Today's Techniques by Jeni Briscoe

Today's Techniques

If anyone asks me if my job is easy, I'd have to say no.  But do I love it, yes!!  My name is Jeni Briscoe and I own Todays Techniques, a fitness facility, pro shop and I am a full time personal trainer.

    Back in 1998 it was the start of a great fitness career for me.  I had just started managing a fitness center in Fort St John and was really into weight training.  I had been training for over 6 years at this point and thought this is perfect, I'm turning my hobby into a career. After being there for over a year and watching a few bodybuilding shows, I figured I should go to the next level and give bodybuilding a try.  At that time there was no figure and I wasn't flexible enough for fitness.  So in 2000 I did my first show and I came in 3rd out of 6 girls in the heavy weight class!  I was so proud of myself and from that point on I was hooked.  I did two more shows that year.  Coming in 2nd in the heavy weight class at the BC provincials and then went on to the canadian nationals and place 6th in the middle weight class.  I came home and I new this was what I wanted to be doing full time.  So I decided to  move out on my own and start my own business. 
    

Today's Techniques

I am fortunate enough to have a loving husband (fiance at the time) and family supporting me while I jumped into this venture with both feet.  I started off as a small supplement store and within a year I had moved and started up a small personal
training studio in the back of my store.  Soon I had many requests to open my gym up to the public and we've been growing ever since.  I've expanded a total of 5 times and am currently looking for a new location once again.  At the start it was tough, like any new business.  I put in long hours, up at 4:00 am not getting home until late, so I had to put my competing bug aside, for myself for now.  But that was ok for a while cause I was building my future, my passion and I knew I would get back to it someday.  Running
the gym was a full time, seven days a week job.  It kept me super busy and the more we grew the busier I became.

 

Today's Techniques

In 2002, on top of everything else, I decided to host my first BioX/Today's Techniques Northern Classic Bodybuilding, Fitness (and soon to come) figure Show.  I thought if I didn't have time to compete I might as well help others get into the sport.  This was quite the undertaking. Except for the few shows I have watched and the three I had participated in I was definitely going into the unknown. I planned and organized for 9 months.  It was going to be the first BC qualifying show that was north of Prince George, in BC, ever.  After competing
myself in 2000 and having to travel quite a ways for each show, I though it was a shame not to have something for the northern part of the province.  I wanted to give people up north a chance to compete that normally wouldn't because of travel and the expense.  The show was a success.  We only had 17 competitors but we almost filled the theater! It was so much fun and well worth the work. Since then we have grown in the numbers of competitors and have a sell out crowd each year! We are currently getting ready for our sixth show for next year, on Jun. 2 2007, and of course it will be our best one yet. I love hosting my show and I hope to keep on organizing it even long after I'm done competing.  I am a very big supporter of the BCABBA and our CBBF and I want to see our association grow in our province.

Today's Techniques

In 2003, because I now had finally hired great staff and had gotten married, I could go back to getting ready for shows. Plus the new figure classes had started and that really appealed to me. I needed to challenge myself and was finding it difficult to help women get ready for shows, when I wasn't doing it with them.  So back on track I went.  The Canadian Nationals was having open figure that year, it was in Edmonton, very close to home, so I decided to give it a try. There ended up being 33 girls in my
class, so needless to say I was lost in the shuffle and didn't fair to well.  The following weekend, I place 2nd at the Western Canadian Naturals. Three months later I went onto the BC Provincials and won my class. I trained all year, put on some more muscle and headed back to the Canadian nationals in Toronto.  Again my class had over 30 girls and I didn't fair to well there.  Not one for giving up, I came back home and hired Sandra Wickham and Ross Webb to train me for the 2005 Canadian Nationals.  And boy did they whip me into shape.  In 2005 I had finally did it, I placed 3rd in the tall class at the Canadians. All of my hard work had paid off.  So again, I kept training with Team Wickham and this past year I came in 2nd at Nationals.
I'm currently getting ready for the North Americans in Sept and hoping to do well there too.  If I don't get my pro card there, you'll be seeing me in full force and the nationals again next year.
    
    Over the past five years,  I have helped train people for many competitions.  This was a whole other new undertaking for me, but again has really turned into my passion.  I loved helping the girls get results and getting them ready for the stage.  What a high for me!  In the past five years I have gotten ready over 45 women.  I'm like a proud mama when I see my girls on stage and shine!  I don't just get girls ready for my show, but all the BC qualifiers, the BC Provincials, had some girls go to nationals and also down to the states in the Emerald Cup. My team is called Team Jen-etics.
I have some great up and coming talent.  Lots of national potential.  The one thing that is quite special is how close me and my girls get.  Each season they all help each other out, lean on each other for support.  We all get together weekly and practice posing and go over all the fine details of competing. I try to make it as much fun as dieting that hard and training for a show can be.  Great friendships have formed over this whole process.
    I don't just train people for shows.  My clientele list ranges from people ages 12-80, from the beginner, to the advanced.  I am really lucky I have great clients and I really do enjoy my job.  Not too many people can say that!  They are all very supportive of me, my business and my figure career.  In fact I had over 25 people drove to Edmonton to watch me at the Canadian Nationals this year, now that's support! It meant a lot to me to have so many people there.  
    

Today's Techniques

I am very happy with the progress I have made with my gym and look forward to the future. My little business went from 600 square feet of retail to 7800 square feet of aerobics and boot camp classes, free weights, weighted machines, cardio section,
child minding, tanning beds,stand up tanning, a large pro-shop with a full range of supplements and clothing, personal trainers, spray on tanning and a nail tech on staff.  You can say we are a one stop fitness shop!  I pride myself on a very clean and
inviting atmosphere.  My staff and myself are always happy to help.  Now I still work long hours, that hasn't changed, that's just me. If I don't have something to do I look for something to keep me busy. But it has gone from having to work, to wanting to work and for that I am thankful and blessed. I haven't done to bad for a little shy redhead, from a small town in northern BC.

I would like to thank my staff, family and clients for all their support.  My trainers, Sandra and Ross for kicking my butt into the best shape ever (and still going strong)  My sponsors BioX Nutrition and Big Distributors.  JC for taking all those awesome shots of me and last but not least my husband Darcy, who is my biggest fan and lets me be my own person.  Thank you!

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