CrossTown Fitness Q&A: Betina Gozo & Kailee Martin on Personal Training
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At CTF, our trainers pride themselves on creating group workouts that are varied, effective, motivating and fun. While these group classes provide a great workout and a sense of community, our personal training sessions offer a one-on-one experience personalized to your specific fitness level and goals.
CTF trainer Kailee Martin and Fitness Director Betina Gozo reflect back on some of their personal training success stories and why CTF offers a more unique personal training experience than most other Chicago gyms:
What is one success story that has stood out throughout your personal training career at CTF? Betina: One of my clients is a business owner, entrepreneur, husband and father of two beautiful girls, which made it difficult for him to prioritize fitness. He would start with one or two personal training appointments per week, frequently canceling them and sometimes showing up late. With each session, we worked through basic challenges he faced, like lifting his arms above his head and doing a proper squat. It wasn’t until he started to see some changes in his body and attitude that he realized the importance of visiting the gym on a consistent basis. He now trains three times per week at CTF, and even shows up early to foam roll and stretch. He makes time to work out on his own, and has cut out sugar from his diet.
Kailee:I immediately thought of one client who started personal training to feel better about her body before her wedding. It started off as a short commitment, with a short term goal, but it turned into something much more long term – a deeper connection to healthy living. She was always a hard worker, but personal training helped to not only motivate her with her workouts, but also set up an organized weekly structure for her to stay consistent with exercise.
CTF:What inspired you about this particular client? Betina: He was a prime example of how hard work and dedication truly can produce change. Despite having a busy schedule and no history of athletics, he wasn’t easily discouraged. Rather than giving up after the first few sessions, he remained determined, and listened to his trainer (thank goodness!). Ultimately, it was his drive that helped him accomplish his goals. That is not an easy task for anyone!
Kailee:Her drive is unstoppable, but she made that change within herself while in personal training. I really pride my client on her story because she’s very transparent in telling people that it’s hard to do. However, with the support CTF has given her, she feels she can continue to live a healthy lifestyle.
CTF:What were some challenges they had to overcome, and how did they do it? Betina:As with most clients, a busy schedule is a big obstacle to overcome. It took some time, but this client eventually discovered how crucial it is to prioritize his personal training sessions, making sure to schedule them in his calendar as an appointment that shouldn’t be missed. When you treat your personal training sessions as you would a doctor appointment or work meeting, you’re less likely to skip!
Kailee:I think consistency was one of the hardest hurdles for her. However, once we pinpointed exactly what helped to motivate her in the gym, building a weekly program came much more naturally.
CTF:How is CTF’s personal training program different from what other gyms offer? Betina:CTF’s personal training program is great because the trainers get to work and build a relationship with their clients on so many different levels. It’s critical to build a rapport with your clients outside of just the sessions you have with them. A lot of our one-on-one clients also take classes, and they get to know all the trainers!
We’re very proud of the community we’ve built at CTF. Clients have opportunities to have some fun outside of the gym, whether it’s stand-up paddle boarding, beach and park workouts, community race challenges, or studio parties!
Kailee:One detail I really like about CTF’s personal training program is the freedom to personalize each session to the client. I think it leaves so much more room to connect one-on-one, and helps the client to figure out not only what their goals are, but what they might be struggling with.
My personal training sessions differ so much from client to client. One session might be focused entirely on injury prevention, while another session is purely strength, and another is a combination of nutrition guidance and body work. We are all doing different things in those 30 minutes, but only things that work best for that specific client.
