Redefining Strength

OTHER GYMS & TRAINERS
I have been to multiple gyms and had numerous trainers in the past but none of them were the right fit for me. A typical gym setting didn’t motivate me and the Crossfit craze wasn’t something I was interested in. I always hated working out and never felt a strong commitment to getting healthy. That was until I discovered Redefining Strength. I have been working out at Redefining Strength for a little over two months now and have lost 20 pounds so far. I went from years of not working out to now enjoying working out six days a week. This is a huge feat for someone with a lazy lifestyle.
REDEFINING STRENGTH CULTURE
The culture at Redefining Strength is very supportive and encouraging. I honestly feel that I get a good workout every single time I leave the gym and truly have fun doing it. The clients there are not intimidating like at other gyms but instead encourage everyone equally. There are also bonding events set up where the clients are invited to beach workouts, dancing nights, dinners, and other fun activities.
CORI LEFKOWITH
Cori is the most inspirational trainer I have ever met. She truly cares about the wellbeing of each client. She is so knowledgeable in EVERYTHING health and fitness related. She has also helped me with meal planning so I know what and how to eat right. Cori always makes herself available and goes above and beyond to help her clients. She is completely dedicated to not only the success of her business but also the success of her clients. I have had lower back pain for years and have always been scared to workout in fear of more injuries but she knows exactly what I need to do to avoid injury and build stronger muscles. I cannot stress how fortunate I feel to have found a place like Redefining Strength and a trainer like Cori! Cori has made me a Redefining Strength client for life!

Joining Redefining Strength has hands down been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I’ve been going to the gym for years but I’ve never gotten results like the ones I’ve gotten from Redefining Strength in a matter of MONTHS. I’ve already lost 20 lbs and I’ve just started my fitness journey with Cori!
The trainers here are AMAZING. They challenge everyone whether they are already in great shape or even if they haven’t worked out in years. They truly care about each person that they train and it shows! None of their workouts are ever boring or repetitive!
RS is more than just a a gym, its a community. Everyone helps push each other to their limits during the workouts. There is constant support in AND out of the facility ! Because of Redefining Strength working out isn’t something torturous, it’s something I look forward to! Join, you won’t regret it!

Cori has done an amazing job helping cut my body fat percentage. She has customized a meal and workout plan that I have been able to stick with, especially with my insanely busy schedule. I am mainly a remote client, which works perfect for me. I take her plans and execute them at my local gym. I do however make time for her group classes when I can. Great and supportive group of people that help the workout just fly by! I have been fortunate enough to be her client.
Thank you Cori/​Redefigning Strength!

Cori is awesome she is very encouraging and motivating at the same time! She takes time to make sure she is helping everyone individually and as a group! I love the work outs she puts together because it doesn’t seem like we are working out at all! We get to do a lot of fun crazy stuff like monkey bars, hitting a sledge hammer on a tire, pushing barrels, and even getting to do team activities! When I come into the gym everyone motivates each other and is encouraging to each other as well! It’s like one big family! I used to play volleyball so the team and family environment is a big factor and super motivating for me personally! Cori has not only helped me physically, but has also helped me mentally become stronger and in so many other ways! Cori is awesome and if your in the area, or looking for a new workout home come check it out!

This is a very overdue review.
I love working out at this gym. Cori has built a gym and a training program that is challenging and fun and I love that I can never predict what workout will come next. I wish I lived closer to work out here more than once a week. But I’ll tell you that driving 30 minutes early on Saturday mornings never feels like a chore because I know that I’ll be getting so much out of the workout ahead of me. Cori is not only a brilliant and knowledgeable trainer, but she is a wonderful person who wants the best for each of her clients. You’ll see it from her during your first workout and each one there after. The people that train here are so hard working and supportive of one another. This gym is the real deal.

