My Power Train Story: Quay Hanna
Meet Quay Hanna, a dedicated client of 7 years at Power Train Lancaster. His story is a testament to how the Power Train formula not only obtains results but improves overall quality of health and life. Quay says that he is “stronger now than he was at 18 years old.” He works hard day in and day out, continually setting and achieving new goals. Check out his awesome story!
Why did you start coming to train at Power Train?
I was a college athlete used to playing at a high level, but as you get older, things get harder and you just don’t have as much time. Even though I kept working out and lifting, I wanted something that was going to really push me and get me over that hump to get back into a higher level of fitness – and it’s hard to do by yourself. My dad was diagnosed with cancer, given two years to live, and I had a change in employment, so a lot was going on in my life. And I just went to my wife and asked her, “Can I just go to Power Train?” They were offering a special and I told her I’d give up a bunch of things to make this happen if needed. I connected with the manager and he got me going. I was doing boot camps at the time and he encouraged me to get into personal training sessions. That is when I really started to get serious. You’ve got a trainer who is always on you to improve and this got things going. I decided I was going to listen to everything they told me to do. I changed my eating habits, did boot camp 1 to 2 days each week, and was training 3 days a week.
What was your Power Train experience like?
When I started, my plan was just to stay to myself. I wanted to be serious in the weight room. What I found out was that you end up training at the same time with the same people, so you start to develop friendships. As friendships develop, you begin to root each other on and encourage one another. You get a chance to watch both strength and body transformations of those around you. I got to be an encouragement to others! You develop so many friendships, with clients and trainers, while still getting a great workout. It’s a special time to be there
How has Power Train impacted your health and life?
I’ll be 52 in three weeks, and things get harder as you age. People tend to look at diets and quick fixes, but I was looking more for a sustainable lifestyle change and education in the proper way to lift. Now, 7 years later, I’ve lost 25 pounds and kept it off. I am stronger now than when I was at 18 years old. I’ve done 5 Tough Mudders and 3 Gorucks, both extreme fitness events. I like that sometimes I’m the oldest guy out there!
Tell us about the Tough Mudders and Gorucks and how Power Train has prepared you for them.
The first event I did after starting at Power Train was a Tough Mudder. This was about 6 months into Power Train and I really wanted to put my strength and abilities to the test – was I really getting more fit and stronger? One of the guys I worked out with, about 20 years younger than me, said let’s do a Tough Mudder! It was 10 miles and about 25 difficult obstacles. It was a pretty strenuous event using a lot of upper and lower body. We completed it and I was pretty excited! This got us going and inspired us to do a Goruck. A Goruck is 12 hours long, overnight (9 pm – 9 am), usually in a city, and the entire time you wear a 30 pound pack. It’s basically a boot camp let by either a Navy Seal or Special OPS. They are very hard on you, and if your pack cannot touch the ground. You get infractions and punishments, along with doing exercises all night long, testing both the both mind and body. We did it for the 15 year anniversary of 9/11 in New York City. I’ll never forget being in Times Square at 3 in the morning with the Goruck crew walking in lines of two. After this we started doing Tough Mudders every year, and Gorucks pretty often as well. I’m getting ready to train for another Goruck!
How is Power Train different from other fitness routines you’ve done?
You can do an hour-long workout, three times a week, and continue to get stronger and stronger. The time under tension method is transformative. The trainers are counting each rep with you and encouraging you. I love how it is all customized – the coaches can always make the workout either harder or easier, tailoring to you and your current ability level. I believe that you really need someone watching you as you are improving to help you continue to get stronger and take it to the next level.
Why should people train at Power Train?
This place will really help you to get over any hump you are in. Power Train is intense. You don’t come here to go through the motions and stay stuck in a routine. The thing I really love is the accountability with the trainers and the people you work out with. You have an opportunity to learn so much so you don’t stagnate. One of the things that stands out to me is at my very first workout, the trainer asked me how much weight I thought that I could do on the inclined bench. I said 45 pounds, and then he told me I’d be doing 3 count down with a quarter rep. It gets out of your head that you need to put more weight on. You end up using the 10 pound weights and move away from the idea of showing off to “I want to do what is best for my body”. It’s a completely different mindset.
