Client Testimonials

Brynna is encouraging, compassionate, and obviously enjoys sharing her passion for an active and healthy lifestyle. I met Brynna when I signed up for the Weight Management Program in 2011. That program taught me practical tips for eating better, and the weekly personal training sessions got me started working out regularly. Since the program ended, I have continued to work out with Brynna. I've gotten stronger and have lost 55 pounds. Just as important to me as losing the pounds, is the confidence I've gained with Brynna's support. Because of my success working with Brynna I am able to enjoy my favorite activities of mountain biking and snowboarding even more than before. I have even completed a 4-hour mountain bike endurance race and am looking forward to the next one.

I look forward to our workouts because she mixes the exercises up and the workouts aren't boring. Brynna has taught me how to work out with weights, machines, the ropes, and just my bodyweight. Together we've worked on my strength, endurance, and flexibility. Because Brynna teaches and doesn't just direct me, I feel more comfortable exercising on my own at the gym, at home, or traveling. Brynna encourages me to push myself just a little bit further each time and I've learned I am capable of more than I thought. She has seen me through several big and small injuries and helped me recover safely. She adjusted the workouts so I felt safe, and I was able to stay active when I thought I was doomed to the couch. She's even hopped in the pool with me when I was really limited and still gave me a great workout.

Beyond being an experienced and knowledgeable trainer and coach, Brynna is encouraging, compassionate, and obviously enjoys sharing her passion for an active and healthy lifestyle. Her enthusiasm keeps me motivated.

Both my cardiologist and my internist consistently refer to me as a model patient; Pasquale is a big part of that success. In September of 2010, I suffered a heart attack. The diagnosis was two blocked secondary arteries, but the locations are such that stints could be implanted. The cardiologist stipulated that my recovery and ongoing “maintenance” would involve a healthy diet and exercise. At the end of September of that year, I entered a twelve week cardiac rehab program at the Walter I. Berman Rehabilitation Center located within the Baylor Tom Landry Wellness Center.

At the age of 51, fear helped me to realign my priorities and focus my energies on my rehabilitation. A wonderful staff and a well-run program yielded great results, but this was only the beginning of my transformation.Having worked with personal trainers in the past, I realized the importance of “connecting” with the individual if the desired results of an exercise program were going to be realized.

On my behalf, a couple of the nurses from the rehab program pre-screened trainer that were working in the Tom Landry Fitness Center; they approached me with two possibilities, but had determined between themselves that Pasquale Carbone was the perfect trainer for my continued rehabilitation. With the trust I had developed in them, I took their recommendation. Pasquale and I started training together in January of 2011. The nurses could not have been more intuitive! It was apparent from the onset of our training that I had found myself working with someone who could have been tailor-made for my needs. Pasquale developed a program that was not only going to benefit the immediate cardio needs but was also going to reshape my entire future in terms of health and exercise awareness. With a combination of weight lifting, cardio work and recommended readings, he has armed me with an arsenal of material that has, and continues to, yield great results. Both my cardiologist and my internist consistently refer to me as a model patient; Pasquale is a big part of that success. We are in our fourth year together. He is intuitive to my needs, routines are always fresh, and he constantly challenges me. What I learned in my first twelve weeks was small in comparison to what he continues to teach me.

I just want to share with you how much I have enjoyed working with Brynna Bergman for the last almost 2.5 years. I was a runner for 30 years but had to stop in 2011 due to a chronic bad back (scoliosis) and the resulting onset of sciatica. I needed another form of exercise and was encouraged to try swimming by Michelle Roch, with whom I did physical therapy on the 4th floor. Michelle referred me to Brynna.

I was a non-swimmer and unfortunately discovered that I was afraid of the water. Brynna encouraged me to stick it out with just the right mix of cheerfulness, skill and professionalism. I am by no means an accomplished or even average swimmer at this point, but with her continuing expert guidance I am improving and enjoying it.

I also started personal training with Brynna last summer and she brings the same fine qualities to the gym.

I thought personal training was about learning how to use gym equipment to improve fitness and increase weight loss. I was about halfway through my weight loss program and though training sounded like a good way to increase my pace. I am also a weekend camping and hiking enthusiast and was having increasing difficulty negotiating the trails. I thought personal training might increase my success here as well. I was reluctant, however, since I had no prior gym experience. I had been a member of the Landry Center for a couple of years but my participation was limited to walking the track.

Enter Scott Zimmerman, Landry Fitness Center Personal Trainer!

What an amazing experience I am having! It is hard to believe one of life’s biggest surprises has come at the gym. It turns out that I had a very limited view of personal training and seriously underestimated the thrill of physical fitness. “Scott the Educator” began by creating a circuit for me and instructing me in the proper use of the equipment. This was no small job for him, nor was I able to do all the tasks. This is where I first encountered “Scott the Encourager”. It is really inspiring to have someone accept your efforts, however feeble, as perfection. So I worked on the circuit and began my weekly training sessions with Scott. During these sessions I have encountered “Scott the Motivator” with his “you can do this” attitude and “Scott the Challenger” with his “We’re going to give this a try”. And along the way, I reached my goal weight and have found that strength and balance really open doors to all kinds of everyday activities. “Scott the Professional” continues to educate, encourage, motivate and challenge me every week. “Scott the Personality” has made me feel included in his Landry Center community so that the gym is now an important priority for me. Most importantly, “Scott the Personal Trainer” is guiding me on a journey to increase my level of personal fitness. I know he can do the same for anyone.

Anna Thomasson is a great trainer and has greatly helped me feel more confident. I was in a wheelchair for 3 months with a broken ankle, had surgery, and ended up with deep vein thrombosis. I barely moved for 5 months. It was awful and a very long recovery.

