When you’re a founder and CEO, and faced with the hustle and bustle of city life, finding time for anything, let alone a workout, can be somewhat of a luxury. When Amay Sheth came across Tonal in a tech magazine, he knew it was the solution. Tonal has helped Amay to work out more consistently, be more productive and start each day on the right foot.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in Westchester, New York, and currently live in downtown New York City. I’m 26 and the founder of Showcase, a startup reimagining how business video is delivered and consumed. I’m generally busy with work, but outside of it, I’m a huge Arsenal soccer fan and try to watch every game over the weekend, even if it’s 7 am on a Sunday.
Tell us about how you came across Tonal and why you decided to buy one?
People who live in busy cities can likely relate to how hectic commercial gyms are during peak hours. I was a member of Equinox, which charged something like $225 per month and would spend an hour and a half in the morning on a workout that should maybe take 45 minutes just because I had to wait for machines. I saw an article about Tonal in a tech magazine, and the rest was history.
I’ve noticed a strong, positive correlation between resistance training and mental clarity.
What was the first day like with Tonal?
If I remember correctly, I was one of the first to install a Tonal in a New York apartment. After going through the tutorials, I immediately went to Free Lift Workouts and was floored by just how heavy the resistance got. I canceled my gym membership then and there.
Where were you at the start of your journey and where are you now?
My journey is quite the colorful one. For context, I’m 5″ 7. I grew up very obese and peaked out at around 275 pounds when I was 23 years old. The moment I knew things had to change was when I was visiting Japan. I tried to ride the signature roller coaster at Universal Studios Osaka, but the restraint wouldn’t come down because of my weight. That’s when I knew something had to change.
I previously had some weight lifting experience, so I resumed that and ate healthier. Over the next year and a half, I lost 120 pounds. At that point, I had to get major surgery to remove excess skin. I hovered between 155 pounds and 185 pounds over the next few years but had to be pretty focused to maintain weight.
I recently gained a bit back and sit in the low 200s, but I’m working on eating better again and pairing it with Tonal to get back to my happy place.
How has being stronger impacted different areas of your life?
It has made me feel better and made me more productive throughout the day. I’ve noticed a strong, positive correlation between resistance training and mental clarity. It’s a great way to start my morning on the right foot.
Having access to Tonal’s data makes it easy to understand your performance and take action accordingly. I was too lazy to write it down in the gym and may have given up progress as a result.
What obstacles did you face on your journey, and how did Tonal help you overcome them?
The biggest obstacle was consistency, and Tonal solved that by staring me in the face when I woke up in the morning. Nothing better than having an entire gym in your home!
What is the biggest unexpected benefit you’ve received from having Tonal in your home?
I didn’t realize how different my workouts would be after having access to Tonal’s data instead of measuring it in a notebook. I was usually too lazy to write it down in the gym and may have given up progress as a result. Tonal makes it easy to understand your performance and take action accordingly.
What’s the one piece of advice or the biggest lesson you’ve learned during your transformation that you want to share with the rest of the community?
Every time I’ve fallen off the wagon, often, the hardest part is just starting the workout, and then it’s all good from there. Tonal makes it easy to get back on track quickly and show up. That’s the benefit of having it at home. Even if you do 50% of a “normal” Tonal workout, that’s much better than doing nothing.
What does being your strongest mean to you?
It means setting clear, measurable goals and getting closer to achieving them with each passing day.