La Bella's slogan "Live, Look, Feel Beautiful" is more to us than just a catch phrase-- it is a vision set forth by our founder/owner Jessie because she knew that she wanted our salon to represent more than just helping people with their looks (although we are pretty good at it!). She wanted La Bella Hair Studio to encompass and embrace beauty in all aspects of life, which is something we strive for every day. It is important to embrace the beauty within yourself and the community in which you live.This year on our blog we're featuring a series called "La Bella Vita," meaning "The Beautiful Life." We have made it our mission to find twelve special people within our community, who have somehow impacted the lives around them, to be featured every month.
June is now here, and considering we did a Mother's Day theme last month, you may have guessed that we're following up with a Father's Day theme for this month. We're putting a different spin on this post though, because the dads for this month are doing something pretty cool in Richmond and I had the chance to meet both of them, cut their hair, and have an interview with one of them!
The dads are Brian Beckstoffer and Nate Bell, they are both Richmond natives and founders of a company called Gladiator Training. If you are at all into health and fitness, then you should definitely pay close attention, because these guys are offering a type of physical training that has yet to be done here in RVA. Gladiator Training, Inc focuses on an array of different strength training techniques from battling ropes, endurance training, kettlebells, to beyond body weight and chain reaction. It's some intense stuff, and after sitting down and hearing exactly what it is they do that sets them apart, I can truly appreciate just how dedicated these guys are to helping people push themselves physically and conquer their own strengths.
Brian and I had the chance to sit down (at the Daily in Carytown) for a one on one to help me get a better understanding about Gladiator Training and how they came about. Check it out:
Q: How long have you two been partners in business and come up with the idea for Gladiator Training?
"We trained together for 2 years, and the style that we were training in we both liked. We saw that we could push it further...we had some friends come out with us every now and then and they liked it and started to see results, it was effective training. It was kind of out of the box, unorthodox style training, but it worked. So after some talking, you know, another 6 months go by, we started talking about it and we decided, why not? Just try it out and see what we can do."
Q: So you discussed it and just decided to go with it?
"Yeah, we just said why not? We pretty much needed no overhead, we don't need a facility, everything's outside, everything we need we have. We've been effective this long, so we didn't have to go in and pull tons of money so there really was no risk there- the only risk there was our reputation so if we weren't able to satisfy people, and get them trained the way they wanted to or show them results, that was pretty much the only risk we had to worry about. So far, so good."
Q: I've been told it's not personal training, so what exactly is Gladiator Training and who is your ideal client? What sets you guys apart from other training/fitness companies?
"Our style of training is hard to explain. We focus on natural movements, but also we take pretty much simple workouts that people are used to and people understand, we're not creating anything new, except that we take these workouts and pretty much make them 10,000 times harder. Instead of running 6-10 miles by yourself, we add a 25 pound weight vest, instead of just bear crawling down the field, we bear crawl dragging 100 plus pound chains. We incorporate a Military style training to where you're constantly moving for a certain period of time, while incorporating your whole body. Every single thing that Nate and I are certified in, we had to physically prove to the instructor certifying us that we could do and endure. Nate and I are the only people in Richmond certified to train ropes, and there are only 2 other people in Virginia that are as well. Another thing is we never tell anybody beforehand what they're gonna be doing, ever. The reason behind that is to shock your body- if you go into a workout knowing what you're doing, you kind of pre plan, you understand what your gonna be doing, so you're already somewhat mentally there...but if you don't know what you're doing when you go into it, it's harder, you're not ready for it..you're in shock your body's in shock and it makes you work harder. Going back to the Military aspect: it's almost like a Military/survival type training- it sounds kinda weird- but at the same time it's like if something were to happen, would you be able to react, would you be able to get yourself/your loved ones out of a situation using your body? Would you be able to crawl out, climb out, run out? Would be be able to react? And that's why we don't let people know what they're going to do, because that's going to get results. And no matter what the weather we're out there training, as long as there's no lightning, we don't care...we're out there. You're body works better in uncomfortable situations- mentally and physically. To be brutally honest- it's not for everybody- and that's our niche, that's what makes us stand out. We take people who want to reach their breaking point. My ideal client is someone who wants to go out there and will never quit. No matter how bad it gets (we'll never push somebody to injury) but we want someone that is not going to quit, that is never going to complain, and is just gonna suck it up and do it."
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| Brian and Nate with John Brookfield: Creator of Battling Ropes and multiple World Record Holder |
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| Stair walking Gladiator Style |
Q:I know your wife Mary travels a lot for work, how do you manage holding down the fort with the children and training daily?
