In my never-ending journey to spread the word about local people doing extraordinary things, I found myself doing something that I never thought that I would do: attending an exercise class.
This particular program, however, does not feature your run-of-the-mill, everyday boring class.
Have you heard of Pound?
Yeah, I hadn’t either until Angie Makeever brought the idea to me to possibly do an article on the class and the instructor, Lisa McManes, of Galion.
At first I thought, I’ll do a story, sure. I did not know that I would find myself actually attending a class at 5:30 in the morning on Friday, Sept. 15. But, there I was with Angie, Lisa and a handful of others seeking a healthier lifestyle and a great way to kick-start their Friday.
The Pound class instructed by Lisa is 45 minutes long. It involves a workout with lightly weighted drumsticks called Ripstix® to create resistance as you drum along to the beat of different music genres. With that, you get a full-body workout through cardio, strength, isometric and Pilates based movements.
I did survive. But I can say that I probably should’ve stretched out a bit more before I “rocked out and worked out”. I am 33-years young and I am definitely not as agile as I used to be, which wasn’t very agile at all. But, I’m still here and my hamstrings have finally recovered and it was all worth it in the bigger picture.
Enough about me though, let’s talk about Lisa’s journey and character, as well as Pound.
Lisa is currently the only actively licensed Pound Pro within 21 miles of Lexington. McManes holds her Pound classes at No Limits Studio & Spa, 106 Delaware Street in Lexington, and drop-in classes are just $5.
“There are imitation classes ,but do not be fooled,” Lisa says.
When asked to describe herself and what she does, Lisa offered up the following:
“Be you, be brave and do what you love. Pound allows me to do that. I became a Pound Pro in February after doing it alone at home in Ohio with DVDs. You never know who you might motivate or inspire. I do not look like the typical Personal Trainer but I took the leap and became one. I did not let being a larger size, having excess or sagging skin from my weight loss and all my birthmarks that people stare at stop me,” states the trainer. “My motto is this: you can be fit at any age, size and shape. My goal is to change the way society sees and understands what is fit. I want to inspire, educate and show everyone how to have a healthier lifestyle.”
Lisa has Hashimoto’s Disease and has had it for 39 years. She is also severely dyslexic but that has never impeded her from being the athlete and weight loss success story that she is today.
“I have faced with and still deal with the same struggles as my clients. I am able to relate and help my clients on their fitness journey based on my experience, education and specialized certifications.”
“I was close to 300 pounds when my fitness journey began but I kept pushing through. I ran my first half-marathon at 250 pounds and ran my first full-marathon at 200 pounds,” claims McManes. “After I lost 100 pounds, I had a desire to help others reach their fitness goals and decided to follow that passion to help others. I still struggle with my weight as I still battle with issues with my Hashimoto’s Disease and medication changes, but I keep moving forward the best I can.”
Pound is not the only way that McManes assists others in their quest for a healthier lifestyle.
“I am a Certified Personal Trainer and Youth Exercise Specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine,” Lisa begins. “I am also a TRX Certified Basics Trainer, as well as a National Federation of Personal Trainers Fitness Nutrition Specialist and Cancer Recovery Specialist. I am a Certified Fitness Professional with dotFIT and have been training clients for over five years,” all in addition to her distinction as the only Pound Pro in the area.
McManes states simply, “I love what I do!”
Want to know more about what Lisa does to help her clients improve their health and lifestyle? You can visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/McManesPT/?pnref=lhc for further education.
Interested in learning more about what Pound is and where to find licensed instructors and classes in your area? You can visit the Official Pound website at www.poundfit.com.
