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Dua Lipa, Michael B. Jordan Workout: How They Got Fit

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Dua Lipa and Michael B. Jordan workout, like many other actors and actresses, to stay and get fit for their roles.

From her high intensity interval work, to Michael B. Jordan’s shorter training sessions, here are some snippets from articles I have contributed to lately.

Note: I do not know either of these celebrities or their trainers; I was consulted for expert commentary on their workout routines.

Michael B. Jordan Workout

Michael B. Jordan has a habit of staying fit, especially as many of his acting roles necessitate a strong and healthy character. If you’ve seen his performance in Creed III, you can see he took no shortcuts in his training.

In addition to eating healthy protein and fruits, he is said to employ quick training sessions as his schedule gets busy. Here’s what I think of that:

Here is the rest of the article about Michael B. Jordan’s workout routine, and his methods for eating well, building muscle and staying lean with a busy schedule. It includes his stories about workouts and preparing for roles, and many other experts insight.

Dua Lipa is Fit and Stunning for Barbie Premiere

Dua Lipa dazzled as a mermaid in the Barbie movie. One thing she reportedly did was high intensity interval training. I love this; it’s a great training method. Of course, HIIT isn’t the only way to do cardio but it’s a great option. As you can see, she looks fantastic – it’s clearly working for her!

Check out the rest of the article for the full story: Dua Lipa Stuns at Barbie Premiere. Here’s How She Gets Fit.

Here’s a quick push pull squat workout you can do at home. You can make this high intensity, as well.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

When Will I See Results?

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“When will I see results?” This is a common question I hear, and fair! This client case study illustrates what to do when you are wondering the same.

A client recently asked me if we could change anything in her program to see progress faster. We were about eight weeks in to working with each other. She is athletic and regularly teaches and participates in Pilates classes. She also does a conditioning type class and actively dances salsa and bachata here in Austin.

As you can see, she already has a healthy lifestyle, so her main goals were to increase definition, get a little leaner, and see progress in her abs and glutes. Great goals!

Where Do I Start?

She had never worked on driving up her barbell lifts when we met, so with that in mind, we began by learning how to do the basic movements with ideal form: squat, hinge, push, pull. 

The first big lift that she learned, practiced and increased weight on was the trap bar deadlift. For about a month, we prioritized deadlifting with great form, and continued the other movements as well. Then we added in the barbell squat, and began increasing her weight on the squat as her coordination and strength improved.

So here we are eight weeks in and she is squatting 95 for sets of 5 with amazing form and deadlifting 165 for sets of 3-5. She is a technically sound lifter and her form improves each week. 

She trains consistently, and her strength is increasing. 

Seeing Progress!

At this point, she was beginning to see strength improvements in her daily life. Pilates became easier, the bags of dog food seemed lighter. In fact, she was progressing much faster than most people do in the beginning. 

She was doing fantastic!

Still, she’s an overachiever. Type A personality. She wanted results faster.

The answer wasn’t one she wanted the hear. The answer is, she was doing it. She was on the path. Sometimes it’s just takes longer than we think. Most times it takes longer than we think, and the answer is to keep going. 

Laying the Foundation for Increased Work Capacity

Think about it this way: when you first start working out, you’re not as strong as you will be, and not as conditioned as you will be. In other words, your work capacity is low, or at least, has room to improve. The amount of weight you can move is limited, and the amount of time you can work hard is limited. 

A smart lifting program won’t throw you in the deep in from the beginning, so hopefully you aren’t going all out, you aren’t hitting max weight lifts. What you are doing is learning the exercises, learning to move well with good form, and laying a foundation for more work. 

Sure, you could do more. If your goal in life was to lose 30 pounds THIS MONTH and your life depended on it, you could push harder. In her case, that wasn’t the answer. We wanted her to work hard in a way that contributed to her already active lifestyle, and stay in a favorable position on the risk:reward ratio. 

Thus, our choice was to steadily increase her strength and fitness in a safe and effective way. She has had some days where she worked really hard, and had some soreness carry over into her Pilates practice and dance classes, but she has never been hurt. She’s too active to risk getting hurt. If we take a month or two longer to get where she wants to be, and do so more safely, that’s a better path.

Build Your Strength!

As mentioned above, as you get stronger and fitter and increase your work capacity, you can expend more effort and energy with each training session. You’ll burn more calories and move more weight, and this is how you’ll start to see results. 

This is easy to see if you use Train Heroic, the training app my clients and I use. As you lift and track your session, Train Heroic stores your data. It gives you an end-of-session summary that shows you how many pounds of weight you moved. That number is not the end all be all, but it clearly demonstrates how much work capacity can improve. 

personal trainer Austin
When will I see results?

