Alexander Training - personal training in Austin, Texas

Personal training in Austin, Texas and customized strength programs in Austin, Texas.

success stories

Morgan’s Transformation

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Client transformations and success stories give me life, y’all! Morgan’s transformation is one of my favorites. Morgan is amazingly hard working, both at his job and in the gym. He is diligent and consistent. This isn’t for lack of other things to do either; he is a busy man who has prioritized his health. I am so proud of him!

Morgan, client of Alexander Training, shows his amazing transformation, and the results of his hard work.
Morgan, client of Alexander Training, shows his amazing transformation, and the results of his hard work.

Morgan’s transformation, in his words

I set out on my journey to find a strength and conditioning professional after suffering what I like to refer to as a “Crisis of Health”. It was at this time that I realized that many of my personal and professional shortcomings were linked to my inability to stay disciplined regarding my own health. Coach Alexander has helped to keep me accountable for my health and on track to meeting my goals.

After having done research on local gyms and their strength and conditioning professionals, I decided Coach Alexander was the best fit due to education and background experience. So, I signed up for a session to give it a try. And I sure am glad I did! Coach Alexander has been able to help curate a routine and develop habits that keep me engaged and on track.

Coach Alexander is has been sensational to work with! She maintains and updates my routine to keep my body challenged, mind engaged, and spirit motivated.  

My time with her has taken me from despising the gym, to thirsting for it. 

She always takes the time to address any comments or concerns I might have regarding my training, and always does so with positivity and professionalism.

Your Turn

If you would like to get started on your transformation, see which program is the best fit for you here. If you would like to talk with me about your goals, please reach out! Email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com. I have many training options to fit a variety of goals and budgets. I’d be honored to help you!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Emily’s Testimonial & Repping Pull-ups!

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Emily shares her testimonial of training with Kathryn Alexander, and of doing pull-ups before her wedding.

Emily is a smart, funny woman. A dream client, really. She showed up on time, worked hard on short and long term goals, and her sense of humor made me laugh every session. Let me share Emily’s testimonial with you.

Emily began training with me in July 2015. She was already beautiful and fit, but wanted to start being more active, both for her upcoming wedding, and to be healthy in general. The pull up goal, though… that might have been my favorite.

Emily wanted to learn how to lift, but didn’t consider herself a gym person. (Yet.) She wanted to learn the right way, and that served her well.

Emily’s Words

Before last summer I hated gyms. I always felt intimidated when I would go because I did not know how to use the machines or weight lifting equipment. I needed someone to push me, hold me accountable AND I wanted to learn how to properly use gym equipment.

I wanted to be stronger and healthier. I wanted to not be scared to go to the gym by myself. Oh, and I wanted to be able to do a pull up.

I am really surprised that I liked squats so much. I mean I actually enjoyed working out! I didn’t enjoy pull-ups much, but it felt so great when I was able to do several of them in a row. The results I saw in the mirror were also quite nice. Having friends and family notice my muscles was very flattering.

Gyms aren’t scary (though I always knew that). I feel totally comfortable being the only female in the free weight section of the gym now.

See Emily’s whole story here: Emily does pull ups before the wedding!!

Start Your Strength and Health Journey Today

If Emily’s story inspired you, let’s get you started too! Leave me a message on this page, and we’ll make you a plan to get on the path of health, strength, and maybe pull-ups too!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Success Story from Happy Client

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This success story is from a client who is one of the most darling people I’ve had the privilege to know. She one-in-a-million cute, sweet, and has the greatest sense of style. I loved working with her. She said something that made me so happy in a “catch up with you” type email after we finished our training sessions.

Weight Lifter for Life

“I am a weight lifter for life.”

Makes me so happy I can’t even tell you! I am proud of her for all her hard work, and for enjoying her success!

