to help me with all my issues! Several weeks into the program, It became crystal clear that THIS IS THE MISSING LINK FOR ALL WOMEN!!!! And my passion for helping women to get stronger and more confident burned hotter than ever! I was on a mission to not only heal my own body and get stronger, but to create an exercise-focused program to help others in my local area.
Why were you looking for a program like Sarah's? How were you feeling?
As a mom of 5… I knew I was missing something with my own personal programming and how my body was refusing to change after baby #5. She was 3 years old and I was still struggling with the lower belly pooch, weakness in my abdominals, constant pain in my neck and shoulders, and a plateau in strength overall.
How are you feeling now?
After taking this course, I learned how to better attack my abdominals and entire CORE and the importance of the adductors, glutes, hamstrings, lats and the rest of the mid back muscles in my overall CORE strength. Once I had the information, I was able to put it into practice and begin working to fix my diastasis, pelvic floor tightness and imbalances. I feel stronger than ever, but more importantly… my constant neck and back pain is gone, my chronic headaches are gone, my knee pain is gone, I no longer wear a weight belt to lift heavy weights or knee sleeves to do lunges and heavy squats, my abdominals not only flattened out but no more lower belly pooch!
You’ve had such amazing progress personally, how has this course changed the way you train your clients?
I wanted to put this into a program that I can bring to my community and friends. As a certified personal trainer, I needed to stay in my OWN lane and focus on what I am good at, which is exercise. So I wrote a new program called "Strong as a Mother"... and the focus of this is all about the CORE and building a STRONG foundation for your body. In this 7 week course, members will get step by step instruction on how to build a solid core while also improving their overall posture and restoring function to their breathing!
That sounds incredible! How is it going so far?
I've taken over 200 women through this program so far, and have also expanded it into 2 additional programs to provide progressions for those ready to go further with their strength!
In addition, my programming in my boot camps and virtual gym classes has changed and I am no longer programming things that set women up for failure. I can explain the "why" behind the "how" so much better now, and my clients are really GETTING IT and feeling such a big difference!
So when you say your clients “get it” and feel a big difference, do you feel your clients are getting even better results because of what you learned in the PCES course?
YES YES YES! My knowledge and understanding affected my programming and verbal cues, which in turn made the exercises more effective for my clients.
What was your favorite part of the course?
The in-depth lessons and exercise breakdown videos. I have watched many of them over and over and over to really grasp a concept. I feel like I went back to college for the human body, and it's amazing!
What did you expect to get out of it versus what you actually got?
I was VERY satisfied, this course blew me away and delivered WAY more than I expected!
Was there anything in the program that really surprised you/your favorite part?
I loved learning how it's ALL connected and how to look at pain or imbalances in a new light: above and below, in front and behind, assessing the WHOLE body to find the cause. And.... breathing is EVERYTHING and can fix so many issues!! It's CRAZY!
How has being a member of the Inner Circle helped you in your business?
Oh my gosh, I could write a book on that, too! Not only the Tips of the Week, but the exercise breakdowns, the case studies, and then the interaction among members and feedback and ability to assess other clients and help each other out.... it's worth EVERY penny! I am a sponge for knowledge, and LOVE the amount of info I have gained as well as the confidence that I have now because of all I have learned and continue to learn.
Thank you, Sarah, for all your wisdom and your passion for helping other women like me! It's created a ripple effect that will continue to impact lives all across the nation!
Thank you so much, Barb, for taking the time to share your story with us and for being such a lively participant of the Inner Circle!
Fitness320
Owner, Personal Trainer, Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist & Group Strength certified
813.453.8007
