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From 247 Pounds to Fit and Toned: Angel Menendez’s Revolutionary Weight Loss Journey Captivates Fitness Fans

Avatar The Chicago Journal Staff on February 10, 2023

Angel Menendez, a Cuban fitness influencer and YouTube star, has taken the fitness world by storm with his inspiring journey from a weight of 247 pounds to a fit and toned 180 pounds. Over the years, he has shared his knowledge, tips, and strategies for weight loss and fitness with thousands of subscribers and followers through his YouTube channel and Instagram account.

Menendez’s rise to fame can be attributed to his dedication, passion, and commitment to helping others achieve their fitness goals. He began his journey several years ago when he struggled with weight and health issues. After years of dieting and inconsistent exercise, he decided to take his health seriously and develop a sustainable lifestyle.

Through hard work and dedication, Menendez transformed his body and life, and he has since become a leading voice in the fitness community, sharing his expertise and experience with others. He uploads fitness vlogs, workout videos, and nutrition and diet tips, providing valuable information and support to those who want to improve their health and fitness.

In addition to his YouTube channel, Menendez also runs a platform under the name “Anabolic Chef,” where he shares healthy and delicious recipes for anabolic foods and provides nutritional advice to those looking to build muscle and lose weight. He highlights the need for a balanced diet, reminding followers that nutrition is critical to achieving fitness goals.

Menendez’s story is inspiring and relatable, as he is a living testament to the power of perseverance and self-motivation. Many people look up to him as an inspiration since he has shown that anybody can reach their fitness objectives if they are willing to put in the effort and remain determined. His ability to connect with his followers and provide practical and helpful advice has made him a trusted source in the fitness community.

Menendez has received several awards and accolades in recognition of his achievements and impact on the fitness industry. He is certainly noticed as one of the most significant figures in the fitness industry by several popular publications, and his social media platforms have been listed as some of the best in the fitness industry.

Menendez’s mission is to help others reach their full physical and mental potential. He believes that everyone has the potential to transform their lives, and his goal is to provide guidance and support to those who want to take the first step toward a healthier and happier life. He is an inspiring figure and continues to be a leading voice in the fitness community, inspiring and empowering others to achieve their fitness goals.

Angel Menendez‘s journey from weight loss to fitness influencer is a testament to the power of hard work and determination. He has become a role model to many and continues to inspire and empower individuals with his passion for fitness, dedication to healthy living, and commitment to helping others. It is impossible to deny the influence that he has had on the community of fitness enthusiasts, and he will undoubtedly continue to encourage and inspire others in the years to come.

Angel Menendez can be followed on his official Insta handle: @angelmenendezfitness

Kelly Lamoreaux on Utilizing the Beauty and Fitness Spaces to Inspire People to Pursue Success

Avatar The Chicago Journal Staff on August 4, 2022

For most people, looking their absolute best is paramount, whether it is a work requirement or simply something that can help boost their self-confidence. Yet despite its noble intentions, the beauty space is a double-edged sword that can quickly turn into an exploitative experience, especially at the hands of untrustworthy “professionals.” Cognizant of this, the esteemed Dr. Kelly Lamoreaux, DMD, has dedicated her practice to ensure that patients will receive exceptional care and top-notch services that will make them feel good about themselves and their bodies.

The respected expert is known for her impeccable and groundbreaking composite and porcelain veneer work. Dubbed the cosmetic dentist to the stars, she has countless A-list clients, including celebrities and athletes from the NFL and NBA. In fact, she has earned such great renown that people from all over the world travel just to set an appointment with her.

As a testament to her unrivaled expertise, her fellow dental professionals seek her guidance and mentorship to learn her innovative techniques. On top of that, the remarkable woman has been consistently voted by her colleagues and peers as the Top Colorado Dentist for five years in a row.