Success story for client of Alexander Training
success story, happy client of Kathryn Alexander, Alexander Training

Start Your Own Success Story

Are you ready to begin your own success story? I’d love to talk about your goals and help you succeed! Click here and leave me a message to schedule a free consult.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Guillermo builds his strength through online training

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Client Spotlight: Guillermo

I like to do client spotlights because: A, I am super proud of my clients, and B, real people’s stories fascinate me. This is the story of how Guillermo got strong strong through online personal training.

Everyone has a different motivation, background, and natural ability. We can learn so much from other people and how they approach their training and life. For example, Guillermo has a full time job, a girlfriend, dog, and other hobbies. He’s not tied to the gym every day, but he has pretty solid numbers and time for his priorities, something we all can aspire to.

An introduction to Guillermo, in his own words:


Guillermo

I’m a 34 year old Technical Support Manager for a Medical Software Company here in Austin. In my spare time, I enjoy live music, riding my motorcycle, playing bass in my metal band, hanging out with my girlfriend and my two year old pug, Thor.

I also enjoy exercising and over the last year, have decided to try to push past my long time limits and become the best version of myself! I want to be strong and look strong, as well as feel strong. These are my primary training goals.

What is your experience with training? Have you always been active?

I started weight lifting when I was 17 years old and was very very weak back then. When I was 19, I got into Olympic Lifting through training with my college track team (I was a weight thrower). My strength and size increased (I went from 170 lbs to almost 260 lbs within 2 years, thanks to eating with my teammates and a very late growth spurt when I was 21). After college, I essentially stopped working out, up until a couple of years ago.

“Over the last year, I have completely refocused and have promised myself to push harder than ever and never stop again. Ever. ”

I want to look great, feel great and be as strong as I can be. My ideal scenario is to be below 200 lbs and be able to bench and squat well over double my bodyweight. I’m patient, so I’m ok with those goals being a long ways away.

What did you expect from training remotely?

The concept of online training is brand new to me, so I really didn’t know what to expect. I was more or less thinking that you would set me up with a program and would just check on how it’s going from time to time.

I have absolutely seen results that I’m happy and excited about, and the guidance that the program has provided is changing some long standing/erroneous thoughts about strength training, that I’ve held onto for a long time.

“I never realized how interactive and personal this whole process is and I love it! ”

What kind of results have you seen from online training with me?

In the time that we’ve worked together, I have seen increases in strength, mobility and some increases in muscle size as well. I also have more energy when I go to the gym and am more excited for my workouts, since I know that they are tailored for me specially.

Every week is a new challenge and my drive has never been this high.

How do you like Train Heroic as a training log and program delivery method?

Train-Heroic-Guillermo.PNG

(Kathryn: Train Heroic is the app I use to deliver client workouts to remote and in-person clients. Train Heroic includes explanatory exercise demos, and allows clients to track their workouts and make comments.) 

I really like the app as a way to track your progress and have programs delivered directly to my phone. It’s a lot better than trying to write everything down in a notepad and saves me a lot of time. Plus it’s interactive and easy to use.

Anything else you are enjoying about the online training?

I think that my biggest takeaway so far from all of this, is realizing that I don’t have to “kill myself” in the gym to see results and overtraining is real!

I used to spend 3-4 hours/3 times a week at the gym, maybe only having the energy to properly do 50 percent of the workout properly. Now I’ve cut that time in half and am seeing way better results in my strength than ever!

Final note from Kathryn

Guillermo is been a great client. He works hard, trusts my programming, communicates well, and most importantly, is consistent! He has earned every bit of success he has found through this programming cycle via online training. I look forward to more updates on his progress and will keep you updated!

Guillermo, thanks so much for your willingness to share your experience with everyone.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Tony’s 15 pound weight loss in 1 month

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Tony’s 1 Month Body Transformation: How he kick started his weight loss and healthy habits for great success in the first month. 

