Chris W
My name is Chris Watson, I’m 55 and I’ve been with Marino’s since April 2018. Prior to Marino’s I was only at one other gym and it was a big fitness center where I just felt like a number. I did not know any of the staff and they were not interested in getting familiar with their clients. They had group workouts that were not specific to your needs and I felt a little at risk of getting hurt. I was not a big “lifter” and found my exercise outside of gyms.
In early 2018, I was at point where because of health issues, I could not exercise. I had shoulder issues and was told that I would need 2 new hips in the next few years. Prior to this, I played ice hockey a few days a week, ran 5K’s and was generally regularly active. I hated the physical limitations I was experiencing due to pain, and found Mario’s was my solution. After a few years of doing zero exercises, I decided no matter how small, I needed to try something. From the beginning, Marino’s took all my health issues seriously and tailored my workouts to be impactful, safe, and valuable. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it as much as I have.
I never worked with a coach before, so I didn’t know what to expect; however, my wife had some experience with a trainer and so I can compare my experience with hers. I shared my workout plan with her, and she consistently said her trainers were all about pushing her to work harder and use heavier weights. She was concerned they were not evaluating her like Marino’s did for me. Marino’s is more personalized and cares more about the person. There have been times where I have talked about soreness or pain and one of the staff would pull me aside and stretch or check out the area to make sure things were okay.
Within 9 months of joining Marino ‘s I had shoulder surgery and 2 hips replaced. Marino’s played an integral part in preparing me for surgery; I was given workouts to strengthen the supporting muscles, which allowed for a successful rehabilitation. After my 2nd hip surgery, I was back in the gym after only 2 weeks with a customized workout around my hips. Each week thereafter, the staff slowly incorporated new exercises to try to rebuild my strength in my thighs and glutes to support my new hips. About 8 months after my last surgery, I was back playing ice hockey (although not to where I wanted it, but it was great being back on the ice).
I truly cannot say enough good things about Marino’s. One of the most impressive things to mention is their level of communication. If I come in with an issue or an ache/pain, the coaches on the floor work around it or modify my program. What’s remarkable is the NEXT time I come in, there could be different coaches BUT they know exactly what prior issue I had and what was done to address it. They communicate with each other and are very interested in their clients. I don’t even like to say clients – to me it is like working out with friends. They have built a culture that makes you want to come back. I think the best way to summarize the culture is that 3 years later I still see many of the same members and trainers - loyalty!!
The three things you should know about Marino’s:
1. It’s not a gym. It’s a professional training facility where the staff cares about your overall health and well-being. They even called me after my surgeries to make sure I was doing okay.
2. The coaches feel like friends and they take pride in helping their clients succeed in the gym.
3. Everything they do is to promote better and healthier living. In addition to the training activities – they have a registered dietitian to help with your nutrition, a licensed massage therapist for bodywork, and a smoothie bar in case you need a healthy snack after your training session.
For me, I never really enjoyed belonging to a gym but liked the idea of personal training. I was a bit nervous and apprehensive. I was not sure what to expect since I had so many health issues and hadn’t formally exercised in such a long time. However, after just a few short weeks, I was very impressed with the detail and knowledge from the coaches. Taking their time to show me how to do each exercise correctly. After about 6 months – I kind of realized that each time I received a new work out plan – it was built on what I had done before. They are very specific and targeted in designing a long-term fitness plan to support my strength goals.
Exercising has become a big part of my life. I have made many friends through ice hockey, golf, and pickup basketball. Since I started going to Marino’s, I feel better both physically and mentally which has led to making better choices away from the gym. As I age, I need to continue exercising, and due to limitations, it might be in a different manner. Use it or lose it!
If you don’t currently exercise, it is never too late to start. Your body and mind will feel a whole lot better. You don’t need to be the biggest or strongest, you just need to do your thing at your own pace!
