Our March/April cover athlete, Beverly Cheng, is at the top of her game. With 108k followers on Instagram looking to her for everything from fresh at-home workouts to a bright spot of humor in their day, Toronto-based trainer Beverly is the go-to gal when it comes to marrying an authentic personality with undeniable fitness knowledge.
It wasn’t always easy for Beverly, who was bullied as a child. “I was made fun of for what I wore, my house got egged, I wouldn’t get invited to parties,” she revealed in her exclusive interview with STRONG. “At the age of 14 and 15, that was really a defining moment for me.” Learning to channel tough emotions into athletic sports, and later realizing she had a knack for being a leader in fitness, Beverly’s confidence skyrocketed. “When I was struggling with bullying and hating myself and questioning my life, if it wasn’t for rugby, I don’t know where I’d be right now. It’s where I built all this confidence, where I started this journey to dig deep and [learn] what it means to physically and mentally push yourself. If I hadn’t learned those skills, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” she says.
Here, Beverly let us in on the principles and tactics she uses to bring her best, most genuine self to everything she does.
1. Her game-plan when motivation wanes.
“If I’m feeling unmotivated, I tell myself that I will just get through the warm-up. I commit myself to 5-10 minutes of work. If I still don’t feel like working out after, I don’t. I listen to my body and what it’s asking. However, 98 percent of the time, after the warm-up is done, my mindset has shifted and I’m ready to train.”
2. Recovery is a crucial part of the process.
Beverly enlists the help of many different recovery tools and techniques to make sure her body is well rested so she can perform at peak ability the next time she hits the weights. Her go-to methods? “Tons of mobility, rolling out with a lacrosse or massage ball, and stretching. I like to take walks on my rest days, but I won’t train so I can make sure I’m giving my body proper rest,” she says.
3. This influencer avoids being influenced.
“To be honest, I don’t really immerse myself into the fitness/health influencer world, as I am already so involved in it myself. I like to lead my own path, instead of looking up to anyone, and trying to achieve another person’s success. However, I do greatly admire Natacha Oceane and Heba Ali as two strong, determined women who are changing the face of fitness.”
4. Healthy or indulgent, she knows how to fuel.
“My favorite healthy meal is anything with two eggs in it to start my day. Sometimes it’s a spinach feta omelette, sometimes it’s a veggie scramble, sometimes it’s breakfast tacos.” But it can’t be all healthy, all the time. And for that, Beverly’s got one standout favorite in particular. “I have so many favorite splurge meals, but I love going for dim sum when it’s open. I haven’t had it since lockdown and I miss it so much.”
5. No goal left behind.
When it comes to setting goals, Beverly’s aspirations are plentiful. “Personally, I’m always working on myself by trying to be a better coach and mentor to my followers and clients. I’m also working to become more empathetic and patient, as that is something I have lacked in the past. My goal is also to be a better daughter by talking with my parents more, and constantly becoming a more loving and understanding partner. Professionally, it never ends! There is always something new I want to achieve. My biggest goal in the next 10 years is to become more behind the scenes in my three businesses—I would love to run things while I travel or sail around the world.”
