Fit and Fueled

Meryl came highly recommended through a close friend at the perfect time for me and my husband. Several months into the pandemic lockdown, we realized that we'd fallen into a sedentary lifestyle that was doing our bodies and our sanity no favors. I joined Meryl's Zoom group workout class and it made me remember how WONDERFUL it feels to push my body and build strength. Meryl is an excellent coach; even in a group setting of varying levels Meryl knows exactly how to modify every move so that everyone is pushed appropriately. A few months ago my husband and I started personal training together as well with Meryl and it's really taken our training to the next level. Not only has it boosted our physical fitness but I can tell a difference into our confidence in and out of the gym as well. And my clothes are fitting better, which I am extremely happy about. I'm also a big fan of the types of workouts we do with Meryl in general. Each routine is intentional and focused. She's always happy to modify if something doesn't feel right, answer questions, and correct form. We look forward to our workouts every week!

I can't say enough good things about Meryl!She's my ongoing personal trainer and I've also gone through her nutrition program. Her nutrition approach is excellent and completely eye-opening.In the gym--she's precise, thorough and motivating. I value her opinion on ALL things fitness and health now after training with her for 8 months and realizing what an array of knowledge she has. I've been to different personal trainers in the past and never felt the "click" that made me want to push myself and continue on. I think Meryl's positivity and confidence really shines when she pushes me to do more, or to lift heavier, which in turn gives *me* the confidence to complete the workout. She's not only helped me become stronger and more agile, but helped me improve my mindset and attitude towards my overall health. I highly, highly recommend Meryl if you're on the fence about hiring a trainer.

If you're looking for the best, look no further than Meryl. Like so many people out there, I was very nervous/intimidated with the thought of having a personal trainer. I'm not completely out of shape but I never really worked with weights or talked about my diet with anyone. Meryl was very friendly and down to earth from the beginning and made it really easy to talk about my fitness goals. I started working with Meryl at the beginning of August and within two months I've lost 7 inches and gone down one whole pant size. This was an accomplishment I know I would not have been able to do by myself. I will say that my results are also from two months of healthy eating and a significant decrease in the amount of evening and weekend drinking. If you stay motivated, train hard, and eat healthy then you will get amazing results. I loved Meryl's website quote ..."You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no results." -GandhiWe all need a little encouragement and accountability. Meryl will do just that! Good luck on your personal fitness journey!

I did the occasional barre class but never really had a workout routine or even learned HOW to workout. My goal is to get overall strength and toning and I am so shocked at how far my body has come in 4 months. You can do the online workouts but there is so much value in training with Meryl who can teach you proper form and pace for every movement. My husband and I have been doing training once a week and Meryl is so knowledgeable with altering each workout to fit both of our goals too! Def recommend for one on one or group training!