Note in the above screenshots:

  • Look how much her volume increased: from 6,850 pounds to 17,740!!
  • This is the same session, from warm up through the exercises and cool down
  • They are about 6 weeks apart
  • She rated them about a 3 on a scale of 1-10 intensity

See how much more work she was able to put in an hour? It’s just densely packed with work!

This is why you will not always see fast progress in the first few weeks. Once you have learned how to work hard safely though, it is GO time!

Focus on this process so that each workout you do will be stronger and more productive than the last. This will add up exponentially, and you’ll get more out of each workout session you do. 

Keep Going!

Resist the urge to jump ship, change your whole plan, or program hop. If you are on a good program, keep giving it your all and do your best day by day. Just keep doing today what you can do today. Set yourself up today to have a productive tomorrow.

Other ways you can optimize your progress:

  • Get enough protein
  • Add in HIIT
  • Make sure your diet is on point (work on eliminating those things you know don’t help you, like extra desserts or Cokes)
  • Sleep well

Where is She Now?

In my clients case, her progress is fantastic. She doesn’t have the training perspective that I have from training hundreds – thousands? – of clients over 18 years to know how well she is doing. I have seen so many people at many stages of their exercise journey – and 8 weeks is a relatively small amount of time to get to where she is.

We are still working together and she is still doing great! We are building her foundation and growing her lifts. Each workout she is able to do more work and lift heavier, yet she feels energized after.  

Her hunger for more and drive to work harder are excellent qualities that are serving her well!

When Will You See Results?

If you are looking to make more progress, but aren’t on a plan, I’d suggest starting there. Only then can you really assess if you are going the direction you want to go. 

If you want to explore 1:1 to see results like my client here, and are able to do in person personal training in Austin, then let’s discuss.

Do you have questions about where to start or what kind of program to be on? Email me. I am happy to help you! Kathryn@kathrynalexander.com.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Discipline vs. Motivation

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Discipline vs motivation is everywhere these days. I don’t know about you, but I read about discipline vs. motivation all the time. Rely on discipline, not motivation, they say. Develop your discipline because the motivation will not always be there, they say.

Jocko is saying it: Discipline equals freedom. David Goggins lives it, a mile at a time. Nearly every trending motivational reel in the fitness space highlights the importance of discipline over motivation. 

They’re not wrong, and it’s not a new concept, but I’d like to give real life examples for what that looks like. I am blessed to be able to see this is action across the board, from my clients as they navigate fitting in fitness in their life. 

Motivation vs Discipline

Motivation 

Motivation is so fun! It hypes you up, it amps you to go get it, to go do what you need to do. Motivation makes you WANT to do what you need to do. That’s the joy of motivation: it drives you, it pulls you! It makes it easy to go to the gym and get your training done.

When things are going great, motivation is easy; it comes naturally. If you’ve been training your abs hard and you start to see the progress, you want to go to the gym. You want to continue. It drives you!

discipline vs motivation in your fitness training

Discipline

Discipline, on the other hand, is steady and consistent. Discipline is orderly and measured. If you are disciplined in your approach to training, you’ll do it because you committed. If you are disciplined, you’ll get your training in when you aren’t highly motivated.

The problem with motivation, however, is that it can be fleeting. You won’t be motivated every day, and that’s fact. Motivation changes with your mood, the weather, how busy you are and how you slept.

Discipline gets you to the gym when you don’t want to go. Discipline helps you get your protein when you’d rather go for a tub of ice cream.

Discipline Over Motivation

Discipline and motivation certainly aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, in many cases, they make an upward cycle of success. If you are disciplined in the tasks that drive you toward your goals, you’ll likely see more success in reaching them. Success is fun! That leads to motivation, which makes carrying out your discipline easier.

Life always has a way of changing though, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. When it changes for worse, motivation is tough. It’s HARD to go to the gym when you are so so busy. It’s ROUGH to muster up the energy for exertion when you aren’t sleeping well. 

Discipline allows you to commit to a training schedule, so you push through those challenges and get your tasks done. Remember, exercise is rate limited; you can’t exercise a year’s worth of work in a month. You have to do it consistently throughout your life. This is the way to see success.

motivation vs discipline in your fitness training programs

How My Clients Use Discipline

My clients have often been my biggest inspirations, as I’ve seen them use discipline to commit to their training through a variety of challenging life situations. I’ve seen parents who are absolutely slammed busy make time for their exercise, people who have had physical setbacks approach their training with the most can-do attitude imaginable. And impressively, I’ve seen people who have been consistent and disciplined for decades.

My client Paul moved last summer from one house, to a temporary house for a month, and finally to his family’s new home. He trains with bands and dumbbells, and exercises outdoors. Did I mention that it is hot here in the Central Texas heat? Hot!

He kept his training consistent through the time, weather and schedule challenges. I am always interested to know how successful people find their way so I asked him how he maintained his consistency.

