This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
After completing an MBA and spending nine years in corporate finance in the Denver Tech Center, Kristy Neary knew that this was not how she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
She found that her active lifestyle outside the office was more meaningful and enjoyable, whether it was time in the gym or participating in triathlons. After a summer spent volunteering in Africa, she decided to leave the corporate world and worked with a friend for a year who was opening a gym in Brighton. She also discovered the Training for Warriors (TFW) concept and found that it left her feeling fitter and healthier and stronger than any other exercise regime she had followed.
The genesis of Training for Warriors was created by Martin Rooney in 1998 from the training program he designed for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) professionals. With his physical therapy background, Rooney found himself and his comprehensive training program in demand from other organizations and entities across the world, and Training for Warriors became official in 2000.
Over the next ten years, Rooney expanded the TFW techniques to other sports including wrestling, judo, football and triathlon, and worked with athletes and sports teams in Europe and Asia, as well as the US. He also produced books and DVDs on the TFW system, finally deciding to develop a franchise organization to spread TFW into the general fitness world. There are now 275 affiliate locations in over 20 countries and the latest to open is here in Longmont.
Neary qualified to become a TFW affiliate and bought a building on Boston Avenue on 30th November 2018. She had an aggressive timetable and opened for business with the first classes on 4th February 2019.
Neary describes the facility as a dojo rather than a gym because it is “A place you go to learn and grow.”
The large coaching area is equipped with a 24 ft. free-standing rig, plus variable weight bars, dumbells, kettlebells, push sleds and other strength training equipment. There is also a turf section for speed drills.
Neary is looking forward to the completion of the St Vrain Greenway Trail across the street from the dojo this summer so outdoor exercises can be included.
TFW Longmont offers several type of programs, ranging from The Six Week Transformation, which includes 24 classes, personalized fitness and nutrition guides, body composition analysis and even a guide to eating out, to TFW Active which is designed for the “regular” person who wants lose some fat, build some muscle, and just generally feel good.
There are also programs for athletes wanting to raise their fitness to the next level, as well as specially designed programs for children. The schedule offers conditioning, strength and endurance sessions starting at 5:45 a.m. five days a week, with a limited schedule on Saturday and, yes, a day of rest on Sunday. Neary has two coaches working with her and is looking to hire two more.
Neary stresses that TFW is not a competition, but a community and the comfortable and attractive lounge area is definitely conducive to relaxing and getting to know the other members of the TFW family. She is already planning an expansion, which will include not only a larger fitness workspace, but also an area for children, and a room for massage or other individual treatments. Even the shower rooms are comfortable and calming, and, like the rest of the facility, very different from the usual perception of a “gym”.
And does TFW work? Scott Kaier is five weeks into the Six Week Transformation program and has lost 13 pounds in weight and 6% body fat. He says he feels fitter and healthier than he has in years, and most of all is enjoying both the workout practices and the results.
Neary is excited and energized about sharing the TFW concept with the people of Longmont. Her mission is to bring out the Warrior Within so that everyone can face and overcome life’s challenges by developing a healthy body and mind and achieving greatness.
Training for Warriors offers free consultations with a trainer and is located at 950 Boston Avenue in Longmont. More information may be obtained from their website at www.tfwlongmont.com or by calling (720) 600-4375.
