Sweat Diaries: The Boxing Coach Who Loves Wawa and Drives Lyft on the Side

As a boxing coach and personal coach, Liza Galvan’s week is packed with activity. Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money people invest in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend a week tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email ccunningham@phillymag.com with details.

Who I am: Liza M. Galvan (@lizamgfit), 26

What I do: Private personal training, group fitness trainer at Title Boxing Club and Riva Health & Wellness, public speaker on health and fitness topics and trainer in senior community locations. Also, when I have free time, you can catch me Lyfting for some extra money to put into my brand.

What role healthy living plays in my life: I use to work for the state as a narcotics agent. After receiving a degree in criminal justice at Temple University and doing my dream job since I was a child, I didn’t feel satisfied. I didn’t feel like I was making a difference in my community as I hoped, and after meeting several personal trainers in my building, I saw the possibility of entrepreneurship in the fitness world. I made the hard and risky decision to leave a secure government job because I felt like this was my calling. Growing up playing basketball, fitness was nothing new to me. I have been in the fitness industry for 2.5 years full time and everyday I fall more and more in love with it because I truly believe by living a healthy lifestyle in all aspects, it brings out a different beast in people, and I want people to see their true full potential with no shame.

Health memberships: I pay $49 per month for Fitness Works South Philly.

Monday

Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

5:30 a.m. — Wake up. And before I open my eyes I thank my creator for another day and for everything I am grateful for. I get up, go downstairs and make coffee because I’m trying to save some money. I spend too much on daily Wawa runs.

5:45 a.m. — I put on a morning yoga YouTube video for at least 10 minutes. It’s something I started implementing this year because I love yoga and unfortunately due to my schedule I just don’t have time at the moment to take a full hour class.

6 a.m. — Hop in the shower.

6:25 a.m. — Ten-minute guided meditation, again, from YouTube.

6:45 a.m. — Take my coffee with me, walk to my car and drive to West Philly for my first private client.

9 a.m. — Second private client in Center City. Depending on the workout, I bring the equipment I need. In my trunk of my car I carry a Nike Duffle Bag full of equipment including jump rope, resistance band, mini bands, agility ladder, boxing gloves, battle ropes, exercise ball, slam ball, TRX equipment, and a traveling set of dumbbells. I have everything I need, whether it’s in a empty facility or a small living space, to give you the best work out of your life.

10 a.m. — IT’S FINALLY MY GRINDDD TIMEEE! My FAVORITE time of the day! I drive to Fitness Works. I finish the gym session with another 10-minute meditation in the sauna.

11:20 a.m. — I rush home and make a protein shake consisting of spinach, greek yogurt, frozen strawberries, banana, flax seeds, and vanilla almond milk. I do not count my calories, or all that B.S. I just eat clean 80 percent of the time … the other 20 percent I enjoy my life.

Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

12:15 p.m. — Teach the lunch time class at Title Boxing Club for the lunch time class. I truly love teaching at Title, I get bananas.

2:20 p.m. — Came home and made fried rice using brown rice, eggs, vegetables, jalapeños (I loveee spicy food), and of course soy sauce. I THROW down!

3:30 p.m. — I like to keep my Mondays light, so training ends here for me, but due to the extra time I go out and Lyft for a few hours until boredom strikes.

7 p.m. — Come home, eat, hang out with my roommates.

9 p.m. — Throw some stand-up comedy on Netflix until I fall asleep.

Daily total: $0

Tuesday

Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

5:30 a.m. — Wake up, express my gratitude, and jump in the shower.

5:50 a.m. — Guided meditation and instead of yoga this morning I write for 10 minutes. I keep several different journals next to my bed, for ideas, goal writing, etc.

6:45 a.m. — First client near the Art Museum.

7:30 a.m. — Second client of the morning in Rittenhouse.

9:30 a.m. — Meet my friend Nicole, also a fitness trainer in Philadelphia for our training.

10:55 a.m. — Stop at Wawa for a gallon of water, Naked Juice, and pepper jack cheese ($7.34).

11 a.m. — I arrive in Northeast Philly for senior strength training at a NewCourtland community location. Senior training has been the most rewarding part of my career. I love seeing their participation and enjoyment increase in fitness and also witnessing their strength progress, whether that’s being able to stand from a chair without help or raise their arms after shoulder injuries. But with them I also receive an incredible amount of wisdom and motivation. It’s a win-win situation.

12:30 p.m. — Get home, make a tuna wrap, and eat carrots.

1 p.m. — Shower, check emails, post on Instagram.

2 p.m. — Take a nice stroll to Broad and South where I present for over 20 people on the topic of depression.

3 p.m. — Finish seminar, walk home, grab a quick snack.

4:15 p.m. — Out the door heading to Presidential City.

4:40 p.m. — Teach a strength training group class at Presidential City.

5:30 p.m. — Teach cardio kickboxing group class.

6:15 p.m. — Train a one-on-one client.