He reminded me that he has been doing some sort of exercise since he was 16. It has become part of his life to that point that he will make sure to include it. He said it feels off if he doesn’t exercise.

Remember, discipline turns into long term success.

A Working Mother Employs Discipline in Her Training

Most of my clients have jobs and families and find really great and creative ways to get their training in. One of my clients in particular impresses me with how she manages it all. She is self employed and runs a service based business. She has two adorable kids who are fun and healthy and active (read: busy!). Her husband works as well and they are a great team. 

Through the years of training together, she has put it on her calendar to get her training in despite being busy. Here are some creative ways she has made her training happen when it would have been easier to skip or cancel:

  • Lifted at home with dumbbells, including the children when they were home during summer.
  • Walked in her neighborhood, including walking the kids to school.
  • Pivoted to pool sessions during covid. Great use of outside and distance.
  • Increased the intensity of sessions when the time was cut short (hard 30-45 minute sessions instead of an hour). Thanks, Austin traffic.
  • Trained while keeping an ear bud in to listen to a call that she wanted to learn from.

I’m so impressed by how she gets work done, even when it’s not a perfectly planned 60 minute session. This has allowed her to maintain her strength and build her health over the years.

There are many social benefits to exercise too!

Working Through Injuries

Another client I am working with now is also trainer, and friend of mine. He tore his pec doing jiu jitsu, and we are structuring his rehab and return to training. He’s a strongman competitor and trainer and has been active for many years. He has done strongman, jiu jitsu, hypertrophy training and is now working with a new goal: get back to 100% intensity training. 

It’s hard to see your ability change, and it takes patience, commitment and yes, discipline to work through an injury. He impresses me, because I know he will get it done and return stronger than before. 

It’s What I Do

As someone who has had a love-hate relationship with exercise, I have experience elation, burnout, contentment and sheer fatigue surrounding my training. This is why I was so intrigued and impressed with Paul’s explanation.

“It’s what I do.”

No tortured lamenting about lack of time or energy or desire, just a matter of fact statement that it’s what he does.

No relying on fleeting motivation. 

And you know what? It works, when we just do what we know we need to do.

Hope you have a wonderful week, and find the motivation and discipline to do what you need to do! If I can help you in any way, please let me know! 

Feel free to email me kathryn@kathrynalexander.com or send me a message here to inquire about working together toward your goals. 

Related: Here’s how to modify a session if it needs to run quicker

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Morgan’s Transformation

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Client transformations and success stories give me life, y’all! Morgan’s transformation is one of my favorites. Morgan is amazingly hard working, both at his job and in the gym. He is diligent and consistent. This isn’t for lack of other things to do either; he is a busy man who has prioritized his health. I am so proud of him!

Morgan, client of Alexander Training, shows his amazing transformation, and the results of his hard work.
Morgan, client of Alexander Training, shows his amazing transformation, and the results of his hard work.

Morgan’s transformation, in his words

I set out on my journey to find a strength and conditioning professional after suffering what I like to refer to as a “Crisis of Health”. It was at this time that I realized that many of my personal and professional shortcomings were linked to my inability to stay disciplined regarding my own health. Coach Alexander has helped to keep me accountable for my health and on track to meeting my goals.

After having done research on local gyms and their strength and conditioning professionals, I decided Coach Alexander was the best fit due to education and background experience. So, I signed up for a session to give it a try. And I sure am glad I did! Coach Alexander has been able to help curate a routine and develop habits that keep me engaged and on track.

Coach Alexander is has been sensational to work with! She maintains and updates my routine to keep my body challenged, mind engaged, and spirit motivated.  

My time with her has taken me from despising the gym, to thirsting for it. 

She always takes the time to address any comments or concerns I might have regarding my training, and always does so with positivity and professionalism.

Your Turn

If you would like to get started on your transformation, see which program is the best fit for you here. If you would like to talk with me about your goals, please reach out! Email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com. I have many training options to fit a variety of goals and budgets. I’d be honored to help you!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Guillermo Gets Deadlift PR!

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You might remember a client spotlight of Guillermo, an online training client of mine. Guillermo is a fantastic client; he is a great person, super interesting, and hard working. He was one of my earliest fully online personal training clients, and he knocked it out of the park. Here’s a quick update on his progress.

Guillermo Gets a Deadlift PR at the Hyde Park Gym Push/Pull

Guillermo set a goal, put in the work, the rest, and kept at it patiently. It paid off when he reached his personal record.

Guillermo hits a deadlift PR; happy client success story! Alexander Training
Guillermo hits a deadlift PR; happy client success story! Alexander Training
Guillermo hits a deadlift PR; happy client success story! Alexander Training

Online Training Success

I’ve said it before: Guillermo was fantastic at working hard and lifting strong. I am really happy with his success and appreciate his willingness to let me share it with you. If you are ready to get started, I’d be honored to help you make a plan! Message me here if you’d like to do free consult.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Emily’s Testimonial & Repping Pull-ups!

