BEVERLY HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A metro Detroit gym is proving that fitness can be about much more than physical transformation — it's changing lives one workout at a time.
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Shut Up and Train in Beverly Hills may look like any other gym from the outside, but step inside and you'll find a community where members battle challenges far beyond the ring.
For Alicia Trammel, the gym became a lifeline after facing an unexpected opponent: postpartum depression following the birth of her child.
"There were some days that I just, it was pretty dark. It was hard," Trammel said.
Three months into her fitness journey at Shut Up and Train, Trammel is already seeing dramatic changes in her life.
"I've become a better mother. I've become a better partner. I've become a better employee. I work full-time on top of everything else," she said.
Trammel credits her transformation to Heba Jawad, one of the gym's founders and trainers.
"Honestly, she's changed my life," Trammel said.
For Jawad, helping others overcome obstacles is deeply personal. Her own journey began in Dearborn in a Lebanese American household where boxing was considered inappropriate for young women.
"My dad just felt like it was a masculine sport," Jawad said.
Instead, her family encouraged basketball, volleyball, hockey, and swimming for Jawad and her twin sister. In high school athletics, Jawad excelled and had big dreams.
"I told my parents I was going to go play for the WNBA," she said.
But injuries and surgeries ended those aspirations. Rather than giving up, Jawad channeled her setbacks into motivation.
"For me, it was more of a fuel of the fire in order to achieve what I wanted to become," she said.
Jawad studied to become an athletic trainer, gaining nearly 18 years of experience helping people reach their potential before opening Shut Up and Train.
"I've been doing this for almost 18 years, and to see the transition in other people's lives humbles me," Jawad said.
The gym's impact extends beyond individual transformations. Members Brooke Beerer, Connor Hibbard and Griffin Lorenz all praise the coaching and community Jawad has built.
"What she's built, it's fantastic," Hibbard said.
"She's tough. She gets the job done," Lorenz said.
For Jawad, the gym represents the culmination of years of perseverance through personal challenges.
"When I had nothing, I knew that I had to thrive through my injuries and my setbacks, and this, to me, means everything," she said.
Her advice for others facing similar struggles is simple but powerful.
"If you fall, get back up and fight stronger. And if you fall again, get back up and fight stronger. Because the road doesn't end, and time doesn't stop for anybody. And if you're going to do something, you have to do it for yourself," Jawad said.
The gym welcomes people of all ages and fitness levels, with a grand opening event planned in the near future.
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