When I started with Anna, I was basically starting all over with my fitness. I have a long way to go, but Anna makes me feel that it is possible. I was actually scared to walk on anything but flat pavement, and now I can go to Zumba, jog, and wear high heels. This would not have been possible without Anna! She’s the best!!!

Pasquale Carbone has been my trainer for approximately two years and I have received remarkable results under his guidance. I am sixty-eight years old and have been diagnosed with heart disease. Accordingly, I wanted the best possible personal trainer who would be attentive to my health concerns. Pasquale has exceeded my expectations in every way.

As a result of my work with Pasquale, I have lost twenty-five pounds and have greatly increased my energy, stamina and flexibility.

I also believe that Pasquale may well have saved my life. He frequently takes my blood pressure and listens to my heart during my exercise sessions. On one occasion, he commented that he heard something irregular when listening to my heart. Upon Pasquale’s recommendation, I promptly went to my doctor and was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. This condition has now been corrected but I was told that it could have been quite dangerous had it gone undetected. I will always be grateful to Pasquale for his vigilance, caring and professionalism.

Jeremy Allen’s approach to personal training is unparalleled. He listens to the needs of his clients and designs workouts that push people past their limits while creating a safe environment to succeed. I have been afforded the opportunity to work with the best trainers in the business, and I would choose Jeremy over any other trainer. His personalized, calm, supportive demeanor made me fall in love with working out, something very new to me. The changes I have seen in my body have been absolutely amazing. Having watched people rapidly lose weight in the past, I feared my body and skin would just hang. This has not been the case. I have been able to build muscle while losing fat… not an easy feat. I credit Jeremy for that success.

In a single word, I would describe Jeremy as, warm. He truly cares about the people he trains. I have had the chance to see firsthand how he designs workouts for each individual. Not only does he stay abreast of the latest trends in fitness, he incorporates or modifies those exercises to ensure YOUR success. Weight loss and fitness are personal endeavors, and Jeremy ‘gets’ that concept. He meets you where you are, and then takes you where you want to go.

Pasquale Carbone I had accepted being overweight as the price one paid for growing older. After all, most of my colleagues looked the same or worse than I did. After an initial consultation with Anna, one of the Landry personal trainers, I began a regimented return to fitness. Having a trainer with a positive attitude was the key to shedding all of my pre-conceived notions of how I should look and feel at my age. After going from 240 pounds to 185 over the course of two years, my knees and feet stopped hurting and my cardiac endurance increased significantly. My 40 inch waist fell to 32 inches. I feel as healthy now as I did in medical school several years back.

Last year I attended an Iron Girl event as a spectator. I had never witnessed a triathlon in person and came away with one impression: I can do this. I was already working out with Tracy Christenson and knew if I told her I wanted to do a triathlon, I'd better be serious because I knew she would be, and there would be no turning back. We immediately started training and she treated me as a true athlete from that point on. We ran drills, biked drills and swam drills. Over and over and over again. It was painful but I was pretty confident I would be able to at least complete the event. It was Tracy's vociferous cheering near the finish line that gave me the extra force needed to pull myself one second ahead of my nearest competitor. To my surprise I finished third in my age category! When I saw her at the end, I could see the pride in her face, and I knew it was real. Our year of hard work had paid dividends and I had an accomplishment that I could be proud of for a long time to come.

Tracy's professionalism, belief in her clients and genuine love of sports and fitness are contagious. I actually look forward to exercising now, especially since I have a lot of competition in my future.

BTLFC Member, Lisa Swanson, recently competed in the WKC 2013 Austin Kettlebell Classic. She performed 138 jerks and 148 snatches.

Lisa has been training with Certified Personal Trainer and Kettlebell Coach, Kevin Ouldhouse for the last 10 years. Within the last 2, she began working out with the kettlebells. Lisa went from being a 1 time a week exerciser to an everyday fixture at the gym. She participates in kettlebell competitions and triathlons and loves the competition!

I have been training with Kim Williams for almost 2 years now. She is the best personal trainer with which I have ever worked! She keeps things fresh and new, and I have never felt like our workouts are routine. Kim knows just how far to push her clients- even when we think we can’t do something, she knows when we can. Working out with Kim, I have become healthier and feel stronger than ever! Kim have been patient, flexible and understanding.

Now for the boxing part! I accidentally stumbled into boxing a couple of years ago. When I called BTLFC to see if they had anyone who taught boxing, I was thrilled to find out they actually had a female trainer who did. Although it is probably the hardest part, boxing has been the highlight of my workout sessions with Kim. It’s great to learn from someone who really knows her stuff in that area because she does it herself. Boxing with Kim has built up my self-confidence and has helped me to feel empowered as a woman!

Having a personal trainer like Kim has made me look forward to working out.

In October of 2013, I was down on myself and decided I would join the gym. I knew that when I joined the Tom Landry Fitness Center, I would need some inspiration: I needed a trainer to help keep me motivated, accountable and push forward to reach my workout goals. When I first started training, I wanted to lose weight and be healthier, and train to do another 70.3 Ironman. Once I started seeing results, I was inspired to push myself harder to get where I wanted to be. The encouragement I get every time I lift weights with my trainer, Brynna, has helped me to keep showing up and helps continue to strengthen my body and mind. This encourages me to believe that I can accomplish my health and fitness goals, that if I believe in myself, I can do more.  I enjoy our workouts, and my favorite training days are anytime we workout my lower body. What I enjoy most about training is that I'm motivated to do more than I would ever do on my own. With my trainer Brynna, I push farther than I might push myself.  Personal training has improved my life and self esteem. It helps me reduce stress and has motivated me to change my diet, as hard as it is to stick with it sometimes, and I feel the difference in my workout performance. This year, in 2015, I hope to get even stronger, add some muscle mass, be even healthier.