In this episode of I Did It With Gary, I sit down with Alicia Persichini Harris to talk through a two-year transformation that had nothing to do with chasing a number on the scale - and everything to do with confidence, strength, and self-belief.
When Alicia first started, the gym felt like an alien place. Panic attacks outside the door. Twenty minutes on the Stairmaster before leaving. Zero confidence on the gym floor - and limited confidence on the jiu-jitsu mats too.
Fast forward two years and she’s deadlifting, squatting in the main gym, training with intent, and using strength work as a non-negotiable anchor for her mental health.
In this conversation, we cover:
- How Alicia went from gym anxiety to lifting heavy with confidence
- Why strength training became her “temple” during job burnout and family illness
- How focusing on performance - not weight loss - changed everything
- The crossover between strength training and improved jiu-jitsu performance
- What real coaching looks like when life interrupts progress
- And why the ultimate win was Alicia becoming fully self-sufficient in her training
This isn’t a quick fix story. It’s a real, layered transformation - built over time, through consistency, setbacks, and trust in the process.
If you’ve ever felt like the gym “wasn’t for you”, or you’re chasing confidence rather than aesthetics, this episode will land.