My reasoning for getting a personal trainer started off just like the rest...I needed encouragement, motivation and because truthfully, I just couldn't do it own my own anymore. I needed to lose weight to be healthy enough to try and have a baby. That was the main goal..drop the pounds and see the scale go down. What i didn't expect was how strong and healthy I would really become AND develop a great relationship with one of the most genuine people I have ever met!!After going thru 3 1/2 unsuccessful years of IVF, my body was screaming for help. Help to knock off the pounds I had put on as well as regulate my metabolism that went wonky after all the hormone pills and shots! That's when I decided to make the change and concentrate on me....As my search went on to find a personal trainer, I came across Meryl's older Yelp page...I was very intrigued and emailed her right away. She was very responsive and gave me the answers I was looking for. As we had our first in-person meeting, I just knew she was the person to help me on my new journey...the "get back to healthy" journey.As we started that 1st day, I was so weak, I was so embarrassed, I was shocked on how short of breath I was and how light of weights I had to use, if any! I went home discouraged and felt like such a loser!! My husband was there to lift me up and when my regular workout sessions began with Meryl, I gave it my all. Through the next few months, I went thru some crazy personal situations, that for others, may have slowed them down or even just quit. But Meryl was very motivating and I had such trust in her coaching style that I found myself eager to go to her sessions and not to mention it helped my get thru my short comings.One thing that I could not understand is that the number on the scale stayed the same no matter how hard I worked nor how many times I worked out. What Meryl taught me was that while our bodies are shrinking, our muscles ARE growing...and sometimes that messes up the scale! It drove me crazy because as I did become so focused on that darn number. So we took measurements instead, and low and behold I WAS shrinking!!! Aside from that success, I think one of the most awesome things that happened during my workouts with Meryl is how much stronger I really got AND how my health had really changed.....when I started with Meryl my RESTING HR was 114bpm!! After a couple of months with Meryl, it my resting rate dropped down to 86bpm!!!! what an AWESOME feeling it was!!!!Meryl C. Is the real deal y'all!! She takes in consideration your personal goals, adapts the workouts to your own needs and does not ever use a "cookie cutter recipe" as she caters each workout to be different from her other clients. She NEVER passes any judgement, she is extremely motivating and very knowledgeable in what she does! If she can get this overweight, weak and short of breath gal to become comfortable in her clothes, stronger and healthier......then she can do it for anyone of you too!! I HIGHLY recommend giving her a shot, you won't be disappointed!!!

I've been doing virtual training with Meryl for almost two years. I was a bit skeptical about virtual training at first, but Meryl is able to keep the workouts varied and effective with minimal equipment. I travel frequently for work and she's able to be flexible with my schedule as well as adapt workouts that are feasible in a hotel room. Meryl was also able to adapt my workouts throughout my pregnancy, from incorporating more yoga /stretching to modifying exercises. I really appreciate that she could change up an entire workout on the fly depending on how I was feeling that day. It made it much easier for me to stay active during my pregnancy, even until late in the third trimester.If you're looking for someone who will be flexible with YOUR fitness goals (in my case, consistency and strength), Meryl is a great choice.

Meryl has been such a delight to work with. She is knowledgable, flexible, laid back and incredibly professional. I've had many different trainers in the past and so I can say with confidence that she is truly outstanding. In only a few months I have gotten so much stronger than I have ever before. Her training style is calm, focused, and empowering. She pushes you to complete the last few reps but never in an overpowering drill sergeant way. I find this to be a breath of fresh air. On that note, I also really appreciate how she lets there be a comfortable silence while I am focusing on my workout. I have found previous trainers needing to fill up every silence with conversation and personally that detracted from my ability to concentrate and get the most out of my workout. Meryl's professionalism is also something to be highlighted. She is very responsive and organized and sends out google invites for all sessions. Payment is also taken care of swiftly and without hassle. She is punctual and well-prepared for every session and her flexibility to cater to your needs is wonderful. My training sessions are always very varied and targeted towards my goals. Meryl has been the best trainer I have ever had. Don't hesitate to reach out to her, she will take you far!

I reluctantly decided to give Meryl a try after my daughter highly recommended her. I have been active my entire life but not much for "working out." Now, I'm 66 years old and after 20+ years with Rheumatoid Arthritis my self- motivation is decreasing, and I've started fearing that (if I don't incorporate a regular stretching and exercise routine) I will become wheelchair bound within the next few years. I tried AARP videos, but ended up feeling like I was hurting myself and that scared me, too. Working with Meryl is just what I needed to get me moving more, she knows her stuff. She assessed my mobility challenges quickly and gently pushed me into the exact right movement for me. I totally recommend Meryl. She will meet you wherever you are, listen, and help you feel good about making the changes and attaining the goals that YOU are looking for.