In addition, Dr. Kelly is also a fitness professional, personal trainer, sports nutritionist, and pre and postnatal exercise specialist. Furthermore, she is a diastasis recti expert who has made waves for creating Abs After Babies, a trailblazing program known to heal ab separation or diastasis recti. “I teach women how to heal their bodies from this condition with my revolutionary program while avoiding surgery,” the entrepreneur shared. The solution has helped thousands of individuals heal their abs, especially postpartum women. Because of its impressive effects, Abs After Babies has been featured on the popular show The Doctors on FOX/CBS.

The outstanding woman proudly shared her well-deserved accomplishments and said, “My program is based on physical therapy techniques and was launched in 2017. My work with Diastasis recti created a movement of furthering awareness of this women’s health issue. I have been featured on several magazine covers. I have a new magazine cover and article coming out soon with the Fitness Magazine Muscle and Fitness Hers.”

Aside from being a medical practitioner, the beauty and fitness authority utilizes her profound knowledge in the field as an influencer. The mother-of-four posts various content through her social media platforms that help men and women improve their physical and mental health. She also generously shares her life story and experiences to uplift and encourage her followers that success is possible through hard work and perseverance. As a result, she has earned a massive combined following of more than one million on Instagram and TikTok. 

Dr. Kelly is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after professionals in the beauty space today. Moving forward, the incredible woman hopes to continue her advocacy of helping patients build their confidence, especially women and mothers. As such, she remains steadfast in her quest for innovation in the dental and fitness industries. But above all, the inspiring individual intends to use her influence to motivate, inspire, and encourage others to pursue their dreams.

How Fitness Gave LaMarqus Collins the Push He Needed to Make a Comeback

Avatar The Chicago Journal Staff on April 9, 2021

Everyone loves a good comeback story, especially in the world of sports.

For example, stories of Adrian Peterson and his torn ACL and Paul George and his fractured leg are often retold and celebrated. They highlight the beautiful resilience and determination of the human spirit and inspire many others in the same situation who may be feeling helpless. This is another one of those stories, though it ends in an unconventional way.

LaMarqus Collins was a young and promising basketball player who had played for three and a half years in Venice, Italy, when he figured in a horrific injury where he tore his ACL and meniscus. His dream of making it to the NBA was dashed in an instant. He was crushed.

LaMarqus underwent rehab for his injuries. It was a rough and rigorous journey, and he had to push himself hard while nursing his career heartbreak. The countless hours that he put into physical and mental work slowly paid off. Through the process of trying to get healthy and being fit again, he fell in love with training and working out. This positivity brought him and others together. And this positivity and love for fitness bought him and others together. This band of people eventually became Smakkfitness, a gym that trains celebrities and pro athletes.

LaMarqus brings the Wilmington area a record of exceptional leadership and people skills along with strategic vision on how the fitness center will benefit the community. Prior to opening the gym, he worked in various positions as a manager, personal trainer, marketer, and road manager for music artists.

He is the chief executive officer for Smakk Fitness LLC and executive manager and artist at Training Camp Music, children’s nonprofit founder, and author. LaMarqus is passionate about his advocacies, and he has traveled all over the world to spread the word on different topics such as autism. In 2014, he was invited to speak at an event hosted in Louisiana for autism awareness. LaMarqus was so inspired and humbled by this experience that he set out and started his own nonprofit organization, SmakkDaddy Foundation, which stands for Smart Men Actively Karing 4 Kids. He has very strong ties in the community, especially the youth. He volunteered for several years as a coach for the youth at the New Castle County Police Athletic Club as well as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware.

He has a nine-year-old daughter himself named Naviyah Collins, who is in gymnastics and takes swimming lessons in her spare time.

LaMarqus has written and independently published two e-books on Amazon titled Johnny Be Bad parts 1 and 2. The series warns young people about online predators who pretend to be young, relatable people.

