Testimonials

Real Experience from Real Clients

Weight Loss Testimonials

Flexibility and Corrective Exercise Testimonials

Fitness Testimonials

Weight Loss:

From Robin M: My business is wedding cakes. Wedding cakes, and petit fours, and truffles, and all sorts of evil-gooey-goodness that can get a girl into a lot of trouble. This explains how, while my friends were all gaining "baby weight" I gained "owning a bakery weight" right along with them. Long story short, I woke up one morning and realized that in 5 years of owning Gateaux Inc. I had put on 40 pounds.

I met Sarah in December of 2005, when I joined a gym in what I thought would be yet another futile attempt at dropping some weight. I showed up on a Monday at 9:30, thinking she would show me how to use all of those weight machines that were a mystery to me, and walk me around the gym to get familiar with the facilities. At 9:45, while sitting on the floor of the gym's bathroom trying not to vomit, I realized that I was mistaken. Her job was to show me just how far I had let myself go. Now, a sane person would run away. So what did I do? I hired her for 4 more sessions. Terrified, I canceled the first session, but Sarah was understanding and firm. She gave me a week to come into the club on my own and then called that next Monday to tell me that it was “her turn.” I've been working out with Sarah every week since, and she's the best.

She not only showed me how a real workout should feel (I never would have pushed myself as far as she does) but also helped me figure out how to adjust my diet and eating habits to a maintainable level of healthy, without dieting or cutting out any one food. She is responsible for my losing 32 pounds and feeling more fit than I ever have in my life. I was the skinny wimpy kid who couldn't run a mile once a year in gym class without hyperventilating. Now, I can run 3 miles in around 30 minutes.

One of my full-time employees hired her to train leading up to her wedding a couple of years ago, and she had similar results, losing 40 pounds. We've both kept the weight off for two years now, and feel great! Take that, triple espresso ganache truffles!

From Sarah K: My husband and I started training May 2008. I couldn't do a pushup even from my knees, I couldn't run a lap around the track (1/15 mile), I could barely last the one hour without really struggling to breath and needing to use my inhaler. At the time we were going in twice a week to see her. It took me 5 months get with the nutrition piece and understand that I needed to get to the gym more than just that two times a week. Sarah was patient but persistent with us. If it wasn't for Sarah I wouldn't have even lasted that long to really get with the program and believe that I could make a change. I looked forward to our sessions even though it was very difficult for me, and she held me accountable. Finally, I got my eating under control and began hitting the gym 5 to 6 times per week. Now, I'm down 40 pounds which is over halfway to my weight goal, I've dropped two pant sizes (almost three!), and I've lost 9 inches in my waist alone! The best part though is that I don't remember the last time I needed my inhaler and I typically run a mile as my workout warm up. I know that this kind of change is something only I can do for myself, but it sure does help having someone there to cheer you on and tell you how to get there faster, better, stronger and healthier.

Flexibility and Corrective Exercise:

From Anna SQ: I am writing this letter to express what gratitude and appreciation I have fore my personal trainer, Sarah Riedl. Her constant support, enthusiasm, and professional, demeanor helped me to reach my fitness goals faster than I had ever thought possible.

More importantly though, is the way that Sarah made a strong impact on me, one that will certainly last a lifetime. Over the last 5 years, I have been plagued by constant knee and back pain. I had gone to countless doctors and spent a great deal of money on braces, shoe inserts, and other such “remedies.” None of it worked, and it left me with the feeling that I would have these problems for the rest of my life. It was such a constant pain, that I grew accustomed to it. I started changing the way that I wanted to live my life in order to avoid possibly doing something that would affect my knees.

At my first sessions with Sarah we discussed my problems, and she told me that she thought she could help. I was skeptical at first, but she told me that she had the same problem and was able to alleviate her pain. At the end of the workout, she helped me stretch out some of the muscles in the legs that were extremely tight. This lack of flexibility was exacerbating the problems that I had, and quite literally causing me to be out of alignment. After a full 20 minutes of stretching out my legs, I arose from the table and almost started to cry. For the first time in years, I had no pain. I never realized exactly how much pain I was in all those years until it was gone. It has been several months since I started training with Sarah, and right now I feel better than ever.

Sarah has helped me in ways that I cannot express in words, and for that, I am forever grateful.

From Ron R: Sarah Riedl, at Real Fitness Solutions, has been my trainer for over two years. She has a genius for finding areas that need working on. I feel better, have better posture, and more energy. My flexibility has improved greatly. Pretty good for a 76-year-old!

