Forged at Equinox is a series highlighting an Equinox member’s foray into a new workout regimen, with help from an expert Coach. The following conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
For the last two decades or so, working out was just another item on the to-do list for Matt Kunkel. The Chicago-based interior designer joined Equinox Gold Coast about 10 years ago and, throughout that time, trained one-on-one with a few Coaches to fulfill his activity quota and build confidence in the Club.
He’d come to his sessions twice a week, tick them off his agenda, and carry on with his schedule.
That habit of going through the motions was upended when he began training with COACH X Ali Packowitz in 2020. “[Before], it wasn't a goal-oriented process at all, and now it's a completely different mindset for me, like, we're doing goals constantly,” Matt says. “I'm doing things more on my own than I've ever done before because of her. So it's not just to fit into my jeans — it's for all-around mental and physical health.”
He’s shifted his priorities from simply getting in a good sweat to improving his body composition, gaining lean mass in his upper body, and being able to walk thousands of steps without wearing down. Those measurable outcomes were always being considered by his Coaches behind the scenes — whether Matt wanted to know about it or not, says Ali. But now, Matt wants to be a part of the programming, she adds. “There's a lot more autonomy in the program and interest in the program from his end, and that's exciting for me to see, too,” says Ali.
Exercise has also become a tenant pole in his life, not just an occasional chore. Today, Matt comes into the Club about four times a week, in addition to his sessions with Ali. “I think that is just the biggest difference,” says Ali. “And there are parts of his social life that he revolves around [fitness], like, ‘Let's go for walks. Let's do something active.’ It's now just a big part of his life.”
Here, Matt and Ali open up about the lasting benefits of training with a Coach and how they keep sessions fresh after years of in-Club workouts.