THE STORY BEHIND BAD PEACH FITNESS
WE ARE STRONGER THAN WE THINK
My name is Laura, the owner of Bad Peach Fitness. I’m a normal(ish😀) 41 year old wife and mom of three. Like most people, I've had many ups and downs in my fitness journey. When I was younger, fitness results came easy. Then I had babies ... and the challenges became real! After my 3rd baby was born, I spent over half a decade feeling stuck and defeated. I tried trendy diet after diet, threw my credit card at anything that promised to help me lose those final 20 post-pregnancy pounds that wouldn't budge, and ultimately was ready to throw in the towel and give in to just settling for less than my best. At the time, I thought my best was a number on the scale and the way I wanted to look when I saw myself in the mirror. Except I'm really stubborn and I kept having that nagging feeling of, "what would happen if I changed my approach and went ALL IN?" I had to try. That was the end of January 2020.
I made the choice to switch to a whole foods plant based menu and got really mindful with the way I was eating. My energy shot through the roof, the fat started to melt away in a way that felt shocking, and I felt myself coming alive in a fresh way.
Then Covid hit the world. My gym closed, and I found myself fearful that I would start going backwards. I made the choice to stay intentional with fitness growth even amidst the stay at home Covid life. It was during this time that I made a Google search that I had no idea would change my life. Crazy!
I found myself wanting a physical and mental challenge during all the stay at home orders, so I Googled, "what is the hardest workout?"
I continually saw burpees as an answer.
So I started with 100 burpees per workout. It was certainly a big physical challenge, but I did it anyways for a few months and started LOVING it.
As a result, my strength and endurance grew rapidly and I knew I could do more.
I set a goal of doing 100,000 burpees from June-December 2020. Why? Because the hardest challenges have the power to change us. On New Year's Eve of 2020, I raised my champagne glass in celebration of burpee #100,000. It was absolutely the most difficult thing I've ever done.
HOW DID THE NAME BAD PEACH FITNESS COME TO BE?
On the day that I did burpee #10,000, my kids came to cheer me on and made poster boards with surprise messages. My daughter's sign said - "My Mom's a Bad 🍑." It was her way of saying "My Mom's a Bad Ass!" It stuck around in our family as my nickname and the name Bad Peach (aka Bad Ass!) Fitness was born!
Bad Peach Fitness has now gone global with workouts in the programs I've created being done over 200,000 times. We call ourselves Bad Peaches around here! We show up daily with the mindset of an athlete in pursuit of gold at the Olympics. No matter the starting fitness level, Bad Peaches give it their best. As a result, fat is burning off, muscles are showing up in places that people didn't even know existed, confidence is being strengthened, and people are discovering that they are stronger than they think.
WHY DO SOMETHING SO HARD?
I didn’t grow up as an athlete. Quite the opposite. I was a musician and creative, but not athletic. Since the time I was a teenager, I’ve been like most women I know and have taken on the role of a judge when looking in the mirror. The experience of doing 100,000 burpees opened my eyes to how truly amazing our bodies are and how much we are capable of when we eliminate excuses and just keep pushing forward. I was able to step away from the role of a judge and find inner healing when I had the courage to take on a challenge that I didn't know if I could actually complete, but I went for it anyways. It was the first time in my life that fitness wasn't about my appearance and fixing the flaws on my body. It made me feel alive, empowered, and strong, It kicked my butt everyday and I still did it anyways.
When I look in the mirror now, I don’t see the places on my body that I want to change. I find myself with tears in my eyes because I see a woman who is strong. And I’m not referring to my physical appearance.
I mean the fact that I didn't quit when it was hard. I see the level of discipline that my crazy kind of goals have required from me. I see a woman who engaged her mind in something very challenging. Everyday and for extended periods of time. I see strength in doing goals that seem on the brink of impossible and then finishing those strong.
While I was throwing myself at the ground 100,000 times, I decided that when I was finished with all 100,000, I would put my story out there. Because I believed, if other people could experience the kind of transformation that I experienced, then it was worth it. When it was beyond hard, I kept going for others. When I wanted to quit, I kept going for others. When I wondered how I’d do at least 600+ burpees again that day, I did it for others.
We are strong. We are capable. We are powerful and we are more than just how we look. Our bodies are amazing and my mission is to help as many people as possible experience that in their lifetime.
On December 31, 2020, I crossed my finish line and cheered, laughed and cried as I shouted 100,000! My goal was to show myself, my kids, and others that we can do hard things when we eliminate excuses, live a life of discipline, and just keep pushing forward. Burpees were just my tool to do that. I gave it my all and showed up every single day with that goal. I'm not sure if that challenge had ever been done before by anyone else or if I possibly created a new world record, but what I do know is that it has transformed me as a person.
Out of my desire to have others experience the great joy that comes from setting goals that push us to our limits, I created the Bad Peach fitness programs called Empower and Thrive.
I believe we all have what it takes to do something great and to be something great. It begins with the belief that we can do hard things and then stepping out and starting. My plan is to continue helping others to realize their own potential by being their coach and leading the way. I’m a go big or go home kind of person. No matter where you are starting from, I hope you will join me on the go big side!
YOU ARE A BAD PEACH,
❤️ Laura