Physical Fitness is often neglected within the African-American community and personal trainer, “Larr Bino,” is on a mission to “get the hood in shape.” After being overweight for most of his adult life, Bino has now discovered how much healthier he is after losing over 40 pounds.
Bino was raised in Louisville’s crime ridden East End and became involved in the drug trade at a young age.
“Being young and dumb, I got my first felony conviction as soon as I turned 18. I wish back then somebody would have told me what a felony really was and how damaging it would be throughout my entire life.” – Larry Bino
After witnessing the death and incarceration of several close friends, he realized that the street life has more cons than pros. Desiring a more productive life, he decided to educate himself and become a role model for his two children.
His journey began with enrolling at Brown Mackie College in 2010, and earning an Associates degree in Applied Business/Business Management.
Bino believed that obtaining a college degree was his passage to a new life but was quickly confronted with the harsh reality that many others face when attempting rehabilitation.
Despite not being involved in the criminal justice system for several years, his prior drug felonies prevented him from being hired at every place he applied. Frustration began to set in but he remained resilient and decided to return to school and seek a degree in a skilled trade field.
Determining that his best option was to become self-employed, Bino enrolled in Daymar College’s Physical Fitness program in 2012, and pursued a career as a personal trainer.
“The program was appealing to me because I was one those guys that was in the gym for 8 months and then out of the gym 3-4 months. The program provided a way for me to constantly be in the gym whether it be for me or for somebody else.” – Larry Bino
After earning an Associates degree in Physical Fitness in 2014, Bino began his quest to seek financial freedom while helping others become physically fit.
He started his own personal training business called G.I.T. Fitness, which is an acronym for Get It Together. “My motto is, if you can’t get it yourself, then we can Get It Together…I work out with my clients if they need that,” said Bino.
Coming from a poverty stricken neighborhood, Bino understands that income restraints are often the reason why many people in the Urban community do not seek to hire personal trainers.
To address that issue, his rates are often half the cost of what his local competitors charge. Earning less income requires him to work longer hours but he sympathizes with the reality that many of his clients depend on him for spiritual strength as well as physical.
“Once I started getting into it [physical fitness] I realized that I mean more to my clients than just someone to help them work out. A lot of these people have things on their minds and that’s the reason why they are obese or not in shape. I’m cool with doing it because it’s bigger than me. If I were to stop doing this [being a personal trainer] there would be a few people that I deal with that would be devastated because this is their only form of release.” – Larry Bino
Bino currently trains his clients at the gym of their choice or an alternate location if necessary. He also established the B.I.N.O. (Big Is Not An Option) Bridge Boot Camp which takes place at Louisville’s Big Four Bridge.
The boot camp consists of walking across the 2 mile bridge while implementing a vigorous exercise regimen along the way. He cautions that the boot camp is challenging and is not for everyone. The camp takes place on Tues & Thurs at 6pm and Saturdays at noon.
In addition to physical exercise, Bino also recommends that his clients dedicate themselves to a complete lifestyle change. He insists that a proper diet and a stress free lifestyle are essential when trying to obtain maximum results.
“You can’t out exercise a bad diet… I know people that go to the gym all week and as soon as they leave from the gym they’ll go get some crap to eat just because they worked out…You can work out all you want, but that bad meal is going to set you back three workouts.” – Larry Bino
Bino also stresses that simple lifestyle changes are what helped him drop from 280 pounds to 240 pounds in just four months. In addition to working out, he stopped eating fast food, processed foods and limits his sugar intake.
He also says that instead of taking an elevator, he opts for the stairs when available, or instead of driving to the grocery store, he’ll walk on a nice day. According to Bino, these small sacrifices pay off huge over time.
Bino loves his career and says that his most fulfilling moments are when he looks at his old pictures and notices the change in his appearance. Bino said, “I couldn’t help anybody until I helped myself first.”
For information on personal training sessions, access Larr Bino through messaging on Facebook and Instagram.
Brad Harrison is a journalist/motivational speaker/entrepreneur and on-air personality. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with cum laude honors from the University of Louisville. In October 2015, he started UrbanMaxx Magazine to provide positive role models for Urban residents that reside in at-risk-communities and lack positive leadership in their lives.
For booking or advertising – contact Brad Harrison at bradharrison@urbanmaxx.com