Rebell of the month: Kristin kovar
We are SO EXCITED to announce that we're bringing back Rebell of The Month!
What is Rebell of The Month?
Rebell of The Month is our way of giving a shout out to a Restored Strength member who's doing cool shit! Rebells of the Month have made remarkable changes to their lives and have fully embraced the crazy, celebratory culture of Restored Strength. We are SO. F*ING. PROUD. of what our members have accomplished and we want to share them with you!!!! And now, the reason we're all here: Kristin Kovar is a BAMF.
Kristin has the best doggo. His name is Simon; he's ADORABLE. She also has the best cat, JoJo, who is also adorable and usually looks like she disapproves of what you're doing. Kristin can also deadlift heavy weight, has super impressive mobility and great attention to details, and is HILARIOUS.
Here's her story!
Tell us about yourself I grew up in Florida, taught middle school and high school for 6 years in Georgia and now prepare future teachers at SMSU. I live in Marshall with my greyhound, Simon and cat, JoJo. Growing up I was always a chunky kid. I tried different sports and activities such as gymnastics, swimming, dance, etc, but didn’t slim down until high school. I have had many losses in my life including both of my parents and these losses have resulted in poor food and life choices and ultimately a lot of extra weight.I would say that I have little to no experience with “training”. Throughout my life, I would consider myself more of a sedentary person, but as I’ve aged, I’ve realized how important movement is to longevity and that I want to be able to move as I continue to age.
Kristin and Simon doing what they do best, snuggling on the couch.
Thoughts about strength training before/after RS
Thoughts about strength training before: As I’ve always been a large person, I didn’t want to be even larger by building muscle so I would say that I had a poor view of strength training.
Thoughts now: I have learned that increasing your muscle has so many wonderful benefits besides “getting big muscles”. When you are strong you can do things for yourself, you can help others, you are capable of things you never thought you could do, and it’s empowering. I also like seeing the muscles now as a physical reminder of what I am capable of.
Kristin bench pressing
Obstacles you overcame
A huge barrier for me was how I thought of my physical appearance and what other people thought of my physical appearance. I 100% absolutely hated myself (physically). That’s pretty sad. I don’t hate anyone else, not that true and pure hatred. I hated my physical appearance. I believe I have now conquered this barrier. It’s a process, but I honestly think that I am not as hard on myself as I used to be before training.
Achievements accomplished
I can’t pick just one so I will list a few. Increased strength, weight loss, capability, confidence! The achievements are endless when you focus on yourself and your health and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without Restored Strength.
Changes others have noticed
A noticeable change would be the 44 pounds! That's 3 pants sizes, by the way.
The left pic is from September 2019. The right pic is from August 2020.
What do you tell friends about RS
First of all, no matter where you are in your fitness journey, just try it. If you are at a place where you are ready to commit, the first step is to try. If you are not in that place, that's ok. You still tried, and now know where you can go when you are ready.
Favorite thing about us
I like feeling like I belong. It is an inclusive welcoming environment. Every person that comes in the door is welcomed and supported by the Restored Strength trainers. It’s an upbeat environment. We have fun and laugh ALL THE TIME!
A pic from a couple of weeks ago of what it's like to work out at Restored Strength. We have fun and work hard!
Benefits from training with us
1. Increased strength (obviously) – I feel stronger and can do things I couldn’t do before such as shoveling snow without being incapacitated the next day.
2. Increased confidence – I will wear a sleeveless shirt. What?!? I would never do that before because I was too self-conscious. I haven’t quite made it to leggings yet, but you need a goal right?
3. Decreased weight – I am currently down 44 lbs since March. I have a ways to go, but the progress has been great.
All three of these things have improved my life drastically. Why is RS different?
I have learned more about the “why” behind the movements and how a slight change in form can yield better results. Restored Strength individualizes your plan to you specifically. They meet you where you are, and you are never judged or pushed to do things that you do not want to do. I really like that they model the move and then watch you like a hawk to make sure you are doing it properly. Previously, when I attempted to work out by myself, I actually hurt myself pretty severely which is counterproductive when you are trying to increase your health and fitness. At Restored Strength, they stop you right away and make alterations to your form so that you are safe.
Additional words
You can do this! You, yes, you are capable of amazing things! You will not believe what your body can do!