They say it takes 28 days to form a lasting habit… 28 days? Sheesh. I’ll never stick to my working out goals I thought… but then something happened… I met Cori Lefkowith and my entire life changed! After only 2 sessions with her I was hooked. I enrolled in her class 5x a week and I never looked back. I went from never working out to working out 3−6x a week. At 30 I look and feel better then I did when I was 20. Not only is Cori the best trainer but Redefining Strength is like a second home to me. I have friends who encourage and push me to be the best I can be and I love spending time with them outside of the gym and in. Come see what you’re missing out on, I promise you wont be disappointed.

I’ve been training with Cori for 6 months now and it is the BEST health decision I have ever made!!!
I met Cori through a friend who’d been raving about how great her trainer was and how much progress she had seen in herself since working with Cori. I hadn’t worked out in years and I was self-​conscious about going into a gym; I thought I should be «fit» before I started working out (sounds kind of silly when I say that out loud now).
I can’t express enough how passionate and knowledgeable Cori is. Though there are people of varying fitness levels in each class, she customizes the workout based on the individual’s fitness needs. Best thing is, she does it without skipping a beat, in a positive and encouraging way that I don’t feel any less than everyone else that is there working out. I expect it’s her many years of experience, but I’m still amazed that she knows when to push me harder (when I’m just giving up) and when to give me a modification, without me saying a word. Every workout is challenging and there is a variety of unconventional equipment, which is great because I’m never bored. I also like the fact that Cori does every workout that she gives us and she takes the time to explain each move and pays attention to everyone to make sure we are getting the most out of the workout and using the correct form.
In addition to the workout, she has also created a nutrition plan for me. This was an added bonus for me as I was not expecting to get any nutritional advice. What I like about the plan is that I never feel deprived. I still get to eat the cultural food I like but I now have a better plan for managing my eating habits, to reach my short term goal of weight loss and my long term goal of staying healthy.
I can’t finish this review without saying something about the AMAZING group of people I have met. From day 1, I felt welcomed and that self-​consciousness I felt before I came in was gone from my first interaction. People I had just met were encouraging me and have made me feel so comfortable. Everyone has been so positive and genuinely proud of each other’s successes. There is a great sense of camaraderie and support. Classes are always fun and full of energy.
The quick breakdown — since I’ve been training with Cori, I have lost 25 lbs, more than 4 inches off my waist and 3 dress sizes. I’m more flexible and energetic than I have been in years. I’m able to do more repetitions of an exercise. Exciting goal I’ve met: going from pushing/​pulling the 300 lb water barrel with assistance to now pushing/​pulling the 500 lb sand barrel on my own.
Six months ago, I was going to try this out for a month; now, I look forward the next class and challenge waiting for me. Simply put, I keep coming back because it works and I am having fun! 5 stars is Unilocal’s max but Cori and Redefining Strength are off the charts!!!

Cori is an excellent trainer who helps her clients not only to get stronger but also to improve the overall life style. I would highly recommend her and her gym.
I have been working with Cori for 16 months now, and I can’t be happier with the results. My initial goal was to add some exercise to the mainly sedentary lifestyle. I was able to achieve more — I learned to like to work out, lost 10% of my initial weight, got stronger (can do pull ups), and feel better overall.
Cori possesses multiple strengths as a trainer. Her special talent is to motivate the trainees to stick to the exercise program in the long term, and to make a very good effort while in the gym. The motivational piece, as I can see, is adapted to the character of the individual trainees and therefore works effectively. She develops quite interesting and challenging workout routines and then tailors the difficulty level to the individual’s ability to make them challenging while still doable.
Cori’s commitment to the client’s healthy lifestyle transcends the gym walls. For those who are interested and/​or need help, Cori provides nutrition advice, may suggest a traveling workout routine while one is out of town, answers questions, provides online resources, and also monitors one’s commitment to the lifestyle changes.
Up until now I wrote about the trainer, and now a few words about the gym itself. This is a small gym offering group exercises. The exercise deal with the functional fitness, with the movements that engage multiple muscles at the same time — I guess this saves time. The groups are small. The positive outcome of this arrangement is you get to know the people who work out with, and this creates an informal support network to further encourage one to stick to the exercise routine. Finally, unlike in many other gyms, you don’t have to sign up for a minimum of one year — this makes trying whether this particular gym is for you safe from the financial point of view.

