Kristen A
My name is Kristen, I’m 32 years old and I’ve been with Marino’s since January 2018.
Before Marino’s, I belonged briefly to Planet Fitness and then to the YMCA. I went to Plant Fitness because one, it was cheap, and two, my friend went there so we would go together. My gym time was mostly a social visit while on the elliptical or bike. While we had good conversations, I was always bored and hated the actual workout, so I never made it harder or tried to challenge myself. Additionally, I wouldn’t go near the machines or free weights because I had no idea what to do and was really intimated. The YMCA wasn’t much different for me, except there were fitness classes and a pool. I did boot camp, body pump and Pilates. I started to learn a little bit from these classes and felt slightly less intimidated by the gym and the idea of weights, but I never went past lifting tiny weights in body pump. I still had no idea how to get stronger, and neither of these gyms were outgoing in their desire to help you learn to navigate a gym properly.
Ultimately I decided I really wanted to get stronger. My time spent at other gyms and doing at-home Pilates workouts definitely made me fitter than I’d ever been and at least a little bit stronger, but I knew I was plateauing and had no idea where to go from there. After doing some research on different gyms, personal trainers, etc. I stumbled on the website for Marino’s. It seemed like exactly what I was looking for, so I reached out and came in to meet Rachael. She’s a great first person to meet at Marino’s; friendly and outgoing and very good at explaining how Marino’s operates. She spent time getting to know me and my goals and made sure I understood what to expect from Marino’s. I wanted to give it a shot, so I signed on for a month to try it out.
In short, I fell in love with going to the gym after finding Marino’s. The first day I was pretty nervous, but Justin was my coach that day and he walked me through everything and was very friendly and helpful the whole time. It took a little while before I started to feel confident in the gym, but from the start I didn’t feel completely out of place lifting weights (even if they were baby weights, but no one looked at me funny or judged me for being there to learn). Marino’s was clearly different. The coaches are there to really help you, from correcting your form to answering in depth questions you might have. The people working out around you are friendly and there really is no judgment. Marino’s is definitely a place to gain strength, confidence and knowledge in a way I have never experienced at other gyms.
What can I do now that I couldn’t do before Marino’s? Lift! Actual, decent sized weights. I know this probably sounds silly, but when I say I was intimidated of going near a weight room at a gym, I really was. Now though, I can go on vacation with my travel program (yep, Marino’s even gives you a travel program if you want one!) and enter a new gym and do my thing with total confidence. That confidence bleeds into everyday life too. Learning to lift and seeing actual progress has brought a new level of confidence to my daily life that I didn’t even know I was missing. Everyone deserves to have the same level of confidence in themselves, and Marino’s will help you find it.
When people say Marino’s is a family, they aren’t kidding. First you have Chris, Rachael and all the awesome coaches. They all learn your name as soon as you start and you quickly become friends. I always know there will be a smiling face waiting to help me with my workout, and probably with a few laughs along the way. Additionally, the members of the gym are just as friendly. Since many of us tend to follow a regular schedule, we get to know one another. Everyone is there to workout, but we will chat about the latest TV show we’ve been watching in the lobby or joke around during a workout (or maybe just commiserate together that knee tucks are really hard). I always look forward to the time spent in the gym because of the people around me. It’s such a great place to be and a wonderful way to start my day.
Marino’s is NOT just another gym. Workouts at Marino’s are enjoyable, and you’ll see progress in a way that you likely would not have seen on your own. Second, the people are amazing and it’s truly a wonderful community. Not only is everyone friendly and helpful, but we come together. Over the holidays there are food drives, and the lobby is full of donations, or after Hurricane Ida there was a family in need of children’s toys and the lobby had a number of pretty amazing donations just waiting for their new home. Third, though no one likes to talk about money, I’ll talk about it just briefly. It’s worth the money. If you happen to be like me and are used to paying $10 a month at Planet Fitness, it may feel like a good chunk of change at first. I promise it’s worth it, and honestly a whole lot cheaper than paying a private trainer who might not be nearly as fun to hang out with as the Marino’s coaches.
To be honest, when I first said I’d try it, I expected to spend the month there for my trial, learn a few things and leave. I didn’t think I’d like it enough to keep going, but I was completely wrong. It’s such a great gym and I am now convinced that I can never move away because I don’t want to have to find another gym. There probably isn’t another one quite like Marino’s. I wholeheartedly recommend Marino’s and believe that you won’t be disappointed.
