The Rileys
Seven and half years ago my family’s life changed for the better. Myself, my husband Mark, and my son Sean, all started Marino’s in January of 2014. We had tried so many other gyms but lacked the motivation to go. We spent $2,000 for a year at Applecross and went three times. Those were some very expensive workouts! Mark and I were in our early 50’s. We were gaining weight, losing muscle, were sore and stiff all the time and hurting ourselves doing exercises we shouldn’t have been. That’s when a friend told us about Marino’s. We met Chris and Rachael and started the next day. They thoroughly evaluated us, asked us about specific goals, asked us about prior injuries and tailored workouts specifically for our needs. Our experience at Marino’s has been different from any other gym we’ve been to. The care that each of the trainers has for the client’s is above and beyond any gym in the area. They all know our limitations and work with us to get the best workout without injury. I’ve worked with personal trainers at other gyms, but none even come close!
When I first started, I couldn’t work in my garden, touch my toes or even turn my head without pain in my neck. My balance was terrible, and I was overweight and “soft”. I started out with 40 pounds on the barbell chest press and can now do over 100. I can garden for hours without pain. They’ve even helped improve my balance by throwing drills into my workouts. The pain and stiffness in my neck took a little longer to resolve. One of the trainers, Justin, got his massage therapist license. I’ve been seeing him once a week for a half hour and I can finally say that for the first time in many, many years, I’m pain free! I was on one of the machines the other day and one off the trainers, Connor, put a pillow under my neck because he knows about my problems. I felt very spoiled! It’s this attention to detail that makes Marino’s different.
Mark had a lot of stiffness and pain and was overweight too. We felt older than we were. Mark has gotten stronger and stronger. They had to buy 90 pounds dumbbells just for him! He’s going to be 60 this year and is feeling good. We’ve both worked with Rachael, the registered dietitian, and have gotten ourselves to a good place. I’m sure we can do better in that regard and Rachael will keep on helping us to achieve our goals.
My son, Sean, was 12 when he started. He didn’t like to play any organized sports. His favorite past time was Game Cube. Sean would go with us twice a week and learned that exercise is fun, and it makes you feel better all around. He is 20 now and still goes to Marino’s. He says he never wants to stop!
When I walk into Marino’s every day, I’m greeted with a “good morning, Nancy” and a friendly little chat to see how I’m feeling that day. They ask if anything hurts and get me set up for my workout. If something hurts or just doesn’t feel right, they change it up. Every day is something new, so you never get bored. The people who train there are all so nice. This isn’t the kind of gym where everyone is super skinny or super muscular. Everyone just wants to be healthy and fit and Marino’s realizes we're all different and cater to our individual needs. The trainers, Justin, Connor, James, Bri, Chris and Rachael make coming to the gym something I really enjoy. They’ve become like family. I never want to go to another gym…ever!