From Elise P: My experience with personal training has been very good. Sarah has been willing to adjust the workouts to accomodate the health challenges which I have. Despite these challenges, Sarah has remained positive and encouraging while being flexible and understanding of my limits. I have gained much knowledge about working out as well as knowledge about the musculoskeletal system--integral to a successful workout package. Additionally, the stretching sessions are a very beneficial added bonus. [Sarah] has excelled at friendliness, conscious service, and overall encouragement for a positive experience. Many thanks!

Toning and Overall Fitness:

From Kris K: My goals were to build my endurance, lose body fat, build muscle, get in shape, and be able to manage my own workouts when our sessions were completed. I worked with Sarah for 26 sessions. In the time we were together, I went from only walking to being able to run 2.5 miles in 25 minutes. Now I am running my first 5K in a few weeks and am training for a 10-mile run in 6 months. I never thought I could do this, but training with Sarah gave me the confidence to try and succeed. I also lost 5% body fat through the excellent strength training Sarah guided me through. She pushed me beyond what I thought I could do, but showed me that I was capable of so much more. I feel fabulous! My friends noticed the change in me even before I did. I look and feel healthier, and have more energy, enthusiasm, and zest for life. Sarah also set up a plan so that eventually, I would have the knowledge to work out on my own. We started with 3 sessions a week for the first month or so, then 2 sessions a week for 4 weeks, and tapered off gradually. Now I am continuing to strength train and do cardio on my own 3 times a week and throw in a fourth cardio workout on the weekend. I would highly recommend Sarah Riedl to anyone! She's a competent professional who effectively motivates and challenges her clients so they can successfully achieve their fitness goals. Thank you Sarah!

From Karen G: Well, in just 7 weeks you've managed to whip me into my best shape in 15 years. Forgive me for mumbling snide comments under my breath about "The Evil Sarah." After all, it's because of your constant reminders and tough as nails work outs that I can once again wear my red Ellie Tahari pants. Thank you for not caving in to my cries for mercy. You've done an outstanding job of pushing, prodding, and holding me accountable for improving my health. I can now comfortably run up two flights of stairs. Your routines are never the same, your communication is clear and focused, and you've kept me from injuring myself. I am looking forward to working with you for a good long while! Thank you!

Karen and I have now worked together for almost 4 years! She is the bassist and vocalist for The KGB Band, a Minneapolis-based blues and classic rock band...and she looks fantastic on stage!

From Evette E: I'm writing this letter to express my sincere appreciation for my personal trainer, Sarah Riedl. Without her motivation and incredible workouts, I would not be where I am today.

When I first joined the gym I was given 2 free training session with my membership. Normally I wouldn't have ever used these sessions, but when Sarah called to set a time, I found that it was hard to say no—I couldn't come up with any excuse. I showed up to my first sessions a bit nervous and not sure what to expect, but Sarah put me at ease and asked me what kinds of goals I had for myself. Since I am in the Air Force, I figured this may be a good way to prepare for my annual fitness exam, and Sarah immediately set forth with a rigorous training regimen designed to increase my run tme, push-ups, and sit-ups.

When my free sessions were over, I really wanted more. Unfortunately at that time, I didn't have to resources to continue, so I stopped going to the gym altogether. I immediately started reorganizing my budget, and was finally able to sign up for 8 sessions with Sarah. I can honestly say that this is the best money I've spent all year! Sarah has the experience and knowledge to recognize my personal limits and knows how far she can push me. She refuses to let me slack, and after our workouts I feel great! Like many people, I lack the self-motivation to work out on my own. Just knowing that Sarah will be there twice a week to whip me into shape is all the motivation I need to workout on my own to prepare.

I am now nearing the end of my sessions and I am extremely pleased with the results. Since I have been training with Sarah, I have improved my run time by 1 ½ minutes, I can do 32 push-ups in a minute, and 39 sit-ups in a minute. I feel great about my results, and will continue to work out after my training sessions are over. Although I will miss the benefits of having a trainer, I will take the things I've learned and apply them to my own workouts.

From Dawn S: Do I feel "real fit" right now? Not exactly. But, I feel better than I did 5 weeks ago! I haven't worked out in years. I got fed up with the health club scene a long time ago. I needed something different. I didn't want the clutter, chaos, and competition of a health club environment. I was referred to Sarah. It's just me. It's just me and Sarah in a neat old building in south MPLS. I've lost a few pounds already. My body is toner. My coordination and stamina is improved. It's hard. I sweat and huff and puff, but it's really rewarding. I feel really proud of myself that I make it through one of Sarah's workouts. She challenges, encourages, pushes, and praises. I'll be back in a couple of days....I will be fitter every week. I can't wait to see more "real" results.