7:15 p.m. — Drive down to Center City and grab chocolate milk from 7-Eleven.

8:30 p.m. — Teach at Title Boxing Club.

9:45 p.m. — On my way home.

10:30 p.m. — I shower. My roommates are fabulous and got me a burger and sweet potato fries from Bareburger. Of course I paid them back ($20).

Daily total: $27.34

Wednesday

Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

5:30 a.m. — Wake up, today was yoga, followed by my morning routine.

6:40 a.m. — Out the door for my first client in West Philly.

7:45 a.m. — Stop at Wawa for my coffee (with hazelnut creamer), banana, and wheat hoagie roll with butter ($5.95).

8:30 a.m. — Second client of the morning in Center City.

9:30 a.m. — Meet Nicole again at the City Fitness Fishtown location.

11:30 a.m. — Nicole was nice enough to buy me a protein shake from City Fitness which was amazing! I’m not a protein shake drinker; I like to get my nutrients from food since I love it so much, but due to my schedule, protein shakes are showing up more often.

12:15 p.m. — My afternoon break starts. My number one rule is to always be happy with what I’m doing because I live a “tomorrow is not promised” attitude. Since there are endless things I can do, I just choose what I need to or want to get done at the moment, whether that’s social media, email, research, etc.

1:30 p.m. — Meet my colleague at Title Boxing Club to do some mitt and heavy bag training.

Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

3:30 p.m. — Since I have sometime to kill before my next class, I decide to hop on the roads and give a couple Lyfts. I pretty much live in and out my car all day.

6 p.m. — Teach beginners boot camp at Riva Health & Wellness.

6:45 p.m. — Class ends and now I’m racing down to get to my next two clients, who I train together at Dalian on the Park.

8 p.m. — Finally finished my clients and my day is over! I get home, shower, eat what I find, and because I didn’t get to write this morning, I’m putting a little ink on paper and writing about my day.

Daily total: $5.95

Thursday

Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

5:30 a.m. — Wake up, express my gratitude, shower, meditate, and write in my journal.

6:30 a.m. — I teach a boxing group class at Riva for 45 minutes.

8 a.m. — Meet a private client in the Rittenhouse area of the city for his session.

9 a.m. — TIME TO GRINDDD!!! I go to Fitness Works, where I enjoy my personal training. I pop in either a podcast or audible book to kill two birds with one stone.

11 a.m. — I come home, eat, shower, check and reply to emails, take time to research new trends in fitness, and write down ideas.

2 p.m. — I was supposed to take my roommate to the airport, but as I go and turn on my car, the battery is dead! MY LUCK! It has been happening for the last several days, so finally I have the time to take it in and get a new battery.

3 p.m. — I go out and Lyft to kill some time between now and my final class of the day. I have my business cards in my car so usually that stirs up conversation with other entrepreneurs or possible clients.

8:30 p.m — I teach at Title, the final class of the day! I love teaching at this time because I simply believe different beasts work out this late. I make it my mission to give this group the best motivation to pull through the class.

Daily total: $0

Friday

Photograph courtesy Liza Galvan

5:30 a.m. — Wake up, express my morning gratitude, shower. Today my client is earlier than usual so I don’t get the time to do yoga, but on my drive I state my morning affirmations (which again I get from YouTube).

6:15 a.m. — My first client of the day! But it’s Friday, so I have the Friday energy running through me. Good for me, maybe not so good for the client.

6:50 a.m. — It’s Friday so I’m treating myself to coffee and whatever else I desire at Wawa ($8.74).

7:15 a.m. — Strength training time at Riva. My usual participants show up. Riva Spa has so many toys in their facility, therefore class is always different.

8 a.m. — Class is done. I usually take Fridays off from training my body. I stay back today to take pictures and some videos for Instagram.

9 a.m. — I head out to Lyft during the morning rush.

11 a.m. — I teach strength training in the Northeast for my senior population and the minute I walk in, it’s full of love, wisdom, life, gratitude, so I cannot help but be in a better mood. When I’m done training, one of the participants is calling me over to her to express her gratitude for the work I have been doing for the last three months. She tells me she suffered a really bad stroke, but since she’s taken my course, she has started to move her left side, which at one point she could barely move. I’m speechless, thankful, and humbled.

11:45 a.m. — I head back home for a bite and a shower. Because I get bored quickly, I’m back out on Lyft.

5:45 p.m. — Teach kickboxing at Riva, right after I treat my self to Chick-fil-A, which is my fast food weakness. I do not eat any fast food except Chick-fil-a…WITH the Oreo shake ($11.36). Later, I take my sister out and treat her to HipCityVeg ($34.05). I love their sweet potato fries and their dips!

Daily total: $54.15

Weekly Totals

Money spent: $87.44

Workouts taught: 23

Workouts done: 4

Meditation sessions: 3

Shakes: 3

Cups of coffee: 3

Let’s get social! Join Be Well Philly at:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER | TWITTER