Trans-specific weight-lifting program making 'huge difference' for Edmontonians who don't feel welcome at traditional gyms

For the last five weeks, a local gym has provided a much-needed space for transgender Edmontonians to learn how to weight lift and focus on their fitness. 

The six-week program, run by trainer Toni Harris at Action Potential Fitness, was offered as a pay-what-you-can opportunity to receive training that accommodates hormone therapy, body image goals, and preparation for or recovery from surgery. 

"Just being welcome here, regardless of your body or how you identify or any of those other things, it makes a huge difference," participant Parker Pothier told CTV News Edmonton in a recent interview. 

They used to struggle with an eating disorder and have been working on finding physical activity they enjoy. But that proved difficult at other gyms. 

"In a lot of other fitness spaces, the focus starts with my body size and shape and that's where trainers will always want to start with people like me," Pothier recalled. 

Inclusivity was one of Harris' goals when they launched the program called Transformed (the name plays off of the phrase "Trans formed" and is a reference to the course being designed by trans trainers). They said the 2019 closure of QueerFlex created a gap for the LGBTQ2S+ community. 

Parker Pothier, left, works with Action Potential Fitness co-owner and trainer Toni Harris.

"People have just kind of been sitting, waiting, I think, for something to become available that didn't just slap a rainbow sticker in their window during Pride month. A place that actually does this inclusivity thing the whole year round and is part of our values and principles here," the non-binary trainer and Action Potential Fitness co-owner told CTV News Edmonton.

"Honestly, right from walking through the front doors and filling out registration forms, to not having a sense of community with anybody in the gym, to having trainers that don't understand the physiological requirements for training folks that are taking hormone therapy or that are getting ready for surgery or recovery after surgery, the fitness industry's just not meant for trans people the way it's set up right now." 

Harris hoped to see 10 people sign up for the program but within hours of opening registration, 30 had signed up. About 15 more are on the waitlist for whatever Action Potential Fitness offers next. 

Harris and fellow trainer TJ Snow say it's not only the accessibility that attracts people but the community. 

"You're in a room with people who understand you, who understand the jokes, who can understand the things you're going through," Snow said. 

Action Potential Fitness trainer TJ Snow speaks with CTV News Edmonton about the gym's "Transformed" program, a pay-what-you-can six-week weight-lifting course designed for transgender clients.

By volunteering, he is helping others utilize the gym in their coming out, transitioning and mental health journeys – like he did years earlier – which has been very rewarding. 

"People came in really nervous and not sure what to expect and not sure how to try things and now at Week 5, almost at the end, we see people starting to put together programs and that's really cool."

As Action Potential Fitness gains trust in the transgender community, Harris expects its waitlist will grow longer. 

They are currently working out how to continue offering similar programming, which so far has been provided for free thanks to donations. 

In the meantime, they have created an educational program for trainers in other fitness facilities to learn how to work with trans clients. 

"We don't want to monopolize on this. We want to see it out in the industry."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Brandon Lynch