May 2021 Athlete of the Month - Lisa Poggi

A big congratulations to Lisa Poggi for being our May Athlete of the Month. Here is a women who came to us with plenty of athletic, gym and life experience as well as some concerning injuries. Unlike many who have existing limitations, Lisa wanted to follow all the reccommended adivce we had to offer and understood the discipline needed to progress. From early conversations with her, I knew she would be a great member (and not just for being a fellow Rangers fan.) As coaches, we are here as health & fitness lifeguards. When an athlete like Lisa reads the program, comes early to class and has a conversation with us about the modifications she already thought about and needs for the program, that shows a great amount of self awareness. Since I have constant conversations with Dr. Jeremy who has been treating Lisa pretty much since she joined, we are always on the same page with what movements to avoid for the time being and what the next step is. Along with the soft tissue treatment, Nikki cares for Lisa’s pain management with acupuncture. To add one more asset to the mix, Michelle Jantzen led a phenomenal nutrition challenge that Lisa was damn near close to winning. As she says in the Q&A below, Lisa dropped 20lbs of body fat in 2 months. That’s amazing! Her hard work continues to pay off inside and outside the gym. There are two more things I would like to say about our athlete of the month. I’ve told her personally but Lisa is the most well managed member I’ve ever coached who has been in her type of situation. She has years or work, gym, life and people experience and she definitely has a hold on things even with limitations for training. Lastly, I speak for the entire staff when I say thank you Lisa for putting your trust in us. It means the world to us and just witnessing your progress is worth it let along being a part of it.

Written by: Coach Rob Moloney


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Q&A
Why did you start functional fitness cross-training?
Five years ago, I joined a local CrossFit box at a friend’s suggestion. Initially, I assumed that all “cross-training” approaches were similar but when I joined IPF, I realized that I was dead wrong! I quickly learned at IPF that functional fitness cross-training is truly a long-term commitment to health & and fitness instead of a short-term “how heavy can you lift at all costs” approach that tended to result in a lot of injuries.

What’s your background (athletic)?
Throughout my childhood, I enjoyed all sports but primarily focused on softball and basketball. Unfortunately, more than a decade of being a softball catcher takes its toll on your knees! Despite this, more than ten years ago I trained for a few years one-on-one with a champion kickboxer to stay in shape and strengthen my legs. I then started cross-training five years ago.

How long have you been a member?
I started at IPF last Summer, so coming up on my one-year anniversary.

What is your favorite thing about the gym?
First, the well-balanced approach to programming. Again, it supports a long-term commitment to fitness. Second, sharing the intent of each program has been both insightful and invaluable. Last but certainly not least, it’s the coaches. While each one has their own unique style, they are all amazingly skilled, insightful, engaging, and caring.

What is the biggest challenge you have overcome since joining the gym?
When I joined IPF, I was limping due to a lot of leg pain, unable to walk short distances, or even straighten out my legs. Although multiple surgeons told me that I needed to have both knees replaced, I just didn’t believe that it needed to happen just yet. Instead, with a lot of modifying of the workouts, plus the amazing soft tissue work of Dr. Jeremy and Nikki’s acupuncture treatments, today I’m a totally different person than when I joined IPF. Perhaps only surgery will correct my structural knee issues and damage, but IPF & Vatra gave me back a much more normal day-to-day life.

What is your favorite moment at the gym so far?
At the end of the Spring Fat Loss Challenge a few weeks ago, I was in the Vatra office for my body fat scan with Michelle. While I was thrilled when she told me that I dropped from 34% body fat to 28.6% in just two months, that wasn’t my favorite moment…my favorite moment was when I stepped out of the room and saw Michelle, Rob, Nikki, and Dr. Jeremy all standing by the front desk. It was at that moment I realized that I had amassed my very own “Dream Team” and that I owed all of my progress to each and every one of them!

What’s your favorite “cheat” food?
Thanks to Michelle’s nutrition training, I no longer think of it as a “cheat” but rather a “80-20 balance.”  With that said, I guess a white chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cup would be at the top of my list!

What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting?
Just show up, keep an open mind, listen to the coaches, and you won’t regret it!

What drives you?
My desire to stay healthy & fit and continue to see overall progress. In addition to the IPF & Vatra staff, Michelle’s nutrition training has enabled me to lose approximately 20 lbs. of body fat. Not only is this clearly a healthy change but the weight loss has also alleviated a good amount of the load on my knees.

What is your biggest fitness goal right now?
To maintain the health and strength that I have regained in my legs and elsewhere (so my knees don’t have to work so hard) and staying smart with modifications as needed to ensure that I don’t experience injury or setbacks. I also want to continue to focus on my upper body strength so I can finally accomplish an unassisted pullup!

Finally, a big thank you to Erica & Jason Ryan for leading me to the IPF family and taking the time to explain how different IPF would be compared to my previous cross-training experience!