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Emily shares her testimonial of training with Kathryn Alexander, and of doing pull-ups before her wedding.

Emily is a smart, funny woman. A dream client, really. She showed up on time, worked hard on short and long term goals, and her sense of humor made me laugh every session. Let me share Emily’s testimonial with you.

Emily began training with me in July 2015. She was already beautiful and fit, but wanted to start being more active, both for her upcoming wedding, and to be healthy in general. The pull up goal, though… that might have been my favorite.

Emily wanted to learn how to lift, but didn’t consider herself a gym person. (Yet.) She wanted to learn the right way, and that served her well.

Emily’s Words

Before last summer I hated gyms. I always felt intimidated when I would go because I did not know how to use the machines or weight lifting equipment. I needed someone to push me, hold me accountable AND I wanted to learn how to properly use gym equipment.

I wanted to be stronger and healthier. I wanted to not be scared to go to the gym by myself. Oh, and I wanted to be able to do a pull up.

I am really surprised that I liked squats so much. I mean I actually enjoyed working out! I didn’t enjoy pull-ups much, but it felt so great when I was able to do several of them in a row. The results I saw in the mirror were also quite nice. Having friends and family notice my muscles was very flattering.

Gyms aren’t scary (though I always knew that). I feel totally comfortable being the only female in the free weight section of the gym now.

See Emily’s whole story here: Emily does pull ups before the wedding!!

Start Your Strength and Health Journey Today

If Emily’s story inspired you, let’s get you started too! Leave me a message on this page, and we’ll make you a plan to get on the path of health, strength, and maybe pull-ups too!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Press On

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I had the greatest client session yesterday and wanted to share with you the lessons learned. 

My client let me know before her session that she was not feeling up to par. Nothing catastrophic or contagious, but that we might need to take it into account. 

Since she let me know ahead of time, I was able to look at her program and keep in mind some potential adjustments. Some Plan B’s, if necessary. 

When she got to the gym, we discussed specifics and decided to go ahead with the plan, take a little longer warm up time, and assess along the way. 

The workout included bench press, squats, and barbell rows, so it wasn’t no sissy workout, yall. We left off a couple of the heaviest sets for bench and squats, but she still did 80% of the planned session.

Romanian deadlifts were added in, and a lunge superset was cut. 

It worked. She left feeling refreshed and not run down. 

Press On

Appropriately timed, Dave Draper wrote in his weekly column, published today 10/24, “We press on. Something hurts, we assess it curiously and work around it. We lift and learn.”

Currently published at https://www.davedraper.com/dave-draper-columns.html the column is titled “A Chill in the Air”.

I love that! That’s exactly it! You don’t have to quit if something is off. Try to keep your plan, and make adjustments as you warm up and get feedback from your body.

Things She Did Right


lessons-learned-press-on.jpg

  • She let me know what she was feeling, and in time to make adjustments if necessary

  • She was honest about her capability

  • She trusted me to try the program, to “press on” 

  • She gave it a real go- hard work, adjusted for her body’s condition that day

  • And, she updated me.

    Talk about a happy trainer! That message made my day. 

Lessons Learned

Follow Dave’s advice, and assess curiously. Don’t immediately write off your plan. Start with a slow warm up, and if you feel good, if your body gives you a green light, progress. Continue to use each set as an indicator for the next.

You might need to adjust, but you might not. Have you ever felt a little off but had a great session? Sometimes you surprise yourself. Let me know; I’d love to hear your stories!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Success Story from Happy Client

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This success story is from a client who is one of the most darling people I’ve had the privilege to know. She one-in-a-million cute, sweet, and has the greatest sense of style. I loved working with her. She said something that made me so happy in a “catch up with you” type email after we finished our training sessions.

Weight Lifter for Life

“I am a weight lifter for life.”

Makes me so happy I can’t even tell you! I am proud of her for all her hard work, and for enjoying her success!

Success story for client of Alexander Training
success story, happy client of Kathryn Alexander, Alexander Training

Start Your Own Success Story

Are you ready to begin your own success story? I’d love to talk about your goals and help you succeed! Click here and leave me a message to schedule a free consult.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Guillermo builds his strength through online training

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Client Spotlight: Guillermo

I like to do client spotlights because: A, I am super proud of my clients, and B, real people’s stories fascinate me. This is the story of how Guillermo got strong strong through online personal training.

Everyone has a different motivation, background, and natural ability. We can learn so much from other people and how they approach their training and life. For example, Guillermo has a full time job, a girlfriend, dog, and other hobbies. He’s not tied to the gym every day, but he has pretty solid numbers and time for his priorities, something we all can aspire to.

