Unbreakable Bond

There are good, solid relationships between personal trainers and their clients, and then there are relationships that have a bond which goes even deeper than that. Just take a look at Bonnie Galorenzo and Dana Kuber.

Galorenzo is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at YB Fitness in Short Hills, New Jersey, and Kuber is the client who walked through the doors of the club in 2011 and quickly became like family.

“This is my daughter that I don’t have,” Galorenzo said of Kuber. “She took my classes first and then we started training because she got engaged and wanted to get in better shape for her wedding.”

Kuber, a nurse, moved to New Jersey more than five years ago, and took an instant liking to YB Fitness.

She said from the minute she walked through the club’s doors she knew she had found her gym home — which turned out to be a good thing, because the subsequent years were a whirlwind for New Jersey’s then newest resident. “I got married in 2013, I ran my first half marathon in 2014, and in 2015, I had a baby,” Kuber explained.

The new mom praised YB Fitness and Galorenzo for having the ability to always make her feel comfortable enough to try something new, or push herself a little harder.

Look no further than the fact that Kuber was in the gym on a Tuesday and literally pushing to deliver her baby girl just four days later, to validate that sentiment.

“I was hoping her water broke in my class,” Galorenzo laughed.

Galorenzo, who has taught fitness for 20 years and been with YB Fitness since its opening, explained her coaching style helps build the bond she forms with clients.

“I can just go into a class and put music on and create,” said Galorenzo. “I have a very creative mind, so I make it very fun and motivating. Most people don’t like to workout, so you have to make it fun for them to continue.”

Kuber and Galorenzo said they see each other four to five times a week. In addition to one-on-one sessions that include everything from weight training to cardio to ropes, Kuber also participates in a boxing circuit that Galorenzo teaches in a group format.

Kuber noted that from the time she started training with Galorenzo nearly six years ago, she has lost at least seven inches and between 15 and 20 pounds. “I thought I was in good shape in high school, but I think I’m in better shape now than I was even back then,” she said.

Galorenzo said her goal is to make sure her clients leave the gym feeling good about themselves. As it pertains to Kuber, there’s no doubt the trainer has done just that.

When asked if she could share with others what she’s learned from her experience as a member at YB Fitness, Kuber said, “You can do anything. I was never even able to run a mile, and I ran 13 and a half.”