7/3/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
If you're not ready to put in the work at the Chaparral Fitness Center, fitness trainer Fred Bray doesn't want you stepping foot through the door.
But if you're serious about losing or gaining weight or packing muscle mass, Bray helps customers attempt to reach their fitness goals every Tuesday and Thursday.
A 24-year Army veteran with a competitive bodybuilding background, Bray's credentials include winning Mr. Coastal South Carolina and Mr. South Carolina titles.
A former fitness instructor at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Bray is currently using his fitness experience to help hopefuls who are serious about getting healthy.
"I need to know what their goals are and what they are planning on achieving," Bray said. "I can go by what they tell me and write up a fitness program for them if they want to lose or gain weight or tone or gain muscle."
Bray is currently assisting one enlisted spouse reach his goals.
Jimmy Bailey, with encouragement from his wife, Nakenya Portela-Bailey, a staff sergeant from the 324th Training Squadron, came into the fitness center looking to lose weight and was referred to Bray by Richard Brown, manager of the Chaparral.
"I was extremely out of shape," Bailey said. "I couldn't do pushups, mountain climbers or jump rope."
Before Bailey stepped foot into the gym in April, he weighed 369 pounds from eating fast food and lots of sugars, chips and other high-calorie foods three times a week. Now, he is on a diet regimen that requires him to eat salads, fish, baked chicken and vegetables three times a week.
A daily workout for Bailey includes cardio for 25 minutes and weight training comprised of chest on Mondays, back and shoulders on Tuesdays, legs on Wednesdays, and core bodywork on Thursdays. He does abdominal exercises daily.
Bailey has lost 60 pounds since starting his diet and workout regimen in April and currently weighs 309 pounds.
Shedding the weight hasn't been a difficult ordeal thanks to Bray's motivation, said Bailey.
"He told me to keep at it and I'd see results eventually," Bailey said. "Bray said it was a matter of changing my eating habits and the way I worked out."
Bailey wears 5X T-shirts while working out - a reminder of how he looked in the past and motivation for the future.
"I can't fit in any of my clothes anymore, and I don't want to go buy another wardrobe right now and three months later buy more," Bailey said. "I'd rather wear the big clothes because they remind me of what I used to be and what I don't want to be anymore."
Bailey hopes his hard work pays off. His goal is to weigh less than 300 pounds by mid-July and be 250 pounds by November.
Eventually, he would like to weigh 225 pounds a year from now, and he's dedicated to reaching that goal with Bray's help.
"(Bray) won't let me stop working," Bailey said. "If I can't come in for a couple of days, I'll tell him I'll be there the first day I can."
"If patrons are not serious about putting time in the gym, don't bother asking me for assistance," said Bray. "But if they are serious about getting in shape, wanting to tone up, or lose weight, they should come see me. I'm going to take care of that for them as long as they are willing to work hard.
"Nothing comes easy. No pain, no gain," he said.