An introduction to Guillermo, in his own words:


Guillermo

I’m a 34 year old Technical Support Manager for a Medical Software Company here in Austin. In my spare time, I enjoy live music, riding my motorcycle, playing bass in my metal band, hanging out with my girlfriend and my two year old pug, Thor.

I also enjoy exercising and over the last year, have decided to try to push past my long time limits and become the best version of myself! I want to be strong and look strong, as well as feel strong. These are my primary training goals.

What is your experience with training? Have you always been active?

I started weight lifting when I was 17 years old and was very very weak back then. When I was 19, I got into Olympic Lifting through training with my college track team (I was a weight thrower). My strength and size increased (I went from 170 lbs to almost 260 lbs within 2 years, thanks to eating with my teammates and a very late growth spurt when I was 21). After college, I essentially stopped working out, up until a couple of years ago.

“Over the last year, I have completely refocused and have promised myself to push harder than ever and never stop again. Ever. ”

I want to look great, feel great and be as strong as I can be. My ideal scenario is to be below 200 lbs and be able to bench and squat well over double my bodyweight. I’m patient, so I’m ok with those goals being a long ways away.

What did you expect from training remotely?

The concept of online training is brand new to me, so I really didn’t know what to expect. I was more or less thinking that you would set me up with a program and would just check on how it’s going from time to time.

I have absolutely seen results that I’m happy and excited about, and the guidance that the program has provided is changing some long standing/erroneous thoughts about strength training, that I’ve held onto for a long time.

“I never realized how interactive and personal this whole process is and I love it! ”

What kind of results have you seen from online training with me?

In the time that we’ve worked together, I have seen increases in strength, mobility and some increases in muscle size as well. I also have more energy when I go to the gym and am more excited for my workouts, since I know that they are tailored for me specially.

Every week is a new challenge and my drive has never been this high.

How do you like Train Heroic as a training log and program delivery method?

Train-Heroic-Guillermo.PNG

(Kathryn: Train Heroic is the app I use to deliver client workouts to remote and in-person clients. Train Heroic includes explanatory exercise demos, and allows clients to track their workouts and make comments.) 

I really like the app as a way to track your progress and have programs delivered directly to my phone. It’s a lot better than trying to write everything down in a notepad and saves me a lot of time. Plus it’s interactive and easy to use.

Anything else you are enjoying about the online training?

I think that my biggest takeaway so far from all of this, is realizing that I don’t have to “kill myself” in the gym to see results and overtraining is real!

I used to spend 3-4 hours/3 times a week at the gym, maybe only having the energy to properly do 50 percent of the workout properly. Now I’ve cut that time in half and am seeing way better results in my strength than ever!

Final note from Kathryn

Guillermo is been a great client. He works hard, trusts my programming, communicates well, and most importantly, is consistent! He has earned every bit of success he has found through this programming cycle via online training. I look forward to more updates on his progress and will keep you updated!

Guillermo, thanks so much for your willingness to share your experience with everyone.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Nadia Completes the Hotter’N Hell Hundred

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I am so proud of my client Nadia, and I have to share her story of the lead up to the Hotter’N Hell Hundred. Nadia is a very multi-faceted person and she is deeply interested in many things. She’s traveled more extensively than anyone else I know, she is an extremely talented crafter, and she is a dedicated cyclist.

We created a program for her to complement all the other activities going on in her busy life, and she executed like a pro.

Details of Nadia’s Online Personal Training

We chose to do online personal training for Nadia because she has the discipline and background in exercise. She didn’t need me to be there during her sessions, but she wanted me to plan them. Oh, and she lives out of town.

We chose some heavy-hitters for Nadia: sessions that were hard, fairly quick, and hit the high points. She didn’t need extra conditioning because she does that with her cycling training. She’s also busy, as mentioned before, and didn’t want to spend hours in the gym.

In fact, she didn’t spend any time in the gym. She trained with dumbbells, bands and bodyweight at her home.

Read below for her account of how training went.

Nadia, client of Alexander Training, completes the Hotter'N Hell Hundred
Nadia, client of Alexander Training, completes the Hotter’N Hell Hundred

Nadia’s Testimonial

I was on the verge of giving up.  After a few years of on-and-off workouts, Kathryn set me up with a fast, effective way to jumpstart my exercise routine.  I wasn’t sure how a few exercises and minimal diet restrictions would work, but it proved to be the best option for me.  She listened to my concerns and helped me develop a workout that I could fit into my schedule.  Her encouraging words and positive attitude are exactly what I needed in order to keep going.

Today, I’m in the best shape of my life and I attribute it to the exercise plan she developed for me.  Thank you, Kathryn.

Nadia McInnis, Wife, Mom, Community Volunteer

Try Online Personal Training for Your Busy Schedule

Learn more about online personal training here, and if you are interested, send me a message. We’ll plan a free consult and see if we are a good fit to work on your goals.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Abby is Stronger!

