My Fitness Journey
Not everyone is a born athlete. The healthiest me only happened later in life when I met David and gained the structure, support, and knowledge I needed to achieve my fitness goals.
I've had a unique journey with fitness, one filled with ups and downs. As a kid, I tried every home exercise gadget my parents bought, often spending nights working out with my childhood friend Khalid and my brother Irfan. Unlike my Glazed co-founders, David and Erin, I didn't grow up playing every sport in school. I tried out for sophomore basketball, but an uninspiring coach made me hate it. I found my passion in volleyball, playing outside left hitter for two years until graduation. I got a gym membership with friends but barely used it in college. After getting married and buying a home, I invested in a treadmill, adjustable dumbbells, and a weight bench, but they saw little action.
Throughout my journey, one thing remained constant: my failure at fitness wasn't due to a lack of equipment or facilities but a lack of structure, direction, and knowledge about proper workout routines. I didn't know what to do.
In 2013, after the birth of our second daughter, I saw a photo of myself and realized something had to change. I was overweight and unhealthy, consumed by growing my business at night and working a day job for stability. My business partner and I finally decided our business could support us full-time, so we quit our day jobs. I wanted to improve my physical health, but hiring a personal trainer was prohibitively expensive.
Later in 2013, I found a 6-week trial at a gym owned by David Kawahata. This trial included training as part of its group fitness offering. During those six weeks, I learned about calorie deficits, my body composition (a disheartening 205 lbs with 25% body fat), and various exercises that challenged muscles I didn't even know existed. David’s holistic approach to fitness taught me that it's more than just gaining muscle and losing weight; it's about stability, agility, endurance, and power.
With David's guidance, I spent over ten years working out at his gym, meeting my fitness goals by establishing a solid foundation in mobility, stability, and cardio endurance. Once I had that foundation, we focused on strength, power, speed, and aesthetics. I achieved a body weight of 185 lbs with 12% body fat, the healthiest and leanest I've ever been.
Moving to Truckee, CA, disrupted my routine and impacted my fitness achievements. I joined a local gym but missed David’s programming and expertise. Despite my extensive knowledge, I felt the same lack of consistency and structure from my youth. Reconnecting with David led us to create Glazed.
Although I'm far from the unhealthy state I was in 10+ years ago, I'm currently at 197 lbs with 22% body fat. With Glazed and David’s help, I’m documenting my journey to a lower body fat percentage on our social media accounts. Follow us on Instagram, X, or Mastodon to watch my progress.
I've known David for over a decade. If you want "warm and fuzzy," you won’t find it here. But if you need honest, expert advice and uniquely crafted fitness programs that offer total body benefits, then Glazed is where you'll find it.