Written by Kathryn Lekas
Photography by Paul Buceta
Hair & Makeup by Monica Kalra
For Fitness Coach Brittany Chapman, appearing on the cover of The Best Body Guide (Volume 6) presented by STRONG Fitness towards the end of 2023 was simply not enough, for one reason. After experiencing a year full of positive recognition and continued celebration as a result of her powerful cover, this veteran trainer—who has committed her career to helping women reach their goals—knew she wouldn’t be satisfied with her epic experience until she could share it directly with others, too! So, Brittany put it out there to some of her fitness coaching clients to see who was in to go big with their goals before this new year, and is now proud to introduce the world to Dionne, Susan, Holly, and Alex. A worthy group of women who stepped up to the challenge of being featured front and center on the cover of STRONG by becoming the strongest version of themselves. With an unwavering commitment to training, nutrition, and lifestyle rooted in community, the team hopes to also inspire others to do the same, no matter their starting point or circumstance.
“Shooting (for this STRONG Fitness Magazine issue) with my clients has been an amazing celebration of everything that I stand for in my coaching business: women coming together and empowering one another on their journeys,” says Brittany. “But it was so much more than the shoot day, which was more like the icing, the sprinkles, and the cherries on the cake! It was everything leading up to the shoot as well, that was so important,” she explains. “The excitement the girls had about making a real commitment to a big goal, continuing to lift each other up along the way, being able to represent the number one women’s fitness publication in North America, and show that fit truly isn’t a size or a body type. It is a feeling. It’s just been so wonderful being able to share this experience with all of them.”
Brittany:
“Doing this together was so fun, even more so than doing my
own cover!”
With Brittany leading the way with such enthusiasm and positivity, it’s no wonder the women in her coaching group embraced the opportunity to transform their lives by embarking on her carefully-crafted 12-week program culminating with the STRONG group cover shoot. “The experience has been wonderful,” says Dionne (Dee) about her first-ever photo shoot. “Even just being with all these ladies has been an amazing experience!”
Susan shares her sentiments. “This has just been an incredible experience, getting to know all of these ladies over the last few months, and sharing our struggles and all of our triumphs together.”
HOLLY:
“Having the encouragement and training that Brittany has given me, and having all of these girls for support, has literally changed the game for me. It’s amazing!”
Alex agrees. “It’s all been very rewarding. Considering I grew up reading fitness magazines, having the opportunity to actually appear on the cover of STRONG and contribute like this to inspire others is very exciting. And it’s really nice to experience it with such a great group of women,” she shares.
Creating a community of solid support is key to Brittany’s approach to fitness coaching and achieving results with her signature Reset Method. Something Holly says was pivotal for her. “Knowing there’s other people in the transformation group working towards the same goal, and having an amazing coach like Brittany, has literally changed my life. I am not the type of girl who can actually work out alone and be held accountable to do that, so having Brittany and the other girls cheering me on has been absolutely fabulous in my fitness journey. I had gained 40 pounds back in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and I’m over 40 years old now—I was finding it really hard to take off the weight, but this group cover program has been a life changer for me,” she explains.
ALEX:
“Despite, what your career is, or where you are in life, you can achieve any of your goals. It is attainable.”
Brittany hopes that in bringing these dedicated women together to transform their bodies and lives, celebrating their wins, and sharing their collective experience in such a big way will not only help each of them to stay the course to live a strong lifestyle, but inspire more and more women to keep pushing for that fit feeling. “It was important for me to bring a group of my coaching clients together like this and do a cover shoot because I wanted them to have this transformative experience. When I had it last year (with The Best Body Guide Volume 6 cover) it was beyond words—so unimaginably amazing because that was something that I always wanted to do—but I truly wanted other women to realize they, too, could set a big goal and crush it! So, I’m glad we made the decision to do it! Now, so many women will see themselves reflected in the efforts and accomplishments of this group and hopefully embark on their own path to a stronger life!”
Just how did Brittany ensure everyone would feel ready to step into the spotlight and feel confident in front of the camera, especially being newbies to fitness or photo shoots?
SUSAN:
“Fitness plays a huge role in my life. It’s always been important, but now that I have teenage daughters, it’s become even more important as I am a role model for them.”
“We focused on meeting macros each day with nutrition and continuing to get mindful training sessions in” she says. “Oftentimes it’s not so many small details that make or break a goal, it’s a lack of consistency and that’s where the secret sauce comes into play—having a solid support system can make all the difference. Over the years working with so many women, I have learned that knowing you’re accountable to a group and having that encouragement throughout the journey really helps to keep most of us on track. It should come as no surprise, really. Women are generally social creatures, creating bonds and being there for each other fuels us, especially when it’s not always smooth sailing. Life happens, and having a group of gals to lean into is so helpful.”
DEE:
“Being strong is about the courage, determination, and the inspiration that you hold within—that shines through in who you embody.”
Brittany says seeing each one of the women on this cover put in their best effort and achieve their best results, no matter their starting point, is why she does what she does as a coach. “It’s important for women to know that they can always start, no matter their age, experience level, or circumstance. Fitness is for everyone. A great coach will meet you where you’re at and help to elevate you as you consistently put in the work to be better in body, mind, and spirit. That’s the goal—being the best version of you, and continuing to improve. If you don’t already have a support group, it’s time to get one so heading into 2025, you have what—and who—you need to succeed!”
The November/December 2024 Canadian newsstand edition of STRONG Fitness Magazine.