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Abby was not a beginner when we began working together. She has historically been active, both in resistance training and cardio. She was looking to make a push through a plateau and get stronger, and that is exactly what she did!

Abby is a fantastically fun person, both when exercising and not. She has a great attitude, and employed that through lifting dumbbells, pulling sleds, and generally working hard.

Read below to hear the story about her journey to get fitter and stronger.

Abby pulls the sled while training with Kathryn at Alexander Training.
Abby pulls the sled while training with Kathryn at Alexander Training.

“I Can Already See Changes in My Body”

I started working with Kathryn to help me take my workouts to the next level.  I am new to weight lifting and after seeing some good initial results, I entered into the dreaded plateau stage.  Enter Kathryn!  She helped design workouts for me that were specifically tailored to my abilities.  

Already in just a few weeks I am stronger and can already see changes in my body.  Best of all, Kathryn gave me the confidence to know that I was performing exercises correctly and could continue gaining strength without getting injured.  Kathryn is extremely encouraging and experienced.  If you are a beginner, or even a seasoned weight lifter, I strongly recommend Kathryn to help you reach your goals.

Your Turn to Get Stronger

Sometimes you just need an outside perspective or a new training plan to bust through your plateau and get stronger. I’d love to help you with that! Please feel free to message me here to talk about how we can take your training to the next level!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Tony’s 15 pound weight loss in 1 month

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Tony’s 1 Month Body Transformation: How he kick started his weight loss and healthy habits for great success in the first month. 

Every once in a while I am so blown away by someone’s change that I have to share it. If you are at Hyde Park Gym, you know Tony. He’s the funny one, the sometimes quiet one, who knows everyone. He’s a giver by nature and in both his personal and professional life has taken it upon himself to help others.

A few years ago, he made it his goal to take care of himself and lose weight. He went from over 400 pounds down to 280. At this point, he was having great progress building up his strength to impressive levels.

Tony, client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) earned a transformation that yielded big weight loss and big strength gains.
Tony shows his transformation, L-R, Nov. 2, 2016, Dec. 6, 2016. 15 pounds weight loss.
Tony, client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) earned a transformation that yielded big weight loss and big strength gains.
Tony’s transformation.
Tony, client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) earned a transformation that yielded big weight loss and big strength gains.
Tony showing his progress in a side view.

He decided to rededicate his efforts toward weight loss, so we started him on remote training. We made him a food and workout plan, which he implemented entirely on his own. His strength training helped build muscle mass and muscle growth, and his meal plan helped him lose body fat and drive body composition changes. 

Tony's transformation yielded big weight loss and a big deadlift!
Tony’s transformation yielded big weight loss and a big deadlift!

Following these guidelines, he lost over 15 pounds in the first month! I should note that Tony is exceptional at giving feedback and has great intuition about his body and workouts.

Tony Shares His Success Strategies

I asked him more questions:

KA: You’re already very accomplished in the gym, with a deadlift of 515. What made you want to switch toward the goal of fat loss? 

TS: That’s a tricky one to answer because there are a couple of reasons… training is a spiritual practice for me. I set my goals based on what I feel my spirit needs. If I need strength I get strong, if I need endurance then I do more conditioning, etc… I reached a point in my life where I felt as though I needed a complete transformation. I had developed and strengthened a lot of life and interpersonal skills but was struggling to grow beyond that. So I figured the best way to step out of my comfort zone for personal growth was to do it in the gym first.

But if you’re looking for a more surface level answer it’s because I was going through a breakup and needed a self esteem boost. (Note from Kathryn: I love the honesty here. Rededicating yourself to a workout plan or goal is a great way to get through tough times.)

KA: You clearly had a productive 1-2 months, with a 15 pound weight loss. What has been the most challenging part? 

Sticking to the diet and training program has actually been really easy and lots of fun.

The most challenging part has been allowing my ego to detach from the image of “powerlifter”. It’s been very humbling to work with lighter weights and higher reps… and the cardio. I thought I was in decent shape until you had me do cardio!

KA: What has been the most helpful part? What gave you the most tactical, useful advantage to getting your workouts and better food decisions? 

TS: The accountability. Since you’ve gone above and beyond to help me achieve my goals I feel waaaay more guilty about letting you down than letting myself down. Seriously though, knowing that I’m going to weigh in, take measurements, and report my diet and workouts back to you makes me second guess that second (sometimes third) piece of pie.

KA: What are you looking forward to from here?

TS: I’m really looking forward to the feeling of knowing I accomplished my goals in a healthy manner. I’ve set weight loss goals before that I was unable to reach on my own or that I met only because I was starving myself and overtraining.

I’m also looking forward to buying new clothes! Everything I own is getting pretty baggy and I no longer have to shop in the big & tall section. So many more options!!

