Celebrating the Tempo Community’s Milestones

At Tempo, we’re about training you for real life. The hard work you put on the mat shouldn’t count only on the scale — it should count for what really matters: making your daily life easier and empowering you to do things you’ve never been able to do before.

With summer here and with many of us venturing outside, there’s no better time than now to find and celebrate that inner strength and confidence. The Tempo community knows this better than most. Many have shared how training with Tempo allows them to keep up with family on outdoor adventures, gives them the confidence to try a completely new sport, or simply makes carrying groceries or gardening way easier than before.

In honor of all that our community has accomplished, we’re sharing some of our favorite stories. Take a read. It may inspire you to take on that next challenge.

“Fitness has always been a priority for me. I was an athlete in high school and a swim coach and personal trainer in college. I also have intermittently raced mountain bikes for the last 10 years! I love mountain biking!

I grew up mountain biking in Kentucky, and I got back into it after high school and became very active in group rides, trail building, and local race series. Once I finished my bachelor’s degree, I had a new goal: more mountain biking. Then I decided to move to Colorado Springs, CO.

However, I soon realized that I needed more fitness in my life than just mountain biking. I started getting twisted ankles, bulging discs in my back, and aches and pains from all the riding (and all the other activities I was doing on the mountain). I needed something more to build strength and even out my very unbalanced muscles from mountain biking.

Shortly after moving to Colorado, I joined a mountain bike team that promotes mental resilience for first responders and medical professionals. This team introduced me to many friends and even the love of my life! I am a nurse and my husband, an EMT when I met him, is now in Physicians Assistant school. My husband’s and my careers moved us to Utah in the middle of a pandemic. We occasionally sneak out for some skiing or mountain biking, but ‘hello, injuries!’ My sore back and weak legs got angry with me for only going out to the mountains once a week and pushing myself like I did when I went out every day. I needed to listen to my body, and it was telling me I needed to get a lifting routine back in order to keep my muscles ready for my next day off.

Hello, Tempo. I now work out 3 to 4 times a week with my Tempo. Even if I am slammed with school and work, I can always make time for a Tempo workout. Now that I am only able to ride or ski about once a week, rather than the 4+ days a week my pre-grad school body was used to, my strength is on standby and Tempo helps keep me fit for my next day in the mountains. My Tempo has allowed me to sustain muscle for my favorite activities even when my bike riding happens mostly on the weekend. The importance of doing yoga regularly, especially with a back injury, cannot be understated. So, thank you, Tempo! Now I am feeling as strong as ever on my bike, and I have had many fewer riding injuries since I began building my strength back.

I also have a new community! I love the coaches, the Facebook Group, and the programs. I love to exercise, but, even as an ex-personal trainer, I feel like it is so hard to put workouts together for myself without doing the same few things over again. I love the variety, advice, and encouragement that I get from each of the coaches. My husband recently took a picture of me on my bike, and ‘hello, arm definition!’ I purchased Tempo so he and I could work out with our busy school schedules. I am hooked on Tempo because I look and feel stronger than I ever have. My husband even told me yesterday, 'I feel like I'm peaking at 37!' Tempo turned us into one of those fitness power couples."

Hi! My name is Jennifer Lantz, and I am a Third Degree Senior Black Belt and Level 4 Instructor in Taekwondo. My husband and two children (the latter ages 16 and 23) are also black belts and instructors in Taekwondo. My goal for training is to build strength, increase flexibility, and improve my cardiovascular endurance so that I can continue to grow as a martial artist. I have been training in Taekwondo for almost 11 years, and starting out in martial arts as a 41-year-old mother of two has not been the easiest journey. Now that I am 52 and training as a higher-rank black belt, the demands on my body and abilities have increased. Additionally, I was diagnosed with a thyroid issue a few years ago that has presented its own challenges to my fitness journey. Despite all of that, earlier this year I tested for and successfully earned my Third Degree Senior Black Belt, and now I am training for my Fourth Degree Black Belt testing in 2022.

Tempo has helped me tremendously with my training. We received our Tempo in November of 2020 when a lot of gyms were still closed or had restrictions due to COVID-19, and it allowed me to train at home on my own schedule. I also happen to work full-time at the martial arts school where I train and have really long and weird work hours. Tempo classes are always available on-demand, and there is also a great variety in live-class times so that I can train virtually with groups of my Tempo friends (special shout-out to the Tempathletes!). My mix of classes are strength training and hypertrophy, HIIT, mobility, and yoga. The classes are engaging and the online community is so supportive!

Originally my goal when starting Taekwondo in 2010 was to reach my Fourth Degree Black Belt. With the help of Tempo, my last belt testing was my best one ever, so I am setting my sights higher and feel confident that I will be able to continue to train into my later 50s and 60s and earn my Fifth and Sixth Degree Black Belts. I want to show my students and my children that you can do anything that you set your mind to with work and perseverance.

My name is Anastassiia Sullivan, I live in Massachusetts with my husband, our 12-year-old daughter, and our dog. Tempo has been a great fit for our family. Since I don't enjoy running or cycling, I wanted a solution that would allow me to do HIIT classes with weights. My husband enjoys using heavy weights, and our daughter, who plays soccer 7 days a week, has been taking advantage of yoga and mobility classes.

