March 6, 2017

Meet Heather Binns of Renov8 Fitness in North Hollywood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Binns.

Heather, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Orange County, CA and am an eclectic mix of Puerto Rican, French, Finnish and Norwegian ethnicities. I have always been people-oriented, athletic, and competitive in nature. Throughout my early years, I participated in ballet, tap dancing, cross-country, track & field and various other school and recreational sports. One thing that sets me apart from other female athletes is that I was also a Defensive End for the Los Angeles Lasers, a women’s professional tackle football team from 2000-2001. At that time I also moved to Los Angeles County, CA. My passion for fitness emerged early and consistently throughout these formative experiences.

Foundationally, I was educated in Southern California, first securing an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts at Orange Coast College and an Associates in Fire Science at Santa Ana College. Later I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Communications & Advertising at Chapman University, also in Southern California. I bounced around the corporate world for about 10 years not really finding happiness in any position I held. After work, I would always be outdoors running or in the gym working out in the weight room with all of the guys. One day a friend suggested I consider being a Personal Trainer, I checked it out and that began my career in fitness.

I trained at some of the most well-known big box gyms such as 24 Hour Fitness, Equinox and Sports Club/LA. I obtained various certifications and specializations, all of which I still hold today. In 2007, I started training private clients on my own and in 2008 I felt compelled to start Full of Life Fitness (later rebranded as Renov8 Fitness in 2016).

In 2012 I became a best-selling author and received a Quilly award for my book, Results Fitness. I was also voted one of the top five personal trainers in Los Angeles for three years in a row and am one of America’s Premier Experts®, a designation given in recognition of my personal accomplishments and expert knowledge in fitness.

From 2014-2015 I took my love for learning and educating into the adult education field by becoming a Personal Fitness Trainer (PFT) Instructor and then the PFT Program Director at a local career school teaching others how to become Personal Trainers. My passion for health & fitness grew even more as I realized that I loved teaching those with a strong desire to learn and become their best.

In the beginning of 2016, I rebranded my company to Renov8 Fitness, changed locations and quit my full-time day job to put 100% into my business. It was a leap of faith I knew I had to take in order to get to where I want to be in life.

Owned and operated in North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, Renov8 Fitness is a results-based training organization that provides semi-private, private, small group fitness coaching and race training for individuals of all activity levels in a healthy, fun and motivating fitness environment.

I currently live in Southern California with my husband and two dogs, Sweet Pea and Kizzy. A committed wife, mother, grandmother, fitness enthusiast, coach, teacher, author and leader, I try to bring passion to everything I do and inspire my clients/members, staff and many others to be their absolute best!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been a smooth road overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Haha…what is a smooth road other than one you can cycle on and not feel the bumps?

I think anything you really put your heart, mind and soul into in life is rarely a smooth road. Without failure there is no success and let’s just say that I have experienced quite a bit of failure, which has all led to success. And I know there is more to come!

Without writing another book, some of the struggles I have encountered are:

– Making improper or rushed decisions
– Not listening to my instinct
– Fear of failure
– Procrastination
– Setting too many tasks/goals at once
– Losing my passion/focus
– Not seeking advice soon enough

I’m always learning from my experiences and am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.

Renov8 Fitness – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Renov8 Fitness provides results-based training in a healthy, effective and fun atmosphere that becomes the best part of our member’s day; every day. We believe that everyone can work to become strong, lean and fit for the rest of your life – regardless of your current lifestyle or personal obstacles. We help you find your athlete within!

Our uniquely tailored training programs partnered with a fun, motivating fitness environment help banish the fat while building muscle safely and efficiently. We provide real fitness solutions for real people with an all-inclusive, support-driven ethos that allows each individual member to maximize their (often hidden) potential.

At Renov8 Fitness, you won’t just walk into the gym by yourself and wonder what to do. Instead, you’ll train every time with a coach and other hard-working, like-minded individuals. No crash diets. No expensive fads. No playing soldiers. Just scientifically-backed, high-quality coaching with your best interests at heart.

Now, where do I come into all of this other than founding the company, its concept and its culture? Well, I’m the Program Designer and Head Fitness Coach. I design every workout and training program that’s used with our members. I also teach, guide and coach the Apprentices that join our Apprenticeship Program in hopes to become one of our Renov8 Fitness Coaches. We specifically pick and choose who will have a watchful eye while coaching our members. I am very meticulous and a fanatic about form, so it’s important to me to make sure my Fitness Coaches learn the same cues and coaching tips that I use to properly guide our members in every single movement they make while working out at our gym. I get this ‘perfectionist’ nature from my mother 🙂

My coaching/training specializations include:

– Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) – National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
– MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Fitness & Wellness Specialist
– Level 3 Symmetry Professional Practitioner (SPP)
– Spartan SGX-Certified Coach/Spartan Obstacle Specialist/Spartan Race Brand Ambassador
– Functional Movement Screen (FMS) – Level 2
– ViPR (Vitality, Performance, Reconditioning)
– Triathlon Coaching (swim, bike, run)
– Nutrition Coaching
– Kettlebell Training
– TRX Suspension Training
– Special Populations
– Power Plate Training
– K Training (Kinesis)
– Silver Sneakers
– CPR/AED

I really enjoy helping improve others’ lives through health & fitness whether it be to help them look better, feel better, move better or perform better. Correcting dysfunctional movement’s patterns, imbalances and postural distortions in the body is very rewarding when people are able to start moving properly and with less pain. Helping a client reach a new lifting goal in the back squat, deadlift or even climbing over their first 6-foot wall is such a joy when you see the exhilaration in their face! Guiding a member in their fat loss journey and showing them their results when they have lost 26% body fat and shed more than three sizes is life-altering because they finally feel happy in their own skin! When you can help someone mitigate their symptoms from Multiple Sclerosis so they can move in everyday life a bit easier, it is truly humbling. We take our capabilities in life for granted oh so often!

I am so proud of what Renov8 Fitness has begun thus far and look forward to where I plan to take it! We live by 8 Core Values every single day when we walk through the doors of Renov8:

Passion for fitness and healthy lifestyles
Integrity and fairness
Professionally-casual atmosphere
Organization and thoroughness
Smiles, fun and liveliness: “Work Hard, Play Hard!”
Continuous pursuit of education
A team approach
Community consciousness

Each and every day we strive to be the best part of our members’ day. Ask any one of our members and I’m sure they will tell you the same!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s really hard to choose just one:

1) Every time a new person decides to put their trust in me and my team by becoming a client or member of Renov8 Fitness.

2) Continually overcoming the odds of being a small business owner.

3) Being voted one of the top five personal trainers in Los Angeles three years in a row.

4) Becoming a best-selling author and Quilly Award Winner from The National Academy of Best-Selling Authors for my book “Results Fitness: The Nation’s Leading Fitness Pros Reveal Their Top Strategies to Get You What You REALLY Want – RESULTS.”

5) Becoming a nationally-acclaimed fitness expert and one of America’s Premier Experts® in recognition of my personal accomplishments and knowledge in fitness.

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