From having his dreams taken away from him to recover from a horrific injury to becoming the first minority gym owner in the US to becoming a published author, LaMarqus is proud of the journey he has trod so far, different it may be from the usual athlete comeback tale. “I’m a self-made, self-owned, black-owned business entrepreneur that overcame stigmas, odds, and statistics without any handouts or cosigns. That alone separates me from most!” he proudly says.

Learn more about LaMarqus’s gym, Smakk Fitness, by visiting his website here. Follow his Instagram page for the latest updates.

Body Goals 21 Making Fitness More Attainable for Busy Moms and Biz Owners

Avatar The Chicago Journal Staff on March 10, 2021

Many people today barely have the time to stay fit and healthy. With all the demands that parenting, business, family, home care, and careers have on many people, one of the priorities that quickly go out the window is exercise. One fitness coach, Taz Thomas, hopes to change that reality for many busy moms, entrepreneurs, executives, professionals, and students with a signature training program called Body Goals 21.

The online fitness program exists to help busy individuals, groups, and communities get fit from the comfort of their own homes. The program’s design has one’s hectic schedule in mind, packaged into 30-minute bite-sized bits per day. This format helps keep fitness attainable even when people are time-poor. The Body Goals 21 program is a complete guide, including everything from sample meal plans to workout demonstration videos for both mobile and laptop viewing.

The Body Goals 21 is a product of mindset and body coach Taz Thomas, whose main goal in life is to help women entrepreneurs and overwhelmed mothers experience the best that life can offer by becoming the best that they can be. She has appeared on ABC and NBC for her work in fitness and coaching. 

As a coach, Taz knows what it’s like to be in her clients’ shoes. She became a mother at the age of seventeen, having to balance providing for her child while creating a future for herself. Initially, she had it in her to take the traditional route through career street by climbing up the corporate ladder. She picked up a master’s degree in business administration but would later realize that she wanted more out of life. 

“I always had a huge passion for fitness and one day decided that I wanted to do everything I could to create the life of my dreams,” shares the fitness coach. “I did a lot of self-reflection and decided that from that point on, I would only pursue the desires of my heart.” Today, not only is Taz fitter, but she feels more fulfilled, too, doing something that she knows creates an impact in other people’s lives. 

After years of working with clients from all walks of life, she designed Body Goals 21 to reach and coach more people. The program contains various tools and resources that help people take ideas into action, including a full set of video tutorials, healthy supermarket and grocery shopping lists, meal plans, supplements guides, and an exclusive online community to provide accountability, motivation and support. Body Goals 21’s daily regimens include various glute and leg targeting exercises, upper body exercises, and a body sculpting cardio guide.

Taking principles and practices from her fitness journey, Taz takes years of balancing motherhood, career, and fitness and translates it into a system that has helped produce undeniable results for hundreds of women worldwide. Taz Thomas hopes to coach and motivate thousands of women to design their dream bodies and lives through her programs, communities, and coaching sessions.Body Goals 21 is available today at a slashed rate of $75. Learn more by visiting the program’s website and Taz’s Instagram account.

Leading Podcast “Fresh & Fit” Keeps Men in Shape and Successful

Avatar The Chicago Journal Staff on February 19, 2021

Success comes in various forms and may be found in different aspects of life. From relationships and finances to fitness, the leading podcast Fresh & Fit gives winning tips and secrets to help men become holistically accomplished in all their endeavors. 

The brainchild of influencers Freshprinceceo and Myron Gaines, Fresh & Fit is one of the emerging channels online. By focusing on elevating men to become the best versions of themselves, the podcast has proven instrumental and life-changing for its reach.

Before becoming the powerhouse they are now, Freshprinceceo and Myron Gaines were influential social media personalities amassing a jaw-dropping following on their platforms. As friends, the two would talk often, and it was during one video call where they talked about how they’ve triumphed over hurdles in their lives that the Fresh & Fit podcast took its first breath. 

A riveting presence from its launch last November 2020, the dynamic partners’ podcast is responsible for teaching men what they need to know about fitness, relationships, and finance, connecting them to success with well-founded advice. 

