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MY DAD CAME TO MY BARRE3 CLASS—AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT
When Alan Hirschmugl’s daughter Nellie started training to be a barre3 instructor in 2017, he wholeheartedly threw his encouragement behind her, even offering to attend one of her very first classes. Was it outside his comfort zone? Completely, but he knew that being there would help support Nellie. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was how profoundly stepping into the studio would impact his own life.
That 60-minute session set off a journey to health, and both Alan and Nellie have come a long way together in the past few years. Here, they take us through their dynamic-duo story, from perfecting planks and dropping pounds to being massively—and deservedly—proud of each other.
DAD’S FIRST CLASS
Nellie: The first time I taught my dad, he was definitely in the back corner shaking. Easily the sweatiest person in there. I think he wanted to kill me when I made him do a second Plank. He for sure didn’t look like he was having fun—we’ll put it that way!
Alan: Honestly, it had been a good year-and-a-half since I’d done anything related to regular exercise. I was a member of a fitness club, but between work and life, I’d gotten out of the habit of going and had gained weight. It was a tough hour, no question. I went through several sweat towels, I think. I made good use of them.
Nellie: We don’t roll up all those towels for nothing!
Alan: My goal in going, really, was to watch Nellie teach. My wife, Karen, and I were so excited to see her take on certification, and I really didn’t think I’d ever go again or it would have much effect. But it made me realize just how out of shape I’d gotten. It was a major eye-opener.
BACK FOR MORE
Alan: Not long after that first class, Nellie got certified. I started going to the fitness club near me to work out, partly because I wanted to get healthier, but also because I knew I was going to take Nellie’s class again. I figured I didn’t want to be the one in the worst shape, or even if I was, I didn’t want it to be a huge disparity between me and the others. That spurred me to get going.
Nellie: As an instructor, it’s always your goal to be a positive influence on someone’s day, or even their life, so to have my dad in there is extra special. To know I’m helping him in a positive way—there’s nothing better. It’s also pretty fun to push him to his edge and make him work.
SEEING THE CHANGES
Alan: The first few times I did Plank in class, I was like, “Oh, this isn’t going to go well.” But I recently took class, and it was no problem.
Nellie: Truthfully, my dad calls me like a week before he comes to class to ask what I’m going to teach, so he can work on it before he gets there. This last time, I told him to work on Plank—it’s always great to do! So he would send me updates. He started by not being able to hold it for a minute. Then he was able to hold it. Then he could do a solid minute and take a break, and do another minute. That’s just huge. For him to be able to do that, it’s so cool.
Alan: You also said there would be a lot of squats, so I worked on those. I was actually worried I pushed a little too hard and wouldn’t be able to do them in class, but I came through.
Nellie: You sure did.
NEWFOUND CONFIDENCE
Alan: In the first few classes I took, it seemed like I was always the one Nellie was helping and adjusting. I notice she now has to do that less and less, and that feels good. Through exercise and eating healthier, I’ve gone from 260 lbs to 205 lbs in the past year. My goal is to get under 200 lbs, but I feel so much better. Now I can take class and actually do it, enjoy it, and feel the benefits of it.
Nellie: Today, my dad is more confident in himself. He’s going to the gym more, and I’m so proud of what he’s done and accomplished in the last year.
Alan: Well, I can’t tell you how proud I am of Nellie. Where she is now compared to when she started taking barre3—she’s more fit, she has more confidence, she’s eating right. To make that leap to instructor was huge. Such a challenge. I love seeing how she’s handled it, her maturity, and watching clients come up to her and make positive comments. I couldn’t be more proud, and in all honesty, barre3 was kind of the thing that started that.
You can catch Nellie on the schedule at barre3 Willow Glen in San Jose, CA. And who knows, you just might spot Alan in class, too!
When Alan Hirschmugl’s daughter Nellie started training to be a barre3 instructor in 2017, he wholeheartedly threw his encouragement behind her, even offering to attend one of her very first classes. Was it outside his comfort zone? Completely, but he knew that being there would help support Nellie. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was how profoundly stepping into the studio would impact his own life.
That 60-minute session set off a journey to health, and both Alan and Nellie have come a long way together in the past few years. Here, they take us through their dynamic-duo story, from perfecting planks and dropping pounds to being massively—and deservedly—proud of each other.
DAD’S FIRST CLASS
Nellie: The first time I taught my dad, he was definitely in the back corner shaking. Easily the sweatiest person in there. I think he wanted to kill me when I made him do a second Plank. He for sure didn’t look like he was having fun—we’ll put it that way!
Alan: Honestly, it had been a good year-and-a-half since I’d done anything related to regular exercise. I was a member of a fitness club, but between work and life, I’d gotten out of the habit of going and had gained weight. It was a tough hour, no question. I went through several sweat towels, I think. I made good use of them.
Nellie: We don’t roll up all those towels for nothing!
Alan: My goal in going, really, was to watch Nellie teach. My wife, Karen, and I were so excited to see her take on certification, and I really didn’t think I’d ever go again or it would have much effect. But it made me realize just how out of shape I’d gotten. It was a major eye-opener.
BACK FOR MORE
Alan: Not long after that first class, Nellie got certified. I started going to the fitness club near me to work out, partly because I wanted to get healthier, but also because I knew I was going to take Nellie’s class again. I figured I didn’t want to be the one in the worst shape, or even if I was, I didn’t want it to be a huge disparity between me and the others. That spurred me to get going.
Nellie: As an instructor, it’s always your goal to be a positive influence on someone’s day, or even their life, so to have my dad in there is extra special. To know I’m helping him in a positive way—there’s nothing better. It’s also pretty fun to push him to his edge and make him work.
SEEING THE CHANGES
Alan: The first few times I did Plank in class, I was like, “Oh, this isn’t going to go well.” But I recently took class, and it was no problem.
Nellie: Truthfully, my dad calls me like a week before he comes to class to ask what I’m going to teach, so he can work on it before he gets there. This last time, I told him to work on Plank—it’s always great to do! So he would send me updates. He started by not being able to hold it for a minute. Then he was able to hold it. Then he could do a solid minute and take a break, and do another minute. That’s just huge. For him to be able to do that, it’s so cool.
Alan: You also said there would be a lot of squats, so I worked on those. I was actually worried I pushed a little too hard and wouldn’t be able to do them in class, but I came through.
Nellie: You sure did.
NEWFOUND CONFIDENCE
Alan: In the first few classes I took, it seemed like I was always the one Nellie was helping and adjusting. I notice she now has to do that less and less, and that feels good. Through exercise and eating healthier, I’ve gone from 260 lbs to 205 lbs in the past year. My goal is to get under 200 lbs, but I feel so much better. Now I can take class and actually do it, enjoy it, and feel the benefits of it.
Nellie: Today, my dad is more confident in himself. He’s going to the gym more, and I’m so proud of what he’s done and accomplished in the last year.
Alan: Well, I can’t tell you how proud I am of Nellie. Where she is now compared to when she started taking barre3—she’s more fit, she has more confidence, she’s eating right. To make that leap to instructor was huge. Such a challenge. I love seeing how she’s handled it, her maturity, and watching clients come up to her and make positive comments. I couldn’t be more proud, and in all honesty, barre3 was kind of the thing that started that.
You can catch Nellie on the schedule at barre3 Willow Glen in San Jose, CA. And who knows, you just might spot Alan in class, too!
