I’m Rachael, a strength coach here at Sandbothe Strong. The impact of strength training on my personal life has been profound enough that I decided to trade in my software engineering career to learn under Tony’s mentorship. I currently have all 3 levels of Strength Systems International trainer certifications and ISSA’s body building specialist cert. Working at the gym under the best trainer in town is teaching me about working with a wide range of clients. I have enjoyed hundreds of sessions working with clients and cannot wait to work with more folks! If you’d like to hear more about my own journey to strength training, becoming a trainer, and client success you can check me out on this episode of the Off of the Couch Podcast (click here for Spotify | click here for Apple) .

In August/September 2024 I weighed around 210 pounds at 5’1’’. Having watched relatives yoyo-diet with fads and weight watchers, I knew those didn’t work and often backfired. I accepted that being overweight was inevitable so I didn’t try at all. But that approach also didn’t sit well with me, especially watching those same relatives age with a myriad of health issues. With my 40’s fast approaching, and a new level of understanding from my studies (especially that it’s the first 10-20 percent of  pounds lost that reaps the most health benefits), I decided to lose weight sustainably. As a trainer, I also knew I needed to be able to help clients with their own body composition goals. After a 15 months, I am under 160 and am back to shopping off the rack in standard sizes. At an average of a pound a week (and 9 inches off my waist), I’ve lost weight in a way that does not take over my daily life, isn’t overly complicated with calculations, and lets me enjoy my food. Having worked on myself first, I feel prepared to help clients in the same way.

Years of software engineering and ESL teaching have afforded me lots of skills such as adapting complicated systems for individual use cases, making data & care informed decisions, mentoring, and adapting communication styles for optimum learning/understanding. As a trainer, I believe in meeting clients where they are. I believe there is more than enough BS in the fitness industry that I promise I will try my best not to add to it. If I don’t know an answer – I will tell you I don’t know and then go find the answer. I will continually learn and adapt so I can help you get results. I believe in the sanctity of coach-client relationships and will be in your corner. Period. I will never ask a client to do something I wouldn’t. As someone who has struggled with panic disorder & anxiety, I know intimately what it feels like to not feel connected or at peace with your physical body. I totally get how scary/uncomfortable a gym can seem and how hard it is to win some peace of mind in your own skin. If you want to talk about weight loss, we can! If you want to never talk about it – we won’t! At a minimum we will probably chat a bit about basic nutrition but through the lens of how to recover from a workout and feed your growing muscles.