Designed as the leading personal development podcast for men, Fresh & Fit carries a mile-long track record of guiding more than a thousand men to accomplishment. Freshprinceceo and Myron Gaines’ combined knowledge and hard-earned strategies have earned their channel a standing reputation for excellence and delivery.

This reputation has attracted a massive following on the podcast’s social media platforms. At present, Fresh & Fit holds the attention of a whopping over 20,000 followers on Instagram, around 37,500 on TikTok with over three hundred thousand likes, and 22,700 subscribers on their YouTube channel with an awe-inducing 1.5 million views in less than a year.

Although recently established, the podcast has produced twenty-eight groundbreaking episodes and has invited high-profile, influential guests to the show. Guiding men into great investments, better shape, and healthier relationships, Fresh & Fit prides itself on an unprecedented success rate that is shaping its impact in the years to come.

As they raise that coveted rate, Freshprinceceo and Myron Gaines offer a free ebook entitled Unplugging From the Matrix of Fitness and Game. With similar themes to their podcast, the book has been drafted to help men break unhealthy dating and fitness cycles and kick-start their transformation into influential leaders in all aspects of their lives.

Aside from the ebook, Fresh & Fit is also branching out to the coaching and training industry with exclusive coaching programs for listeners who seek a deeper swim into the duo’s broadcasted talks. These programs are available in small group settings or one-on-one for men looking to upgrade their lifestyles and walk in the Freshprinceceo’s and Myron Gaines’ golden footsteps.

Hinting at the unique strategies provided in their coaching programs and the themes promoted by the Fresh & Fit brand, the lauded influencers share, “In this life, the best way to succeed is to add value to other people’s lives. We have been able to achieve this level of success through adding value to our networks and relationships.”

Stay in shape and bask in overwhelming success. Listen to Fresh & Fit’s life-changing podcast or follow them on Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube for more of their empowering content. 

ZURUIKE Uses a Three-Step Program to Promote Fitness and Healthy Living

Avatar The Chicago Journal Staff on January 28, 2021

Physical transformational change is only possible with the perfect combination of a positive attitude, the appropriate fitness program, and the right guidance. To ensure that clients get the most out of their physical fitness journey, ZURUIKE developed a three-step program designed to get rid of physical roadblocks that get in the way of every person’s desire to stay fit and healthy. Its proactive, preventive, and alternative health care program effectively guides clients toward a better version of themselves. 

The three-step program, founded by Luis Galvan, is called AVATAR. It combines the many benefits of clinical sports massage, a nutrition plan, and fitness training. Known to improve blood flow, range of motion, and flush out toxins from the body, the clinical sports massage focuses on removing adhesive tissue and hitting trigger points. This step works well together with the right nutritional plan, which involves maintaining a diet that promotes the regeneration of new cells and tissue growth. Finally, the fitness training completes the program by allowing clients to achieve enhanced strength and improve speed, agility, and endurance. 

Among the three steps, the clinical sports massage is the unconventional offering in the industry today, but it has impressive long-term benefits. ZURUIKE uses techniques that include structural realignment, trigger point therapy, fascial stretch, and postural repatterning exercises that are commonly used to decrease pain and discomfort, reduce soreness, increase flexibility, and reduce the risk of injury. Additionally, the method is also known to result in fat loss and promote lean muscle gain. Clients who have experienced the clinical sports massage have experienced increased and newfound energy afterward. 

Clients who opt to avail of the AVATAR program will pay a monthly fee that includes four clinical sports massages, four personal training sessions, a month-long nutrition plan, and a workout regimen good for 30 days. Clients are highly encouraged to avail of the three-month package to optimize the program’s effects on the body. 

“Our goal is to educate and empower people to live their best lives, pain, and discomfort-free while keeping them healthy in the world of COVID-19. We want to put healthcare into peoples’ hands, giving them the motivation to get healthy, to save money on health insurance long-term. If clients were proactive about their health, the disease would drop significantly. Our company provides a fun way of accomplishing this,” explains Galvan, the ZURUIKE owner. 

