“Control the control-ables.”
That was some excellent advice I received early on in college. The idea was that you have no idea what’s going to happen in the audition room or on the stage, and you can never predict exactly what the folks behind the table are going to ask of you. Those things are out of your control.
But what you can control are things like punctuality, your awareness of the material, and the state of your voice.
As a 300-pound freshman in college, I realized that something else I personally could control was my physical readiness for performing. And so began my journey with health, fitness, and food.
My priorities changed when I moved to NYC for school.
During my first semester of college, I committed to making exercise a new staple of my daily routine. Coupling that with some extreme diet shifts, I actually lost about 80 pounds in only 4 months. By the end of my freshman year of college, I lost a total of just about one hundred and fifteen pounds. All the while, I was learning about nutrition, exercise, supplements, wellness—essentially figuring out balance via trial and error. I was amazed by all the science, the controversy, and the various schools of thought!
So, I got certified, and became a personal trainer.
Just prior to my sophomore year of college (2018), I got my personal training certification through NASM, and began working in the city at various gyms. I started a fitness-based Instagram account (@getthebens) and found myself working with individuals who wanted to achieve personal goals just like me! I really always wanted to teach group fitness, because I enjoyed such a sense of community at places like Barry’s Bootcamp and FlyWheel. This is still a goal!
In 2019, I stumbled upon the Ulman Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding families before, during, and after their battle with cancer. With them, I raised over $4,000 and completed their virtual run across America (typically a 4,000-mile run across the country with a team, but turned virtual due to Covid-19 restrictions in 2020).
I still train daily and spread as much insight on health and fitness as I can via social media! If you want to train together, contact me!
Here’s where I’ve been throughout the Fitness world so far!
