Transcript: From Couldn't Finish Zumba to Multiple Classes Daily | 100 Days of Maximum Effort

Can one phrase really change your life that much?

Yeah, it can, if you're ready to hear it. Here's

the one that changed mine. Everyone is busy,

but it's a choice to schedule exercise just like

anything else. These words were said to me 100

days ago, and the truth is, they stunk. But they

were 1 ,000 % true, and they're still ringing

in my ears 100 days after they were said to me.

The person who said them to me, Her name is Rhonda

Good. She's an instructor at the Telford YMCA,

and she teaches an ungodly amount of classes

each week. But this woman, she doesn't just teach

them. Oh, no. She does every move, every rep,

every single action that her students do. See,

she isn't one of those teachers that just barks

orders at you, and then you do it while she stands

there and watches you. Yeah, she's watching your

form from the mirror or she'll face us while

she's doing the classes with us. But she literally

does every single move with us. And as I watched

her for the better part of two years, I really

wanted to be more like her in terms of fitness.

And I regularly would whine to her about how

badly I wanted to be more into fitness. I'd constantly

be saying things like, I wish I could do more

workouts. I wish I could. lose weight. I wish

I could be as strong as you. All kinds of crap

that people that usually want to work out but

don't want to put in the work say. And see, Rhonda's

the type of person, she doesn't believe in excuses.

She doesn't believe in slacking. And she always

tells it like it is. And that's exactly what

she did with me on July 14th, 2025, when she

sent me that message. And I was finally ready

to hear it. It really shook me up. Because here's

the thing. When I joined the gym two years ago,

I did it because something happened in my life

that kind of blew up my life. The reality is,

I knew I needed to get in shape. I'd started

exercising more already. I had been going on

walks and hikes with my husband. But the truth

is, I was struggling so badly, not just with

exercise, but in everything I was trying to do.

I was getting winded on a flight of stairs. I

was getting winded just walking from the back

of the Kroger parking lot to the front door.

And I knew I needed a change, so I joined the

Y. I wanted to take Zumba because in my youth,

I was a dancer. I absolutely loved dancing, and

I still love dancing. Then a car accident kind

of ripped dancing away from me, and I started

doing karate and getting into all kinds of other

stuff. I started working. But the truth is, dance

has always been a love of mine. And so when I

found out... that the local YMCA here in Richmond,

Kentucky does Zumba, I was like, okay, this is

it. Yes. This is all the stars aligning telling

me that now I can finally start working out and

I can do Zumba and I'm going to get in shape.

And oh my God, y 'all, that first class was a

struggle. I mean, seriously, that first class,

I was on the struggle bus the entire time. I

think I made it 15 minutes before I had to walk

out because I was so winded. And here's the thing.

A hundred days ago, I couldn't get through an

entire Zumba class without getting winded. I

couldn't do jumping jacks. I couldn't do a plank.

I could barely get through any of the exercises.

And taking multiple classes in a day? Oh my God,

absolutely not. But today, I can take multiple

classes in a day. I can do jumping jacks. I can

hold a decent plank for about 30 seconds before

I have to drop to my knees. And I'm using higher...

weight dumbbells than I ever dreamed I could

have before. Because 100 days ago, I was using

fives for my big weights and threes for my small

weights. And today I'm using 15s and eights.

Now, the 20 pound dumbbells, those are haunting

me. I want to use the 20 pound dumbbells, but

I'm not there yet. I'll work on it. I'm not there

yet, but I'll get there. So I want to welcome

you to more movement, please. the podcast where

I basically want to inspire other people to finally

get off their butt and move. Move your body.

I'm famous Ashley Grant on the interwebs, and

you can learn more about how I got that moniker

on my other podcast, The Bloggy Friends Show.

But for this one, I want to be talking about

moving your body. That's what this podcast is

going to be all about. And if you want to know

more and you want to hang out with me on my fitness

journey, I would love to have you here. So I

hope you'll consider subscribing wherever you

get your podcasts. And I'll be posting episodes

as I get gym musings and as I get experts that

I want to talk to. Most of the episodes are going

to be about five or 10 minutes because that's

about how long it takes me to get to and from

the gym. And I kind of want to just share things

as I'm thinking of them and as I'm learning them.

So they'll be quick and easy to digest episodes.