Every once in a while I am so blown away by someone’s change that I have to share it. If you are at Hyde Park Gym, you know Tony. He’s the funny one, the sometimes quiet one, who knows everyone. He’s a giver by nature and in both his personal and professional life has taken it upon himself to help others.

A few years ago, he made it his goal to take care of himself and lose weight. He went from over 400 pounds down to 280. At this point, he was having great progress building up his strength to impressive levels.

Tony, client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) earned a transformation that yielded big weight loss and big strength gains.
Tony shows his transformation, L-R, Nov. 2, 2016, Dec. 6, 2016. 15 pounds weight loss.
Tony, client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) earned a transformation that yielded big weight loss and big strength gains.
Tony’s transformation.
Tony, client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) earned a transformation that yielded big weight loss and big strength gains.
Tony showing his progress in a side view.

He decided to rededicate his efforts toward weight loss, so we started him on remote training. We made him a food and workout plan, which he implemented entirely on his own. His strength training helped build muscle mass and muscle growth, and his meal plan helped him lose body fat and drive body composition changes. 

Tony's transformation yielded big weight loss and a big deadlift!
Tony’s transformation yielded big weight loss and a big deadlift!

Following these guidelines, he lost over 15 pounds in the first month! I should note that Tony is exceptional at giving feedback and has great intuition about his body and workouts.

Tony Shares His Success Strategies

I asked him more questions:

KA: You’re already very accomplished in the gym, with a deadlift of 515. What made you want to switch toward the goal of fat loss? 

TS: That’s a tricky one to answer because there are a couple of reasons… training is a spiritual practice for me. I set my goals based on what I feel my spirit needs. If I need strength I get strong, if I need endurance then I do more conditioning, etc… I reached a point in my life where I felt as though I needed a complete transformation. I had developed and strengthened a lot of life and interpersonal skills but was struggling to grow beyond that. So I figured the best way to step out of my comfort zone for personal growth was to do it in the gym first.

But if you’re looking for a more surface level answer it’s because I was going through a breakup and needed a self esteem boost. (Note from Kathryn: I love the honesty here. Rededicating yourself to a workout plan or goal is a great way to get through tough times.)

KA: You clearly had a productive 1-2 months, with a 15 pound weight loss. What has been the most challenging part? 

Sticking to the diet and training program has actually been really easy and lots of fun.

The most challenging part has been allowing my ego to detach from the image of “powerlifter”. It’s been very humbling to work with lighter weights and higher reps… and the cardio. I thought I was in decent shape until you had me do cardio!

KA: What has been the most helpful part? What gave you the most tactical, useful advantage to getting your workouts and better food decisions? 

TS: The accountability. Since you’ve gone above and beyond to help me achieve my goals I feel waaaay more guilty about letting you down than letting myself down. Seriously though, knowing that I’m going to weigh in, take measurements, and report my diet and workouts back to you makes me second guess that second (sometimes third) piece of pie.

KA: What are you looking forward to from here?

TS: I’m really looking forward to the feeling of knowing I accomplished my goals in a healthy manner. I’ve set weight loss goals before that I was unable to reach on my own or that I met only because I was starving myself and overtraining.

I’m also looking forward to buying new clothes! Everything I own is getting pretty baggy and I no longer have to shop in the big & tall section. So many more options!!

1 month body transformation

Apply This To Your 1 Month Body Transformation

What are some ways you can apply Tony’s principles of success to your body transformation? Remember, making big changes in a month is a big goal! Remember also that I’d like your 1 month body transformation to be just the beginning of your health and fitness journey. 

Here are some things to remember so you can see noticeable results in your 1 month, and continue on for many more. 