One of my personal achievements since getting Tempo was completing a blue-level course at an aerial adventure park. The blue level, which requires a lot of upper body strength, is one of the most difficult levels of the park. I don't think I would have been able to finish the course with as much ease if I hadn't been training with my Tempo. It was a great way to show my daughter that you can get stronger and feel better about your accomplishments if you put work into it.

I'm looking forward to continuing my journey with Tempo, showing up for my family, and maybe even tackling that black-level course the next time I visit the aerial adventure park!

My name is Anthony Oliveri. I am from Buffalo, New York. I have a passion for exercise and fitness. I graduated from D’Youville College in 2018 with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy, and I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and CrossFit level one trainer.

I love being outdoors as much as possible. Using my Tempo over the last few months has really helped my ability to follow this passion. I currently work as a travel physical therapist, so I need to move to different areas every 3 to 6 months, as I work with new hospitals. This transition makes it hard to keep up my fitness while also trying to find a new gym in an unfamiliar area. Tempo has allowed me the freedom of having a gym in my home, easing those transitions and allowing me to keep my fitness up as I travel around the country.

My favorite Tempo program is the Functional Fitness program. It has improved my overall core strength and stability, balance, coordination, and overall confidence in order to complete anything in the world that I’m looking to do, whether that is hiking a mountain, kayaking down the river, or walking outside with my dogs. Anything that the world may throw at me, I’m ready thanks to this program.

I have also been able to compete in CrossFit competitions, complete numerous Spartan Races and other obstacle course challenges, as well as feel an increase in my overall quality of life, fitness, and well-being.

I’m thankful for everything Tempo has done for me, and I continue to look forward to doing all of their programs and everything they offer to continue increasing every aspect of my life through fitness.

I am a PTA mom who loves to run. A lifetime ago, I was a competitive athlete, but my focus moved from turf and cleats to babies and career. One day, after my second baby, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and was shocked at what I saw. My health had totally gotten away from me. My instinct was to drown my sorrows in cookies, but let’s be honest: that would be counterproductive. It was time to get back to feeling like me.

I don’t work out to be skinny or a certain size. I work out to be strong.

In addition to missing the rock-solid legs I sported as a 3-season athlete, my motivation is my children. I want to be the mom that can run, jump, and play! I want to be the grandma who spends weekends training for triathlons and baking dozens of cookies.

A wonderful byproduct of my journey is that my boys are watching. They see me struggle and get knocked down, but they never see me quit. I am always open with them about how hard it is to train to meet a goal. I always say, “Mommy has agreed to a crazy hard race, and I need to exercise my muscles so I don’t fall down halfway and have trouble getting back up”.

This moment, though, happened during my recent Ragnar Relay. It was not at the halfway mark, but the last mile of the last leg. Everything hurt, and I was convinced I was dying, but I also knew my babies were waiting for me at the finish line. There is no stronger motivation than running into the arms of your children.

And there is no way I would have been able to meet this insane goal in a traditional gym setting. Tempo training pushes me to try new exercises that I would never consider on my own, like surrenders. The what-if-I-do-it-wrong-and-everyone-laughs-at-me fear goes out the window. I would have NEVER walked into a Barre studio, but, man, those classes whipped my hips and core into running shape! It is only an added benefit that I can train in my home, as it blasts my usual excuses out of the water.

Because of Tempo, a mom trying to reclaim her strength ran a Ragnar Relay. I didn’t just run it, but I cut time and consistently hit my target paces. The confidence I gained through my training with Tempo has been incredible! Now that the soreness has been rolled out of my quads, my Tempo and I are on to our next adventure!

My family and I had the recent opportunity to visit the beautiful Yosemite National Park.

An early start that morning from Curry Village, we headed for the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. It’s a very lovely, picturesque lower slope up until you cross over the Merced River, where awaiting you are 600 granite steps through the mist.

After two hours of hiking vertically, winded and beat, we stopped for a break at the top to enjoy the 317-foot fall and soak up the wonders.

Before leaving, we saw the sign for Nevada Falls: ‘1.6 mi.’ My husband and son were all for it. I, on the other hand, thought, “Another 1.6 miles of steep rocky terrain? Do I have the stamina to do this?”

“Hell yeah, I do.” I decided that was a challenge I wanted to conquer.

And I did conquer it.

At the top of the summit, a scenic 360-degree birds-eye view of the valley below and the spectacular sight of the massive 594-foot booming Nevada Fall! Only those who are physically able can appreciate it.

That whopping 6.6-mile round-trip trek, the 2,437-foot total ascent, and a 4-hour climb were made possible by Tempo and their incredible coaches who have the knowledge of building strength and endurance. Tempo gives me the ability to do the activities I love by helping me get stronger every day.

My motto to get myself on the mat: “The hardest part is just showing up.” If I can skip the excuses and show up, the rest will fall into place.

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If you have your own achievement to share, we’d love to hear about it! Send your story to community@tempo.fit.