ZURUIKE is also known to be the first private smart gym. Clients can book a schedule so they can have the gym and its smart equipment all to themselves. They will have access to a Peloton, tempo studio gym, Ergatta Rower, and Nordictrack CST. This unique offer makes the company distinct from its numerous competitors in the industry. 

Confident that the three-step program is doing a lot of good for people, Luis Galvan is looking forward to seeing ZURUIKE grow significantly. In a few years, he sees his company opening five franchises in different key cities and continuing to help people live better lives. His program is most importantly about giving people motivation and finding a new zest for life. By assisting them to achieve these, Galvan cannot be any happier to have made a lasting difference in people’s lives. Learn more about ZURUIKE by visiting its website. Check out its Facebook page for updates.

Sarah Alysse on Recalibrating Lifestyles and Finding Balance in Self-Care, Fitness, and Nutrition

Avatar The Chicago Journal Staff on January 26, 2021

Photo Credit: Erik Marthaler

Achieving an ideal balance between career and personal life is one of the greatest pursuits of this generation. Along the process of doing so, many individuals encounter a lot of stress that deters them from having a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Sarah Alysse, a recognized creative stress management and fitness coach, changes the narrative by proving that the balance is possible. 

Sarah Alysse is the founder and CEO of Live Well Enhance You, a company that focuses on helping corporate executives and entrepreneurs find balance in career and personal life. She is best known for her most popular personalized coaching program called Enhance Your Life. The coach examines the areas in her clients’ lives that need tweaking and addresses the roots of their health concerns. Her three-pillar solution to success are stress management, fitness, and nutrition; three core solutions to provide working professionals with ideal and tangible practices that will change their way of life.

“My clients and I focus on understanding their brain-gut connection, developing mindfulness around their stressors, and enhancing fitness performance with functional movements,” says Sarah Alysse. “Over a decade, I have trained a variety of clients and I have noticed that their underlying problem is stress. If we manage our stressors, behavioral changes are easier to make and then everything else falls into place,” she adds. 

Sarah Alysse implements her fun “SOULutions” to counter her clients’ stress factors. Over the years, she has reinvigorated the lives of a myriad of individuals across the country. Her success has been featured across major platforms, including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, US Reporter, and LA Wire. Also, the coach has been featured on WGN Around Town’s segment as a “Stress Management Expert”. 

With her BFA in Musical Theater, Sarah Alysse fully understands the connection between the brain and the body. Additionally, she uses her background in dance to assist her clients maximize their bodies to tackle whatever activity that their career or personal life may demand. 

The coach has acquired various certifications throughout her career to serve her clients better. She is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, a STOTT Pilates certified Instructor, a Keiser’s Cycling Foundations, TRX Instructor, Total Barre Instructor, a NASM Certified Personal trainer, and Master Trainer for bellicon move, bellicon bounce, and bellicon circle. 

“My passion for stress management coaching developed when my father was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer. After he passed away, my mission has been to provide corporate clientele the necessary tools to find balance. ​Stress can eventually break down your body, causing inflammation, so it’s important to develop your stress toolkit now,” shares Sarah Alysse. 

Today, Sarah Alysse is honoring her father by guiding individuals and professionals into a healthier lifestyle to spend more time with their loved ones. Even amid the pandemic, the coach remains proactive with her mission by serving clients through the digital space anywhere in the world. 

Asked what she currently is focused on, Sarah Alysse proudly said that she recently launched her podcast called Stress Free SOULutions with Sarah. She offers advice about stress reduction and converses with experts on their own wellness challenges. The coach also aims to write a book about her health and fitness journey to inspire others to overcome their challenges and live their best lives. 

Learn more about Sarah Alysse and Live Well Enhance You on their website.

Listen to Stress Free SOULutions Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Connect with her personal Instagram page and brand’s Instagram page.