I always thought that the chances of feeling comfortable at a gym were as slim as the possibility of doing a pull-​up during this lifetime. I never thought either of those would happen.
Then came Redefining Strength and Cori.
THE TRAINER: There are many trainers to choose from but none (trust me, I’ve had a few) are as creative, knowledgeable, and athletic as Cori. I’m never bored with her workout routines and she’ll always come up with a way to make things harder or easier (based on my fitness level/​injuries). But the best part is that she LISTENS to my goals and helps me achieve them – for example, she helped lose 37 pounds (and got my body fat down to 16.74%) to win the «biggest loser» competition at my work; helped me achieve my lifelong goal of doing ONE pull-​up; and is currently helping me obtain a six-​pack (not a six-​pack of beer but sexy abs!).
THE PEOPLE: Cori attracts the most amazing clientele (myself excluded) which contributes to the overall atmosphere of RS. Every single person that I have worked out with at RS is friendly, supportive, and so darn funny!!! I look forward to working out at RS because I get to work out alongside an incredible group of people.
THE EQUIPMENT: Cori has a ton of great CUSTOM equipment in her gym. I’m STILL amazed by her efficient use of space too. She’s got a ton of cool equipment that she uses in the most creative ways and it’s always a fun trying to guess in what new way she’s going to torture me…
Redefining Strength has the best trainer leading a great community of folks of all fitness levels. I was never that «strong» but with Cori’s help and my RS friends, I have found my strength both mentally and physically to achieve all my fitness goals. And in my path to achieve my fitness goals, I gained the confidence that I was missing to live life outside the gym.
Fitter. Happier. More Productive. Right?

I have been working out with Cori for just over a year. In that year I have seen drastic results in my body from strength, to fat loss, and definition. She is incredibly dedicated to all her clients and wants us all to reach our goals. Each client comes in with a different background, strengths, and weaknesses and Cori gives each person individualized attention and care. I was always and athlete and have tried many many many different gyms and workout regiments from Crossfit, to spin, to yoga and never felt anything was a good fit until I found RS. RS is not only a place I find myself at several times per week, but I would also consider the people my friends.
Cori is probably the most knowledgeable trainer I’ve ever met. Her expertise goes beyond strength and conditioning to creating an all around healthy life style. She understands body mechanics and nutrition better than anyone I’ve ever met. I feel comfortable asking even the silliest of questions and am guaranteed an intelligent response. On top of all of that she makes it all FUN!

I’ve worked out for a number of years and have trained with various types of people. I have yet met anyone as good or better at training and conditioning with as much anatomy knowledge as Cori. The training sessions are amazing. She’s always introducing new workout regimens and changing things up. Meeting her was the best thing I ever did.

Cori is an awesome person, bursting with fun energy, and knowledge. She knows how to tackle all aspects of the workout, especially pushing you to get better, at her great sized extremely functional workout space. The smaller size of her classes (4−8ish) allows for her to make sure you have solid technique or use modifications in order to maximize your effort while minimizing the risk of injury. With balance and variety (opposing body parts, power vs. endurance, heavy vs. light weight, recovery with isometrics — i could go on) my whole body is getting worked out and kept on its toes. You will be in a position every class to push yourself extremely hard. The good vibes, friendly team atmosphere and motivational music will bring you to a new level.

Cori is the best personal trainer I’ve ever experienced and the extremely knowledgeable about health. She works with you from the ground up to not just «get in to shape» but develop a truly healthy lifestyle in your workouts, nutrition, and day to day activities. She has lots of patience and will take the time to show you how to do the exercises the right way. She is very creative and it is rare to have the same work out in a week.
Cori is able to give each client the necessary attention and customizes their workout sessions for each client’s needs. What I love most about Cori is that she has tons of knowledge on nutrition and doesn’t just train you to lose weight and to be physically fit; she gives you the tools you need to stay healthy for life.
Her workouts can be hard, but never grueling and she doesn’t yell at you (unless you deserve it). She assess you to see how you move and to assure you are doing execises correctly and observes your areas of weakness.

