Samantha Taylor Fitness has helped thousands of women change their lives by helping them not only lose weight, but keep it off.
In July, owner Samantha Taylor’s Wesley Chapel personal training studio moved from its former location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (across from Florida Hospital/Advent Health Wesley Chapel) to its own building off of S.R. 56, near I-75, in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center (off Cypress Ridge Blvd.).
The new location is bigger, with a larger personal training room. It features upgraded specialty rubber floors, and Samantha says clients prefer the private, first-floor entrance.
Also this year, Samantha Taylor Fitness opened a location in Palm Harbor. Samantha now has five Tampa Bay-area locations, including nearby Land O’Lakes, plus Carrollwood and Westchase.
Each woman who walks through the doors of any of her fitness studios is someone whose life Samantha hopes to change. Samantha says women who come to her are often the heaviest they’ve ever been. They’re frustrated, and have a lack of energy and medical problems caused by being overweight. They tell her they have tried all kinds of diets and nothing has worked for them.
But, she says, the new year is a perfect time to do something different to lose weight and finally keep it off. This is especially true if every year you think you are going to make changes, but then the next year rolls around and you find yourself in the same situation, or worse.
“Everyone thinks they’re going to set goals and be focused and lose weight, but most people don’t,” Samantha says. “I want to encourage people to start this year different. We have a proven track record, so women can get results. When 2020 comes, they can look back and say, ‘Look what I did in 2019.’”
Women who come to Samantha Taylor Fitness find 30-minute workouts and education about how to eat to lose weight and keep it off. They also find a community of support, which is proven to help women stay on track — and have fun.
Samantha herself is a Certified Personal Trainer who began her career 26 years ago and launched her own business 19 years ago.
“We’re teaching women a way to eat that they love,” says Samantha. “It’s not a diet, not a pill, not shots; just understanding how to eat, how to work out their muscles for tone, and develop a healthy lifestyle they can keep for life.”
She says that things like knowing how to cook and knowing how to eat in real-life situations — like at holiday parties or on vacation — is critical for long-term success, along with understanding why you gain weight, and then modifying your behavior so you don’t gain it back.
Whether a client wants personal training — the most customized and private option — or boot camp classes, both programs start with a completely free, no-obligation consultation called a “Body Transformation Analysis” to determine your goals help the professionals at Samantha Taylor Fitness and plan a fitness program.
Personal training can be done one-on-one, semi-private, or in small group sessions. In addition to personal training sessions, each client also meets with an assigned results coach monthly, to be sure they’re progressing.
Now, those monthly sessions include images taken by the new 3D body scan machine, which takes measurements and analyzes body fat digitally.
“Clients can see the changes visually with 3D images and printouts,” explains Samantha. “They can see how their body is changing and the progression of their measurements and their body’s shape.”
Clients who choose the boot camp option attend regular or beginner sessions, which vary in cardiovascular intensity levels. Several classes are offered every day, and women choose three or more times each week to attend.
“Our clients like that our workouts are only 30 minutes,” says Samantha. “They’re in and out and don’t have to be at the gym for hours.”
One of those clients is Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager’s fiancée Jannah McDonald, who had lost more than 13 pounds after only a couple of months attending the boot camps.
“I have more energy and feel great,” Jannah says, “and I like that there are different instructors who all get to know you and what you can and can not do. They give you lots of feedback and support, too.”
Like Jannah, Samantha says many of her clients see more than just weight loss — they’re getting healthier as well.
“They are preventing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” she says. “Some women no longer have to take cholesterol or blood pressure medication, and no longer suffer from muscle pains and aches.”
Where Are They Now?
A year ago, we wrote about Samantha’s clients Judy McFarland and Kate Green, who are both in their sixties. At that time, Judy had lost 31 pounds and 36 inches in just a few months, exceeding her goal of losing 25 pounds. Judy has now lost a total of 34 pounds. Kate (photos on previous page) not only lost the 50 pounds she wanted to lose, she dropped from 170 to 110 pounds, which remains her current weight.
Both say their lives are completely different, and they are now in the best shape of their respective lives. Neither has any fear of putting the weight back on.
Kate now spends most weekends zip-lining and completing obstacle courses at a local outdoor adventure park, and Judy just completed a half-marathon, running without stopping for 13 miles.
“This has transformed my life,” says Judy. “Not only my body, but my whole way of life, and I couldn’t be happier.”
She credits Samantha’s eating plan, high-quality workouts with excellent trainers, and the support she receives.
“It’s a very friendly, loving environment,” says Judy. “They are there to keep you motivated and hold you accountable. They’re like a family.”
Samantha says that sense of community is something that is intentionally fostered at her fitness studios, and is like nothing else women can find. There are monthly member socials, such as putt-putt golf, zip lining and pot luck dinners. There are webinars to encourage healthy eating and trainer-led support groups.
She emphasizes that anyone can do what Judy and Kate have done, even in their sixties.
“As people get older, they think life is declining and they can’t do these things anymore,” says Samantha. “These women are defying that. Their quality of life is affected in a positive way with the changes they’ve made.”
Kate says before she found Samantha Taylor, she had been retired for a year and was overweight and out of shape.
“I was miserable,” Kate says. “I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere, which led to being sedentary and overeating. It was a godsend for me to find her and get into this program. This was the right program for me, and it works beautifully. I haven’t had this much fun in my entire life as I am right now.”
The Six-Week Challenge!
Beginning in late January, Samantha will start her next six-week “Body Transformation Challenge,” where she gives away thousands of dollars in prizes, including a Grand Prize of a cruise for two for the woman who loses the most weight (as a percentage of her total body weight).
To register, or for more information, go to 6weekBTC.com.
Samantha also does a regular segment on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” which airs on WFTS-TV, the local ABC affiliate. She brings guests on the show, sometimes clients, and shares nutritious recipes, which she says are delicious.
For recipes and to view segments of the show, including Judy and Kate’s stories in their own words from when they were Samantha’s guests on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” visit SamanthaTaylorFitness.com.
The Wesley Chapel Samantha Taylor Fitness studio is located is at 2609 Ridge Brook Dr., Wesley Chapel. For more information, call (813) 377-3739.
No comment yet, add your voice below!