Student of the Month: Stephanie Ferguson

Last Saturday Stephanie came to class as she always does, and then two days later went into labor with a baby girl! Stephanie’s husband and new daddy, Michael Craig, also trains at the Academy – doing Phase, Muay Thai, JKD, Kali and BJJ classes on the regular.  The two are often seen walking to class together, holding gym bags, Kali sticks and hands as Stephanie carried their baby.

The greatest lesson anyone can learn from this is that fitness and health are always better when done with a friend or loved one. The second lesson is simple – when you really love and enjoy something that is good for you, you can find a way to do it through any part of your life; the good, the bad and the most challenging!

So how did Stephanie do such a challenging KB class while pregnant? It’s about three things: Dedication, Modification, and Will Power! What Stephanie did can be applied to any student who has had an injury, is new to training or has been faced with various challenges. First, you make goals and commit to them, regardless of your restrictions. Then, you modify the class accordingly; perhaps lifting lighter, omitting certain portions of the training (like plyo sets), doing some moves with no added weight, and asking me to work with you before class to modify the specifics to fit your current needs or restrictions.

Most people don’t realize that within a second, I can take one exercise and make it much easier or less impact driven or I can rev it up and make you regret you ever asked me to make it tougher. It’s all about variation and modification, DON’T be scared to ask me a question after class!

Straight from Steph:

“I love Dasha’s Kickboxing / Kettlebells class because it’s so complete; it blends strength, cardio, endurance, power, and flexibility –a combination that most other trainers don’t achieve. I started the class when I was halfway through my pregnancy and continued until 2 days before my daughter’s birth and I can honestly say that I was in better shape at the end of my pregnancy than I was at the beginning–my butt was lifted at least an inch (HELLO PROGRESS!!!), my arms were awesomely toned and strong, and I felt amazing.”

Check out Stephanie’s blog: Laverne and Rufus