Cliff and Taylor Behm have been with Original Strength since 2012; their dedication to OSI, devotion to improving themselves, and their strength gained as a unit, physically and mentally, is inspiring! Their journey to where they are today as a “fit couple” has not always been easy, but the important thing is that they have stuck to it and shown everyone that hard work pays off. They are leading by example for everyone at OSI and especially to their son Conor. Conor has been with them throughout this journey (since he was a baby) and always presses reset and works out with them. Congratulations Cliff and Taylor!! You have earned this member spotlight post 100x over and we are all rooting for you as you continue on your journey!
How did you hear about/what made you decide to try OSi?
Taylor: Cliff had been going for personal training for about 4 months and encouraged me to give their women’s Boot camp classes a try. “All the other ladies in the class, look like you” he said. So I went and he was right, everyone was around my age – give or take. Everyone looked normal; some fit, some not so fit, some in the latest workout fashions, some in oversized t-shirts and shorts or pants, some could do all the exercises and some fumbled along the way. The best part, no one cared what you looked like or what you could do. Everyone, however, encouraged each other – I fit right in!
Cliff: I found Tim and Dani when I did a Google search for gyms in Fuquay and found OPT (pre Original Strength days). I knew I needed to get in better shape; I liked the variety that some gyms offered but didn’t want that super intensity. I also didn’t want to got back to the Olympic lifting I grew up doing because it’s now boring to me. So I emailed Tim on a Saturday or Sunday morning; he replied right back that he would meet me at their studio that afternoon, show me around, and explain the methods they use. I’ve been hooked since August 2012.
What was your first reaction to our form of movement and what reset is now your favorite?
Taylor: When I first started at the gym, you could only get the movement and resets in personal training sessions. I was excited to see the gym moving into a new direction and changing up the classes from Bootcamp sessions to Movement training in the form of what most people think of as Circuit Training. I get bored easily and this variety is nice. This also began the journey for Cliff and I to start working out together. My favorite reset is breathing. Sometimes it’s the only time in my busy day I get to stop and just be still and as Tim says “It keeps you in peace and harmony mode and out of fight, flight and panic mode.”
Cliff: My first reaction was a bit of skepticism but Tim was very passionate (I hadn’t met Dani yet and the rest of the crew wasn’t here yet), so I figured it would either work or prove he’s nuts. My favorite reset is and has been rolling, it loosens me up from head to toe.
How has participating in OSI helped you individually and as a couple?
Taylor: Individually – I sleep better, I have less headaches, I’m less tired throughout the day, I’m less winded when I go for long walks or use the stairs, I’ve lost over 30 pounds and numerous inches. I am a far happier person in general. I’ve heard many times that exercise is the most underutilized antidepressant. I couldn’t agree more. As a couple – If you aren’t in this together it makes it so hard. We both struggle, but we find a balance in lifting each other up. We’ve had to learn what works for each other to help motivate the other one to stay the course. Our marriage has grown so much stronger through this journey. 
A pivotal moment, for me, in our journey was when we partnered up one night and he pushed me to keep moving through each station and to not quit. It was just the push, with the right amount of love behind it, that I’d been needing. We had to do a mountain 1-10 then 10-1. Well I got to 10 when everyone else was finishing up. I was ready to quit, but my husband pushed me to keep going. We are usually done after a certain time, but for some reason I was still going and “time had not been called”. I was embarrassed that I was the only one in class still working and I started to cry. He offered to do the reps with me, but instead he stood next to me and cheered me through each burpee and each press. I overheard him tell our trainer “she’s going to finish, she’s tougher than she thinks”. He then said, “you know how I know she’s tough, I’ve spent the last 9 years with her”. To anyone else that might not seem like much, but those words from MY husband about ME within earshot…I heard…I LOVE THIS WOMAN AND I WON’T LET HER FAIL. I finished that mountain. The first mountain I’ve ever completely finished at the gym.
Cliff: For me OSI has helped me get back to my younger self physically and has also helped me remember how a tough workout is a GREAT stress reliever after a long day at work. Just put a large kettlebell over your head and you need to clear your mind of everything else and concentrate on the task at hand. Grinding out some swings or rope waves and setting any kind of new personal best is a great way to finish the day on a positive note before heading home for family time. Being able to reset both my mind and body before I get home in the evening has helped me be a more relaxed and focused husband and father. It’s a bonus that my wife is also doing the same.
What has been one of your biggest obstacles when it comes to sticking to your health game plan in the past?
Taylor: Food is by far my biggest weakness. I’m also a working mom and find it hard to meal plan. I don’t like to cook and I don’t enjoy cooking. When I would finally come up with a plan it always seemed too hard to cook. We finally found a meal plan that works for our lifestyle and we are sticking to it.
Cliff: Eating habits needed to change and I needed to move more. I tried to change too much at once and would “fall off the wagon” dropping back to bad habits.
How has OSi helped/is helping you presently to overcome that obstacle?
Taylor: The trainers at OSi reminded me that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made and encourage me. In our Facebook group we share healthy recipes and we’ve done challenges at the gym where I’ve learned a lot about healthy/clean eating. Sometimes the exercise is the bonus of being a part of the OSi family. I’ve found lasting friendships in the trainers and members. There are some many necessary components to being truly healthy, and having positive and supportive people in your life certainly is one of them.
Cliff: It started with resets and exercise, once you start one small good habit, it gives you somewhere to start and work from, building on it bit by bit each day. The push from OSI is to do what you can because chances are it’s more than you did yesterday, and small steps forward are still progress. If you follow this mindset it makes it easier to make small changes for the better; over time they become habits. You just keep making small changes and then you can look back and say WOW when you look at the cumulative change over years.
What is your proudest achievement and next big goal at OSi?
Taylor: While weight loss is always a bonus and I’m certainly proud of myself for my progress thus far, I’m so proud of who I’ve become. I was always an athlete growing up, but not sure I was ever really fit. I’m becoming strong both physically and mentally. My next goal is to throw away the scale and remember that strong is the new skinny. My arms may never have definition and my c-section area my never be flat again, but I will not quit. I want to be an example for my son. I also want others to know that if I can do it, they can do it. The journey isn’t easy, but what you gain through the journey is worth it.
Cliff: The fact that I look forward to going to the gym at least 4 or 5 days a week, and I get really bummed if I miss a workout, in the past this would not have been an issue for me. My next big goal is to help others realize how easy and how beneficial the OS system is, I wish that I had this knowledge when I was a student athlete, it would have kept me healthier and stronger and I wouldn’t have had to find the original me.
