Health Heroes: Bethany Hirst
I first met Bethany when she became a Gold’s Fit trainer at Gold’s Gym. I really enjoyed her approach to classes: she took the time to show proper form, and was attentive to students as we did the workouts. It turns out, she’s also a “bookworm to beefcake”, but she did it much faster than I did (and is way more beefcakey than I am)!
She is a personal trainer/nutritionist and you can find her at bethhirsttraining.com or follow her on instagram @bethhirsttraining.
I know a little about how you got into being a trainer, but could you give a run down of how that happened?
I actually did not grow up playing any sports other than a year of cheerleading in high school! I grew up on a very southern diet, so everything under the moon was fried. Cheetos and ice cream were a must in our house. I didn’t start exercising until college as a way to fill my free time. I completed my Biology degree and started working full-time in a lab, but I was bored out of my mind with my job. I found that my time in the gym was the best part of my day. I started seeing my body change and feeling my confidence boost. I noticed how physically and mentally I felt so much better from eating a healthier diet and exercising. I wanted to show other people this way of life. I just decided to go for it! I obtained my Personal Training certificate through NASM and started training clients part-time at Gold’s Gym. After building a decent client base, I left my full-time job and quickly filled the remainder of my availability at the gym. Today I am running my own fitness and nutrition business! Best decision I ever made.
Why did you decide to add the nutrition certification to your arsenal?
I quickly realized that the nutrition piece of health and wellness is where people struggle the most. The majority of my clients had little problem adding exercise into their routines. It was creating better eating habits and maintaining them that was the real struggle. We live in a world where there is just TOO MUCH information. There are so many “diet” options and contraindicating information. It can be a lot for clients to take in. Through my own journey to better health I discovered that no one person is exactly like another. We all have our own set of bioindividual needs. I have been able to make changes to my daily diet that have been easy to maintain, and my food tastes so good! I had to help other people realize that they didn’t need to be so restrictive with their diet! They didn’t need to live the way of eating bland foods and falling on and off of the “diet wagon”. There is a better way to health, and through my certification as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner I can help them find it.
What is your approach to being a trainer? How do you help people get comfortable with new fitness ideas?
My number one goal as a personal trainer is to help my clients reach their goals in a way that they find enjoyable and sustainable! Exercising should not feel like a chore. Sometimes it takes some trial and error to find what works for each person, but we will find it! I love when I get a new client that is skeptical about lifting heavy for fear of getting “bulky”, and then a few months later they are asking to go up in weight without any needed encouragement from me. Turns out that lifting heavy sh*t is pretty fun!
Recently, Bethany has started competing in bodybuilding. It’s been inspiring to watch her dedication and transformation throughout the process.
What prompted you to start competing?
Honestly, I just wanted to see what my body was capable of! People have asked me about competing over the years and I had little interest in it. I had gotten pretty stagnant with my physique over the last year or two, and I needed something to motivate and hold me accountable. After I started training my clients at Powell Fitness in Greensboro, I quickly decided to do a show. The majority of the trainers over there, including the owner and his daughter, Jessica and Will Powell, are all bodybuilding competitors. It didn’t take me long to commit to a show.
How hard is it to stay disciplined? How many hours a day do you have to put into it?
It is probably the most difficult thing that I have ever done. The diet is extremely restrictive. The first competition that I did I was allowed one treat meal per week. I haven’t had a single treat meal for the second competition, which I have been in prep for over the last 5 weeks (brb crying). However, it isn’t hard for me to stay disciplined, because I want to succeed so badly. This journey is very important to me, and I intend to do everything that I can to succeed. Between exercising, meal prep and eating, I would say I put in on average about 4 hours a day.
You’ve had some success already! How did you finish at the first event you did, and what is next?
My first competition was a blast! I placed first in Figure Novice and second in Figure Open. My next competition is May 22nd. I am competing in the OCB No Gear Classics show in Greensboro. This time instead of competing against 4 other wonderful women, I am competing against 19! Let’s do this!
Thank you so much for the opportunity Jason! People can check out my website at bethhirsttraining.com or follow me on instagram @bethhirsttraining.
