August ‘26 + D Arnold & Pouneh

August is all about making the most of the season while keeping the momentum you've built all summer long. Whether you're enjoying vacations, weekend adventures, or settling back into a routine, remember that consistency doesn't have to be perfect. Every workout, healthy meal, and small choice adds up. Let's finish the summer strong!

❤️ Monthly Wellness Tip: Check In With Yourself 

Take a moment to reflect on how you're feeling not just physically, but mentally too. Notice what's been working well, what feels challenging, and one small habit you can focus on improving this month. 

📝 Monthly Challenge: Summer Bingo  

Summer Bingo is still going strong, and there's plenty of time to join the fun! If you haven't started yet, grab a bingo card from the gym or take a picture of one to print at home. The challenge runs through August 31st, so keep checking off those squares and see how many bingos you can rack up before summer comes to a close. 

💪 Shoutout Time! Congratulate your fellow members in person when you see them. 

Kathy Wilson - Hit the 500 training session milestone last month! 

Pouneh Nouri, Kelly Clark, and Michelle Camp  - All earned another gold star in the month!

✨Member Features with Pouneh Nouri and Daren Arnold 

What does your daily training mean to you?  

Pouneh- Training is much more than exercise for me—it’s an investment in both my physical and mental health. I go to the gym 5–6 days a week, and every afternoon when I walk through the doors of Ambitious Athletics, seeing my friends and Coach Deanna and/or Coach Carmen smiling and training together immediately lifts my spirits. No matter how demanding my day has been working in healthcare, I leave the gym feeling stronger, more energized, and mentally recharged. 

Daren- It’s difficult to say exactly what it means - because it means so many things to me. It’s certainly about health, both physical and mental. The training helped rehabilitate me after a devastating knee injury, and helped get me through the depths of the pandemic. It means structure - a way to guarantee I get the most modern fitness practices and workouts without having to really think about it - just get out of bed and make sure I’m at my 7:15 class. Beyond that it provides a fantastic social outlet. I genuinely love working out with my fellow Ambitious athletes. They have become true friends, something I never found in the years (and years!) I spent in box gyms.  

How do you balance training, nutrition, and recovery? 

Pouneh- After 18 years of training with Coach Carmen, I’ve learned that consistency matters more than perfection. Coach Carmen has continuously taught me that progress comes from balancing hard training with proper nutrition and recovery. Working in healthcare can be demanding, so I’ve learned to listen to my body, fuel it well, prioritize sleep, and recover just as intentionally as I train. That balance has allowed me to stay healthy, motivated, and keep improving year after year. 

Daren- To be honest, balancing training, nutrition, and recovery is something I don’t do very well. I have the training dialed in, as the programming means I don’t have to think about anything but getting myself into the gym every morning. I don’t take advantage of the outstanding recovery options as much as I should.  I’ve never joined the Ambitious nutrition program.   Nutrition is something I feel I do fairly well, but it’s never been formalized. I don’t count my macros or obsess about protein. I cook at home almost every day and watch the scale.  

Tell us about an adventure you were on where you thought, “man, I’m happy my body performs like this.” 

Pouneh- Recently, I hiked through the Swiss Alps around Zermatt and St. Moritz, covering anywhere from 8 to 15 miles a day on challenging mountain trails. Throughout the trip, I kept thinking how grateful I was for the years of smart, functional training at Ambitious Athletics. My local guide—who is both a mountaineer and a ski instructor—was genuinely impressed by how comfortably I handled the terrain and distances. That experience reminded me that what we do in the gym isn’t just about lifting weights—it’s about preparing our bodies to fully enjoy life’s adventures. 

Daren-  Everything I do in the gym is to ensure I can continue to do all the outdoor activities I love. Whether I’m hiking, skiing, or mountain biking, I push myself as hard as I can, knowing that my gym routine has me well prepared.  The past 6 months, I trained for a mountain climb. I haven’t taken a trip like that in decades, and I wasn’t sure how my body would respond to climbing thousands of vertical feet of steep snow, rock, and ice. I was successful, and the individual attention and help I received from the Ambitious trainers made all the difference. 

What’s the one metric you keep an eye on that tells you if you’re slacking or not? (Think a particular lift, exercise, run, medical data, vo2, body fat). 

Pouneh- The metric I pay the closest attention to is my heart rate variability (HRV). It gives me valuable insight into how well I’ve recovered and whether my body is ready to push harder or needs more rest. I’ve learned that recovery is just as important as training, and HRV helps me make smarter decisions so I can stay consistent, avoid burnout, and continue making progress. 

Daren- I mostly track two metrics: my resting heart rate and my vo2. One week of slacking on the conditioning workouts starts to affect my vo2 max. It’s frustrating but keeps me honest.  

Thank you for being part of the Ambitious community! We’re here to help you achieve your fitness goals, whether that's lifting heavier, running longer, or feeling your best every day.