Train with Gabby

HIGHX

Certification & Workouts Coming Soon!

HIGHX

Gabby Reece is the creator of HIGHX powered by LifeLine.

HIGHX is a high-intensity explosive training and conditioning program designed to maximize the body’s ability to burn fat, build muscle, and optimize the body’s hormone and physiological response to exercise while improving overall daily and athletic performance. HIGHX is a functional, systematic training format structured into multiple circuits to engage, coach, and retain participants and members.

The HIGHX Story

From Gabby:

HIGHX came into existence out of sheer necessity. The genesis of HIGHX was initially a way for me to personally exercise with a large group of friends, and for all of us to get in an optimal workout. While it was never part of a master plan, as with many other innovations, the development of HIGHX was a fortunate accident!

Since meeting my husband Laird in 1995, we have divided our time between the mainland and the Hawaiian Islands, living half the year in Hawaii (which he calls home) and the other half in L.A. (which I call home).

After many enjoyable years in Maui, in 2008 we decided to move to Laird’s native island of Kauai. Our family was growing, and we felt that Kauai was a better fit for us, in that it has a slower pace, and my husband has strong roots and history there. The people of Kauai are generally unpretentious, friendly, and loving. Many of the locals there feel like part of our extended family. You simply can’t find a healthier and safer place than Kauai to raise your children.

Comradery

My husband and I have always been very physically active and still workout consistently 6 days a week. For both of us, a commitment to exercise and proper nutrition is very much in our DNA, and we both really enjoy sharing our passion for healthy living with others.

When we first relocated to Kauai from Maui, I was challenged to find a convenient place to workout. Unfortunately, the local gym on the North Shore of the Island had recently closed and there wasn’t another nearby option for the locals.  So I decided to rent out the local community center a few days a week, throw whatever equipment I could fit in the back of my truck, and invited eight or so of my local girlfriends to come and sweat with me. Since I predominantly use small fitness apparatus, such as dumbbells, resistance balls, resistance bands, and other small equipment in my own functional workouts, I realized all I really needed was a little space.

Gabby reece volleyball nikeAs a competitive athlete most of my life, I had the good fortune to be exposed to some of the best trainers in the world, both during my college years, as well as during my professional beach volleyball career. So I decided to share my experience, take the lead, and put together a fitness program for the locals. I basically invited them to ‘train’ with me, as I would call it. Participants learned quickly that my workouts were designed for function; incorporating lots of upper and lower body exercises, plus core strengthening movements. I believe people need to continuously strengthen their entire body if they want to thrive throughout the journey of life.

Since I have always been on athletic teams and really enjoy training with other people, I began coordinating routine workouts every week.  My friends continued to show up, and it became a regular thing. They seemed to really enjoy the workouts, and as tough as they were, the word began to spread around town.

Community

Pretty soon our small group of eight became fifty, and we were no longer welcome at the community center. Fortunately, I was able to move our workouts to a large warehouse nearby, and we quickly started to hit numbers of up to 80 to 100 people some days. How was I going to manage all these humans?  We had men and women from ages 17-65, the hyper fit and deconditioned. That’s when my testing and experimentation which eventually resulted in HIGHX really began.

Team Training

I started to realize if I was going to effectively provide a solid workout for this community, my workouts needed structure. I decided to put people in teams that were made up of individuals who shared a commonality. Meaning, I wouldn’t just say go to a station and fill in empty spaces, but I encouraged participants to team up with a friend or a ‘teammate’ (as we call it). Or if they saw someone they felt they could help, to bring them on their team. Or if they saw someone that inspired them, then go join that team. In the beginning, I would set up the teams, but after a while bonds would form naturally. It’s these relationships that eventually develop between class participants that make attending a HIGHX class feel so special, and keeps people coming back.

highx groupsOn some days, there would be teams of up to 6 people per station of all different sizes, shapes, fitness levels, and work ethics; all working towards the same goal – getting in a demanding workout and enjoying it at the same time. Usually, there would be 14 stations, but on other days up to 18 stations in order to accommodate everyone, plus really get in a great workout. While HIGHX can certainly be done alone (and many people do), one of the most magical things about HIGHX is the team component. There is something about working together in a group, it creates added accountability, increased motivation, and participants really seem to maximize and go beyond what they can do alone. I have seen many people really looking forward to coming to class and gathering with their team.

The Quest for a Perfect Workout

I have tried coordinating workouts every which way.  Three times around, Tabata timing, you name it. I mean, after all, I was doing this for my community and for free, so therefore no one could complain about being part of my experiment. I have always told my class, “This is not a democracy, it is in fact a dictatorship”.  My class trained hard and pushed me to make it better.  I wrote a new workout every single class because I wanted to make sure every workout felt fresh and was a new challenge.

My goal was to run everyone through a journey that when they completed the voyage they would have worked their entire body. Therefore, I decided to make HIGHX a combination of resistance training, blended with cardio, proprioception and balance, plus incorporate a bit of stretching.  With a few tweaks here and there, such as alternating high-intensity movements with lower-intensity recovery exercises, the structure was solidified, and HIGHX was born.

A high-intensity explosive functional training workout which consists of 8 to 16 stations (depending on class size), with 2 exercises per station performed in 6 mini sets of 30 seconds each. Once you complete a station you are done with it for good, no more going through it again.  Each completed station is a “Mini success” – providing participants a mental edge. Add in the team and coach components and you have HIGHX.

As I looked to optimize HIGHX workouts, I began further researching the benefits of high-intensity training. The research on the benefits of high-intensity exercise, and the favorable impact on peak performance, longevity, and anti-aging is undeniable. I could see the benefits firsthand in myself and my class participants. I have become absolutely certain that HIGHX is the way of the future and the way for people of all ages to maximize their fitness level and enjoy the highest quality of life.

Fitness for life

After many years now of watching the many personal transformations I have seen firsthand, I came to the realization that HIGHX is something that could benefit people in a “big way”. Not just the community of Kauai, but could change people’s lives everywhere.  My desire to inspire other group fitness instructors and trainers to bring HIGHX to people worldwide really motivated me to figure out how to do it on a global scale. We plan to take HIGHX worldwide and change the lives of many. People ask me all the time since I have stopped playing as a professional athlete, “What are you training for?” What am I training for, I am training for Life, isn’t that the most important reason in the end?

My Passion and Commitment

I love HIGHX and I believe it is a highly effective fitness solution for anyone looking to train hard, smart, and have a little bit of fun doing it. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see HIGHX spread from our sweaty warehouse on the North Shore of Kauai, to a global brand transforming the lives of people everywhere.

This journey has really been a gift to me, and I believe I am the one who has gotten the most out of this process.  My students always thank me, but they don’t realize how good it feels to be around a group of people gathering together, working hard, doing something positive for themselves, and each other.  I know HIGHX will help many people get more from life, just as much as it has benefited mine.

“Train for Life”

By, Gabby Reece

PODCAST

Podcast Guests : Fill out form

Podcast Sponsors : Email

Contact Gabby

PR & Interviews : Fill out form

Keynote Speaking : Email