Who hides behind Fluffy Fitness?

Interview of Sarah Frankenreiter, fitness coach

Hi Sarah! You are a fitness coach. How did you come up with the idea of dedicating your life to sport?

The trigger point was a Zumba class that I loved – I was in England working as a language assistant and went regularly to the gym next to the school. I spoke with the instructor and ended up doing the training course myself back there. This was my first step towards teaching.

Can you tell us more about your journey as a baby coach?

After I became Zumba instructor, I went back to France and did two more training courses, Aqua Zumba and Zumba Step, then I got my first fitness degree to be able to teach different classes (cardio, shape, stretch…). It included a 6-months training in a Neoness gym during which I discovered LesMills. I started right away at the beginning of the school year to give fitness classes part-time and to get some LesMills licenses: Bodybalance*, Sh’Bam*, LM Barre*. That was already a wide range of fitness concepts that enabled me to start successfully in Berlin after I moved there!

What about Personal Training?

I started to do online coaching for a startup, promoting a balanced lifestyle. However, I decided to leave after a few successes as I wanted something more independent and personalized – I would work very actively with my clients which was more than required and time-consuming but often necessary. I still have a good relationship with some of them and I am happy to have been able to help.

As for sport, I really started muscle building thanks to my friend two years ago, a good thing as you can hardly avoid it in the fitness & coaching world. Before that, I would rather ignore machines and heavy weight lifting. Once I settled in Germany, I got an additional Personal Trainer License and my first client in the Holmes Place gym – we had a good contact right away the first time we met!

What did you learn from this coaching experience?

It strengthened the idea that everyone is different, has different needs and possibilities and that a good coaching should be adapted to each person, taking into account a maximum of parameters. Furthermore, lifestyle is quite important when you try to get healthier: in many cases, it’s not only the plate content that needs improvement. Or, alternatively, sport practice only is not enough. You need to follow a holistic approach. Together we start anew with new fundamentals and we build on them to achieve a healthy and stable weight, learning how to live a healthier life while appreciating the changes!

Did sport change your life?

Absolutely. There was no real turning point as I had always moved regularly – with family (bike, walking, running, swimming), at the school fitness club (gymnastics), at university (aerobics, dance, step etc.). During my studies, sport was necessary to keep me going, socialize and remain in shape. Then of course, when I started the internship at Neoness, I practiced more and more and tried various types of classes. At that time, I did many things at the same time and despite this crazy rhythm I had enough energy and could stand it. Now that I am a fulltime coach, have found a rhythm and a diet that fits me 100%, I am in really good shape and I almost never get ill! Some people even call me “Flummi”, the bouncy ball…

Stunning! Do you have a morning routine?

Yes and no. My working hours are different every day and I like to stay flexible and spontaneous – even if sometimes, organization is useful to stay on the right path. My ideal morning, if I can get some time, is a yoga, barre or simply wake-up & mobility routine that takes 5-20 minutes between tee and breakfast; I also like to go for a walk and breathe some fresh air if I don’t have classes in the morning.

And in this diversity, what is your favorite sport ?

You know, it’s not that easy to answer when you teach a large choice of classes! I started with Zumba and Zumba Step, then I got a new revelation with Bodybalance, which still is a must in my coach life. There was a time when I would focus on muscle building… Zumba, like Sh’bam, are very fun classes, but I enjoy a nice group energy with Strong (Hiit/combat) or LM Barre (ballet-inspired fitness class). These are all classes I enjoyed as a participant. As a coach, what matters most is the energy you share with the group, whatever the type of class. If I go to a class for myself, I need to burn off energy or on the contrary, to refocus, so Strong or Yoga… In the end, combining a maximum of different sports in the week is the best way not to get bored and to feel balanced!

If I say “sport”, you think of…

Release tension, healthy lifestyle, body, energy, satisfaction, health, fun, balance, focus, routine, muscle, feeling, challenge, courage.

What are your other fields of interest?

Cooking (healthy and balanced), personalized nutrition, translation (Master’s Degree at the ESIT school), singing, playing theatre, reading, traveling… and, I admit, good whiskey – on rare occasions!

So, to have a healthy lifestyle, you combine sport and nutrition. You must have quite a lot of knowledge!

