Congratulations to Eric Doise for earning his spot of Rebell of The Month for August!! Eric has been a member for a couple of years now and has made amazing progress towards his goals. He’s a great student of strength because he comes in willing to learn and put in the work to achieve his goals. We are excited to share with you his story!!
Tell us about yourself:
I’m an English professor originally from Baton Rouge. I was an athlete through high school, so that’s the context my perspective on training has mostly been from. Since then and before Restored Strength, I ran and played basketball, racquetball, etc. for exercise. I also did some HIIT at home.
Thoughts about strength training before/after becoming a Rebell:
Most of my understanding of strength training came from being on high school teams, so I associated it with completely exhausting your body every work out. I assumed it was always super intense. Now, I know that it can be both challenging and a reasonable demand on my body, which is great since my body is no longer 17 years old. Now, I don’t think a successful workout means I have to be dragging myself to my car, which means my body feels good after I work out and I’m less likely to get burned out.
Obstacles you overcame:
In the past, I have not liked working out with other people. Exercising has been a way for me to get away from other people. So I came in a little leery of group workouts, but the way the gym is arranged, I can interact with others if I want or keep to myself while I’m exercising.
Achievements you accomplished at Restored Strength:
I haven’t had a major sciatica flare-up in years! It still gets a little twinge-y now and again, but never to the point where it has a major impact on my life. And when it does begin to surface, the trainers know what adjustments to make to my workout in order to promote recovery in that area.
What changes have others noticed?
My wife enjoys my muscles more. She and I both have also noticed that I’m less likely to carry over stress from work to other parts of my life now.
What do you tell your friends about RS?
My wife had been working out at Restored Strength for a while, and her quality of life increased exponentially. Problems we assumed she’d face for the rest of her life were suddenly non-existent. I was really amazed by her progress, so I thought I’d give it a try.
What’s your favorite thing about RS?
The coaches are knowledgeable and encouraging. I’ve found that combination hard to find in the fitness/athletics world. I’ve left the part of my life where someone yells at me while I get in shape. I’m not interested in reliving that. There’s also a balance between training a small group of people and individual attention. So my workouts look a lot like everyone else’s, but I’m also offered variations to make my exercise harder or easier than other’s when necessary. I also get variations that take into account any injuries, whether they are temporary or permanent conditions.
Results you’ve gotten from our gym:
1. The biggest one is that sciatica is not a major concern for me anymore. I used to have at least two major flare-ups a year that would put me in bed for at least a couple days, but that hasn’t happened since I’ve been at Restored Strength.
2. I move better in everyday life. It’s hard to explain, but I just have a better understanding of how my body moves and how it should move.
3. I handle stress better. Consistently working out, especially the jam ball and med ball slams, gives me an outlet for my frustration, and that makes me a better husband, friend, and colleague.
Why is RS different?
Before hand, I worked out on my own, and I noticed a pattern: (1) I’d get bored because there were only so many exercise I knew to do and would repeat them over and over again and then (2) I’d try exercises I didn’t really know how to do and injure myself. At Restored Strength, because each day and month have different programming, I get the variety and expertise I need.