I have been an online client of Seth’s and Vanessa’s for the last 4 years. I started competing in Fitness America in the bikini category in 2008 . I was 31 at the time, a single mom of a 3 year old and I had no idea what I was doing. You can imagine how fun that process was. I borrowed a program from a friend of mine who had competed a couple years prior (which I DO NOT recommend) Even though I had a fitness background, looking back I was not eating or training for my goals. I simply didn’t know what I didn’t know. I took a break and decided to compete again in 2010, this time with the help of a trainer.
I knew this trainer fairly well. He was very educated and had a large following of personal training clients so I thought I was in good hands. I did get pretty good results. I was definitely leaner than when I had initially started but I knew my body didn’t look the way it was “supposed to” for competition. I decided not to compete in that show which was very frustrating since I had been preparing for the last 3 1/2 months. Like me, he didn’t know what he didn’t know. When I got the itch to compete again in 2011, I reached out to Vanessa whom I knew of through our mutual employer. We met up to discuss my goals and she was very excited that I was interested in competing. She let me know Seth would handle my nutrition and she would be planning my workouts. At the end of our conversation, she told me to let her know when I was ready. I already knew that I wanted to work with them after that initial conversation. Not only did she know what she was talking about but she was very humble about it. She didn’t pressure me and she listened to what I wanted. She didn’t take over the conversation by telling me what she wanted to do or what her accomplishments were. I worked in the fitness industry for almost 13 years and I can tell you first hand, that type of approach is hard to come by. A lot of trainers in her position would have hounded me until I either got so annoyed and avoided her altogether, or just agreed to start a program so she would stop bugging me. I wasn’t ready at that time and work and personal life took me in a different direction but in 2013, I decided to give competing another “go.”
By this time, we were no longer living in the same city so I knew everything would be done online. I was pleasantly surprised by how personal everything still was and I had a much more detailed program than I had in the past when working one on one with a trainer. My workout plan was comprehensive and there was a progression that made sense. More importantly, it was based on my body and how it was changing. The same goes for my nutrition plan. It wasn’t always easy but I can honestly say, I didn’t feel deprived. I was eating for my goals, I felt healthy and my results showed. I spoke and text regularly with Seth and Vanessa. They were ALWAYS available for questions and as I got closer to my show date, we Skyped regularly. Despite not working with them in person, I never felt like an online client, if that makes sense. I ended up taking second in my class for that competition and was so excited to have done so well after taking such a long break. Life will throw you curve balls and I ended up having to take another long break but at the end of 2015 I contacted Vanessa again and let her know I was ready to come back. We still kept in touch over the last few years and without hesitation she was ready to rock and roll, and take me on as a client even though she and Seth were already pretty maxed out with clients.
I started my prep mid-January of this year. In my head I’m thinking, “okay, I’m 38 now, what kind of results can I really get?” Sure I worked out regularly but I wasn’t really following any sort of plan and definitely not any sort of nutrition plan. It was an adjustment in the beginning and I quickly learned how mediocre my workouts had been. Seth and Vanessa have always been super encouraging and they once again, designed a plan that was specific to me and changed as my body changed. Not only did I get results but I far exceeded my results from my last show. I ended up winning both classes I entered and the overall for Masters 35+, which qualified me for nationals. Nationals! I’m going to freaking nationals this year! One thing I learned that they made sure to remind me of is not to sell myself short. They will create the plan, I just have to follow it. It really is that simple. I have another competition June 18th. Despite how I end up doing I already know I have made improvements. I will once again have built upon my “look” from my last show and I can’t wait to showcase all the work I have put in. I wouldn’t have been able to do it (and keep my sanity), without their guidance, knowledge, and encouragement.
Whether you are a hard core athlete, competitor or just looking to get in shape for a special event, I honestly cannot think of better coaches to help you achieve your goals. They compliment each other so well and are extremely versatile in program design. They’re like the dynamic duo of fitness. Get out of your own way and as they say, “don’t sell yourself short.” They will create a solid program, you just have to follow it. It really is that easy.
I have worked out with a handful of trainers in the past 7 years, and my experience with Seth and Vanessa has been the best by a long shot! From the beginning, they listened to what MY goals were, and tailored my diet and workouts to achieve that goal. Other trainers I have been to in the past have put me on a cookie cutter diet, and I was frustrated because I was not seeing any results. Not only am I on the right diet, but I am being told WHY I am on this diet, and what it is doing for my body. The knowledge I have gained from these two has been life changing for me and my family. Seth and Vanessa are the perfect blend of no nonsense (“The diet is not a suggestion, you need to follow it”) and compassion (“What can I do to help you succeed?”). In an industry full of highly charged Ego’s, these two are the real deal and should be the standard by which all trainers are measured.
Skeptical, cautious, nervous and mildly resistant are the adjectives I would best describe myself when I approached Seth and Vanessa for help with my nutrition. Having ran 41 marathons, I had used the trial and error method to fuel my body. And, being a creature of habit, I hesitated making changes. However, I knew that if I wanted to continually make improvements, I would need to more properly fuel my body for the demands I was placing upon it. I wanted to feel energetic and strong so I humbled myself and asked for their expertise.
At first, it was hard to break old habits and shift mentally to a new way of fueling my body. They made an individualized plan for me, including supplements specific for my body and activity level. We modified my meal plan each month based on my upcoming marathons. I noticed I had increased energy which lead to more effective workouts and gained strength. After three short months of working with Seth and Vanessa, my half marathon time went from 1:30 to 1:26 off my best half marathon time and dropped my personal best marathon time dropped from 3:17 to 3:04. I attribute these successes to my nutrition plan from Seth and Vanessa. Their individualized meal plan and attention have inspired me to dream bigger and keep pushing my boundaries.
I’m a personal trainer and take pride in what I do but somewhere along the way I lost sight of my own goals. I offer motivation and accountability to my clients but didn’t have that for myself. So taking Seth and Vanessa offer to heart and decided it was time. Weighing in heavier than I’d been in awhile I was so ashamed even worse were the pictures I sent to them. After getting the first email with my new food plan I was overwhelmed but excited. It took sometime to get use to the food prep and grocery shopping but now it’s no biggie. Week after week sending in new pics I began to see my body completely change. The attention to detail in my food plans have been awesome they are far from any generic food plans I’ve seen . They are specially designed for me and my body type.
Entering my 12th week I couldn’t be happier or more motivated. I’m so thankful to the sense of accountability I have with Seth and Vanessa . If your looking for something completely different than what most online food coaches offer give Pitbeast a try.