Bonnnie Pfiester is our Fitness Role Model for May!!!

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It is RARE when I meet a couple that literally seem like if there were two pieces that fit…they were the perfect match. Bonnie and Steve Pfiester are a fitness force. LITERALLY.

They own their own gym: Longevity Clubs

He is the host of ABC’s Fat March and CMT’s Bridal Bootcamp.

SHE is a fit, energetic, charismatic philanthropist who has been the community champion and chairperson for the American Red Cross.

Their entire family has transformed their body through fitness.

ABSOLUTELY inspirational.

Bonnie has given our readers a special glimpse into her world. Not only does she train with her mother every morning, but she trains with her husband in the evenings and has NEVER competed. I LOVE IT!

Check her out below!

They are an inspirational fitness couple!!

Absolutely Beautiful!

Photos taken by

MISTY LUNDEEN, www.amistymoment.com

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BONNIE PFIESTER’s WORD’s of WISDOM!

Height: 5’9” Current Weight: 138lbs Age: 36 Residence: Vero Beach, FL

1. Where did you grow up? Tallahassee, Florida
2. What is your background in sports/fitness? I was a tomboy since I was small. As far as sports go, I started with tee ball, playing softball all through school. After I graduated from high school I began working at my first health club at 18. I’ve been in the health & beauty industry ever since.
3. What is your weekly workout routine? I jog five days a week with my mom 3 to 4 ½ miles. Monday I do legs, Tuesday is shoulders, Wednesdays Back, Chest, Triceps & Biceps, Thursdays is legs again and Fridays I hit shoulders again. I do abs as much as I can. Weekends are play time for me. If I train, I do cardio with my husband and my Wednesday body parts again.

MONDAY - Legs: (4 sets of 18)
Leg Press (200lb+sled) (single leg presses on Thursdays)

Leg Extension (80-90lbs) (single leg extensions on Thursdays)

Single leg lunge for butt work (30 reps on each leg)
Walking Lunges (15lb dumbbells)

Let Curls (80lbs, rotating single curls with 20-30lbs each) (singles on Thursdays)

Straight Leg Dead Lifts

TUESDAY – Shoulders: (3-4 sets of 12-15)
Standing shoulder press (15lbs + bar)
Sitting shoulder press with (20lb dumbbells)
Lateral Raises – straight armed (10lb db)
Lateral Raises – bent in close (20lb db)

Upright Rows (35-45lb using bar)
Rear delts (15lb db)
Reverse pec dec (70lbs)

WEDNESDAY – Back and Triceps (3-4 sets of 12-15)

Dumbbell Chest Press (25lb dumbbells)

Dumbbell Flies (20lbs)

Lat Pulldowns wide (75-85lb)
Lat Rows (85lb)

Bent over rows (30lb dumbbells)
Straight-armed Tricep cable pull downs (35lbs)

Tricep Press (Dip machine) 55-70lbs

Tricep Kickbacks (12lb dumbbells)

Standing bicep curl with straight bar (30lbs) (drop sets)

Single Arm Bicep Curl (15lbs)

THURSDAY – Repeat Light Leg Day (do singles on many exercises)

FRIDAY – Repeat Light Shoulder Day (super sets, light weights burning it out)

WEEKENDS – extra optional days to hit upper body again.

