There are moments in life when you count on family. You need that spectacular group of people to inspire and support you unconditionally. To push you further than you ever thought you were capable of. In times of ultimate joy and the greatest of pain…through the laughter and the tears…you know you will never stand alone. Or in some cases…you will never DANCE alone. Simone De La Rue and the incomparable crew she has handpicked at Body By Simone personify the true meaning of family. When I walked into the studio last summer it was clear that I found my new home and a family to take me on the amazing journey.
I have always been extremely fitness and health conscious. As an overweight teenager I spent much of my adult life trying to mend my body and maintain a very healthy and active lifestyle. I was raw vegan for nearly a decade and I practiced years of ashtanga yoga and pilates, spent a solid year devoted to a nearly 7 day per week popular bar- based fitness class, and even had an excellent trainer thrown into the mix. I was seemingly doing everything right. But as my mid-thirties began and my metabolism was on hiatus, physically I was not at my best. Never as toned as I wanted. Never as strong as I thought I could be. Never how I imagined I would look considering how devoted I was to the cause. Yes…we all say this about ourselves…but I was pretty realistic about all of it and knew there had to be a better solution. For as hard as I was working, nothing I was doing was really transforming my body the way I thought it should. It was time to make some drastic changes.
In an attempt to get my body working properly again, my diet was radically altered as I transitioned out of raw veganism into a more mainstream lifestyle. Next step was to adjust my workout routine. I always wanted to train the way all of my clients and the celebrities did. Joining studios that promised huge success and change…on a millionaire’s budget. A girl can dream….& sometimes those dreams become reality. I started hearing all this buzz about an amazing trainer named Simone De La Rue. I recognized her celebrity roster & coveted the bodies she tirelessly sculpted. Her new studio was all the way across town and logistically not feasible…excuses I would make to stall my decision. Then I saw an article about Simone and her new “body gallery” in the New York Times. In the photos, I also noticed that I recognized a member of her crew right along side her. A trainer from my past who I absolutely obsessed over…and was now a teaching at BBS. That was the sign I needed. I contacted the studio and was thrilled to discover that BBS was indeed financially accessible and comparable to most fitness studios in the city. I bought my first pack of classes immediately.
My first day…I walked out onto the sprung dance floor, mirrors all around, Newtons laced and ready to go as per the recommendation of the studio. I signed up for a double duty back-to-back session of Dance Cardio and Hips, Thighs, & Buns. Best described as a little bit dance party meets exhilarating torture…I knew within the first downbeat of the music blazing from the industrial sound system…I was hooked. And for two hours I lost myself. I didn’t worry about how silly I might have looked, or if I was on the beat, if I was keeping up with the choreography, or if I could even do as many reps as the girl standing next to me. Not only did I not care…but the trainers and other clients didn’t either. The energy in the studio was infectious…electric. This room, these trainers, this
method was going to impact my life far greater than I ever could have imagined. BBS is revolutionary.
Living in NYC, I get to be a regular around the studio 4-5 days a week. I continue with my back-to-back classes and often add a third if I’m feeling super strong. I have a private once a week to really test my limits and push my mind and body. I have been lucky enough to be trained at some point by every single member of the BBS team. Since i started, I have shed pounds and seen definition in places I didn’t even know muscles lived. I am happy and healthy in life, have found even more success in my career, have energy for days, and sleep like a baby every night. Simone has even created BBSTV which allows me to train at the studio remotely if I’m out of the city.
NO EXCUSES. Body By Simone is hard. It’s no joke. You will be drenched with sweat. You will feel like you want to quit. Your body will hurt. Your muscles will ache. You will laugh through the pain. But you will NEVER be alone. When you realize how hard you can push yourself and the limits your body can surpass, you will find it impossible to stop. The philosophy Is simple…if you put in the work…change will come. In the studio and beyond.
