Death by Rena
My freshman year on the cheerleading team here at Oregon brought a multitude of challenges and achievements, and was truly a year to remember. One particular memory stands out above the rest and is a four letter word you may have never heard:
Rena.
Ever heard of it? Me neither, until Oregon Cheerleading. Rena is the definition of a love-hate relationship, with its ability to make any movement impossible the days after a workout alongside it’s unbelievable and quick results.
Rena was founded by military veteran and ex-trainer Jon Joseph, a man who dedicated his life to health and fitness. Jon suffered through various injuries and created Rena on the premise of functional fitness-- fitness that works the way your body has evolved to be used. Rena is high intensity interval training (or HIIT), and uses intensity and progression to achieve maximum results.
“My numerous injuries (bilateral quadricep rupture, broken back, rebuilt hand (13 screws and 2 plates), 3 broken ankles, 2 broken arms, 4 times broken ribs, numerous head injuries (300 stitches from one injury alone)…to name a few. Ultimately all my injuries forced me to train with bodyweight movements. The more I trained with bodyweight movements, the better my body felt and moved. After reading about and researching high intensity interval training (HIIT) and more specifically the Tabata protocol, I began a year long HIIT journey in my garage. The combination of bodyweight movement and the Tabata protocol produced remarkable fitness results, I could feel it and see it. The training was brutal but addictive…”, Jon said.
Rena is a physical and mental challenge that tests your limits in indescribable ways in only 30 minutes. I did a Rena workout a couple of days ago and the only thought in my mind throughout the workout was how embarrassing it would be if I passed out mid-class, if that puts it in perspective.
The really cool and unique thing about Rena is that it’s a local company to Eugene. This means that Jon gets to know his clients on a personal level. He knows everything from their past to their present, and genuinely cares. He wants to see you work, and he wants to see improvement. Truthfully, he sometimes wants it for you more than you do for yourself. And with an instructor that cares that much, it’s impossible to not show progress both physically and mentally.
His communications with his market is personal, and his brand seems comfortable and family like. Jon uses his own experiences to inspire others, which comes from a genuine place in his heart. He’s truly excited about his work, and wants to excite others.
Rena training is challenging, but pays off. And the fact that I still do it out of choice must mean that a piece of my heart loves the challenge.
The new question is, will I wake up tomorrow morning for my 5:30a.m Rena workout? Stay tuned.
And check out the Rena website here!! -- https://renafitness.com/
XO,
Sarah