  1. Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve in one month. Whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or overall fitness improvement, having specific, measurable goals will keep you focused. From there, plan ways to continue these habit changes in your daily life regularly.
  2. Nutrition Planning:
    • Calculate your daily caloric needs based on your goals and activity level.
    • Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.
    • Get enough protein! How much protein do you need? Read this.
    • Eat smaller, frequent meals to keep your metabolism active.
    • Limit processed foods, sugary snacks, and high-calorie beverages. Remember, alcohol might be fun but it does no good for you.
    • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
  3. Exercise Routine:
    • Incorporate a combination of cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
    • Whether you use bodyweight exercises, free weights or machines, use compound exercises in a variety of rep ranges.
    • Work with a trainer to learn the most effective way to lift, to learn good form, and to decrease risk of injury.
    • Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity most days of the week.
    • Include strength training exercises targeting major muscle groups at least 2-3 times per week. Maybe more if you like lifting. 🙂
    • Learn a variety of lifts for lower body, upper body and full body, and get good at them. 
    • Incorporate HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Hiit workouts are fantastic for calorie burning and improved cardiovascular fitness.
    • Don’t forget to include rest days to allow your body to recover and prevent overtraining.
  4. Consistency is Key:
    • Stick to your nutrition and exercise plan consistently throughout the month.
    • Track your progress using a journal or fitness app to monitor your food intake, exercise routine, and measurements.
    • Stay accountable by setting up regular check-ins with a friend, family member, or personal trainer.
  5. Prioritize Sleep and Recovery:
    • Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support muscle recovery and overall well-being.
    • Incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing to manage stress levels and promote recovery.
  6. Stay Motivated:
    • Set short-term milestones and reward yourself for achieving them.
    • Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage your efforts.
    • Visualize your success and remind yourself of the reasons why you embarked on this transformation journey.
  7. Adjust and Adapt:
    • Be flexible and willing to adjust your plan based on your progress and feedback from your body.
    • Celebrate your achievements and learn from any setbacks to continuously improve.

Remember, one month is a relatively short time frame for significant body transformation, but with dedication and the right approach, you can make noticeable progress towards your goals. Focus on building sustainable habits that you can maintain beyond the initial month to ensure long-term success.

What schedule and budget options are there for personal training with me? Read all about it at this link!

What Happens During Your 30 Days of Hard Work

A one month body transformation is no joke! Whether you are doing strength workouts, intense workouts, high-rep workouts, low-rep workouts, etc., if you put in honest hard work, you’ll see changes!

Get started on your 1 month body transformation and give it your honest best shot. You’ll see benefits in every way: internal benefits to your cardiovascular system like decreased resting heart rate, decreased/healtheir blood pressure, health benefits all the way down to the cellular level. Your blood vessels will be more pliable (which is a good thing) and your energy levels will increase. All of your muscle fibers will benefit from the movement and increased in blood flow.

More tips for how to get in shape fast!

You’ll see external benefits like changes in your physical appearance, increase in your fitness level and muscle definition. Your metabolic rate will increase and you’ll begin to enjoy both the better physical fitness and physical changes. Bottom line, you’ll be in a good place, and you’ll see even better results the longer you keep it up. 

Your Turn for Success

Kathryn here again: stay tuned for further updates about Tony’s progress. You know I can’t help but brag about my clients.

If you are ready to make a change, please message me here or email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com.  I wish you the best of luck in your training!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Veronica’s Testimonial

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My client Veronica sent me the best testimonial and I have to share. She has done a great job of sticking to her exercise plan, both with me in the gym, and at home doing online personal training.

She has seen health improvements, and boy is she getting strong! I am all around happy for her.

Testimonial from client Veronica who got strong and healthy with online personal training from Alexander Training.
Testimonial from client Veronica who got strong and healthy with online personal training from Alexander Training.