I am the worst at working out. I have a gym membership, but have probably used it once a month since I got it three years ago. The problem with going to the gym for me is never knowing what to do. I don’t know what machines to use, how long to use them for, and what the machines actually work out. I also get intimidated by all the super buff dudes who gather by the weights area.
Here enters Starla, my ever so amazing and fit friend who works out six days a week. She told me about this amazing trainer Cori who she goes to and since I’m moving out to Irvine, I decided to give it a go!
My first workout with Cori was insane. I’ve never worked out so hard in my life and I wasn’t able to go upstairs or get out of bed without wincing in pain for a week after! It was all so new and exciting for me because I was able to experience a completely different kind of work out! It was tough, but Cori made it fun and also made sure that I was comfortable. She would tailor some exercises that fit my needs and made sure that I was in the right positions and form (which makes all the difference). The best part of it all is that Cori takes the thinking out of working out. I didn’t have to worry about not knowing how to use a certain machine or how many reps I needed to do for each exercise. All I have to do is do what she says!
Another thing I love about coming here is the people. Everyone who comes here is super friendly and welcoming. They are all also very supportive and encouraging which is something I really love and appreciate!
It’s been five classes now and I feel myself a little stronger already! I’m so happy to have found a new workout family! Thank you Starla for introducing me to such an awesome place and Cori for being such an awesome trainer!
Congratulations again on your grand opening! May we all work towards better health, and hopefully sexier bodies!!! Xoxox

I came to Redefining Strength for the first time last weekend for one of their bootcamps.
One of the most fun gyms I’ve ever been to. The atmosphere is amazing. Everyone was encouraging, supportive, and very energetic.
Cori was a great trainer that really brought the energy from the beginning. I consider myself to be more advanced in terms of working out, and she was able to cater all the exercises to all different fitness levels which was great.
There was some beginners in the class that were still able to get in a great workout with the modifications that Cori gave.
Another aspect I really loved was the variety in exercises… We did a wide range of full body movements that really got the heart going and muscles burning.
I’ll definitely be back here next time I’m in town.
Only downside… I can’t attend weekly because I don’t live in the area… I’ll be back though each time I visit that’s for sure!!!

Cori’s the best! As others have mentioned, she is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, motivating, friendly, and truly seems to love what she is doing.
For years I considered getting a personal trainer, but shied away from the cost and the uncertainty of what I would get. I had a couple of sessions with gym chain trainers, but nothing that they did with me was anything I felt worth paying on an hourly basis for (let alone locking into a contract as they all wanted me to do).
Well about a year and a half ago I decided to try small group classes at a non-​chain gym with good Unilocal reviews, and ended up in Cori’s class. Her enthusiasm, support, and creative workouts with adaptations for any physical issue imaginable won me over.
When Cori struck out on her own, I went to a few more sessions at that other gym, but it just wasn’t the same. I had to get my fix! So, I switched over to Redefining Strength.
The Redefining Strength gym is a converted warehouse with loft, with all kinds of fun stuff in it, and more still being added:
Rack with overhead bars (like monkey bars), dip station, and adjustable height horizontal bar
Jungle Gym suspension trainers
Concept 2 rowing ergometers
Kettlebells, dumbbells, elastic resistance bands
Weighted sleds
Battling ropes
Pulley/​rope/​sandbag weight systems
Stall bars
Tractor tire
Sledge hammers
Sand-​filled and water-​filled barrels
Plyometric boxes
I know there’s more, I just can’t think of them.
The schedule is flexible — I have kind of a nutty work schedule plus a half-​hour drive on the tollway to get there after work, so my attendance is erratic, but she works with me — and I know other people go at different times depending on their schedules, too. You can either pay a monthly rate that depends on how many times a week you come (more times per week = lower cost per workout), or you can pay a price for a fixed number of workouts, and do them whenever (that’s the one that works best for me with my schedule). Depending on people’s schedules, I’ve been in classes with nearly a dozen people, and I’ve been times where I was the only one there besides Cori. Usually, at 7pm, there are just a few of us (3 – 4 people).
The people who come here are like family — all very supportive of each other, just a really positive atmosphere. Cori’s workouts are highly varied — some days she’ll do «density sets» focused on one part of the body; other times ladders, pyramids, or parfaits of different exercises; «metabolic» workouts whose main goal is to get your heart and breathing rates up and keep them up; endurance workouts; targeted strength workouts; isometric workouts; or workouts to train for a specific test, like maximum number of tsunami waves in a fixed time period. We jump, we crawl, we do handstands, we hang, we climb, we row, we lift, we pull, we push, we laugh, we sweat, we breathe hard.
We have one guy who sticks with Cori because he knows she will push him and not let him cheat (which he knows he would otherwise do). I know that she will see when I’m overdoing and will give me modifications so I can keep going, or will tell me to rest so I can do the next set all the way through with good form. We have several people with various injuries (myself, included) and she works around all of that. We are all levels of fitness.
This is waayyyy better than LA Fitness or Gold’s Gym.

