Fitness Pro From Berlin Featured On Magazine Cover

BERLIN, CT — When fitness professionals begin their careers, they set goals. Some want to have a lucrative career and have a large stable of clients. Some want to gain fame and perhaps train celebrity clients. Some just hope to make a living doing something they love.

Berlin’s Lori-Ann Marchese, who owns Body Construct just over the Berlin line in New Britain, hoped for a little bit of all of those things. The most important for her, however, was to make herself healthier with a healthy lifestyle including working out and eating clean. Then she wanted to pass along all of her experiences to people looking for the same thing and she decided to concentrate and only accept women clients. Her gym is now located at 1 Hartford Square, East Side Gate Entrance 60 in New Britain, after five other stops.

Along the way, she has become the one of the foremost authorities in her area and has transformed many, many lives.

The health and fitness world have taken notice. As proof, Marchese, was chosen for a second time to adorn the front of Muscle and Fitness Hers Magazine in its May/June edition. On the front cover she was named “The Booty Queen.” She has also been named one of the top dozen female trainers in the entire country, been featured on Bravo television show “Game of Crowns,” won the title of Mrs. Connecticut 2013 and won a lot of different professional bodybuilding shows. She is widely known as the go-to trainer for women as she knows how to glutes, legs, core and total body.

“I never thought they would want somebody in their 30s to be on the cover but both times I was on the cover of Muscle and Fitness I was in my 30s,” she said. “This one makes it 12 covers for me.”

The May/June 2019 issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers, featuring Berlin's Lori-Anne Marchese on the cover. (Photo courtesy of Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine, used with permission)

She uses and sells a Body Construct Booty Band (bodyconstructfitness.com) to hit the glutes and legs to give the booty some bounce. The band is wider and made of a heavy-duty fabric unlike other rubbery bands on the market.

“I am so grateful for every person who has supported me in fitness for the past 12 years,” Marchese said on social media. “They all inspire me to be the best version of myself as I inspire you to be the best version of you. As you can see, it’s teamwork. Together we empower each other , support each other, and push ourselves to live a positive life! It’s not a one way road.... you all inspire me everyday! Because of YOU, I work hard everyday to bring the best of the best in fitness! There is no vacation day for me!

"Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! These covers we brought in as a TEAM! Team BODY CONSTRUCT!

"Thank you to @paulbuceta for the beautiful photography, @faceitct taking care of my skin, and enhancing the beauty with your med spa services! @a.secretsalonllc @angg02 my hair color, @bellatanllc for my spray tan and @monicakalra For my amazing makeup!!!! @dirksteenekamp for believing in me like no other! I fitness angel!

"To my family for their support, and my BC family for rocking it at the gym! Your results are together we make a strong gym! #womenrock ch other , support each other , and push ourselves to live a positive life! It’s not a one way road.... you all inspire me everyday! Because of YOU, I work hard everyday to bring the best of the best in fitness! There is no vacation day for me!

“It’s not a one-way road. They all inspire me every day. Because of them I work hard every day to bring the best of the best in fitness. There are no vacation days for me. These covers we brought in as a team…Team Body Construct. And also, a big thank you goes out to my family, especially my husband John Napolitano, for their support.”

To make things a little tougher professionally but so much better personally, Marchese welcomed her first child, daughter Arianna in Feb. 2017.

“I have heard from so many women that they want to get back to their pre-baby body or lose their baby weight, when in reality doing that starts when you are pregnant,” Marchese said. “I always eat healthy and stress that to my clients but when I was pregnant, I ate extra healthy. I didn’t have any cravings luckily and my doctor and I set a goal of gaining only 25 pounds during my pregnancy even though it was a high-risk pregnancy because it took me so long to get pregnant. I gained 26 pounds. I also kept exercising but I couldn’t so certain things like jumping or heavy weights. I altered my plan but didn’t stop. Even then it took me a full year before I got back to where I was before the pregnancy. It took about three months until I felt good in clothes again. I lost a lot of muscle and had to build it back up.”

Marchese started her career as a dental hygienist but soon found her way to fitness. She has found that people are often intimidated by her.

“They tell me that and I hear that all the time,” said Marchese, who is closing in on her 35th birthday. “Doing Facebook lives have helped me become a little less intimidating because most of the time my hair is a mess and I’m feeding Adrianna. I’m human just like my clients. If you see me at Stop & Shop, I look a mess and I’m that way six out of seven days a week. But I want to be a role model for my clients, so I want them to see how much I care, that’s why I look like a model when I’m in the gym with them.”

One client says Marchese not only helped her become more fit but has changed her life.

“If you want to change, this is the place and Lori-Ann is the trainer,” Rebecca Thomsen said. “There are many gyms and fitness centers out there, but if you want to work with someone who doesn't mess around, this is the place to go. I met Lori-Ann back in 2010 and she prepared me for my first WBFF fitness contest, I was 48 years old. Thanks to her I placed second in my very first competition. She is dedicated, extremely talented and a wonderful person. She doesn't just talk the talk; she walks the walk! A true leader by example.”

(Courtesy of Lori-Ann Marchese)

Story written by Bob Mayer