Testimonials

Here’s what our clients have to say!

From Shana:

Sports and exercise were always a big part of my life; however, after having 2 kids, I’d really let myself go and stopped my focus on keeping active and in-shape. I was considerably overweight and I didn’t feel like myself. To complicate matters, I was experiencing extreme pain in my hands and feet and was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. I thought about either giving up and just accepting I was never going to be fit again or really “going for it” and bringing in some help. I’m so happy I went with the latter!! I started working with Richard 1 year ago. I told him I wasn’t sure what I would be able to do because my hands and feet hurt so badly. Richard modified movements to protect my joints while still being highly effective. Over time I was able to work with my doctor to improve my joint pain and work with Richard to improve my strength & endurance. Richard (aka “The Exercise Man” as my kids call him) pushes me to work hard and helps coach me on nutrition. Over the course of this past year, I’ve lost 30 lbs and I’m still going!. Most importantly, I feel like myself again. I finally feel athletic again! With my joint issues, a full-time job, 2 small kids, etc. I thought it would be impossible to get back into shape but Richard motivated me through all those excuses!

From a couple I train together:

We’ve been working with Richard for almost two and a half years now. It’s been a joy to work with him. He’s always “up,” pleasant, and fun to be around while focusing intently on our form. He’s a master at pushing us just hard enough that we get a great workout without rebelling or not wanting to do it again.

I’m 61. My bone density was a concern before I started these workouts. At my last physical exam, my bone density had improved markedly and is no longer a concern, as long as I keep working out.

My husband and I have always been pretty active and into exercise. Richard’s workouts have a nice mix of warm-ups, core/abdominals, lower body, upper body and stretches. As we get older, I think we need Richard’s varied approach to keep our entire bodies in shape.

Brooke

When we’re in St. Louis, I look forward to Richard’s workout sessions. We usually have two or three one-hour sessions a week. I can really tell the difference when I’ve been out of town for a few weeks and missed the workouts. It’s very convenient that he comes to our home and brings a varied assortment of exercise props.

Richard does a good job of tailoring our workouts to work around any physical issues, like my 61-year-old left knee. He gradually brings us along: There are many exercises I can do with ease today that were a real struggle at first. Richard has no shortage of new exercises to keep us challenged.

I look forward to the workouts with Richard and am disappointed when my schedule gets in the way. If I get no other exercise, I get enough from his three sessions a week to stay in shape and even add some muscle strength.

David

From Tony:

My name is Tony.  After college I had fluctuated weight quite a bit. I have never been extremely overweight, but have always struggled with maintaining a HEALTHY weight. After turning 30 I vowed to get myself in better shape than I had been throughout my twenties. I tried different diets before, such as the HCG program and lost a lot of weight, but put it back on because it wasn’t the RIGHT way to do it.  I was never someone who enjoyed going to the gym because of all of the crowds. After meeting with Richard of Journey Fitness, I decided this just might be a good fit for me. On top of personal training, he also served as a nutrition coach, helping me make better choices and habits.  Fast forward six months later, and I have lost over 50 lbs and feel better than I have in years! There’s no fad diet, pill, or supplement that will magically make you lose weight and get it in shape. It takes hard work and dedication! Journey Fitness has pushed me harder than anyone ever has and I get to do it in the comfort of my own home without feeling uncomfortable in a crowded gym. I now know how to diet and exercise the right way, and don’t plan on ever going back. I would highly recommend Journey Fitness.

From Shannon:

When I turned thirty, I realized that I was beginning to let myself go.  It was never intentional, I mean, no one wants to be a frumpy mom, but I became aware that I had easily allowed my well-being to become less important than my children’s.  As a busy mom of two, I rarely had the chance to go to the bathroom by myself, so the thought of actually having time to work out? Hilarious. I even tried convincing myself the idea of taking the time for myself to work out was selfish.  But after a few health scares (and turning the big 3-0), I realized that if I didn’t take better care of myself, I wouldn’t be here to take care of my kids either.  It was time to make a change.  And that change definitely came with Journey Fitness!

During our first meeting, Richard introduced me to his new diet plan, and I thought I was surely going to die.  However, I quickly realized that eating clean was not as difficult as I had previously thought and I found ways to easily make it work. Richard taught me how to manage my meals and always provided great ideas for recipes and healthy products that I enjoyed that also aligned with my new diet.  When we started working out, I thought it was going to be difficult, not just for the obvious reasons, but because of my schedule, since I always had my children with me.  However, Richard (and his wife), were more than accommodating and flexible (there may or may not have even been a time or two when my kids worked out with us until a babysitter arrived).  But, we all survived.  I quickly learned that it was okay to do this for myself, and that working out could be fun and it gave me the extra energy I needed to make it through the day.

