Partner Spotlight: TrueBody
By: Christine Bean
This week, we sat down with Robert Sherman, General Manager and Chief Fitness Officer of TrueBody in Bethesda, to learn about their cutting-edge approach to integrated fitness, and how MightyMeals is an important factor in their members’ nutrition program.
How did TrueBody get its start?
Robert: TrueBody was founded by two brothers, Alain and Marc Cohen, who wanted to create a health club with a new approach. They hired me because not only have I been in the fitness industry for 35 years and managed several other facilities, but I was also a pioneer in bringing several new and innovative exercise programs to the DMV. Our goal for this concept was to take the philosophy that I brought to them in terms of training, education, and transforming the way the body moves, and put that on a bigger platform. The program at TrueBody is designed to keep the body safe throughout the entire process and approaches the body where it is at. The goal of our holistic approach is to meet people on a foundational element; there is a lot of planning in the programming. We do our best to meet with each new member for a consult, to ensure that we can assist them in meeting their fitness goals. The essence of TrueBody is the personalization and the programming. Small group training is capped-out at 16 people so that the trainers can keep a close eye on each person in the room. We have been open for just over a year now and have grown to over 400 members. We wanted to create an experience unlike any other, and what we have at TrueBody is definitely something special.
What makes TrueBody unique?
Robert: Unlike larger fitness clubs, we focus on a diverse program of classes, offering 30 different types of classes to cover all of your fitness needs, including strength, yoga, cardio, cycling, and restorative. We’ve made the investment to offer our members 115 classes to choose from each week, because we know that everyone has a different schedule and many people are no longer working a standard “9 to 5” day in the DC-area. We aim to have flexible options so that our members can easily make time to work on their fitness nearly any time of the day.
How did you get connected to MightyMeals?
Robert: Well, actually, the person who connected us with MightyMeals is sitting right in front of me! A former trainer of mine recommended that MightyMeals come to an event that of ours. We had continual conversations and decided it would be a great fit. Thanks to word-of-mouth; that’s how most of the best connections happen.
How does MightyMeals benefit your members?
Robert: MightyMeals benefits our members in that we let them know there is access to healthy eating and meal planning, in terms of content and healthy meal size, right here at the gym. Proper nutrition is something we promote here actively. If you are going to take care of yourself it’s a three-part process: fitness, nutrition, and behavior. Good habits lead to better outcomes; good habits in terms of, our training, our eating, and our behavior. We aren’t focusing on how hard we can make people work-out, we are about helping people understand that they can truly feel good and be strong for the rest of their lives. I named this fitness club TrueBody because you have to understand your own body, and what it is capable of, in order to reach your full health potential. Until you address those needs, nothing else is going to change. “Understanding your TrueBody” is our message, and it simply means finding balance in your life through health and fitness.
About Robert Sherman
Robert Sherman is the GM and CFO of TRUEBODY Bethesda. He has been a Master Instructor and educator globally for Reebok, SPRI, Schwinn, ActivMotion Bar and Total Gym. With 35 years in health, he is a much sought after speaker, trainer and program consultant and serves on the Industry Advisory Panel for American Council on Exercise. Robert has contributed articles to Self, Shape, Men’s Journal and Yoga Journal magazines and starred in 9 video titles. He holds a BA degree in business from the University of Maryland and is a Gold Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor by ACE, AFAA and ACSM.
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