Hello Shari! Good to hear from yah! Last time we had lunch together I was counting my calories lol. I felt soo guilty eating in front of you! So ok, lets start the interview!
TalkingwithTami: So tell me whats going on with you and Shari Fitness?
There are lots of cool things going on with ShariFitness. I am in the process of putting together a DVD/Videos of my clients, fit tips, workouts that obviously promote me and what I do, but also to help people who desperately want to be fit and feel better, healthier, have more energy and have completely given up by showing them the people I work with who are every day people. I was a participant and sponsor of Bob Doyle’s Boundless Living 45 Day Challenge which was such an incredible experience. Bob just kicked off the 2nd Boundless Living 45 Day Challenge and who
was I to say no to that, but this time I am asking on more of the role of the sites Health and Fitness Resource/Coa
ch to help those who have undertaken the challenge to improve their overall health, fitness and wellness.
I have one more photo shoot coming up before the end of the year and aside from the DVD project, I am also looking into writing an E-Book.
TalkingwithTami: I know you were featured in “Real Solutions” Magazine, tell us how that came about?
I was contacted by RealSolutions Magazine when I initially transformed my body. They did a success story on me with regard to my transformation. After my initial interview, I was contacted again by RealSolutions letting me know that Stephen Adele, the CEO thought I would be a good moderate for the RealSolutions Message Board. So, I have been moderating their message board since March 2004.
TalkingWithTami: I know you have a great story to tell about you competing in a fitness competition, please share!
Once I had started going through my transformation, I was rather surprised at first when some of my gym friends suggested I do a fitness competition. I never saw myself ever being able to do something like that and had never thought to do one.
Three weeks before my 40th birthday, I had done my first fitness competition and it was an experience I will never
forget that will always be with me.
I was very nervous and frightened, but also very proud of myself and what I had accomplished. It felt great for me to be able to stand on that stage toe to toe with girls 10-15 years younger than me. I had discovered a sense of self confidence I had never had before. I know what it took to get myself to be able to stand up there on that stage and to go through with it. That took guts, determination, dedication, discipline, inner strength and confidence. It was right after that, that I had begun to carry myself differently. I hold my head up high and proud and walk with a sense of confidence. My whole body language had changed. I used to walk through the halls of where I used to work not making eye contact with people, not standing upright and tall. My body language let people know that I didn’t feel confident in myself and it was a weakness that they had picked up on and took advantage of. Once that part of me had changed, people treated me differently. It was most definitely a turning point for me. I guess that is when I had first started to learn to believe in myself.
I haven’t competed since 2004 and have thought about doing another since. Although it was a great experience, I guess I feel it is more important to focus my energy and resources into being the best trainer I can be to best serve the needs of my clients. That is not to say that I will or won’t compete again.
TalkingwithTami: What’s a typical training session like with you?
Each person I work with is as individual as a finger print. No two fingerprints are the same and no two people are the same. I watch my clients very carefully to make sure they are performing the exercises correctly and I will push them just past what they think they can do. I don’t use machines and work primarily with free weights. I am also a firm believer in core conditioning. Everything comes from your core and is the foundation of all your basic compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc. When working with free weights, you are recruiting more muscle and energy as opposed to using machines. The other thing I do is choose exercise that not only work your muscles, but will also get your heart rate up so you are burning more calories. I am not a believer that one has to spend endless hours doing cardio. One of the other things I try to do during the a typical session with my clients is educate them about nutrition, making better food choices, and be very supportive to keep them on track with their needs/goals.
To get a good idea of what a session is like with me, you can see some of my videos at: www.youtube.com/user/sharifitness
TalkingwithTami: For someone like me who hates the gym, do you have any suggestions?
Just go to the gym and DO SOMETHING. Once you get in there and get going, you’ll feel better. If you’re not sure of what to do, how to perform the exercises, etc., I would suggest that you do hire a certified fitness professional who can teach you proper form to perform the exercises and to give you a starting point to help you get started, get you into the habit of exercising, and keep you motivated. Another simple thing you can do is look at your diet and see what improvements you can make. Cutting out sodas (that includes diet soda as well), sweet tea and fruit juices is a good way to start cutting out unnecessary sugars and lots of empty calories and get in the habit of drinking lots of water. Another simple tip, when going out to eat, you can never go wrong ordering grilled chicken. Simply sub the fries for a healthier side dish like a salad or steamed veggies and ditch the bun. 
www.sharifitness.com
