Meet Rugiatu And TustFit

SPEAKER_00 0:30

My name is Rugiatu, a certified personal trainer, and my business is called Tust Fit.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Wonderful. I can't wait to learn more about just everything you do at TustFit. Thank you. Take me back to how you got started and all of that. Tell me how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

I got started fitness. Basically, I've played many sports and everything, and but I really never know which direction I would ever take it to. I just knew me moving and exercising made me feel good, but I never thought I would take it into the personal fitness

Movement As Clarity And Mental Health

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industry.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

Absolutely. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Yeah. And I I got curious about the movements, how body moves and all of that, and wanted to learn more. And I went and got my certification, and I'm still learning, and but at the same time, I have my own business.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Very cool. Yes. We're learning every single day, and that's just something so great about life. There's always something new to learn. Absolutely. And I guess the rest was history. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Very cool. Very cool. You've described movement as something that keeps you grounded. What has fitness meant to you personally over the years?

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Well, fitness meant to me over the years that it is important. It's important. It gives me clarity. It makes me feel good. And it keeps me grounded even days when I don't feel like doing it. But once I go, I do feel like I'm glad. I'm happy that I went and moved my body like I supposed to. It's also good for my mental health, right? So once I go and take care of me and come back out, I feel like it's me again.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Absolutely. Yeah. It's a great way to start the day. It's a great way to end the day. I just, it's what we're meant to do.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

And I love how you bring mentality too. It's not just about the physicality of the mentality as well.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

And you've mentioned that about 10 years ago you started learning fitness on a deeper level. Muscles, anatomy, movement patterns. What sparked that specific curiosity?

SPEAKER_00 3:10

It's so at some point I wanted to change my physique, right? And yes, we are lifting, but we don't really know what we are doing. We're lifting because we want to lift. But to go deeper and dig deeper, you want to know how the muscle really works and what which muscle you're working, or which muscle you want to grow, correct?

Diving Into Anatomy And Mechanics

SPEAKER_00 3:41

So that's what really made me so curious about getting to know the anatomy of the body, the movements and everything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Okay, very interesting. Yeah. Truly, there is science behind it and really just understanding the mechanical side of it too, how they all function and function as a whole.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

As a whole, exactly. As a whole. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Awesome. And when you work with clients, what's your philosophy around training the body the right way, especially when it comes to movement and form?

SPEAKER_00 4:16

Okay. Form, I definitely won't negotiate with form. Form over weight. And I'm not a quick fixer either. So I come with lots of patience. And I tell my clients also bring lots of patience with you. Okay. Because things will not move the way you want

Training Philosophy: Form Over Weight

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it to move, especially if you are learning new things, new movement, or whatsoever. So patience and persistence, I would say. Yes, persistence.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

It's definitely a work in progress. And as you were speaking, it reminds me of that saying: Rome wasn't built in a day. In a day. And I feel like that definitely applies to fitness.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Absolutely applies to it. It absolutely applies to it. Many people really just come to get that quick fix, but it's not. It's a lifestyle, lifestyle change.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Absolutely. You have to want it bad enough, right? Yes. Truly. Exactly. And you support a beautifully diverse range of clients. Women, men, seniors, everyone. Yes. What do you enjoy most about coaching such a diverse group?

SPEAKER_00 5:39

They all have backgrounds. I would say the backgrounds. Everybody, clients

Lifestyle Change Not Quick Fix

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come to me with different backgrounds, and I just like the challenge, right? Sometimes I'm like, can I really help you? But then I dig deep and really listen to them, what is going on. And it's just amazing

Coaching A Diverse Client Base

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to see down the road how they really change their movements or how they move and how they really think about fitness.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

For sure. You meet them where they are, and you watch them evolve and progress over time. That's such a full circle moment, I feel like.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

Yes. I'm a big believer in really meeting them where they're at and moving from there.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Absolutely. And you know, something I love is that you have a special passion for working with seniors. What have they taught you about strength, resilience, and staying active?

SPEAKER_00 6:42

A lot, to be honest with you. So the seniors, they just amaze me when they come and they would tell me, like some of them would tell me strictly, hey, I

Lessons From Training Seniors

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do not want to use a walker. So they do want to get stronger and they want it, and you see the persistent as well, their will to really do things that have not been taught when they were younger. So they are really looking forward into getting stronger and be able to do things that they weren't be able to do before. So they it's just amazing working with the seniors.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

How wonderful that you get to be a part of that and actually make that happen for them. Yes. And also just to provide hope and optimism as well for the future.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

I agree.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

What are some everyday wins you love helping people achieve, such as moving back, feeling stronger, or just being able to do more in their day-to-day life? I guess just to get the clarity, get people out of their own head.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

That's a big thing. That's a really a big thing for me when they come and say, Rogie, since I've been working with you, I really do, I feel better. I just, it's

Everyday Wins And Accountability

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just the waking up in the morning and dragging is just not, it's not the same anymore. I'm actually looking forward to seeing you, even though I don't like you, but I look forward to seeing you.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

I know they love you.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

That makes me so happy because fitness is not for everyone, and that's just something people don't want to really do.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Sure, absolutely.

