Meet our Superhero of the Month for March: Alex Sneed!
I still remember the night Alex and Nikenji walked in the doors of Mo-Mentum Fitness to see what we were about. They were pretty nervous. Anyone who is ready to transform their life is going to be nervous. Change can feel daunting. And even when we know our current lifestyle is no longer working for us, we can get stuck in those old habits without some direction to the new path.
If you’ve met Alex you know he is a quiet warrior! He’s focused and he works hard. Alex has the “I WILL DO THIS” look in his eyes most of the time.
What’s most impressive about Alex is that he knew what he needed to do, he knew what would work and what wouldn’t work and he owned it. For example, Alex knew the big box gym experience would not help him because it lacked the accountability factor. He knew he needed direction and he wasn’t willing to waste his precious time on trying to figure the new path out by himself.
Alex also jumped into Mo-Mentum with his girlfriend (now wife) Nikenji. Couples who transform together have an added support and super power!
What’s also impressive about Alex is that he started on his new path to wellness and he didn’t look back!
Today, it’s obvious that Alex is THRIVING! He is leaning into his life and fully enjoying his hobbies, his marriage and many more parts of his life because he chose to be adamant about taking the RIGHT steps to create his most extraordinary health and mindset!
Alex is an inspiration and we are so proud to name him Mo-Mentum Fitness’ Superhero of March!
Thank you Alex for allowing Mo-Mentum Fitness to be a part of, and for sharing, your inspiring story with us!
Q & A with our Superhero himself:
Q- Describe what your life (and your health) was like before Mo-Mentum.
A- My life and health were not great before I started attending Mo-Mentum. I was a daily smoker, and I hadn’t done proper exercise since I graduated college. After I graduated college, I began working a lot and became accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle both in the office and at home. Due to a high intensity seasonal work schedule, smoking was my way to wind down and enjoy the couple of hours I had each night before going to sleep and beginning another overtime day.
Q- Was there ever a low point or an experience that made your priorities change?
A- After 25, I started to notice the effects of smoking affecting my everyday activity as well as the impact of my high stress job. I needed to change jobs and my lifestyle. I noticed that I was feeling my body struggle doing basic things such as loading/unloading groceries.
Q- How did Mo-Mentum Fitness come into your life (or back into your life)?
A- My wife, girlfriend at the time, wanted to find an outlet for her energy because my sedentary lifestyle did not give her that outlet. I had used most of my energy at work, so I didn’t think I could find more energy to share that outlet with her. But I needed to change my lifestyle because my body was starting to falter at a young age. We lived across the street from Mo-Mentum, and we went to check it out and see what it was like. I’ve only ever worked out at large free-for-all gyms and never a small group focused gym. I knew the free-for-all gyms did not work out for me because I could not keep myself accountable. I needed a gym that kept me accountable because I was not able to do that myself when it came to a workout regimen.
Q- What kind of results have you seen since becoming a member at Mo-Mentum?
A- Since quitting smoking entirely about 4 years ago and doing regular weekly exercise, my lung capacity and cardio endurance have drastically improved. My torso looks about the same, but I have defined muscles where they should be, and my leg muscles are defined. I weigh the same, but I have replaced a lot of fat with muscle and I can see those muscles on my body.
Q- Please talk more about the actual changes in your life.
A- I got a job that is less stressful and allows me to have time to work on myself and my health. I quit smoking about 4 years ago. I go to the gym for 3 hours on Saturday and another hour on Wednesday. From these changes, I feel like I’ve addressed the decline in my health, which I noticed several years ago. My lungs feel good and I’m able to lift weights. I’ve found a healthy balance that I have been previously missing in taking care of my career but also taking care of my body.
Q- Let’s focus in on the blood work. What kind of changes have you seen? What do these changes mean for you lifestyle, longevity, etc.?
A- My lifestyle is more balanced. Longevity in the context of lifespan I don’t really have a good grasp on that. I guess my longevity trajectory is better.
Q- Why do you make Mo-Mentum Fitness a priority in your life?
A- I needed to implement a habit of exercise into my life before I got too old and did too much damage to my body. Now that I have gained so much strength and stamina, I am afraid to lose it.
Q- These days, what makes truly happy and feel at peace?
A- Knowing that I can provide a balanced, safe, and happy life and lifestyle for me and my wife.
Q- How do you feel compared to 1 year ago?
A- At age 30, I feel like I’ve completed the easy gains and now I’m capable of going after the harder parts of fitness that were completely out of my reach 1 year ago. For example, I have begun practicing Yoga about a year ago, and now I can do/hold most of the basic poses and enjoy the flow instead of struggling through each pose.
Team Mo and I choose our SUPERHERO OF THE MONTH based on several important factors that we believe reflect the values on which the Mo-Mentum Fitness world-class culture has been built upon.
Mo-Mentum’s Core Values Include:
· Mindset for growth, constant never-ending learning – if you’re not growing, you’re shrinking.
· Over-deliver on all we do.
· Tribe – we all need a supportive and inspiring tribe, people we can be ourselves around and who nudge us to be one percent better every day.
· Transparency – We believe in honesty with ourselves and with others of course.
· Vitality – We believe in living vibrantly and living all out with courage and passion.
