Robert Alexander joined YouFit Gyms in Tallahassee on Monroe St in March 2023 and never looked back. The result? Life-changing personal training results.
“Before I joined YouFit I was going to CRUNCH and it was an okay gym,” Robert shares in our sit down interview. “I had a friend at YouFit who recommended I come in and try it because it was a better facility with better people… So I tried it.” Upon signing up for his membership, YouFit General Manager Ayana helped Robert quickly realize what he wanted to accomplish and the best way to get there. Without hesitation, Robert signed up for personal training.
At the time, Robert’s main goal was to “slim down” for a Marine band audition and hit a specific number on the scale – 200 pounds to be exact. But that has shifted since teaming up with YouFit Tallahassee Personal Trainer Dylan LeMon – who helps members focus less on the scale and more on changes in body composition – body fat loss and muscle gain.
“Along the way, I loved the process of working out more than I did getting ready for the Marine band audition,” Robert shares. With Dylan’s help, Robert began to focus less on the scale and more on “getting myself healthier, building myself, and hopefully feeling good when I looked in the mirror.”
THE PERSONAL TRAINING RESULTS
“Since starting training back in March, I have lost a considerable amount of body fat. At the same time, I have put on a considerable amount of muscle mass,” says Robert. The number on the scale has stayed roughly the same, but with consistent training Robert has dropped from 31% to 23.5% body fat – that’s an 8% change in body fat which is approximately 30 pound fat loss.
“I’m finally able to see the results of my training, both in my appearance and how much I’m able to move at the gym.” – Robert Alexander.
THE TRAINER
“I rather my clients think about body composition than fixing a number on the scale. Healthy body fat is really the best wellness scale,” Dylan LeMon.
Dylan encourages members to gauge results by what they see in the mirror and how they feel, because the scale “might not move, or you might gain, but you’ll lose body fat and be happy where you are.” And Robert’s done just that.
Starting at just 1 time per week, Robert now trains with his personal trainer Dylan in person 3 times per week. But it doesn’t stop there, Dylan goes the extra mile to ensure Robert is in the gym at least 5 times a week and creates customized workouts for Robert to execute on the days they don’t meet in person!
Dylan even goes as far to work with Robert on improving his nutrition. “In a field where diet is 80% of the results you achieve,” Dylan takes an active role in checking in with his clients about their nutrition – helping them count their macros and choosing real food over supplements. According to Dylan “if we don’t handle that side of the house, we can’t expect change in training.”
HOW IT STARTED
“Training with Dylan has changed everything for me,” Robert shares excitedly. “Back in March, I was eating unhealthy and getting winded while walking up stairs, I would look in the mirror and just not feel great. I could only bench the bar.”
But what kept Robert showing up in the beginning? “At first I was making sure Dylan wasn’t disappointed in my progress and that I wasn’t wasting his time. But also the self motivation of wanting to feel better, be healthier, fit my clothes better.”
“It didn’t happen right away. Maybe June, I started feeling comfortable with things and making progress. Now it’s very apparent day to day, I have an easier time with everything.”
HOW IT’S GOING
Fast forward to about 6 months of training with a YouFit Personal Trainer, Robert proudly shares “I feel so much better about my life. I look in the mirror and I’m pleased with the progress I see. I’m almost addicted to seeing the changes. I walk upstairs with ease. I feel like I’ve been given my life back. And now…. on a good day I can bench more than 225.”
Robert is an excellent example of why you should train with a personal trainer for longer periods of time.
“It takes about 8-10 months for people to get to where they want to be,” says Dylan. “That’s the process of the human body, you can’t rush it.”
So what’s the most exciting part for Dylan? Watching Robert improve and lift heavier weights, but also the light bulb moments, those ah-ha moments where something clicks and Robert understands the WHY behind the training – like, how to breathe correctly. ‘These realizations are meaningful to me,” Dylan shares.
WHAT’S NEXT
The personal training journey continues for Robert. The focus? Progressive overload and continuing to develop his fitness routine. “Now, is when it gets HARD,” says Dylan. “We’re going to work on pushing through plateaus, because we’re going to hit more of them now.”
Robert is not stopping at his own personal transformation. He has his eyes on helping others the way Dylan has helped him and is studying with NASM to become a certified personal trainer at YouFit and Dylan couldn’t be happier, “The fact that Robert wants to get certified is really cool. I’ve never had a client do that before. It’s impactful.”
The greatest result of Robert’s personal training experience? The friendship he has developed with Dylan. “ If I had gone to any other gym, I don’t think I would’ve seen the results I have with Dylan. I appreciate him and everything he’s done for me,” says Robert.
“I have a huge amount of respect for all of my clients who come in and tell me they need help and are willing to accept help,” says Dylan. “Robert has done that to an absolute T. He’s been an amazing client for me. I’ve gained a client, I’ve gained a friend. And I’m very happy to see his results every week – it’s what makes my job great. Yes it’s his journey, to be included in that – is a great honor.”
Ready to team up with a personal trainer? Learn more at youfit.com/personal-training/ or stop by the front desk at a YouFit gym near you. For personal trainers ready to change lives and help members achieve personal training results like Robert’s, apply now at www.youfit.com/careers/.
