We recently had the chance to connect with Efrain Larenas and have shared our conversation below.
Efrain, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Upon waking up at 430am I first pray and thank God for blessing me with another day! I then do a 10-minute bed warm up to loosen up my hips, back and knees. Afterwards I sit up and read my daily devotions and do another seated 10-minute warm up. After hitting the bathroom, I make some coffee, get dressed and then head to the gym. Monday through Friday I try to get to the gym by 530am and workout before taking care of clients. I want to lead by example and get my workout in before they get there’s in. First clients are usually at 630 or 730am.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a God loving and fearing Christian man who loves the Lord with all of my heart.
I am a Certified Personal Trainer with over 30 years of experience., I am certified through AFAA-NASM of which include CPT, Youth and Senior Fitness Instructor . I am also certified by the International Youth Conditioning Association as a Youth Fitness Strength & Conditioning coach. Furthermore, I have several certifications with the American Aerobics Association International & International Sports Medicine Association which include Small group fitness & personal training, Life coach and Sports Conditioning levels 1,2 & 3. Lastly I am certified with TRX for personal & group fitness instruction. I am also CPR/AED certified.
I specialized in
Private and group personal training, boot camps, fitness camps, Teen Fitness, Weight loss & weight management
Speed, agility & Sports conditioning training
Metabolic Enhancement training
Functional Integrated strength and core stabilization training
Pre/post Natal Women’s training
Special populations such as special needs, cancer & stroke survivors
Functional aging specialty training (FAST)
In addition to having 30 + years as a fitness professional, I was an Elementary Physical Education Teacher. My other hobbies include golf, attending sporting events, fitness fundraisers and traveling and spending time with my family that includes one son, daughter, son in law and grandson.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
During the height of Covid my clients and the community I serve and work for the past 20 years went above and beyond to not only keep me in business, but their amazing generosity and kindness made me feel extremely special and valued. I had several clients who gifted me different amounts of donations, payment advancements, etc. to make sure I continued to be taken care of and that I could continue to take care of my family. This continues today as they still check in on me just as much as I check in on them. Just last week a client of 20+ years gave me a thank you card with a large amount of cash simply stating “Just a thank you, I want you to go to a Yankees game! She knows how much I love the Yankees and all of these examples are the kind of good that the world needs more of, these examples give me hope for the future and how I view the world. I am in the helping business and its my nature to give and serve as much as I can so that the world can be a better place.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I’ll never forget the date and the 7 inch scar that runs down my knee reminds me everyday of God’s amazing grace, love and mercy. On December 16, 2006 I was in a 3 vehicle accident that changed my life forever. I was less than 2 years from teaching my last PE class and I stepped out on faith to pursue my passion and true calling to start a personal training business. I had secured 2 big contracts one with a physical therapy practice and a private school to teach group fitness classes. Life was great and I was living the dream until that fateful day that nearly took my legs and my life. I’ll be the first to admit, I was feeling myself too much and not humble enough, but God had a plan to slow me down and re-dedicate my life to him. The collision and impact was so severe that my truck was cut in half by a telephone pole, my left knee was dangling from my thigh as my patella tendon ruptured and also tore my PCL. As much pain I was in, I immediately praised God because the back side was crushed, I as a lone in the truck for a reason, my son wouldn’t be here today had he been in the car seat and for that reason alone I am so grateful to God for not only sparring me from a premature death, but saving my legs and more importantly my son! As much as I hurt, I I knew that this wouldn’t be the end. I had surgery 5 days later and then was in a straight leg cast from my hip to my ankle for 8 weeks. Next up was 7 + months of intense physical therapy no work for 4.5 months and a lot of depression even though my faith had grown there were several moments I wanted to quit and give up, but my ex-wife was wonderful, she cared and nursed me back, she helped keep things going as I instructed while sitting and she demonstrated the workouts. This was for sure the darkest times of my life, but as I started to heal and recover my gratitude, faith and will to keep going increased. The defining moment was appreciating everything God has done for me and continues to do for me, my family and business. I had to learn to slow down, stay humble and realize that when something bad happens you have three choices: You can let it define you, you can let it destroy you, or you can let strengthen you.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is very real to me and I’d like to say that my family, friends, clients and the community I serve and work for would tell you I am the “Real deal” Being transparent, honest and having integrity are some of the qualities and standards I live by. Most people would tell you that I am kind, giving, empathetic as well as consistent and treat and love everyone the same. I’d give anyone the shirt off my back and I would stand up for someone being shamed or mistreated. I try to lead by example with my faith in God and also try to lead others to Christ as well.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, role, title, certifications, possessions, etc. what would remain is my love for Jesus. My faith in God never waives, in fact it grows everyday. I’ve had people say, “there are those who claim to love God, but Efrain, lives it everyday, he’s not ashamed to share his faith, to pray for you and with you.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: eclasspft
- Linkedin: Efrain Larenas
- Twitter: Efrain Larenas @ECLASSPFT
- Facebook: E Class Personal Fitness Training
- Youtube: @eclasspft7584
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