Personal testimonials
Sandy Terry
 "I walked through the doors with 100 pounds to lose, a very heavy heart, and had never worked out in a gym before. I quickly learned that Calvin honestly cared, and was eager to start building up my strength, stamina, and most importantly, my self esteem, through a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ. I've lost weight many times before, but always gained it right back. Calvin has shared his passion for the word of God and his strong faith with me, and shown me how God can heal my heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. With that power and love, I could then begin to heal my body and conquer the reason for the eating issues.
With a healthy, nutritional food plan, strength training customized for my level, and cardio, in the first five months I have gone from a size 22 to a size 14, and I lost 40 pounds. I no longer need cholesterol medication since my cholesterol has gone from 204 to 168, and my blood pressure has gone from a high level, bordering the need for medication, to a normal level. My blood sugar has gone from 98 to 60. I feel so much healthier, and have a lot more energy. I couldn't climb a flight of stairs before without being out of breath, and now I can even carry my little grandson up the stairs with no problem.
Calvin is so encouraging, and he makes each class different and fun, and shows you with his great laugh and enthusiasm, how much progress you have made. The caring, friendly people, and Christian music make it a fun, nurturing environment in which to improve your health and fitness, while strengthening your faith and enjoying the fellowship of others.
Calvin has a genuine desire to help everyone, and I am extremely thankful for his patience, guidance, and his faith in me to succeed. The Lord has truly blessed me and I know I will succeed with His strength and love. I look forward to continuing this journey and enjoying the process."
Stacey Pummell
"Calvin and CrossTraining316 have become a necessary part of my everyday life. My goal when I began was to basically just take my workouts up a notch. What I received in return was much more than I imagined. Yes, I have learned a lot about nutrition and how to work out a peak efficiency; however I have also gained insight on not only how important our overall health is physically, but how our body , soul, spirit and mind work together with God's mighty power to make us the individuals He has created us to be. "
Susan Aragon
"After months of working out and watching what I ate, I hit the customary "plateau" or so I thought. Within weeks of joining CrossTraining316 and redefining my nutritional requirements as well as learning what a complete workout was really all about, I reached my goal! I would never have achieved this milestone without the help of Calvin Barnes. I highly recommend taking the time and making the commitment to discover."
Cheryl Palla
"It's my sanctuary"
Cheryl Porter
 I never learned to eat or exercise properly because I grew up thin and regularly played outside; I thought I’d always be able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight. But having children put on a chronic extra 10-15 pounds I’d lose through starvation diets and then gain back, again and again. This pattern worsened when I contracted Lupus and suffered a serious back injury in my thirties, eliminating exercise and diminishing my appetite to the point of near-anorexia, followed by an alarming 20-pound weight gain from meds. I found some balance in college as an empty nester when I discovered warm water aerobics and cut the meds, but still paid scarce attention to what I ate on the run.
When I came to Bakersfield in 2004, I still had no idea how to eat, but was now stuck behind a news desk 50-60 hours a week, lonely for friends and family, disconnected from God, emotionally frozen and tempted by vast amounts of free food flowing into the newsroom where I worked. In no time I went from 120 pounds to 155 pounds, heavier than I’d ever been, even when pregnant. My old standby of walking a little everyday and cutting calories didn’t work anymore. Depressed, I hit the fridge to ease the pain.
When I met Calvin in 2007, I was miserable, unattractive, and suffering all kinds of aches, pains, and physical slowness, making me feel older than my years. I needed a miracle, but feared asking for help. In 2008 I finally did ask, but Calvin frustrated me further by saying no, I wasn’t ready. He was right: I didn’t want real change, only a quick fix requiring minimal effort… nothing deep or difficult. So I joined a gym and tried diets, but noticed that even a few minutes on the treadmill made me dizzy and my heart race. So I backed off from exercise, fearful I might trigger a heart attack.
This doomed plan continued until I again asked Calvin for help in 2009, this time ready to do whatever he suggested, no matter what. He had me eat more of the right foods more times a day, and drive across town twice a week to work out with him in his gym. He added 30 minutes of cardio 3-4 times a week in my own gym, and I found that the extra food gave me ample stamina to handle the dreaded treadmill without getting dizzy. The weight started coming off, my muscles grew, the aches and pains diminished, my energy and strength increased, I felt younger, looked better. Encouraged, I continued to my goal weight of 115.
It’s been a year now, and I feel like a different person. Eating properly has become second nature, and exercise an addiction. I always hated running, even in high school, but now I love it, making the treadmill my cardio machine of choice. But the best part of this journey has been the emotional and spiritual healing that came as an unexpected bonus. Choosing to forgive and learning to establish boundaries have gone deep to ferret out the roots of bitterness that caused me to shut down and overeat in the first place. Life is happier, healthier and more worthwhile than it’s ever been before. I got my miracle!
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