Conor Cunningham – February 2017 Athlete of the Month – ASF Central

Conor Cunningham has been working out at Austin Simply Fit for a little over a year. Over that time, he has seen himself progress further than he ever imagined possible. (We LOVE blowing people’s minds and helping people exceed their expectations!) His trainer Jill nominated him for his consistency, passion to progress and amazing attitude. There’s always a smile when Conor is in the gym!

How long have you been working out at ASF? 
Just over a year.

Why did you decide to join ASF?
I had gained weight while traveling for work, then gotten too skinny by eating little to compensate.  I wanted to find a better balance both to be healthy and to deal with personal challenges I have been facing in my life.

What were your goals when you started? 
I said that just wanted to get “stronger”.  In practice, I simply wanted to be fitter (and to be able to eat more!)

How close are you to meeting them? 
I am stronger, but I’ve found that the real ongoing benefit from weightlifting is mental – I am happier because I am doing something that forces me to challenge myself each day I come to the gym.

What changes have you noticed in your body, mind, spirit since starting at ASF? 
I’m thinner in the middle and I have a lot more muscle in my upper body than I had before. My core strength has also improved a lot – that shows up in everyday tasks where you least expect it.

What challenges have you had to overcome, if any, since starting out at ASF? 
I’ve used ASF to help me with some less-than-fun things that happened to me in my personal life.  It calms my mind and soul to just come and lift things for a while.  It relieves stress and that has positive effects on the rest of my life, both personally and professionally.

Any surprises since starting at ASF?  
I like deadlifting!  It uses lots of muscles and I find it more satisfying than I could have ever imagined.

Why do you like working out with Jill? 
I appreciate having someone to watch my form and help make sure that I am doing exercises on the muscle groups you might forget if you were doing this on your own.

What is it about Jill/ASF that keeps you coming back? 
I still have further to go on my journey – I’m not done yet with making a better me. 

What are your goals & plans for the future at ASF? 
In addition to just generally getting stronger and looking better, I’d like to get better at pull-ups.

Any advice you’d share with a newcomer to ASF? 
Don’t complain to your trainer about how hard something is (unless you are physically injured).  I find that the exercises are simple but very challenging as you add weight.  When you figure out that you are really in a battle with yourself, not the trainer, THEN you start making gains at the gym.  When I first started, I sucked at everything.  Now I can do things I never thought possible, but I only got there by challenging myself each day, not arguing with my trainer about the exercises.

Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at ASF or with Jill? 
This experience has changed my life and allowed me to start building a better me.  I could not have done it without ASF and Jill.