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Right?

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Sometimes we just need someone to hold us accountable and guide us along the way, and that's when we recommend rookie. Exactly. In your view, what is a major misconception people still have about strength training, especially when it comes to lifting weights?

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Oh, well, it when women say, Oh, I don't want to look bulky, what do you mean? Bulky? What you that's a misconceptions that people really have with weightlifting,

Debunking The “Bulky” Myth

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and it's really proven that weightlifting is good for you, it's good for your bones. It the more you lift, the stronger your bones will get, and all of that. So you we women are we are not going to look like men, okay? And I'm the living proof here. I've been lifting for how long, and I can lift, and I don't think I look like a man.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

Absolutely not. Your body goals, and I feel inspired just sitting here talking to you. You know, and also for meeting clients, like we said, where they are, focusing on progress over perfection. What does that look like in your coaching approach?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Meeting where they're at. So meeting where they're at is first of all, I will do an assessment to see where they're at. And the approach is to see how their movement pattern is the mechanic of the their body moving. And so

Assessments, Goals, And Personalized Plans

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from there, I would basically put a program together what best fit them.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

Yes, get like a game plan.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

A game plan, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

And start with diagnosing their goals, what they want to achieve, and then also your expert opinion on where to take it.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

You also encourage honesty and communication during training, especially around discomfort versus pain. How do you coach clients to listen to their bodies effectively?

SPEAKER_00 11:14

Okay, so while we go into X amount of movement pattern and we are doing range of motion movements or whatsoever, lateral movement or jump movement. So I tell people basically when you work out, there is a discomfort. It's never really a comfortable

Discomfort Versus Pain Cues

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space. Discomfort, it is okay, but pain, pain is now very discomfort comfortable. It's a shooting pain that would make your body twitch, or you you will make you or it will make your body drop the weight. Sure. Because it's painful. You shouldn't have that. So when you work out a discomfort, a little bit out of your comfort zone, that's fine. That's where we're trying to be. That is where we want to be, but uncomfortable to where you like no, you know, your body is really not feeling well, yeah, then we'll scale it back. Okay. We're not doing that.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

Absolutely. And I think that also just brings up the topic, as we were saying earlier, as doing it the right way.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

Yes, proper form, yes, things like that. So that we less weight. Let's not jump right into that heavy weight. Let's get the form right and stick with the form. And as we go, we progress, we add a little bit of weight, but we're not going to grab a 50 pound except because you have this body goal in mind. So that's not my input.

Progressing Weight With Proper Form

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All about being realistic. Exactly, realistic.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

I love it. I love it. And as we were talking earlier, you're a professional bodybuilder as well. How has kind of peting shaped your discipline, your mindset, and how you train others?

SPEAKER_00 13:29

That's a good question. So bodybuilding shaped me into I already, I've already built the discipline, right? But bodybuilding

Bodybuilding And Unshakable Discipline

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pushes you even more. It's not for everyone, it shapes you. I can't even describe it because I I say only insane people do that. The people that are looking for more.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Absolutely, sure.

SPEAKER_00 14:12

They'll do that. And I can't even tell you how to explain it.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

That's okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Because I know it's just it makes me it made me stronger.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Bodybuilding made me stronger, and it kept me grounded even more. And to be honest with you, that it gave me that strength that the little things won't bother me anymore.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Yes, I think that's so important, especially just in today's time, how busy everyone is. Sometimes it's okay to take a step back and not worry about the little things. Yes. Focus on your passions, the things that make you happy and make you feel good. Yes. And for you, that's bodybuilding. And I think that is so cool. And there's nothing more awesome than to say, my fitness trainer is a bodybuilder. I told you I don't like to promote so much. No worries. And looking ahead, what are your goals for the next season of your business? And what are you most excited about as you continue to grow and serve others through your work?

SPEAKER_00 15:24

I'm definitely looking to grow, grow my business, have more clients and everything, and just continue serving the people. Really continue serving the people, continue talking about it is important to move, right? Even if you don't have a goal in mind, just move. Okay. And then also

Growth Goals And Stepping On Stage

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one of my goals, my personal goals for this year is to definitely step on stage again and hopefully get my POCOD this year.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Well, let us know because we want to come. Absolutely, Katie. I sure will. Awesome. Yes. I'm so excited for you. And yeah, you're just you're doing amazing things for the community. You're helping keeping everyone healthy, keeping them moving. Yes. And keeping us educated too on just how we can live our love life a little bit better. Thank you so much, Ruby Atu, for joining me on the podcast and sharing your knowledge and just inspiring story with us. I wish you the best of luck in all that comes your way in the future. Thank you. Thanks for having me, Kitty. Thank you.