We reached out to our first ever Shredder of the Month, Sean Higgins, to see where he is now. Here’s his update:
Since becoming Shredder of the Month 10 years ago, my life has gone through a lot of change – I’ve switched careers twice, I’ve moved homes, I got a few wrinkles (maybe like one or two but that’s it). Throughout all that change, one thing has remained consistent: Shred415. No matter what I’m doing or where I go, I know that I can come back to Shred415 for a damn good workout with a healthy side of inspiration. And that’s exactly what I want: a damn good workout with a healthy side of inspiration. Oh and the community! I’ve also stuck around for the community. Not only have I made new lifelong friends here, I’ve seen old friends achieve their dreams at Shred415, and truly, nothing could inspire me more. That is what has led me to pursue new fitness dreams of my own including running my first marathon with Team 2 End AIDS last year while cross-training with Shred415. Up next, I will run two more marathons this year, and I have no intention of stopping. So where am I now? Well, that’s simple: I’m still at Shred415.
Read his original Shredder of the Month story, published 10 years ago, below:
| Before joining Shred, I probably went to the gym once or twice a week. At that point in time, I pretty much went just to say that I went. I found that if I could tell people that I “worked out today,” I would always feel better about myself even if the workout was more of an exercise in avoiding a sweat than breaking one. A typical gym trip consisted of an initial check-in on Facebook (how else will people know that I care about my health?), a twenty to thirty minute “run” on the treadmill, and perhaps some sit-ups or push-ups, which was all designed to make me buff. Shockingly, none of this was working. Perhaps this is because “once or twice a week” may also be a stretch. The excuses I could make to get out of going to the gym were as numerous as they were ridiculous. Oh it’s raining, I’ll go tomorrow. Now it’s nice outside, I’m going to take advantage of this beautiful weather by drinking. Looks like this marathon of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge is not going to watch itself. Armed with a New Year’s Resolution that was going to stick this time, I entered my first Shred class in January of 2012 nervous, slightly chubby, mildly hungover and primarily excited to see if I could actually push myself during a workout. Oh and unprepared. I was wildly unprepared. I learned a few things during that initial class: (1) treadmills can go above a 6.0 in speed, (2) cramps are real and they are paralyzing, (3) at any given time, Rihanna has like four different songs on the radio, and most importantly, (4) I am an inherently lazy person who would never, ever work out like this on my own. The takeaway, however, is that I was in fact capable of working out like this, I just couldn’t be bothered (read: trusted) to do it on my own. Having found something that I could (barely) get through which I didn’t totally hate, I cancelled my regular gym membership and started attending Shred classes three to four times a week. Ok, this may be a stretch as well, but sometimes it IS raining. Eventually, the classes get easier. Perhaps “easier” isn’t the right word because it’s never easy. How about manageable? Bearable? Less tortuous? The great thing about Shred is that it’s always different. My usual time spent at the gym staring at the clock and listening to the same 14 songs on my “workout” playlist has been replaced with a solid hour of cardio and weights that goes by faster than one would think, thanks to the pretty awesome music and the instructors who embody the perfect mix of helpful, funny, cruel, and hot. I’m never going to be the person who says that I love working out. I will never be the person who unknowingly became addicted to the gym. To me, working out totally sucks. That being said, Shred doesn’t totally suck. Yes, it’s tough, but it’s also sometimes fun, and quite frankly, it gets results. Since I started Shredding, I have lost 20 lbs, I’ve gained some muscle, and I have revolutionized my wardrobe. People often tell me that I look like I’ve lost weight or that I look good, and as someone who needs outside reassurance like oxygen, I can tell you that I have never felt better. |
