Hi, I'm Symone Lizzette
I’ve always been active, but college changed everything. Between late-night pizza, stress, and slipping into bad habits, I gained a tremendous amount of weight. For the first time, I didn’t recognize the person in the mirror—and I definitely wasn’t happy with her. My body started to feel out of proportion, and my confidence took a huge hit. ( I avoided cameras at all costs when I was at my heaviest but this (left) was when the weight finally started to fall off)
Determined to get my confidence back, I went all-in… maybe too far. I started training legs 4–5 days a week, convinced that more was better. I thought if I just pushed harder, I’d lose the weight faster and finally fix my glutes, which had been feeling out of proportion for awhile and covered in cellulite. After the gym I’d literally crawl up the stairs to my third-floor apartment, thinking that’s what “training hard” was supposed to feel like.
That frustration.. and a bit of obsession with fitness and the gym I was working at—led me to start studying like crazy (I’m a Virgo, so the researcher in me is innate). Finally, I had a plan and real knowledge for myself. So when I got my first certification as a trainer, EVERYTHING changed. I learned how to train smarter, not just harder, and I was actually able to help the people around me start building bodies they love as well.
With the right approach, I lost weight, reshaped my body, and eventually got into bodybuilding. I sculpted my glutes and went on to win two overall titles, and qualified for bikini bodybuilding nationals three times.
But here’s the truth: my journey hasn’t always been a straight line. I’ve gained weight again, battled digestion issues, and lost a significant amount of weight when my body stopped tolerating foods I used to love ..then I had to gain weight in order to grow my glutes all over again.
Every high came with a low, and every “before and after” had a messy middle. I am in no way perfect. I’ve been there; from feeling awkward and not knowing what to do in the gym at all, doing everything wrong, to becoming the person who can walk into any gym and come up with an entire workout (and several modifications for each exercise) on the spot. I’m not here to judge, critique or just tell you all the things you're doing wrong—this guide is truly meant to inform and motivate, so that you can take care of YOU. I know what works, and that’s why I created this guide.