THE PULSE

06Sep

Success Story: Scott Himenes

In-Shape | 06 Sep, 2019 | Wellness Tips & Trends | Return|

Need a little inspiration to keep going with your fitness journey? Look no further than our very own regional director, Scott Himenes. Three years ago, he weighed 315 pounds, was 34% body fat and had a resting heart rate of 87. With a lot of grit and gumption, he is now down to 235 pounds, 14.3% body fat and has a resting heart rate of 52. Read on to learn how.

Scott has always been big. His weight, and subsequently his confidence, has always been a struggle. As a leader in the fitness industry for over 21 years now, he also has always known what to do about it.

His initial desire to change and start this fitness journey was an invitation to be the best man at his best friend’s wedding in Turks and Caicos – a destination known for its pristine beaches (cue bathing suit anxiety!). He started working out at 5 am every day and tracking his calorie intake. He created accountability by weighing in every week and charting it on a calendar to inspire him to keep going on those days when he really wanted to give up.

Scott successfully lost weight for his buddy’s wedding and had a fantastic trip. After accomplishing his first goal, his motivation started to wane. Scott started to slip on his health living lifestyle as a result. He knew he had to get back on track.

New sources of motivation came in many shapes –being the best he could be for himself and his wife, setting a good example for members and his team at In-Shape, and the desire to complete a Tough Mudder.

As it turned out, a few of Scott’s colleagues at In-Shape were also interested. They signed up as a group and started training right away. One of the initiatives at In-Shape is to highlight a group fitness class every month and try it with your teammates. It’s a fun way to work out together and make sure the team can confidently speak to members about the class. Through this initiative, he learned he loved Barre and BODYCOMBAT®, so he added those to his weekly routine.

After a few weeks, he was back on track achieving results and inspiring his team to lead a healthy lifestyle – he was ready to rock the race! His goal was to simply finish the race and after crossing the finish line with his teammates cheering each other on, he was hooked!

Scott Spartan

As he continued his journey, he continued to sign up for different obstacle course races like The Tough Mudder and Spartans. These races were just the extra push he needed to challenge himself to go further than he ever thought possible. Each race he set a new goal – to complete an obstacle he hadn’t before. And each race he did it. In 2018, Scott and the group of racers at In-Shape completed two Tough Mudders.

“The encouragement I received from everyone made me feel that I could accomplish anything. It kicked my butt, I completed 15 out of the 20 obstacles,” Scott said of the experience.

The group then agreed to do two Tough Mudders and the Spartan Trifecta which consists of a sprint, a super and a beast (three different lengths) all in 2019.  Scott and the team continued to inspire more people in the community and grew the group from seven people for the first Tough Mudder to 40 people for the second race! Talk about leading by example and inspiring people!

Scott had two primary workout buddies he trained with – George and Victor. They met for 5 am workouts, pushed and encouraged each other and called each other out if they didn’t show up or weren’t giving it their all. They successfully completed the Trifecta and when he finished the final race – the Spartan Beast – Scott referred to it as the hardest thing he has ever done.

“There were times during the race that seemed overwhelming and impossible. But not once did I think we wouldn’t finish – we were truly one team. The importance of team and knowing that someone has your back that will be there to support you makes all the difference. It increases belief and confidence of each individual on the team,” Scott said.

So how did Scott commit and accomplish his fitness goals?

  1. He set long-term and short-term goals (and once he achieved them, he set new ones!). Scott also swears by making these goals public and sharing them with those close to you.
  2. He figured out what worked for him – with so many different approaches to nutrition and lots of advice out there, he tuned in to what worked for him – counting calories in vs. calories out. Scott also liked getting his workouts in first thing in the morning, so he had no excuse not to do it.
  3. He tapped into his support system – support is critical to get you through the tough times, to hold you accountable and to celebrate your wins with you. Scott thanks his family, In-Shape colleagues and members, friends and strangers for the huge difference and impact they made on his journey.

What’s next?

Scott has two more Spartans and one more Tough Mudder this year. Next year he wants to complete two Trifectas and two Tough Mudders and get his body fat down to 12 percent. Good luck, Scott. We can’t wait to see you cross all of those finish lines!

About the Author

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