Alex has been working with her PUSH511 Personal Trainer, Andy, for about a year now! She originally came to strengthen her game on the tennis court but has felt the effects far beyond improving her game. Read on to see what Alex's personal training journey has looked like!
When did you start personal training with PUSH511? I started training with PUSH July of 2022.
What's your fitness background? Prior to joining PUSH, I had never done any sort of extensive strength training. My fitness has been more centered around tennis - I grew up playing, and love that I can utilize something I find incredibly fun for exercise. It was actually part of the reason I joined PUSH - I wanted to do more in terms of training to increase my strength and stamina on the tennis court.
What's your favorite movement to do in the gym? I love deadlifts, but honestly, back squats have been creeping up there as a favorite. I laugh even saying that because when I first joined PUSH, my confidence/ability to even do an air squat was at a 0 - so we can say I've progressed a bit from there! Andy can attest to that.
What's your least favorite movement? Oof - lunges or wall balls.
What do you do for work? I work in Finance to put it generally and not bore anyone to death - but in my newer role, a portion of what falls into my job scope involves employee engagement and creating a positive work culture, which I very much enjoy and is my favorite part of the job currently.
Tell us a little about yourself and your family. I'm originally from Long Island, though none of my immediate family is left there! My parents retired to Florida, and then I have my three brothers - two of which are located in Charlotte, NC - then the third is right down the street in DC. I went to college at Loyola Maryland, and ended up getting a job post-graduation down here and have been here ever since. I am currently engaged, with a date set for March of next year. We (Erik and I) have a dog named Poppy, and she is the center of our world - obviously.
Tell us something we don't know about you. In the summer of 2021 - Erik and I were both working remotely and decided that instead of working from home - we would travel. We ended our lease, put our belongings in storage, packed up the car and the dog, and traveled for about a year - mostly up and down the east coast. We made a total of 19 stops over the course of our travels.
How has working out and personal training affected your life outside of the gym? It has given me a sense of balance if that makes sense. I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the week, no matter what else is going on. It completely evens out any stress or frustrations I may be feeling.
What do you enjoy most about PUSH? How relaxed and comfortable the atmosphere/environment is. Everyone is so supportive and accepting, and that really attributes to the positive culture that PUSH is flooded with. Andy has also been such a huge part of my growth and progress - I am so grateful for his continued guidance every day in the gym.
What tips would you offer to someone who is just getting started with working out? My nerves were pretty high when walking up to PUSH that first time. But honestly, I have never been so happy with a decision. My only tip to someone would be to not be afraid to take that first step - it is so so worth it!
What's your favorite song to work out to? Cannot go wrong with anything in the emo realm circa 2000-2010. Nostalgic and gets me absolutely pumped.
What's your favorite restaurant? There are so many amazing places in Baltimore! One of my favorites is Gunther & Co.
Who's your hero (real or fictional)? My mom, hands down. She is such an incredibly accomplished, smart, and loving human being. I wouldn't be where I am without her.
What does your frequently used emoji tab look like?
Words to live by or favorite quote? “Some people can’t believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.”
What's your favorite travel spot? We have recently become huge fans of Charleston - we got to know it well on all our pandemic travels. The food scene there is incredible, and they have a couple of amazing breweries (we are big beer heads). If you ever need a recommendation there - I got you covered!
If you could win an Olympic gold medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be? Watching the most amount of horror movies. I LOVE them and will never be turned off by a low Rotten Tomatoes score.
What's your hidden talent? Hmm.. not sure it's very hidden, but my baking skills are quite good! I love experimenting with new recipes and pushing myself to attempt more challenging techniques.
Top five favorite movies?
- Halloween
- Anything from the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit trilogies
- The Day After Tomorrow
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