Sure ! I began as a 17 year-old to dig into books and studies and I wrote my translation Master thesis on Fodmaps. Digestion has been an issue for a long time in my entourage. Animated by my passion for pâtisserie and nutrition, I began to experiment around in order to create healthy and yummy recipes – ending up selling my “healthy patisseries” in England! Of course my training courses have consolidated my knowledge but the most interesting and most formative is personal experience and experimentation. Now I am taking a training course to specialize into vegetarian nutrition – it fits quite well to me and I am convinced of its meaning in a sustainable world. In the fitness area, we never stop learning from the contact with groups and new clients. I also think about taking a yoga course to improve my practice and continue on this path later.

Have you changed your diet?

Yes, but little by little. I was lucky to grow up with homemade meals, even if it wasn’t always “perfect”. This traditional French diet became an issue when I grew older (sweetened products, cow milk and meat in particular). The basis was good but sweet yoghurts and biscuits soon became a no-go after I started working in a bakery – I realized that it was easy to get an overdose of cakes and croissants. As an independent student, I cut on sweet products, I would just buy one from time to time. I never bought any meat but fish, never drank any milk again as my body was reluctant towards these foods. I have a very sensitive digestive system and my skin reacts very quickly as well. I did some research on various diets that I would adapt for myself and I started experimenting with new products. I had digestive issues that I thought might be the result of an overdose of fructose and I also got a memorable crisis due to too much gluten after a week eating in a canteen – my immune system got devastated and I had to make a “clean gut diet”. I recovered and from then on, I had a more balanced diet that agreed with my grown body. It took time for this new pesco-ovo-vegetarian way of eating, to get accepted in my family circle but today, my parents rather tend to follow my example! And indulging my friends and family with savory meals or healthy desserts is not an issue – they are always excited when I bake something! All things considered, you must be ready to accept that the individuals around the table do not have the same needs; and it is quite easy to satisfy everyone.

I eat gluten-free (rare exceptions are spelt and regular oats), soy-free and sugar-free, less and less cheese and I enjoy this way of life!

Have you experienced a physical transformation?

As far as health is concerned, absolutely. Digestion in particular – which is unavoidable for your overall fitness. During the years of research and baking experimentations, it happened that I gained up to 5 kg extra weight and I had a swollen belly; now I tend to have a simpler diet with rare excesses (which are “healthy” themselves most of the time). Not forgetting the development of my muscles: sport and diet goes together!

What is the most original food you tested?

I can’t help recalling an interview about hemp during which the journalist asked me to make spontaneously a hemp-protein shake - which didn’t look very appetizing! Fortunately, my hemp seed granola was amazing… Of course while I was trying vegan recipes and experimenting new ideas, I tested many superfoods (maca, baobab, spirulina…). That said, a traditional grain or plant like buckwheat, which belongs to the basics for me, might be unknown to a foreigner!

A weird-looking (or unknown) food which taste was a good surprise…

Maybe chia seeds or pea protein “hack” … Both don’t have much taste but are very interesting, all the more when you eat vegan. They are bought dry and they swell in water. Chia pudding as a sticky aspect that some people might not like but it is delicious with the right ingredients and I love its creaminess! Moreover, chia seeds are very useful in some recipes, for example as a binding agent. I use pea protein like hacked meat for a vegan Bolognese – which you can also make from legumes, but those have been reintroduced only recently into my diet.

What is your favorite dish?

Today probably a colorful fried rice dish, a curry or a self-made pizza. I am a big fan of sweet potato fries, with a Buddha bowl to balance. As for desserts, it has always been the lemon tart – now only my version though. And of course vegan cheesecakes and all kinds of pancakes!

What is your motto?

Be fit, feel fluffy!

Interview by Eva Frankenreiter

*Bodybalance = Les Mills class inspired from tai chi, yoga and Pilates.

*Sh’bam = Les Mills dance class focussing on easy moves with a club-like playlist

*LM Barre = Les Mills fitness class based on ballet-inspired moves

*Buddha Bowl = a balanced vegetarian meal containing raw and cooked foods

*Fodmap : https://www.amazon.fr/Voyage-centre-lintestin-FODMAP-gastro-ent%C3%A9rologie/dp/6138498534