Testimonials

When I joined Figarelle’s Fitness in the Spring of 2019, I was in many ways starting from scratch. I didn’t know anything about strength training. I couldn’t tell a barbell from a dumbbell. They helped me feel welcome, helped me set realistic goals, and have provided encouragement along my journey toward achieving those goals.

Now a year later, I have lost a lot of weight, gained muscle, and achieved something I never thought I could do, which was to run a half marathon in under 2 hours. I used to dread the idea of going to the gym, but now I look forward to it. But even more than that, Steph, Lela, and Charlene helped me reset my thinking toward fitness. It’s hard to imagine going back to the pre-FF lifestyle.

I have been working out with Figarelle’s Fitness for almost six years and it has truly been life transforming for me. For many years I was very focused on my family and I didn’t put much effort into keeping myself physically fit. My life was running kids around and grabbing fast food in between activities. Thankfully, my sister-in-law introduced me to Figarelle’s.

Honestly, I was a bit scared to try it out, but I knew I had to do what scared me if I wanted to change. Over the years, I have benefited from their wealth of knowledge in strength training and nutrition. Figarelle’s Fitness focuses on the importance of form when strength training so you can get the maximum benefit from every exercise.

Their guidance with nutrition has taught me the importance of macro-nutrients for fat loss and has helped me lose over 40 pounds! I mostly appreciate the importance they place on their own continuing education because then I know I’m always getting the best strength training and nutrition guidance.

I have always felt so supported Steph, Lela, and Charlene in all that I do inside the gym and outside the gym. They have encouraged me to set goals and understand the importance of having goals. In doing so, I’ve been able to accomplish things I never imagined. I’ve also connected with like-minded people who are always incredibly encouraging and positive.

I think you’ll find, like I have, that you can achieve great successes being a part of an incredibly supportive group! Thanks to Figarelle’s Fitness I have become empowered to take control of my life. It’s especially important to me as I get older because I want to remain active and strong.

I’ve adopted habits that make me confident that I will live a longer, healthier life. There’s just so much to love about Figarelle’s Fitness! If you’re looking for an awesome fitness gym, Figarelle’s Fitness is the place.

In January 2018, I mentioned to my neighbor that I would like to enter a bodybuilding contest someday. The neighbor asked, “Why not this year? Why wait?” I took the comment to heart and looked at some future bodybuilding events in Alaska. I found one on October 13, 2018 and started to give this some serious consideration.

I contacted Steph Figarelle of Figarelle’s Fitness. I knew Steph through the Lost Lake Run and I remember that she was a bodybuilder. Steph is a trainer that has an objective view and one that I felt could be honest with me. I met with Steph and asked her if she thought I could take the body I had and mold it into one that could be competitive by October 2018. She felt it was possible, so I hired her and decided, on January 18, 2018, that I was going to enter my first body building contest. I had just turned 54 years old. I am fairly certain this is not a common goal for fifty-four year olds.

For the next seven months Steph would give me a new workout plan every 4 weeks. The workouts got progressively more difficult and monthly check-ins with photos and posing practice helped her to align the workouts to bring up my weaker body parts. 

It would seem that just as soon as I was able to master a set of her workouts a new phase would start and I would be challenged anew again. It was a beautiful frustration that produced fantastic results. Steph also gave me a diet plan; calories and macros were defined.

A goal as large as this one cannot be achieved without significant help. I had two folks that were there for me throughout this process. Steph Figarelle was one of those two. Without her guidance and training, and her confidence in me, I would not have been able to achieve my goal of competing (not just showing up, but actually being competitive) in a bodybuilding show. 

Thank you Steph, you are truly an amazing coach, and even more important, you are an amazing person. I just can’t say enough good things about how you have helped me achieve this lifelong goal. If you need a bodybuilding coach, you need Steph Figarelle.

And, I could not have achieved this goal without the love and support of my wife Lisa. She dieted with me (and lost 45 lbs!), she went to the gym with me, she did cardio with me, she helped me shave all the hair off my body (yup, that happened!), and she lived through those final six weeks when I was a really shitty person to live with. I am so fortunate to have her in my life. Thank you Lisa, I love you!

On October 13, 2018 I stepped on stage to compete in my first bodybuilding show. I competed in the master’s division. There were two others in the class and I was able to place first. I then got to go on to compete against the other three class winners. I did not win there, but I was competitive, and that was my goal. Thank you for taking a moment to read this missive.

Figarelle’s Fitness is hands down the best at what they do. They genuinely care about every client they work with, and it shows. They treat you as an individual by providing customized coaching that helps you meet your specific goals.

I chose to work with FF because I trust their process, I respect their values, and because they want you to succeed. They teach you everything you need to know to live a healthier lifestyle.

The FF coaches stay up to date with what is changing in the fitness industry through constant education, and I respect that greatly. They care enough about their clients to invest in themselves in order to provide top-notch training.

Figarelle’s Fitness provides valuable tools to help you change your overall mindset about everything. Really, they teach you how to build a happier, fitter, and more motivated version of yourself.

Sheesh, where do I begin? I could start by saying that Steph has been an absolute joy to work with or maybe that her workouts make me excited to be more sore than I’ve ever been in my life. However, I think the most important thing I took out from my time working with her is that she made it so easy to make fitness a balanced part of my life again. That right there, can’t be measured. Simple. Fun. Realistic. She’s the best I’ve ever worked with. You want to really change, not only the way you look but, your entire mindset? You’re looking at the answer.

I was referred to Figarelle’s Fitness several years ago by a friend. I had dabbled in the gym and various work out classes for years without finding anything that kept me coming back. I wanted to make fitness a regular part of my life, but hadn’t been able to find the inspiration. After my first day at Figarelle’s I went home exhausted and hooked.

Figarelle’s not only helped me make exercise a part of my routine, they taught me how to take my life into my own hands through nutrition and fitness. I learned about Macros and now understand what foods to eat for the results I’m seeking and I learned about strength training – how to properly execute a lift and the purpose behind each lift.

The difference Figarelle’s offered me was accountability. I was held accountable for showing up and giving it my all. I took the plunge into health and fitness and have not looked back!

I’ve been training at Figarelle’s for a handful of months now and can honestly say its one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. The coaches here are incredibly knowledgeable and are genuinely interested in getting to know you and helping you meet your goals, however big or small.

What makes Figarelle’s stand out from the rest though, is the warm and welcoming community they’ve created. Everyone knows each other’s names and provides each other with inspiration, encouragement, and a sense of accountability.

I have worked with Figarelle’s Fitness in the past, attending bootcamps as well as personal training and have had pretty phenomenal results. The decision to continue working with them after having baby #2 was an easy one, and while I had my reservations about being able to follow/manage an online coaching plan while in school full time, working, and having two kids at home, Steph worked with me to make it manageable without being stressful. I really had to prioritize myself which is something moms (especially new moms) have a difficult time doing, but I am so glad I did. I am now 7 month’s post-partum and have not only lost my pregnancy related weight but have lost an additional 5 pounds as well.

I am especially impressed with the nutrition portion of the program, I have been able to breastfeed my baby without any compromise to my milk supply and without feeling hungry! The exercise portion of the coaching was tailored to the appropriate restrictions for the post-partum mother as well as individualized to my own healing and progress. I am nothing short of impressed once again with Steph and her dedication to her clients!