Client Spotlight: Kimberly Su and Her "Virtual Fitness" Journey

When I met Kimberly in February 2020 for a quick chat to discuss training together I was super excited. She wanted to build a strength training program to help her recover from a hip injury and to get her feeling strong and balanced in her body. She was everything I look for in a client: ready, willing and energetic. And then COVID hit. And our plans to train in person were stymied. When she asked if we could train virtually I hesitated at first. I wasn’t sure I could deliver a program I could stand behind working with a brand new client virtually. At the time I was only training existing clients virtually—clients I had already trained in person. But something told me to give it a shot and I’m proud to say one year later she is a rock star client. Together we’ve gone on a amazing journey. She has become stronger, leaner and taken on new challenges. With consistency and a positive attitude she has proven we can excel and grow in the toughest of circumstances. And she has shown me how rewarding and effective virtual personal training and virtual group fitness can be.

1. Talk to me about your injury and how it affected your fitness goals and mindset.

Like any overambitious runner, after ramping up mileage too quickly, in the fall of 2019, I ended up with a stress fracture in my hip. Without mincing words, it sucked, but in so many ways, it was the wake up call I needed. Up until then, I was all about running and looking back, I'm surprised I didn't get injured sooner. Strength training was non-existent and I would run every day, constantly wanting to run faster or longer, thinking that the only way to achieve those goals was to run more. With the stress fracture, pretty much all forms of cardio were off limits so I became sedentary. I wallowed in self-pity for a long time and after a few months, I had put on about 15 pounds, which only added to the stress I felt from thinking there was no way for me to stay in shape without cardio. Fast forward to early 2020 and I happened to find JJ in a web search for personal training because I knew I had to do something or I was headed for disaster, both mentally and physically. Shortly after we started working together, I also got a Peloton and things started to come together. I came to realize how much I missed being active for the endorphins and mental release it provided. While initially I wanted to get back to my old weight as quickly as possible, I soon found myself enjoying getting stronger and seeing muscle gains. Peloton also helped ease the pain of not being able to run and when I was able to start running again, I noticed how much stronger I felt. I can never thank you enough JJ, but in such a short period of time, you've helped me learn to love strength training and realize that I don't have to run in order to feel good. I don't know when, or if, I'll be able to run again like I was able to pre-injury but it no longer bothers me because I have so many other fitness goals that are not tied to running. For now, I'm just grateful to be able to workout and for the opportunity to continue to make progress towards my goals, with the help of JJ of course :)

2. What about the pandemic? How has sheltering-in-place impacted your fitness and wellness?

When the pandemic started, I was upset because we were just about to start working together and due to sheltering in place restrictions, we weren't able to (prior to your virtual training offer). I wasn't yet at a point in my injury recovery where I could use the treadmill in the basement or do much cardio at all and I thought I had found a workaround, but now even that wasn't available. Slowly things started to turn around though; you started offering virtual training, I got a Peloton, and slowly added to my home basement gym. I settled into a routine and now, honestly, I'd say I move around more on a typical day than I would if I were working in an office. Working from home has given me more flexibility to incorporate movement breaks throughout the day and build a better fitness foundation that incorporates functional strength and cardio. I've also enjoyed being able to cook at home more and while it's easy to get down about the pandemic, I continue to just take it one day at a time and focus on what I can control, which is how I choose to deal with the cards we've been dealt and my own wellness. I would trade sheltering-in-place for normality any day, but there are also so many silver linings and lifestyle changes I've made that I plan to continue post-pandemic.

3. What three things are most important to you to stay healthy?

Easy! Sleep, working out, and "me time". I was always aware of the importance of sleep for performance and overall well-being, but as someone who just started using a Whoop band, the data is just mind blowing. A lot of people see working out as a chore, but often for me, more than the physical benefits, it's a mental release. I can forget about everything around me / anything that's bothering me and just focus on movement. Finally, I've learned how critical it is to carve out time for myself. I'm a much less enjoyable person to be around when I don't have at least half an hour each day to just unwind, whether that's reading, experimenting in the kitchen, or watching a show.

4. What would you tell someone sitting at home during all this not taking care of herself but wanting to start?

I would say start with small changes. It can be daunting to try to change everything at once, but if you pick one habit to change each week it will be much more manageable. For example, maybe start with a commitment to drinking a certain amount of water one week and then next week a commitment to taking a walk each day. There's no better feeling than the sense of accomplishment that comes from sticking to your goal at the end of each week. You'll soon be surprised how much you've been able to change / achieve in a short amount of time. More importantly though, the motivation has to come from within. When I was injured, I kept trying to find someone or something to blame everything on, but really I needed to change my attitude and how I approached things. Yes, you may not like where you are now or be able to change the cards you were dealt, but you do control what you choose to do about it. So, grab the opportunity by the horns and be the change you want to see.

5. What are your three favorite exercises and the one you hate the most but do anyway?

My top three, in no particular order, are Turkish get-ups, single arm rows, and half-kneeling band / dumbbell chops. The one I hate the most but do anyway has to be prisoner squats. For some reason, this squat variation makes my quads burn like no other and one minute always feels like an eternity! I may regret saying this is my least favorite exercise because I have a feeling I'm going to see this one appear a lot more frequently in our training sessions.