I never write reviews but must make an exception for Meryl...as she's really just that great.I started working with Meryl almost 10 years ago when we both lived in Austin. My husband had been working with Meryl for a while at the time and got me a gift card for Christmas for several sessions with Meryl. At the time (and I don't think Meryl knows this :)), I wasn't that excited about it--as weights had never been a thing for me/I relied almost exclusively on running as my form of fitness. However, I quickly became a convert--and, until my husband and I moved to California several years later, worked out twice a week with Meryl, once a week on my own and once a week with my husband (which I also thought I would never do or enjoy, including as I'm not very confident in a gym). I became the strongest I've ever been (and a lot stronger than I thought I could be) and also had reduced pain when running. A nice perk was Meryl and her now husband became our friends--they are both lovely people.After we moved to California, I tried to find a trainer that I liked as much as Meryl, but didn't--and sort of fell off the fitness wagon, due to work and then having two small kiddos. During my last pregnancy (end of 2021/beginning of 2022), I had significant hip pain and was diagnosed with mild scoliosis. I also just felt "old," which scared me, particularly as, while I'm not an athlete by any means, I've generally been decently active and always thought I would be until late in life. That said, I'd been very sedentary for most of the pandemic, and, at the end of a day chasing after my four-year-old, my body hurt, which negatively affected my mood/patience. I reached out to Meryl and found out she was doing trainings via Zoom. I started working out with Meryl again at the same time and also planned to do physical therapy. I did one PT session and failed to go to anymore. However, six months later, I am still working with Meryl. I work out with Meryl 1-2 times a week, depending upon my schedule--and it's made a huge difference. Most of the time, my hip pain is gone; I feel strong; and I'm able to keep up with my kiddos without being in pain at the end of the day. And I'd like to emphasize that, aside from kid-chasing/short hikes with kids, the only exercise I do during the week is with Meryl--and it's made a noticeable and significant difference.I think what sets Meryl apart is (1) her attentiveness, both to what the client is trying to achieve (e.g., she always checks in to see how my hip is doing, and, when we first started working together again, we did more PT-focused exercises to address my hip pain--which also demonstrates her range of fitness knowledge) and to what's going on in the session (e.g., she's hyper-attuned to form, which means I do the exercises CORRECTLY/don't cheat and end up "good" sore instead of hurt/strained) , (2) her attitude (it's cliche, but she's a breath of fresh air--cheerful, inquisitive and genuinely invested in her clients + she's ALWAYS motivating; I always leave feeling stronger and better about myself, even if it's a work-out where I'm not able to give 100%, etc.) and (3) her joy in helping patients get stronger/feel better. Both from personal experience and from watching Meryl with other clients in Austin, Meryl truly meets you where you are and works with you to help you get stronger sustainably. By way of example, in our first sessions, my newborn joined, and Meryl gladly worked around feeding breaks (and I may or may not have caught Meryl singing "oh baby baby" to her while I dashed out of the room to grab her bottle ;)); and, in our more recent sessions, my four-year-old likes to join at the beginning, and Meryl's figured out exercises on the fly so he starts to have a love of fitness too (donkey kicks, starfish pose, etc.).

I scheduled weight lifting and nutrition sessions with Meryl a couple of months after I miscarried; I was really anxious to take care of my body and make time for self care but didn't know where to start. Honestly, working with Meryl was a big part of my recovery.Week by week and month by month, I began lifting heavier weights and doing significantly more reps. Watching those numbers increase and feeling my body physically improve was a HUGE WIN for me. After coming off of a season of being really broken, Meryl helped to restore the confidence I had in my body so that I could finally feel more in control.Meryl does a great job of varying each workout to target the upper and lower body while simultaneously focusing on form and core strength. She can also gauge if an exercise is too tough or too easy and can modify at a moment's notice. Meryl has taught me over 30 new exercises (some with weights, some without, some with machines) and a formula for putting them together. Now, I can walk into any gym without any pre-planning and make up a strong workout on the spot without feeling intimidated and defaulting to the elliptical. Meryl's nutrition program is also incredibly helpful. She is someone who listens without judgement and builds trust before making honest recommendations.One thing I really appreciate about Meryl is the research she puts into learning about new nutritional options before making recommendations. She has been through her own period of physical brokenness and understands how life changing it can be to find the right nutritional therapy method and protocol.  I'm so thankful for Meryl, she is so helpful and healing!