Message, Mission, Passion:
“When I share my message and videos through social media, the goal is to make it very relatable for people. It’s all about inspiring and motivating others. My existing clients set a great example and show others what you can accomplish by having accountability. Having the support and motivation from me at Raise The Bar is an amazing way to start your fitness journey. I am an outgoing and dedicated trainer who is passionate about helping others reach their fitness goals and finding their healthy fit. “Together we build confidence one rep at a time!”
LA: Reading through your social media, what struck me the most, and one of the reasons I wanted to interview you, was the post of your picture in 2003 to 2023. Tell us about your journey from going to the gym, becoming a mom, fast forwarding to 2013 when you started working out again to opening a gym.
KP: I could go back to when I was a teenager and that was when I first got exposed to exercise going with my mom to a small all women’s gym. As I got older I joined Bally Total Fitness in East Providence and I really started to get more interested in fitness. That went on for about 10 years until I got married and started a family. I stopped exercising altogether when I had my three daughters. I was a busy full-time mom. I realized that my body was changing though and it really hit me when I went into a dressing room to try on clothes and I didn’t like how I looked anymore. When my girls got older, around 2013, I started walking and then running but I felt I needed something more and that’s when I got back to the gym and I started lifting weights again. A few years later I started working at a new gym that opened in Warren mainly in sales. After a while the fitness manager pulled me aside and asked if I’d be interested in working as a trainer for the gym and that is when I decided to become certified. I really did well and had a lot of clients. One of my friends suggested going off on my own and starting my own training business. He helped me set up and get started and six months later I opened my gym. The logo I came up with is very important to me. “We always need to raise the bar for ourselves” the logo signifies coming full circle: You’re always growing as a person. To summarize my journey, being a stay home mom I recognized I wasn’t happy with who I was, joined a gym and exposed myself to health and wellness which led me to personal training which opened the door to where I am today. I’ve been open five years now and to me it’s not a job it’s something that I truly love to do. My goal as a trainer is to have people leave my studio feeling better than when they walked in.
LA: Tell us about your studio and what you offer.
KP: At Raise The Bar I offer everything inclusive of resistance training. I have machines and functional training equipment. Everything from kettlebells, to resistance bands, dumbbells, battle ropes… anything that is going to give you a good all-inclusive workout. So many people are struggling with confidence along with health issues which is why they want to make a change but feel stuck. Raise The Bar is able to offer personalized attention to each client privately giving them the opportunity to not only gain the knowledge that they need to be successful but also gain self-confidence. Each client receives fitness training, mindset coaching and nutritional support. At Raise The Bar sharing knowledge with the clients is important. Explaining the exercises that are being performed in addition to guiding the client with having correct form is crucial to the clients success. Knowledge is power and it is equally as powerful as the weights that clients can lift over a period of time. Because so many people are intimidated by going to a big box gym, they will oftentimes walk on the treadmill, possibly work on a few machines, leave and never reach their full potential. Many members become frustrated and bored and will continue paying for a gym membership that they are not using. Going to a private studio such as Raise The Bar will give you comprehensive training sessions to get you to your ultimate goal while avoiding feeling embarrassed or intimidated.
LA: What do you like most about your gym and training clients? What would you say are the benefits of going to your studio versus a large gym?
KP: Most people are either just beginning their fitness journey and are overwhelmed and intimidated by the gym or looking for guidance to set more defined fitness goals. When signing up for personal training in a large gym you will usually be placed with a trainer by a manager rather than meeting and talking to a few trainers to make your own choice of who you would like to work with. Personal training is very relational and you should have a good pairing between the trainer and client since they will be working together as a team several times a week. In a big box gym the trainers’ style of training may be similar to each other or the same due to a corporate structure. Choosing a private training studio such as Raise the Bar gives clients the opportunity to sit one-on-one and talk at length about their goals with me. I have a vested interest in them personally. At Raise The Bar you will get a private personal experience. My private training space is perfect to avoid feeling uncomfortable in comparison to an open gym setting especially if this is your first training experience. My studio is 100% private and there is only one client in the studio at a time. This is a very niche kind of studio. I am the only trainer and I’m highly skilled at teaching beginners. I can tap into what people are looking for and give them the confidence level that they need. I’m interested in a mind, body, and soul connection.
LA: Tell me about your journey that took almost a year to get you to winning first place as a “Debut Figure Competitor”. It must be crazy discipline from eating right, working out, regimen to preparing for comp day with posing, makeup, hair and with an attitude and a smile .
KP: My journey was the most amazing process that I’ve ever been through. I had thought about it for several years and I went to many bodybuilding shows. I really wanted to do it. I was already training but I knew I had to take it to the next level especially with nutrition. It’s 100% discipline not only to prepare the food for the day but also to go out on the road. I had to eat on a schedule. I am 100% natural at 57 and I trained for the competition 100% myself. I would train, eat, work, train, eat, work. I did this for almost a year. I met with a designer for a custom posing suit, hired a posing coach, hired a professional to do my hair and makeup and I had a spiritual advisor who gave me a spiritual cleansing the day before the competition. I competed in four different categories. I placed first in debut and at 57 years old I was standing next to another competitor who was about 22. It was amazing and all of my emotions came pouring out as I broke down in tears when they announced my name. In the other categories I placed in the top five. Being a first time competitor in an all natural federation, and becoming a first place debut winner was such an accomplishment for me. I did the show for personal and professional development. The experience that I had preparing for the show and being able to maintain my physique now is very important to me. Not only does it make me a more effective trainer but it also redefines what people in their 40s and 50s and beyond can truly accomplish if they have the right mindset and motivation. Health is wealth!
LA: Your clients are male and female. What is your well-being and fitness philosophy for midlife and older men and women? What would you recommend to your clients who are new to fitness and starting at a later stage of life?
KP: First thing I would say is get up and move whether you are with a trainer or not. Second thing is to take a look at where your health is… Are you overweight? Do you have high blood pressure? Are you pre-diabetic? If you are 40 plus and a woman your body could be going through a lot of changes due to menopause and for the men their testosterone levels decrease as they get older as well. We all lose muscle mass so everyone should be doing resistance training and that along with a better diet will get you on a path to wellness. Over the last few years and post pandemic so many people are still working from home and they are not getting any physical activity whatsoever. They have gained weight , they are sitting for hours on end losing strength and muscle tone and have formed bad eating habits. So many people need to get back on track and personal training can be the motivation and inspiration.
LA: Lastly I know you like to travel but when you’re not working and training long hours at the gym what else do you like to do for fun?
KP: Honestly for me it’s spending some free time with my three daughters because our schedules are so crazy. We also look forward to our yearly family vacation with just me and my girls.
Karen Park, CPT & Mindset Coach
NASM | ISSA Certified
Raise The Bar Personal Training Studio
280 Market Street
Warren, RI 02885
Phone: 401.200.0033
Email: train@karenparkfitness.com
Website: karenparkfitness.com
Facebook: Raise The Bar Personal Training Studio
Instagram: @raisethebartrainingstudio
Complimentary consultations can be booked through Facebook or by contacting me
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