I love food. You will notice my slight obsession as you peruse this site. That said, after 34 years of eating, drinking and merry-making, I realized I had to sort myself out. In my younger years, I was very active. I earned a black belt in Shukokai Karate, ran track and cross country, was cheerleading captain (spirit fingers!) and if eating food was a sport, I would have been a gold medalist.
Life did catch up. My body changed. I started distributing weight…differently. I came to the realization that my blood pressure issue was partially genetic and partially self-inflicted. It was a come to Jesus and I realized: It was time to begin a solid workout routine. I’d like to think I’m a pretty disciplined person, but when it comes to anything gym/fitness related, I am a whiny child. When I mentally made the commitment to find a trainer the world conspired to help me on this arduous task, and I happened to open up my latest issue of New York Magazine to find an article about Hugh Jackman (whom I love!) and his (drum roll) trainers. I thought to myself “Hugh is the perfect human so his trainers must be incredible.” I did a little research and had an appointment with the DogPound within 48 hours.
Holy hell. I never worked out so hard. The DogPound is no joke. The warm up started with burpees.
Their philosophy is simple: Break through your limits to reach your goals…and smash it!
So who are these miracle workers that craft the beautiful bodies of celebrities, industry big wigs, Olympic athletes and mere mortals (like myself)?
- Kirk Myers – at 21 he discovered he had congestive heart failure and almost died. This was his life changing moment and has been helping people transform into their healthiest selves
- Brey Pena – At 17 his father was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He could have went many directions but under some guideance from his brother, Dawin, who suggested going to the gym as a way to release his aggression, he leared to reflect and channel his energy towards building a strong, healthy foundation for himself. He has never looked back and with the utmost enthusiasm, this man changes peole’s mentality on fitness with a combination of discipline and motivation.
- Dawin Pena – Fitness has always been a passion of Dawin’s. He’s used it to build a solid foundation of emotional and physical health. His multi-tasking workout style, advise on nutrition and strength training modalities transfer from the gym to client;s daily life.
These guys radiate positivity and genuinely care about their clients, and boy do they have one helluva roster. Their innovative approach and devotion to their clients and pursuing and communicating only the best and most credible fitness info have resulted in quite a roster of clientele and loyalty. They are creators, teachers, givers.
The DogPound has become my badge of emotional and physical health, and for a former gym grump, this is a huge milestone. I cannot thank them enough for the transformation.
Check them out: http://www.thedogpound.com/