1 month body transformation

Apply This To Your 1 Month Body Transformation

What are some ways you can apply Tony’s principles of success to your body transformation? Remember, making big changes in a month is a big goal! Remember also that I’d like your 1 month body transformation to be just the beginning of your health and fitness journey. 

Here are some things to remember so you can see noticeable results in your 1 month, and continue on for many more. 

  1. Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve in one month. Whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or overall fitness improvement, having specific, measurable goals will keep you focused. From there, plan ways to continue these habit changes in your daily life regularly.
  2. Nutrition Planning:
    • Calculate your daily caloric needs based on your goals and activity level.
    • Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.
    • Get enough protein! How much protein do you need? Read this.
    • Eat smaller, frequent meals to keep your metabolism active.
    • Limit processed foods, sugary snacks, and high-calorie beverages. Remember, alcohol might be fun but it does no good for you.
    • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
  3. Exercise Routine:
    • Incorporate a combination of cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
    • Whether you use bodyweight exercises, free weights or machines, use compound exercises in a variety of rep ranges.
    • Work with a trainer to learn the most effective way to lift, to learn good form, and to decrease risk of injury.
    • Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity most days of the week.
    • Include strength training exercises targeting major muscle groups at least 2-3 times per week. Maybe more if you like lifting. 🙂
    • Learn a variety of lifts for lower body, upper body and full body, and get good at them. 
    • Incorporate HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Hiit workouts are fantastic for calorie burning and improved cardiovascular fitness.
    • Don’t forget to include rest days to allow your body to recover and prevent overtraining.
  4. Consistency is Key:
    • Stick to your nutrition and exercise plan consistently throughout the month.
    • Track your progress using a journal or fitness app to monitor your food intake, exercise routine, and measurements.
    • Stay accountable by setting up regular check-ins with a friend, family member, or personal trainer.
  5. Prioritize Sleep and Recovery:
    • Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support muscle recovery and overall well-being.
    • Incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing to manage stress levels and promote recovery.
  6. Stay Motivated:
    • Set short-term milestones and reward yourself for achieving them.
    • Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage your efforts.
    • Visualize your success and remind yourself of the reasons why you embarked on this transformation journey.
  7. Adjust and Adapt:
    • Be flexible and willing to adjust your plan based on your progress and feedback from your body.
    • Celebrate your achievements and learn from any setbacks to continuously improve.

Remember, one month is a relatively short time frame for significant body transformation, but with dedication and the right approach, you can make noticeable progress towards your goals. Focus on building sustainable habits that you can maintain beyond the initial month to ensure long-term success.

What schedule and budget options are there for personal training with me? Read all about it at this link!

What Happens During Your 30 Days of Hard Work

A one month body transformation is no joke! Whether you are doing strength workouts, intense workouts, high-rep workouts, low-rep workouts, etc., if you put in honest hard work, you’ll see changes!

Get started on your 1 month body transformation and give it your honest best shot. You’ll see benefits in every way: internal benefits to your cardiovascular system like decreased resting heart rate, decreased/healtheir blood pressure, health benefits all the way down to the cellular level. Your blood vessels will be more pliable (which is a good thing) and your energy levels will increase. All of your muscle fibers will benefit from the movement and increased in blood flow.

More tips for how to get in shape fast!

You’ll see external benefits like changes in your physical appearance, increase in your fitness level and muscle definition. Your metabolic rate will increase and you’ll begin to enjoy both the better physical fitness and physical changes. Bottom line, you’ll be in a good place, and you’ll see even better results the longer you keep it up. 

Your Turn for Success

Kathryn here again: stay tuned for further updates about Tony’s progress. You know I can’t help but brag about my clients.

If you are ready to make a change, please message me here or email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com.  I wish you the best of luck in your training!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Veronica’s Testimonial

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My client Veronica sent me the best testimonial and I have to share. She has done a great job of sticking to her exercise plan, both with me in the gym, and at home doing online personal training.

She has seen health improvements, and boy is she getting strong! I am all around happy for her.

Testimonial from client Veronica who got strong and healthy with online personal training from Alexander Training.
Testimonial from client Veronica who got strong and healthy with online personal training from Alexander Training.

Veronica’s Testimonial

First let me say that Kathryn is an awesome personal trainer. It is September 2015 and I have been remotely training with Kathryn for about 3 months now. I was in two really bad car accidents years ago and ever since I was not able to exercise without injuring myself again. I would always give up due to the pain. I have many other health conditions that make it very difficult for me to lose weight. I have been the exact same weight for the past 4 years. I have not gone over or under a pound, but somehow managed to maintain that weight. After my doctor told me that I would have to get on diabetic medication if I did not do something to move my weight down, I decided to look for a well educated personal trainer. I looked and did some research for about 2 months until I found Kathryn. I wanted to make sure I had someone that really knew their stuff. Well, I really hit the jackpot with Kathryn. She is amazing at what she does. I did not think I would be able to do much, but Kathryn created a tailored exercise and food program for me to follow. I have been following her recommendations and have lost 13 pounds. Thirteen pounds is a lot of weight to lose in 3 months especially for someone who has hypothyroidism and other health conditions that make it really hard for me to lose weight. My doctor cannot believe that the weight is coming off the way it is due to my health conditions.

