Libra Fitness

Chris at Libra Fitness takes personal training to a whole new level. She «personalizes» every aspect of your fitness journey — with carefully customized workouts, attention to the details of your lifestyle and help identifying and overcoming road blocks to regular exercise/​good nutrition and even your own personal Pandora station to work out to.
Libra Fitness is not an intensive «binge exercise» boot camp — Chris encourages a healthful balance of sensible exercise and nutrition habits that a person can benefit from their whole lives. She holds clients accountable and pushes in a gentle but firm way that is both challenging and supportive.
After 6 months, I just weighed in at a 5 year low and feel better than ever — I credit Chris for helping get me into the best shape of my life and I highly recommend her!

I am quite a bit overweight (understatement perhaps) and I’ve done the personal training thing before, but I have to tell you, I don’t respond well to drill sergeants — I’m too Type A. I ran across Libra Fitness (Chris Heidel) and thought she seemed like she might go easy on me… *laugh*
I’ve been working with her for well over a year now and the results have been pretty remarkable. I haven’t lost any real weight, but that’s always been a secondary goal of mine. I wanted to feel better. I wanted to stop having so many backaches. I wanted to be able to walk around the block without huffing and puffing. I wanted to feel stronger and I wanted to feel better about myself. I’ve accomplished that and so much more.
Chris is definitely not «easy» on me by any means, but she also doesn’t push you beyond your own limits. When I tell her that I cannot do it anymore, she tells me «okay, after two more» there’s no heavy sweating and crying and dry heaving here. Her personal touch and the research and care she puts into each of her clients is simply amazing for what she charges (don’t tell her I said that though!!)
She has a home gym located in North Central Austin, and it’s quite impressive. There’s quite a few pieces of equipment, but it’s not so overwhelming. I didn’t walk in there like I would another one and want to run screaming from the room. Chris takes it slow, shows you what you are doing, tells you when you are losing form and prods you along. The gym itself is completely isolated from the rest of the house. A few times her husband or child has been home and I didn’t even know it, you walk straight back and close the door/​curtains and you’re off.
I’m impressed by how far out she will go for clients. She has mirrors so you can see what you’re doing but one of her clients didn’t like them. The next time I was there, she had installed curtains so people could choose.
The payoff came earlier this year when, during a trip with my family to San Antonio, I realized I had walked all over the Riverwalk and Zoo and didn’t feel like I wanted to keel over. That’s pretty darn good progress!
Chris’ best attribute is her sense of humor though. Yes, she’s there to help you get healthy and attain your own personal goals — no matter if it’s to lose 30 pounds or to be able to walk around downtown. But she does it with good humor and really big heart.
I simply cannot recommend Libra Fitness enough (and I do it often!)