Veronica’s Testimonial

First let me say that Kathryn is an awesome personal trainer. It is September 2015 and I have been remotely training with Kathryn for about 3 months now. I was in two really bad car accidents years ago and ever since I was not able to exercise without injuring myself again. I would always give up due to the pain. I have many other health conditions that make it very difficult for me to lose weight. I have been the exact same weight for the past 4 years. I have not gone over or under a pound, but somehow managed to maintain that weight. After my doctor told me that I would have to get on diabetic medication if I did not do something to move my weight down, I decided to look for a well educated personal trainer. I looked and did some research for about 2 months until I found Kathryn. I wanted to make sure I had someone that really knew their stuff. Well, I really hit the jackpot with Kathryn. She is amazing at what she does. I did not think I would be able to do much, but Kathryn created a tailored exercise and food program for me to follow. I have been following her recommendations and have lost 13 pounds. Thirteen pounds is a lot of weight to lose in 3 months especially for someone who has hypothyroidism and other health conditions that make it really hard for me to lose weight. My doctor cannot believe that the weight is coming off the way it is due to my health conditions.

My doctor is super excited for me. I owe a lot of that to Kathryn. her remote program is so easy to follow as she literally writes everything you need in a nicely structured sheet and emails it to you. She also includes videos that demonstrate exercises that you may not be familiar with. Her workouts are challenging but I have not injured myself once with her plan because she has taken all my health/injuries into account and made me my own program. I love her program so much that I have decided to start training with her once a week in person since I live in Austin. The cool thing about Kathryn’s remote program is that you do not have to live in Austin. She will email you everything you need and she always makes sure to check up on you weekly to see how you are doing and how the program is going for you. Again, I highly recommend giving Kathryn’s specifically tailored for you remote program a try. You will be very glad you did.

Veronica Cantu

Write Your Story

Kathryn again here. I encourage you to write a new chapter in your story, beginning with a new training program. It can make you so much healthier that your doctor notices, like Veronica’s. The best part is it can make you feel so much better. I’d love to help you on your journey. Email me, or send me a message here for a free consult about making a plan for you.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Tara’s Lifts and Does Triathlons

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Tara was a wonderful client of mine, who worked so hard, both at her home and at the gym. She was busy, like many of us are. However, what she did so well was continue to prioritize her health and fitness with both strength and conditioning training. I am grateful to have worked with her! Read about our training together in her words, below.

Tara’s Story

I have been working with Kathryn for about 18 months.  In that time, she has educated me on the importance of building muscle strength in relation to my overall health and also direct improvement in other parts of my exercise routines.  I have always been a “cardio first” type of person and now that I have the knowledge from Kathryn, I realize that putting weights first on certain days will do nothing but help me in the long run! She keeps it fun and I always look forward to our sessions.

Tara Kalsu, mother, recreational triathlete

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Amanda Prioritizes Her Health

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Amanda’s success story is fantastic: she was in a great position to put her health as a priority, since she was newly pregnant with her first child. She worked hard, worked smart, and had a great payoff a few months later! 🙂

Amanda’s Story

I started working with Kathryn when I was pregnant with my first baby.  She tailored workouts for me that were challenging, while keeping the interest of me and my baby in mind.  I attribute my work with her as a very important factor in the healthy delivery of my baby girl, and working with her afterwards helped me shed baby weight.  Kathryn put a lot of thought into designing a program specifically for me and took a personal interest in my health and success.  Even though I live in a different city now, we keep in touch and I am still able to utilize the workouts she provided.

Amanda MacLennan, attorney

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Chris’s Success Story of Weight Loss

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Chris is one of the most smart and kind people I have ever worked with. He just needed a direction, and he put his head down and worked toward it. He achieved great success, and I am very happy for him! Read below for Chris’s success story.

50 Pounds Lost

I am 50 years old and had not exercised in years.  Kathryn worked with me to develop a personal training regimen that I could do and then built on it as I increased in endurance, strength, and  flexibility.   Kathryn’s positive attitude and encouragement helped me stay with her program and resulted in my loss of over 50 pounds and 6 inches off my waist in 4 months.  She has provided me with a program I can do on my own, but even though I only see her now for maintenance, she checks in regularly to see how I am doing and is always available to respond to my questions.

Chris Harrigan, attorney

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.