"Nate and I used to train together every night, both of us were out there, now we switched it. We kinda figured out each other's schedules. Nate has his daughter every single Wednesday no matter what, and he has his daughter every other Tuesday no matter what. So what we came up with is he trains Monday and Thursday, I train Tuesdays and Fridays. It's worked out perfectly, and so I added on Wednesday as well. It works out well because it also gives us time with our kids. The worst thing was, it got to the point where I'd wake up in the morning with my kids, get them ready, ship them off to school, pick them up from school, get home, and then I'd have a babysitter and I'd leave....then I'd come back and just put them to sleep. I wasn't getting that quality time with them....so we decided that we had to have that quality time with our kids. At the same time I was like "if I'm gonna have a babysitter, I don't want it to be a stranger all the time...I want it to be a family member." So I started with every Tuesday my mom watches them while I train, on Fridays Mary's home, and Wednesdays are my wild card day- I'll either get Mary, my mother in law, or I have to get somebody. We've made it so it's more comfortable for us, we get to spend more time with our kids, but we're still there- they were kind of bummed out at first when we stopped being there at the same time. But we've structured it so that it's more family friendly for us."
Q: How does health and fitness translate into your home life? Do you consider yourself strict when it comes to diet and exercise with your children?
"I try to keep my family active whether we are in the back yard running around and playing sports or going on a bike ride or a hike on the local trails. I do my best to keep my family active as much as possible with fun activities that we can all enjoy. I don't know if I would use the word strict when it comes to my families diet, but I do care about what we eat. I try to do Organic and fresh foods as much as possible and I stay away from processed food unless there is absolutely no other option and everyone is hungry"
Q: If you could give the best piece of advice to our readers who are interested in pursuing a more active lifestyle or just need a little push for their daily exercise routine, what would it be?
"I would tell them to pick an outside activity that they enjoy, but will challenge them physically and do it for an hour each day. If the person has an issue motivating themselves then I would suggest that they look into group physical training. Group training is a great way to start off because there's tons of motivation and the willingness to push the person beside you as well as yourself. Another thing that you can do to really get yourself out of the house and start training is to sign yourself up for a local road race or obstacle course race. Obviously leave yourself enough time to prepare for the event, but this will motivate you to get in gear. I come across people all of the time who say that they just don't have the time in their busy schedules to do something active for an hour each day, but then I find out that they make time to watch 3-4 hours of television each night. In my years of training I have come to realize that physical training isn't for everyone. There are some people that just don't want it and don't care. If you want results and you want to become healthier and more active you just have to do it and stay consistent. Its that simple."
Q: If someone is interested in training with you guys, how would they go about doing that?
"If someone wants to come and train with us they are more than welcome to do so. I will forewarn them that we are not the average training group and that we do have requirements that the individual must be able to do. The reason for the requirements is because we train individuals who are already in shape, but want to take their training to the next level. Our exercises are designed to not only physically, but mentally wear you down. People can get an idea of what we do and who we are through our website. They can also contact us that way too.www.gladiatortrainingva.com"
Q: What does it take for someone to qualify as "in shape" enough to train with you guys?
"You have to prove yourself to us. We have certain stipulations....you can't just come out and workout with us. If you can't do certain things you won't be able to. The main requirements that we have are: you have be able to run a mile under 7 minutes, you have to be able to do 10 strict pull ups-which means locking out all the way and no kicking- keep your body completely straight (girl or guy), 50 straight crunches non stop, 35-50 push-ups nonstop in correct form. We may tweak it a little bit for women, but not by much. If you can't do that, we're not saying you can't workout with us...we're saying come back when you can. We want the people that want to be there, and if we can tell that they really want to be there more than anything and they won't give up, they have heart, then we'll work with them. I tell them straight up: you're not gonna hold us back, we're gonna keep moving forward and doing what we're doing, you need to try to keep up. It's a lifestyle- it has to be a lifestyle."
Q: If you had to pick a favorite workout, what would it be and why?
"I would have to say that our chain workouts are the best. The training is called "Chain Reaction". We use 100lbs chains to do various workouts that gets your heart pumping like crazy, your breathing heavy and it builds raw strength. It's and amazing cardio blaster and strength builder. It engages every part of your body and it's the most physically demanding workout that we offer to our clients."
Q: And since this is the Father's Day blog post I have to ask- what's the best part about being a dad?
"The best thing about being a dad for me is spending time with my kids and taking them on adventures and teaching them the types of things that my father taught me. I love taking them on hikes and teaching them how to fish and to respect the outdoors. I also love seeing their faces light up when I take them somewhere new or they see something that they haven't seen before. I really enjoy being with them and watching them grow and experience life and its lessons that it has to offer."
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| Look at this stunning family! (Brian with wife Mary, son Brice, and daughter Lucy) |
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| "I'm so lucky to be able to say that my kids have the best dad in the world. You hear that a lot, but I truly mean it. There is not a better father out there. My kids will always be smart, active, fun, happy and adventurous, because Brian exposes them to all facets of the world on a daily basis. He's always present and involved, and I'm so blessed my kids have such a strong role model and father!" -Mary Beckstoffer |
Thank you so much, Brian, for opening up and letting me share your story with so many people! It is so awesome to see how passionate and enthusiastic you are about your business and your children.
During the interview with Brian, I learned so much in such a small amount of time and really hope that all of you find it as inspiring and useful as we at La Bella have. If you're feeling brave, and are up for challenging/pushing yourself mentally and physically, you should definitely give these guys a call! They are both super friendly, personable, and they obviously know they're stuff...and THAT, my friends, is what you should be looking for in someone you are trusting with your physical being
or give them a call: (804)551-5315
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