Gerard Gaona and Stackd Fitness are back in a new collaboration with Fighter’sFirst Training Center inMoline. The popularQuadCity trainer had taken a brief reprieve after closing up his personal training gym onMoline’s3rd Street.
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However, it was not for lack of enthusiasm.
“I became overwhelmed with the complexities of running a business” said Gaona. “I was also holding down another job and it became too much.”
Meanwhile, Gaona, or Trainer Gerard as he is affectionately known, maintained his social media presence, offering tips and support to those seeking to become healthier. It wasn’t long before he was besieged with requests to come back to personal training.
Four months later, he was back at it, this time holding outdoor group classes at various locations throughout the Illinois Quad Cities. His Summer Bootcamp and 90 Day Fitness Challenge classes were as big a hit as ever.
Soon after, a friend introduced Trainer Gerard to Mario Rubalcava, owner of Fighter’s First. It was instant synergy between the two.
Said Gaona, “We both care a lot about people and our businesses complement each other perfectly. His gym has a steady clientele with the MMA and boxing people but he also wanted to reach out and offer his facility to the community.”
Together, they formed a partnership that would enhance the other’s strengths. Because both share the heartfelt desire to make exercise and fitness more accessible to everyone, they designed an offer to make it both affordable and accessible to all.
The inclusive package includes unlimited personal training, access to all classes, and use of the gym for $50 per month.
Many personal trainers in the area charge a minimum of $20 per session with a minimum purchase of 3 sessions, on top of membership fees.
Trainer Gerard, who is accredited through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, will be offering classes in cardio-kickboxing, among others.
 He says and Rubalcava emphasize that they want to offer more than just another place to work out with a trainer who is only half invested in their clients. Both want to offer a sense of community that is supportive and welcomes anyone at any fitness level.
“I want to bring in everybody”, he says, with a gospel tone reminiscent of TV’s extreme weight loss trainers, “especially those who don’t think they can’t do it or think they have the time. I want to show them they can stop diabetes and have the energy to play with their kids”.
Adding to the sense of community is the ongoing group message chat between him and many of his trainees. Together, they share pictures of meals, offer guidance, support each other through setbacks and virtually high five each other’s victories. The chat is open to anyone interested in making healthier changes, he says.
Those who do join Fighter’s Fitness receive a discount on Trainer Gerard’s Stackd Fit Meals- food prepared by and delivered by him. With a 24 hour notice, customers can choose one or both lunch and dinner with optional snacks. Additionally, meals can be further customized to meet specific macronutrient ratios for fat, protein, and carbohydrates. All food prepared by Gerard emphasizes using fresh ingredients.
Because his mission is to help eliminate obesity related disease, Trainer Gerard promotes healthy eating just as much as exercise. And with that, he adamantly hopes to dispel the misconception that one need give up delicious Mexican food in order to be healthy.
“In fact, a lot of Mexican food is very healthy and fresh”, he said, “then people started adding too much cheese and tortillas”.
With just a few simple tweaks, he says, Mexican food can be gratifying and nourishing.
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With a new partnership with Fighter’s Fitness, YouTube vlog, and loyal following on social media, Trainer Gerard’s mission to fight obesity related disease is a force to be reckoned with. To join him, he welcomes anyone to come on down to Fighter’s First Training Center at 5027 4th Avenue in Moline. He can be found on YouTube and Facebook under Trainer Gerard.
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