It is always a treat to find a great training facility like RS, with a great coach like Cori! The equipments are topnotch and Cori REALLY care for your health and fitness. Which is always a plus! The intensity of the workouts are based on your personal fitness level, so you can be sure that you will not be pushed beyond your limit (which could result in injuries). To me that’s important when I look for a gym, and a coach. Go give RS a try! You will not be disappointed!

I tried out a class yesterday and was impressed with the variety of equipment in a small warehouse gym. Cori definitely makes great use of the space! The workout was fun and creative and the class sizes small and friendly.
As a trainer, Cori is upbeat and energetic. She’ll correct form when necessary and focuses on helping you challenge yourself. She does a good job of educating you about the what and why of the workout as well, which I always appreciate.
I would have liked a more intense workout, but it was my first time being there. I understand a trainer not pushing a client they aren’t familiar with. Today, I do have that good «I worked out yesterday» feeling! Love that.

Life changing! Redefining Strength is anything but typical. This is like my second home and the people are like family. More than personal trainers they are life coaches. They truly care about everyone they work with and promote that attitude through everyone there. The trainers and clients support, motivate, and even cheer for one another. I was worried coming in and not being in the best of shape, but everyone is so accepting and encouraging.
Amazing tailor made equipment; monkey bars, pull up rig, cushioned turf, climbing ropes, battling ropes, sledgehammers, slam bags, punching bags, barbells with landmines, sand bags, resistance bands, kettlebells and so much more. The sessions are creative and fun the time goes by so quickly. Its different from the Crossfit gym W.O.D.s, the focus is on movement, mental toughness, and recovery for overall health in daily life. Reaching fitness goals, doing things that are both challenging and fun, is a wonderful side effect of all of the above.
Cori is amazing!!! Not only does she make sure we use proper form for each exercise, she makes modifications to accommodate; fitness level and/​or prior sports injuries that might be acting up or that could become worse. She checks in to see how you are and make sure nothing is sorer than it should be. She pushes you to challenge yourself and reach new goals, but in an encouraging way not a, obnoxious, scream in your face make you go till you puke or pull something, way. She has helped make slow progressions in not only fitness level but eating habits, and gets me to accomplish things I never thought I could. Cori has made such a huge impact on my family over the past year. She has become such an important part of our lives, I don’t know what we would do without her.

It’s so rare to find an atmosphere at a gym (or anywhere for that matter) that is so positive and welcoming. Redefining Strength has just that. Every time I’m there I’m welcomed with a smile whether it’s from trainers or others working out.
The workouts are as fun as they come. It’s always a challenge no matter what style of workout is happening that day. There are so many fun toys to play with like ropes, monkey bars, pulleys and punching bags. There’s never a boring workout and it’s constantly changing. Cori makes sure that not only the monthly group training goal is met, but also that my personal goals are met as well. It’s small group training that with a family atmosphere but it also feels like you’re getting a one on one session at the same time. It doesn’t get any better than that!
I can’t imagine going back to a «normal gym» after going to redefining strength. The atmosphere and the workouts are just way to much fun!