Befit Personal Training Studio

I am a fifty year old female ovarian cancer survivor on dialysis with osteoarthritis.

Before training with Barbara I was so weak from chemo treatments that I could barely pick up a can of soup. Training has improved my strength and I am now preparing for a 5K hand cycle race.

Working with Barbara has given me more confidence and increased my ability to balance. Right now I am learning yellow belt forms in Karate. Once I master these forms I will be able to earn an orange belt.

If you are looking to improve your overall physical health and enhance your body awareness I recommend working out with Barbara. Attending a personal training session with her is an excellent opportunity which will meet your needs

Barbara is a fabulous trainer. Shes a great motivator, full of energy! She consistently changes the work out so you NEVER feel bored with your workout. She definitely has changed my life as I never worked out before and now I look forward to working out with her. Her upbeat attitude and high energy is definitely contagious and is a pleasure. I highly recommend her as a trainer; she is professional, knows her business and is tuned into and listens to her clients needs (& issues).

have been going to Barbara for at least 3 years. Over the years I have used many trainers.

Once I started with Barbara, I knew this was it. She is extraordinary. She works right along with you, and helps you to understand the benefits of what she is teaching you. I do not love working out, but with Barbara it is fun, and I know I am doing positive things for my body.

My daughter was taking karate and struggled to learn the katas. She became so frustrated, that she was ready to quit. As soon as she began to work with Barbara, she mastered the katas and her movements became more precise and smooth. Within 2 months of Barbaras coaching, she advanced from a yellow to an orange belt! 1 1/2 years later, she advanced 3 whole belt levels to a blue belt and is now in the advanced class. She loves it and her confidence is soaring.

Barbara has helped my daughter develop movement patterns I never thought she could have. My daughter has a slight limp. When I first brought her to Barbara, she couldnt independently walk forward and backward on a balance beam or hop on her affected foot. Because of Barbara she can do all if this now and her gait has improved!

Nine months ago, I made a commitment to my health and began working out twice a week with Barbara Shapiro as well as seeing a nutritionist. Engaging in a regular exercise program has always been difficult for me, but training with Barb has resulted in what feels like a miracle: I enjoy my workouts and actually look forward to my training sessions.

From the start, Barb has both encouraged me to work hard and respected my body as it is. She motivates me but never emphasizes performance over good technique and my well being. Her deep knowledge of body mechanics, combined with her awareness of my individual twinges and pains, have insured that I’ve remained injury-free, which is of crucial importance to me.

Barb, who has a black belt in karate, began incorporating some karate moves into our workouts. To my surprise and delight, I loved the karate, and it is now a regular part of our sessions. Because karate requires a strong core, good balance, flexibility, and stamina, it dovetails perfectly with the other work we do. And, it provides a great mental workout as well.

Barb emphasizes good technique, and the body awareness I’ve gained from my work with her has impacted my everyday life. I carry myself differently now: My posture is better, my shoulders are more relaxed, my core is tighter, my balance is much improved. I’ve gained confidence in my body and my ability to tackle physical activities. I’ve also lost about 40 pounds.

Barb makes working out as easy as possible. Since she comes to my home, I’m never late, and I don’t have to worry about taking a shower, putting on make up, dressing for the weather, etc. Barb is funny and intelligent, and I enjoy my time with her. Plus, she makes me feel good about myself. What could be better than that?

RIGHTFIT CHICAGO

Barbara Shapiro is a true professional in every sense of the word. She is a quality teacher, coach, and trainer. Through positive reinforcements, Barbara has an uncanny ability to stress proper form and breathing. Her enthusiasm for fitness is evident in the way that she explains every exercise with so much energy and a constant smile on her face. All of Barbara’s sessions are done in the comfort of her own home or the client’s, giving the client an authentic one-on-one personal training feel.

Amongst many things throughout the workout, I learned that I have poor balance. Barbara would get up on the Bosu ball while standing on a resistance band and do bicep curls with ease. Since I consider myself physically fit and capable of many physical tasks, this exercise looked like a cakewalk. How hard could it be? Of course, when I first stepped on the stability ball, it was as if all of my balance and stabilization had been tossed out of the proverbial window; frustration immediately set in once I realized that I struggled to stand straight for three seconds. Having said that, my displeasure was quickly subdued when Barbara calmly refocused my attention on balancing myself through my core.

Along with several balance exercises, Barbara put me through karate and boxing drills. The combinations of kicks and punches forced me to engage by core and tested my coordination. She ensured that my every move was fluid and thorough as she stressed that I never sacrifice my rhythm. To wrap everything up, Barbara showed me a few exercises using the TRX; an outstanding tool that creates a total body workout. There are countless exercises that can be done using TRX, and Barbara Shapiro can teach you why each one is beneficial. Being so in tune with how our bodies react to certain exercises, Barbara can teach anyone how to challenge their muscles through isometric work and multiple