Get to Know Becky

This month we’re featuring the one and only Becky Liesch! She’s been with Burn30 since the beginning as manager and a personal trainer for 15 years and counting! She’s trained hundreds of clients and continues to inspire everyone she works with! 

What inspired you to become a personal trainer? 

When I was in my early 30s, I was overweight and out of shape. I had torn my ACL in college and never had it repaired and I also had had two babies and gained a lot of weight through those pregnancies. I finally reached a point where I no longer wanted to live in that condition so I started to make small changes in my life to get back in shape and lose the weight. After going through that process for myself, it made me want to be able to help others in the same situation. This is what made me pursue my personal training certification. 

What’s your favorite part of training clients? 

My favorite part of training clients is seeing someone achieve something they didn’t think they could do. I love it when somebody finally does a full push-up, or a pull-up, or beats their time on a run or achieves whatever goal they have set for themselves. 

What was your fitness journey like? 

I feel like I never really pursued a fitness journey until I was in my 30s. As a kid and through my 20s, I had always been an athlete, playing three sports a year as well as staying active with my family through camping vacations and working on our Christmas tree farm. It wasn’t until I reached a point where I was overweight and out of shape as a young adult that I realized I needed to make conscious decisions to regain my health and stay that way. Once I reached that point, I found myself really enjoying lifting weights, so I joined a local gym and subscribed to a fitness magazine for inspiration as well as instruction. I also started running and competing in local races. 

As I have gotten older, I now prioritize staying active, but in a much more measured way. I still enjoy lifting weights, but I focus more on repetitions instead of heavy weight. I also modified my cardio exercise and now rely more on machines like the rower and the elliptical which are less stressful on my joints. I also focus much more on stretching and flexibility, as well as whole, nutritious food, and plenty of sleep. 

How do you balance fitness with the rest of your life (social, work, rest)? 

I schedule exercise into my weekly schedule just like I do any other appointment. I also have a whiteboard hanging on our refrigerator at home that lists healthy goals for myself each month. Seeing those goals on the refrigerator every day and being able to check them off as I accomplish them help keep me focused and accountable. 

What are your current personal fitness goals? 

My current personal fitness goals include three strength training sessions every week, 180 minutes of cardio exercise each month, a 12 hour fast between dinner and breakfast daily, and spending 180 minutes a week on activities that support my mental health. 

What’s your favorite exercise? 

I have several exercises that I would consider to be favorites. One is the Romanian dead lift, because I feel very strong doing them. A second one is dumbbell chest flies because I always feel them the next day. I also really enjoy exercises that flow from one to the other, like a TRX series or a core series on the mat that takes you from one position to the next. My favorite cardio exercise is the rower. I can really get into a great rhythm and row for quite a while. 

What’s your least Favorite exercise? 

I hate push-ups because every year they get harder and harder and it just reminds me that I’m getting older! I also dislike stability ball hamstring curls because again they are so hard to do correctly! 

What type of workouts do you enjoy most (e.g., weightlifting, cardio, yoga, HIIT)? 

I really enjoy basic weightlifting, using dumbbells and barbells. I love circuit training where you move from one exercise to the next in a flow. I also enjoy doing a Tabata style workout because it’s a great way to maximize your time and to get a great workout both from a strength perspective and a cardio perspective. Plus, you don’t have to count reps!