A Mother Who Leads By Example – Success Story In Her Words

Below you’ll hear an awesome story from one of our moms, Beth, about her time at PSTS. Her oldest son is a PSTS veteran so she has been around the family for years. Beth has seen all phases of our business – adult men’s (her husband has trained with us), youth, and high school. She and her daughters dabbled in some of our adult programs in the past, but nothing really stuck until now. When the time came for her to join our training group exclusively for moms of all ages – she was all in.

Beth’s results were stacking up so we asked if she could share a few of her successes with us. After she wrote out her experience we were blown away. We knew many other moms could relate, so we asked if we could share it – she was more than happy to agree.

The RESULTS that impact a lifestyle change are the driving force behind why we do what we do. It hit home with all of our coaches and serves as continued inspiration.

Read her story below. We promise you’ll enjoy it!

“Tattoos, facial hair, 10% body fat, bulging muscles, and bodies that belong on magazine covers are the first things you notice upon arrival to PowerStrength Training Systems (PSTS) and meet the coaches.  Intimidating to say the least.  However, when you look into their eyes, the “window to their soul,” you see unconditional acceptance, total encouragement, complete understanding, and the belief that we are in this together.  That is what makes PSTS different than any other strength-training program in the United States, or at least the Grand Rapids area.  The people.  Everyone working at PSTS is there for you, for me, for anyone brave enough to enter the “No Complaining Zone,“ “Complacency Kills.” and the “Live & Instill.”   The people want to be there, they work well together, they complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and they appear to be handpicked for their job.  They delight in helping others build, create, and maintain strong healthy bodies – for competitive athletics, for rehabilitation, for life.

            As a 49 year old with three full time jobs – a mother of 5 (ages 24, 20, 17, 13, & 7),  wife of 1 (for 27 years), and speech-language pathology professor (who is in charge of the graduate program), taking time for myself and caring for myself was always on the very bottom of my to do list.  It got so bad that at 5 ft. 3 in., I weighed 225 lbs and had lap band surgery in 2011.  I dropped to 176 pounds and then gained back to 198 within 2 years…and stayed there.  I was stuck in a rut.  When I heard that PSTS was starting a PowerMoms group, I knew immediately that this was for me.  This was my opportunity to put me first and take care of myself, so I can take care of everyone else.  In fact, that was exactly what the email about PowerMoms said!  And as a mother of 2 PSTS athletes –my 17 year old son, Evan, started PSTS 4 years ago in 8^th grade and my 13 year son, Ethan, started Little Beasts last year – I have seen the benefits of PSTS go way beyond the strength and power training programs.   I have watched Evan mature and grow in self-confidence, leadership, and strength – from barely able to complete one push-up at the start of 8^th grade to setting PSTS 8^th grade records in 4 categories at the end of 8^th grade to being the 13^th strongest athlete at a football combine with nearly 400 athletes in attendance at the end of his junior year of high school.  From being big but not strong, to big and strong, and becoming a leader to peers and a mentor to younger kids.  As he got stronger physically, the mentoring and guidance from PSTS staff in life skills, responsibility, and giving back (to who much is given, much is asked) impacted his life to a greater level than just strength training.  So I had the utmost confidence in PSTS’s ability to help a bunch of old fuddy-duddy moms. Besides, I thought it would be cool if I worked out at the same place as my boys.  They weren’t too sure… 

So that’s where the first paragraph picks up – first impressions of the PowerMoms training staff.  And I won’t lie and say it was easy. It wasn’t. It isn’t. I hurt after that first session.  Aleve was my friend.  But I kept going.  I had made a commitment to me and I wasn’t letting myself off easily.  The tattooed muscle man with the brilliant smile kept encouraging, and he meant it.  He really meant it.  He was just as excited when I completed 6 push-ups as he was when his competitive athletes broke a record.  The female trainer with the 10% body fat showed us how to adapt what she made look so easy, so our 40+ year-old bodies could handle it.  And she was happy to do so with complete support and a smile without judgment or condemnation or ridicule at what we were unable to do.  The trainer with the baby face, jokester smile, and bright blue eyes always seemed to be right where he was needed to offer a nod of encouragement, words of support, and a high five for a job well done.  Yes, they were all intimidating at the start, but their hearts and souls for their work with us, their inner light, their joy at our gains were truly heartfelt.  They were proud of us.  They took delight in our smallest gains.

I found that as I gained strength, I felt better, I could do more, I got tired less easily just doing the daily grind of life. I discovered that I had a strong lower body and strong upper body, a nonexistent core, and very little stamina.  After 6 weeks, I found myself down 5 inches on my waist (43 to 38 in) and down 9 ½ pounds (190 to 180.5).  But even better than that, I can now carry 7 plastic bags of groceries and a gallon of milk on each arm. I can carry an overloaded XL laundry hamper up and down the stairs without stopping for a rest. I can play football with my boys and actually keep up with them (well, sorta) until we all get tired. I can throw the baseball faster and longer during games of catch. I can carry my wheeled briefcase up the stairs to my office foregoing the elevator.  I even rode in a horse show for the first time in 25 years because I wasn’t embarrassed to be on a horse in public.  That was awesome! 

What’s to come?  Hmmmm.  Stick around and I’ll let you know.  I hope to gain more strength and keep changing my body composition.  I hope that my core will be found and I hope to not get nauseous when I hear the words “ten burpees” or see furniture movers waiting on the floor for the terrible, horrible, should be banned activity called the moving planks.  But I know that with the PSTS trainers’ assistance, encouragement, and unwavering support, I will get there.  This is my time and I will run the race to completion.  And I hope that the tattooed muscle man, girl with 10% body fat, and jokester trainer with the bright blue eyes and goofy smile will be along for the ride – offering unconditional acceptance, honest encouragement, and heartfelt praise every step of the way. ” – Beth, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, HPCS

If you’re serious about making a lifestyle change and want to experience a program similar to what Beth has been following then feel free to contact us at www.powerstrengthpro.com/adult-contact and we will contact you for your free trial workout.