I have never been one to enjoy working out, but somehow Richard made it fun.  The workouts were also personalized to my individual goals.  He seamlessly knew how to increase them as I progressed through the program, and he never hesitated to change them up to keep me interested.  I was highly impressed with Richard’s professionalism and knowledge of nutrition, workout routines, and overall anatomy/physiology.  I guess I asked a lot of questions, you know like, “Why am I doing this to myself again!?!” but I’m not sure I ever stumped him- he always provided great explanations and research behind the workouts we were doing and how it was going to help me.

Within the first four weeks, I lost 12lbs. This progress gave me hope and encouragement to keep going.  In four months, I lost 20lbs, decreased my body fat by 10%, lost 4 inches off of my waist and 3 inches off of my butt.   I began to feel more comfortable with myself, and I didn’t find myself complaining as much when I was required to wear big girl pants to leave the house anymore! Not to mention, I felt so much healthier and energetic. I no longer felt like a train hit me at the end of a long day with the kids, and that made a big difference in my life.

I truly cannot speak highly enough about Journey Fitness.  Not only does Richard know how to get people the results they want, he is also a great person.  He knew when to motivate me to work harder and knew when to listen to his good instincts when something was too much.  When I hurt my back in an unrelated incident, he catered my workout around my injury.  Also, when I had to cut back towards the end of our program, he even provided future workouts for me to continue at home, which was monumental in my long-term success.  If he can successfully implement such a program in my life, I truly believe Richard has the ability to help anyone! Journey Fitness truly lived up to its name in every possible way, as it has not only helped me to achieve my goals of losing weight, but has shown me the path to continue a life of good health and fitness!

From Christy:

My name is Christy. I am 42 years old. I was tired of my pants never fitting and just not feeling good about myself overall. I was going to the gym, doing cardio and nothing was changing. Knowing I needed extra help, I decided to call Journey Fitness. The day I called
Richard has honestly changed my life. It was very hard at first, especially the first week I could barely walk up steps without pain!! Every time I went to train with Richard was a new adventure, one I looked forward to. Each time I walked out of my training session I was thinking wow I finished and survived another day with him but I also knew I was one step closer to my goal!! He has also taught me to make better decisions with my eating habits which is a very important part of this journey. After just 3 months I am back into my jeans I haven’t been able to wear for a while. Of course I am not finished yet but I would never be where I am today if it wasn’t for me making the phone call to meet Richard.

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Her case is a reason why you shouldn’t obsess about the scale. Looking at the before and after pictures, she did awesome in just 3 months! She lost 8lbs total, but decreased her body fat from 34% to 24%, which is more important than what the scale says. She also lost 5 inches off of her waist. After doing some math, she started off with 54.4lbs of fat mass and 105.6lbs of lean mass (organs, muscle and bones). Her final measurements were 36.48lbs of fat mass and 115.52lbs of lean mass. That means she lost 17.92lbs of fat mass, and gained 9.92lbs of lean muscle!

From Lindsey:

My name is Lindsey, I am 30 years old and a mother of 3.  After having my twin girls in Feb. 2011 my weight kept creeping up. I lost my first 20lbs on my own but it took me 3 months.  I was struggling to get more off.  I knew I needed some motivation and a trainer that knew what I needed to get healthier and reach my goals.   I started boot camp with Journey Fitness on June 4, 2012.  I did boot camp 3 days a week.   I’m going be honest, it wasn’t easy at first.  I was out of breath right away, (I mean while warming up)!   Once I started it made me motivated to start walking/running on my days off.  I lost 8lbs my first week!  That was a huge motivation.   I was sore the first week, and the second, who am I kidding I was sore a lot!  Each week I felt stronger and I was seeing results faster than I ever have before.  I was also able to do my first 5k this year.  I wasn’t even able to run a lap around the park without feeling like I needed to quit.  It has been 19 weeks with Journey Fitness and I have lost 40lbs and a total of 21 inches on my chest, waist, and hips.   This is the smallest I have been in 9 years, and it feels great.  I have had a lot of success with Journey Fitness but I’m not finished yet!

From Meghan:

If you are looking for a change in your body and fitness level, Richard of Journey Fitness is your best source! Not only does Richard have expertise in fitness but the nutrition information he provides is outstanding and has helped fuel my weight loss. He brings new and challenging exercise plans to each session which keeps me interested and motivated. The motivation I have, since starting my exercise plan, has been a motivation I have been missing for years. I see a change in my body which is beyond what I thought possible. The changes began to occur so soon after starting and I feel my body changing for the better each day . Richard will guide you and help you reach all of your fitness goals!