He made me feel like I was a person, not a fat person.
Turns out I have been measuring success all wrong. Success is not a member count or a dollar sign. Success is not a stage or a book deal. Success is so much more and can’t be measured on paper. I have been taught this through the example of Jimmy.
My very first trainer back in 2011 was Jimmy Warmuth. He was in his twenties—lean, muscular, a runner, and an all-around amazing athlete with an exercise science degree and the personal experience to back up his wisdom. He was funny and kind, with a giant grin and a silly streak that made me feel comfortable. He drove an old, cheap car and came flying into the parking lot of the gym at 4:55 a.m. for our 5:00 a.m. sessions, immediately hitting the ground running with enthusiasm.
Jimmy started training me when I was over 300 pounds. I showed up to the gym in denim shorts because workout clothes didn’t fit me well. He never commented on my weight and treated me like I was just like everyone else. I didn’t feel self-conscious around him, so I was willing to try any movement he asked me to do. He made jokes, told funny stories, and distracted me from the grind of the work by being fun.
He told me how strong I was and pushed me to move weights that made my eyes bug out. I’d laugh and say, “Really?” He would nod demurely and say, “Yup.” I could barely get a couple of reps, and I wanted to quit. He just stood there and said, “Push,” every time I wanted to drop them. If I did drop them, he waited, reset me, and continued to count.
We started working on planking when my belly barely cleared the ground. He wanted a minute of plank. I could only do a few seconds at a time. He would let me rest, then command me to get up, and I’d manage another couple of seconds. We would accumulate a minute, no matter how long it took. If I complained, he would shake his head and just wait.
There was never a doubt in his mind about what I could do. As a result, there was less room in my mind to doubt what I could do. Jimmy made me feel strong, and I got stronger. He made me feel like I belonged in the “sweaty guys’ side of the gym,” so I showed up there with confidence, even when it was full of bodybuilders and pros. Jimmy made me feel like an athlete, so I started thinking like one. He made me feel like I was a person, not a fat person.
During our time working together, I decided to have weight loss surgery to get out of the 300s and capitalize on the work I was doing to get in shape. Jimmy trained me as my body fat fell, and we fought against muscle loss. It worked. I dropped 80 pounds in 10 months, all while gaining strength and stamina in the gym.
Once I was under 200 pounds, I mentioned my idea of running, and Jimmy wholeheartedly approved. I started running the 1.5 miles to the gym, and soon I was running 5Ks, 10Ks, and training for my first half marathon. When I mentioned my idea to train for a full marathon and asked Jimmy if he thought I could do something like that, he didn’t hesitate and simply nodded, “Of course you can.” No surprise. No doubt. So, I did that too.
My identity as an athlete was born under the constant, persistent care of this man’s belief in me. I never looked back at my sedentary lifestyle because it didn’t fit into the lifestyle of an athlete. I started looking for more things to try and ways to push my physical fitness.
At every accomplishment along the way, I thought of Jimmy. I sent him my marathon times, my bodybuilding competition photos, and referenced his faith in me to every personal training client who asked how I got started. Four years ago I built a beautiful fitness community on the beach, Miami Beach Fit Camp. Every moment I lead a workout, I lead like Jimmy led me: with faith, confidence, and belief in every single one of my members.
Jimmy is responsible for every life I impact here on this beach.
Roxy, who will soon turn 70 years old, shows up on the beach every sunrise to exercise with her friends and is our most beloved and important member, crowned our Fit Camp Queen.
Nadina just finished her first marathon in her home city of Buenos Aires after losing 100 pounds and getting fit with our community.
Malinda spent the past three years going through a tough life transition and has found a supportive group of friends who meet her on the beach to stay fit, regardless of life’s ups and downs.
Coffee dates, book clubs, girls’ nights out, dinners, rock climbing groups, kayaking groups, ladies’ lunches, beach cleanups, and adventures galore happen among this group that has assembled because of the beach, the community, because of me, and because of Jimmy.
Success is creating belief in the hearts of others that they’re capable, they’re powerful, and they matter. Jimmy built a legacy of belief in me, and now I build a legacy in every single one of them.
What is success? That.