My doctor is super excited for me. I owe a lot of that to Kathryn. her remote program is so easy to follow as she literally writes everything you need in a nicely structured sheet and emails it to you. She also includes videos that demonstrate exercises that you may not be familiar with. Her workouts are challenging but I have not injured myself once with her plan because she has taken all my health/injuries into account and made me my own program. I love her program so much that I have decided to start training with her once a week in person since I live in Austin. The cool thing about Kathryn’s remote program is that you do not have to live in Austin. She will email you everything you need and she always makes sure to check up on you weekly to see how you are doing and how the program is going for you. Again, I highly recommend giving Kathryn’s specifically tailored for you remote program a try. You will be very glad you did.

Veronica Cantu

Write Your Story

Kathryn again here. I encourage you to write a new chapter in your story, beginning with a new training program. It can make you so much healthier that your doctor notices, like Veronica’s. The best part is it can make you feel so much better. I’d love to help you on your journey. Email me, or send me a message here for a free consult about making a plan for you.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Tara’s Lifts and Does Triathlons

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Tara was a wonderful client of mine, who worked so hard, both at her home and at the gym. She was busy, like many of us are. However, what she did so well was continue to prioritize her health and fitness with both strength and conditioning training. I am grateful to have worked with her! Read about our training together in her words, below.

Tara’s Story

I have been working with Kathryn for about 18 months.  In that time, she has educated me on the importance of building muscle strength in relation to my overall health and also direct improvement in other parts of my exercise routines.  I have always been a “cardio first” type of person and now that I have the knowledge from Kathryn, I realize that putting weights first on certain days will do nothing but help me in the long run! She keeps it fun and I always look forward to our sessions.

Tara Kalsu, mother, recreational triathlete

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Amanda Prioritizes Her Health

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Amanda’s success story is fantastic: she was in a great position to put her health as a priority, since she was newly pregnant with her first child. She worked hard, worked smart, and had a great payoff a few months later! 🙂

Amanda’s Story

I started working with Kathryn when I was pregnant with my first baby.  She tailored workouts for me that were challenging, while keeping the interest of me and my baby in mind.  I attribute my work with her as a very important factor in the healthy delivery of my baby girl, and working with her afterwards helped me shed baby weight.  Kathryn put a lot of thought into designing a program specifically for me and took a personal interest in my health and success.  Even though I live in a different city now, we keep in touch and I am still able to utilize the workouts she provided.

Amanda MacLennan, attorney

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Chris’s Success Story of Weight Loss

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Chris is one of the most smart and kind people I have ever worked with. He just needed a direction, and he put his head down and worked toward it. He achieved great success, and I am very happy for him! Read below for Chris’s success story.

50 Pounds Lost

I am 50 years old and had not exercised in years.  Kathryn worked with me to develop a personal training regimen that I could do and then built on it as I increased in endurance, strength, and  flexibility.   Kathryn’s positive attitude and encouragement helped me stay with her program and resulted in my loss of over 50 pounds and 6 inches off my waist in 4 months.  She has provided me with a program I can do on my own, but even though I only see her now for maintenance, she checks in regularly to see how I am doing and is always available to respond to my questions.

Chris Harrigan, attorney

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Brenda’s Success Story

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I was lucky enough to meet Brenda very early in my personal training in Austin, Texas. She worked very consistently, and very steadily, and saw the health and lifestyle benefits. I am so proud of her! She earned her success story!

In Brenda’s Words

I have been training with Kathryn since 2011, and I have been beyond pleased with her knowledge, guidance, and understanding. I was in terrible physical condition when I started working out, and I have had great results.  I have developed strength and endurance and have lost weight.  I am in so much better condition now and just feel so much better physically.  The personal training has greatly improved the quality of my life. Most importantly, my doctor has been impressed with the steady improvements in the state of my overall health.

I started working out once a week with Kathryn.  I retired from my job about three months after I started training with her and was able to increase my workouts to twice a week after my retirement. However, it doesn’t matter how often you are able to workout initially.  The important thing is just to get started. I consider my working out with Kathryn an absolute must in my life.  I have recommended her to numerous people–friends and strangers; young and seniors and in-betweens; men and women.  If you are looking for a trained, experienced, smart, and charming personal trainer, I highly recommend Kathryn.  I promise you will be happy with your choice.

Brenda Caldwell

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.