Tristan Pope
So long story short, I used to be a dancer in NYC and was always very active and had a lot of clothes I loved(excuse me for sounding like a girl here) when I came to California. A lot of clothes that also identified me with my roots of a NYorker and for anyone not from here that is important.
Well like everyone at a Deskjob I gained the 5-10 lbs a year for 3 years soon being 25 lbs over my weight when I got here.
AHHHHHH!!!
I felt like shit, ended up smoking to try to control the weight after quiting for 5 years, and had many stomach problems. This also sucked cause I worked camera riggings often and was very out of shape to be running around convetions all day trying to get the shots I needed. I lost a lot of confidence in myself and didn't recognize myself in a mirror.
Anyway I put all my clothes in a tuppaware and swore one day I would get my ass back in gear. Well as we all know through crunches, laziness, and the tastey foods offered to us, I failed miserable.
So finally 3 years later I looked up personal trainers and ran across Jungle Fitness. I was super afraid of the personal trainer route because it costs money and you never know if they are good, overcharging, and just plain gonna suck at their job and be looking at their watch to when your hour is over.
So after a lot of research I found one of the cheapest personal trainer facilities in Irvine but with the most amazing results I had seen in REAL pictures of REAL people I have met. I met with Jon Jung the head of Jungle Fitness and he introduced me to Bon Gomes my "to be trainer". They had amazing energy and were willing to meet me on the schedule I needed. The facility was really cool, very open and didn't seem MEAT HEADED or hamster cage like. The trainers were not in my face, and weren't trying to sell me on shit I didn't want. I told them of my prior lifestyle and my body type and specifically said I did NOT want to get RIPPED or BULKY and they immediately told me how they could do it so I was lean and could get my dancer body back! So I signed up and well as you can see the results were quick and they didn't lie!
Not only that but instead of going: HEY EAT THIS right off the bat, they had me make my own diet and bring it in after a week or two. #1 this is NOT your everyday workout, the first day I puked. Which was a combination of me trying to get off the patch and just being plain out of shape for soo long. But understand this, for me EVERYDAY is a challenge and can hurt or be a mental game, but it isn't about the pain you feel or the fact that you are ALWAYS challenged it is your own small achievements that keep you going. So even though 4 weeks in ypou are still struggling to keep up with what you trainer is asking you to do, he is constantly keeping you from plateuing ; so maybe week 1 you could do 1 pushup, well week 2 you all of a sudden can do 15 but you better be damn sure your trainer wants you to do 25! But this is what keeps you moving forward and progressing, this is the difference between fighting your own motivational needs and having someone help you along with them!
#2 Your diet is important but you can enjoy TASTEY foods not bullshit muscle milk kinda crap. I mean if you want you can add protein shakes etc to enhance the process but it isn't necessary. The best part, is they have flexible times and with crunch and work being soo damn busy, I was able to do ALL of this diet and all DURING the biggest crunch before a show I had to do.
I used all the food available to me from the cafeteria for my diet, and I was eating 6-7 times a day, never hungry.
I went from a 38 waste, 185 lbs, and 25BMI to 33/32waste 171lbs and 15.5 BMI in 6 weeks.
So to me the small monetary investment I did for my well being was well worth it. Plus they have a great referral program that can make it so you can essentially work out for free! Sometimes, especially for me, it took an investment of sorts to get off my lazy ass and do something about it.
These guys are the real deal though, I signed up for 4 days a week at 1 hour. But they aren't checking their watch to see if the hour is up, they make sure you WORK that hour! They WANT ME to be in better shape. They care about how you are doing and not how much money they are making per client. I cannot praise these guys enough. They have a ton of energy, use email, txts, etc to communicate, and keep a record of your progress. Over the 2 months I have been here so far I have gone into single digits on most of my stats. They have even dealt with me getting frustrated on bad days and taking out my frustrations on them and keeping a positive attitude to keep me motivated to continue!
So yeah there is the short and skinny of it. (drum roll)
I guarantee you they will push you to new limits and get you to where you want to be, within your schedule and budget.
The positive of this too over say the P90X is you HAVE to leave your house and you can separate home from the gym and you also get more routines, less shit to make you get bored of the same ole same ole(every day I go in I have NO IDEA what we are going to be doing, it could be pulling a tire, running the mile, doing the physical fitness challenge who the hell knows, inside on the weights, outside on the mats, it is all over the place keeping it fresh.) Not to mention you have someone to help you go that extra mile and get you to conquer your own fears, ambitions etc.
The name of the Trainers Company is Jungle Fitness.
Their number is: 9493024939
And you will want to ask for Jon Jung. He got me started and we are pretty close now(through twitter updates haha). So mention my name if you do contact them and have them show you The Jungle haha. They have some a referral program as well so mentioning my name may be helpful to both of us! Just sit down with him take a look and maybe ask for a day to try it out see if it is for you. That is the most important thing, thinking of it like a lifestyle VS a quick fix. Cause if you find something you enjoy, workout and diet, you won't have to worry about this day again.
It is liberating.
Hope this covers what you were looking to find out about it .
IF THIS WAS HELPFUL AND YOU END UP SIGNING UP IN THE JUNGLE TELL EM TRISTAN SENT YA! :)
I'v been a fitness enthusiast for over 17 yrs. Was looking for a local trainer in Irvine who not only had extensive experience but who also practiced what he preached and would help me "push the limit". I always considered myself in excellent shape having weight trained extensively along with heavy martial arts training, aerobic kickboxing and other cardio activity. After the first workout I knew that the Jungle fitness routine was unlike any other training program I've been through (and that says a lot).
I've worked with Senior and "Master-level" trainers at large major health clubs including Equinox, Sports Club and 24 Hr Fitness (even used to do personal training myself in college) - NONE of their workouts matched the intensity and comprehensive format of JF. Another common thing I noticed is how non-personalized not only the routines but how most trainers (not all but most) really don't seem to take a personal interest in ensuring your achieving your goals. The guys @ JF are actully proactive rather than reactive in ensuring you're on the right track. Whether your goal is to lose weight, pack on lean mass or gain a chiseled physique you must PUSH yourself hard in the gym and continue to push yourself in small increments each and every day in order to really achieve your goals - sorry folks no shortcuts! This is what Jungle fitness training foundation is based on and what has helped me achieve my fitness goals over the past 6 months. Iv'e always been in excellent shape but now I'm in the best shape of my life @ 33. But just as important the time you spent OUTSIDE the gym eating, resting and recuperating makes all the difference in the world. For the first time JF made me record a daily log online of foods that I ate which was tedoius at the beginning, but it's amazing what you learn and what you can gain from always being cognizant of what you put in your body and how it impacts your physique and conditioning.
All in all training w/them has been an excellent experience and I recommend JF to anyone at any fitness level trying to achieve their fitness goals.
Posted: November 21st, 2009 | Report This Comment