Since 2015, trainer Katherine Bahlburg has been rallying a band of brides across Dallas. At her wedding fitness studio, Bells and Barbells, she encourages her engaged clientele to shed inches and gain confidence ahead of their wedding days and after.
Bahlburg says her company transcends so much more beyond fitting into a wedding dress. She has created a community that focuses on empowerment, transformation, and giving back. “We’re here to support women on their journey to wellbeing, celebrating both the highs and lows of life’s most meaningful moments,” she says.
Her hope is to support her clientele as their lives evolve. And just like her brides, Bahlburg’s taking her own big step in business. In late September, she officially launched the Bells and Barbells app.
The new app will allow Bahlburg even more connection to her brides and keep them accountable with a timeline and additional goalposts that are achieved outside the gym.
“Each client can customize a program based around their engagement timeline, as well as other important dates coming up, such as wedding anniversaries, and soon upcoming births,” she says.
Find It on the App
On the new digital platform, there are seemingly endless workouts to choose from. Users can customize and choose exercises based on ability levels, or to modify for injuries. There’s an entire section dedicated to mental health that provides resources, like meditation, to mitigate stress and anxiety. The app also boasts a recipe library that accommodates a vast number of diets, with the ability to swap out food on a meal plan that an in-house dietician develops.
Like in-gym sessions, which include a visit to the scale, the app helps users stay accountable with their goals, Bahlburg says. There’s a tracker within the platform where users can record their weight and goals, even their menstruation cycles, to stay on track.
Bahlburg says another differentiator with her online programs is a 24-hour interactive support system. Clients can opt for unlimited messages with her and a weekly video call. “You truly feel like you have me as your trainee with you every step of the way, and are truly customizable to your needs and goals,” she says.
All About Community
Since the beginning, Bahlburg has worked with all the women in a wedding party, and not just the bride herself. From the bridesmaids to the mother-of-the-bride, everyone can be involved in the fitness journey leading up to the big day—both in the gym and within the online platform. This plays into the accountability aspect of fitness and the Bells and Barbells community, which is the DNA of her brand, says Bahlburg. Keeping consistent with fitness goals and workouts is always easier to maintain with a group of trusted friends and supporters.
To keep bolstering that group accountability online, Bahlburg also created a Facebook community to be in tandem with the app, so all her clients, no matter where they live, can feel that sense of connectivity and community. “I will be jumping in, at least once a week for motivational purposes, and also allowing me to get to know each of our clients individually,” Bahlburg says.
Beyond the Bride
Bahlburg acknowledges the importance of growing with her clientele and providing services beyond simply the wedding day. Her new digital endeavors will make this more seamless and attainable for her customers.
Eventually, Bahlburg plans to grow the app along with the stages of the bride, to include prenatal and postnatal fitness goals.
“Our focus has evolved to encompass these diverse life stages, and we’re excited to be more inclusive,” she says. “We want the women to start with us to be able to continue with us as they continue on the beautiful journey of life.”
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