When I asked around the studio for a few words that described Rebekah, I kept getting words like: intense, strict, and no-nonsense. But, I also received words such as: nice, caring, awesome, and motivating. These words may seem contradictory at first, but all you have to do is spend a few minutes with Rebekah to understand that they are all accurate! She maintains a clear vision of her client’s goals, of the work that must be done, and the effort that must be given in order to obtain them. She will let nothing get in the way of accomplishing those goals. She will coach you along with a sincere dedication that is motivating, inspiring, and endearing. Today Rebekah will share some of her insight with you, so sit back, grab a protein-shake, and soak it all in – this is going to be good.
Dan: What inspired you to make a career out of personal training?
Rebekah: In all honesty, I originally started training as an income supplement to my dreams of becoming a dancer in New York City. The more I began to work with clients, and see the lasting change a healthy lifestyle could have on them, the more I started to realize that being a personal trainer could actually be a career for me. Throughout my years as a trainer I have organically grown to the point where I would like to eventually open my own facility. I absolutely love what I do! I live the healthy lifestyle I preach, and I believe to my core that living healthy can create the most powerful self in an individual. I am inspired daily by my clients overcoming obstacles, pushing myself beyond where I thought I could go and surrounding myself by those who believe that through this way of life, anything is possible!
Dan: Is it okay for women to lift heavy weight? Explain.
Rebekah: Absolutely! It is a common misconception that training heavy will make females develop huge bulky muscles. Let’s think about those male body builders we see in the gym from time to time. These body builders’ sole purpose for training is to build muscle. It takes extreme preparation, attention and focus, not just to their weight training routine, but also to their nutrition plan, in order to create an effective muscle-building (or hypertrophy) routine.
Now, when it comes to women, there is a distinct difference. To start off, women do not have the same amount of testosterone (a muscle building hormone) as do men. Their body composition is much different, and thus the way in which it reacts to weight training will not have the same effect. Strength training is a valuable tool for women to use, whether it be to help lose weight (the more muscle one has, the more fat is burned on a daily basis), to become stronger or more agile in a particular sport, or for general fitness. Weight bearing activities also help to build and maintain bone density as women age, helping to prevent osteoporosis.
Dan: We agree that nutrition is an integral part of the results process. So, how do you ensure that your clients are fueling their bodies properly while they are away from the studio?
Rebekah: When a client comes in looking to achieve specific results, the first area we take a look at is their eating habits. As a trainer (and not a nutritionist!), I offer advice in the form of personal experience; what has worked for my clients and myself in the past. In our initial consultation, my clients and I discuss their typical “day in the life of” eating routine, and then how we can go about making small changes (or sometimes big ones!) to help them become healthier. I have done everything from Publix tours to sharing recipes to sending pictures of my own meals to clients to create a more tangible outline of what a proper nutrition regimen can be. Every session starts out with a daily recap of food intake, and my “evaluation”. As we move deeper into our training together, we start to make more specific changes to diet. My clients know I am always a call or text away. I want them to know I can be a resource in the event that a nutrition crisis arises! (i.e. “Which meal is a better choice at a particular restaurant?”, or “What food bar is the best meal-on-the-go substitute?”). I also find it extremely important to lead by example, and offer daily encouragement through my own nutrition discoveries!
Dan: What does a typical day of nutrition look like for you?
Rebekah: As I stated above, leading by example is extremely important to me. While deep down inside I have a sweet tooth, I CHOOSE to supplement my highly active life with good, clean food. And I perform and feel so much better by doing so!
A day in the life of Rebekah:
- Meal 1: Eggs with vegetables (peppers, onion, tomato) & rosemary (my favorite spice!) a few slices of avocado, ½ banana
- Snack: Larabar, small apple
- Meal 2: Spinach salad with salmon (baked from the night before), light oil-based dressing
- Snack: ½ cup watermelon, handful of nuts
- Meal 3: Chicken, carrots & hummus
- Meal 4: Ground beef with garlic, rosemary & vegetables (broccoli, spinach, tomato), and pasta sauce (sugar, salt and cheese free preferably)
- Snack: Handful of cocoa-covered almonds
My day sounds pretty simple and basic, but the cleaner you eat, the more food you can eat (and I love eating!), so my portions tend to be pretty large. Basically I try to have a protein, carbohydrate (in the form of vegetable) and fat at every meal. I also try to stabilize blood sugar spikes due to the naturally occurring sugar in fruit with some sort of a protein (like nuts). My meals and snacks can also vary depending on the type, duration and time of my own training. I am always sure to eat within 30 minutes of training, and do not train on an empty stomach. Some days it takes work to be able to eat clean within the “messy” world of nutrition forced upon us, but I live by the 90/10 rule, where (when I am not within a week of an event or race) I give myself 10% leniency on nutrition for meals out with friends, vacation and general enjoyment!
Dan: Awesome! Thanks for sharing Rebekah.
Rebekah Sarbone BFA, NASM, Yoga Fit Certified, is a Master Trainer at Sweat Life Fitness, Inc. in the Haile Plantation Village Center. She can be reached at Rebekah@sweatlifefitness.com for more information and training consultations. We always appreciate and welcome your feedback and comments.