1. What is your daily eating routine? Basically I eat the same stuff everyday. I eat either oatmeal, protein shake or yogurt with a sprinkle of granola for breakfast. I have leftovers, which is normally rice or sweet potato and a meat or NutriSystem for lunch (NutriSystem sponsored my husband’s TV show so we have it coming out of our ears and it’s really good and high in protein). I snack on almonds, protein bars, protein shakes, yogurt, fruit or ostrich jerky (from the nutrition store) between meals. For dinner I either cook a green vegetable and grill a lean meat or I make one of my famous salads. My husband and I love salads. My favorite late night snack is 100 calorie popcorn with spray butter on it!
2. What does a typical day for you look like? My alarm goes off at 6:50am. I’m not a early riser, so I get up about when the sun gets up. My mom meets me at my house for a short visit, a cup of coffee and our morning run. After our run, I normally check my email and start working from home while drinking my morning coffee (one of my favorite things to do!). By 10am I am normally heading in to work, at Longevity Fitness Club & Spa, which I own with my husband Steve Pfiester. I have several hats at the club that include everything from marketing, public relations, management, paying bills, running fitness programs, and spending time with members. I also write a weekly fitness column for our local newspaper and for several publications and websites. My husband, Steve Pfiester and trainer for weight loss reality TV, also keeps me busy as his publicist. I managing his schedule and run his website in addition to designing and managing our business website, our business’s myspace and my personal website. Part of my daily routine is filled with answering diet and exercise questions coming from our websites. I don’t meet friends for tea or lunch, instead my girlfriend time is my training time where I train with my best friend, Kristie. We train together in the middle of the day, while it’s a little slower at the club. After our workout I stick around until about 7pm or so. Both my husband and I feel it’s important to be seen at the club so we like to be there during primetime hours. When I feel the club is doing fine, I get to head home for a healthy dinner and TV time with my husband. Then it’s time to start all over again.
3. Have you ever competed? If yes, which contests? Why did you compete? No. I have never had a desire to compete. The only time I am on a stage is if I’m singing (I come from a musical family). I have to admit I am a little shy when it comes to walking on a stage in a mini-bikini. I appreciate the hard work that goes into training for a competition, but I prefer to stay clothed in the audience. Ha!
4. Did you graduate college? Which one? No. I was too impatient for college. While working at my first health club, I went to a technical school to get licensed as a nail technician. I guess I was always an entrepreneur. I opened a full service salon shortly after, where I helped put my husband through college for exercise and nutrition and then physical therapy school. As soon as he graduated we did our first health club together.
5. Did you always know you’d be in the fitness industry as a child? Not as a child, although our family always had a gym at the house. Interestingly enough, my parents had the opportunity to do a health club when I was small but they decided not to make the move because they didn’t want to move me out of my school. I always thought lifting weights was cool and even when I was young I’d try to impress my dad with my strength for a little girl on our home gym equipment. It’s funny, I still have a picture of my dad doing the crab (most muscular pose). I used to think he was so strong and I was impressed with his muscles.
6. What is your occupation? Health Club Owner, Life Coach & Fitness Columnist.
7. Tell us about your husband, what is his name, what does he do? As I mentioned, my husband, Steve Pfiester, and I own a health club and spa called Longevity Fitness Club & Spa. Steve recently was cast as the trainer for ABC’s weight loss reality show called Fat March. This year he was cast as the male trainer for CMT’s new weight loss reality show called Bridal Bootcamp which will air later this year. Steve runs our boot camp program and the personal training at our club. He also is a great addition to our aerobics program since he’s taught for 15 years. He teaches abs classes and kickboxing as well as subs for some of our other classes which comes in handy since we have over 60 classes a week. He is also the brains behind our club. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in Physical Therapy and his knowledge is so valuable to our members and staff. I have learned so much from him – he is a great teacher and he is so passionate about what he does.
8. How does it feel like to be a “Fitness Force” with your husband? We absolutely love it! We both feel it is the glue in our marriage. If it weren’t for us both being Christians and both loving fitness, we would have probably not lasted this long. It is great to be passionate about the same things and going down the same path. Although we have different roles, strengths and weaknesses, we both know we are moving forward together working toward the same goals and dreams. There is nothing like doing WHAT you love with WHO you love! It is very rewarding.
9. What are some fit things you love to do together? We enjoy jogging together and working out together.
10. What is your advice for other couples who are trying to get in shape? Most couples have different weaknesses and needs when it comes to training and dieting. I think it’s important to respect each other’s needs in a way where you can show your spouse support to help them reach their goals. There may be a certain food you have to give up because your spouse can handle having that food in the house or you may need to encourage your spouse to workout with you or get up early for a run when they are being tempted to skip out. Sometimes one person will sabotage the other simply by not being sensitive to their needs. Other times we sabotage the other one because we think our spouse already looks great to us so we talk them into skipping a workout or eating out. All in all, it has to be a team effort.
11. What is your advice for a person who wants to motivate their mate to get in shape? This is a tough one. Weight issues are a sensitive topic. Feelings can get hurt so it has to be discussed delicately. My advice is to commit to making changes together. It’s also important to express your love and concern for the other. It can’t be about looks. Appearance is the icing on the cake, and can’t be the driving force behind your desire for your mate to get in shape. The reason you should encourage your spouse to get in shape needs to be because you know they’ll be happier and healthier. When your spouse is extremely overweight, you want your spouse to be healthy so you can live a long life together. In addition, when your spouse is happy, it’s easier for you both to be happy. Many times insecurities and depression due to weight issues can put added strain on a marriage – no matter how much you love each other. Unconditional love and support is vital.
12. What is your favorite exercise? My first reaction is to say I don’t have a favorite exercise. My husband LOVES working out, I have to say I don’t love working out as much as I love what it does for my body and the way I feel. If I had to choose, I probably like doing shoulders when it comes to lifting weights and I enjoy my time jogging with my mom. I have basically coordinated all my friend time around my workout time so it makes exercising something I look forward to!
13. Favorite Diet Food? 100 Calorie popcorn (not really diet food, but it’s not bad food!)
14. Favorite Cheat Food? Chips and salsa or anything Mexican!
15. Favorite magazine? InTouch or other gossip mags….I know, I hate to admit it, but it’s true!
16. Favorite Book? The Bible.
17. Favorite motivational quote? I love my husband’s quote “Being Fit Feels Better Than Food Tastes”
18. Do you take any supplements? Which one(s)? Protein (American Whey or IsoPure Zero Carb) and KreAlkaline (creatine)
19. What is your last words of advice for readers of Fitness Cure.. Fitness doesn’t have to be complicated. The media often overcomplicates things and confuses people – to the point it can discourage people from even trying to get fit. Fitness is just science and it works. There are no tricks or magic pills. The problem is people rely on guesses and not facts. They get tricked by wasting valuable time on gimmicks instead of getting healthy the right way. The facts are simple, but you have to spend a little time and energy learning the basics. Gimmicks don’t work, so don’t even waste your time or money. There are no shortcuts to being fit. It requires work, just like other rewards in life. And trust me, the reward is absolutely priceless. Just ask my mom who finally decided to get fit the RIGHT way and lost 90lbs after battling her weight for nearly 30 years. Or ask my teenage sister who lost 50lbs despite everyone who was convinced she was just one of those big-boned girls who will always be “big”.

Weight loss boils down to one thing – calories in and calories out. If you have no idea how many calories you are burning or taking in, you can’t expect to get results. Your success can not rely on a guessing game. We are an impatient world who wants results overnight – it’s not going to happen. You must be consistent and not let your impatience sabotage your success. Lastly, there’s no excuse. No matter what someone’s past, current situation or physical limitations, most likely there is someone out there who is in the exact same boat who has experienced success. We often try to use excuses, even legitimate ones, to give us a way out of even trying to get fit. My mom’s motto when she made the commitment to finally get in shape was “No more excuses”. She realized that although she didn’t mean to gain the weight in the first place, she finally realized it WAS her fault for not doing anything about it. For a long time she played the blame game, but not any more. She quit procrastinating and making excuses and now she is a walking testimony. It’s time to make a change today. You have to believe fitness can work for you just like it has worked for so many others.