Natalie Beyranevand

Natalie Beyranevand did not need a gym. That is the honest place to start, and it is the whole reason her story is worth telling.

She used to train and coach at CrossFit Westborough, a small gym at the Westborough Swim and Tennis Club. COVID closed it, and the CrossFit side never came back. So she built her own. From 2020 on, Natalie trained in her basement — Peloton treadmill boot camps, old CrossFit workouts she still had written down, every single day. She stayed fit. Fitness was never the problem she came to Prototype to solve.

Her friend Gillian had already joined and kept asking her to come try a class. Natalie kept saying no, and she will tell you exactly why: they had just spent real money building that basement gym. Walking into a new place felt like admitting the money was wasted.

“I kept up a decent level of fitness, but it was boring working out by myself every day.”

— Natalie

In December 2021, she finally caved and bought a drop-in pack. Just a pack — no commitment, no contract, an easy exit if she hated it. She loved it. Then she moved to nine classes a month. Then she went unlimited. That is the entire on-ramp, and it is worth seeing, because almost nobody walks in and signs up for everything on day one.

What She Was Actually After

Two things, and neither of them was friendship. Natalie wanted the spark back — the joy and the competition of training next to other people, instead of grinding through something she had to do every morning. And she wanted her lifts back. Alone in a basement, there are numbers you simply do not chase, because there is nobody there if a set goes wrong.

The friends part she was very clear about. She already had her people from the old gym. She told Gillian so, and she is not embarrassed about it.

“I already have enough friends.”

— Natalie, to the friend who talked her into coming

It might be the most honest objection anyone has ever given this gym. Most people who feel that way simply never reply to the email. Natalie said it out loud and came anyway.

Then the 5AM Got Hold of Her

Natalie is sarcastic, sharp, and gives as good as she gets, which makes the 5AM crew exactly the right room for her. During the school year she trains with Jon, Sam, Mike, and Garrett on Saturdays. In the summer she slides over to the 7 and 8AM and gets Gillian and Brian instead. She likes that they all coach differently — different warmups, different communication styles, different ways of explaining the same thing.

And about Gillian, the friend who talked her into the door and then became a coach here: “It’s really amazing seeing a friend transform from a member into a really wonderful coach.”

Ask Natalie for the single moment that stands out and she does not give you one. She gives you a list of small ones, which is more useful anyway. Carla congratulating her on a 10K win. Nicole telling her she looked strong in a pair of shorts she had been self-conscious about. Maria giving her grief when she skips a day. Abhi putting up with her yelling at him through a partner workout. Standing around afterward talking about work and kids and where everyone is traveling next.

Waking up that early still stinks, in her words. The room is what makes it worth it.

Natalie with Gillian and the Prototype crew at Row For Westborough, 2025.

She Got the Numbers Back — and Then Some

Since 2023, Natalie has logged 40 personal records across 17 different lifts. A 265-pound deadlift. A 200-pound back squat. A 180-pound front squat. A 120-pound bench press. She is 44 years old and chasing those numbers smarter than she did at 30, because the goal now is to keep lifting heavy without breaking, not to prove something on a Tuesday.

Natalie on the lunges at HYROX Boston.

The competing came after. HYROX Boston. A local CrossFit competition where she took first place. None of that was on the list of things she walked in for — she just wanted her old PRs back, safely. Somewhere along the way the ceiling moved.

Top of the podium — first place at a local CrossFit competition.

The accomplishment that matters most to her, though, happened outside the gym. While she has been a member here, Natalie finished her doctorate in speech. This is her 20th year as a school speech-language pathologist for Northborough-Southborough, working mostly in sub-separate programs with autistic students who are complex communicators and use iPads to communicate. She still loves the job. But the doctorate was brutal at points.

“Sticking with a consistent routine, including daily exercise, definitely helped me get through the hardest parts of that program. Having a stress relief was huge for me.”

— Natalie, on finishing her doctorate

Why She Does Not Skip

Natalie has a family history on both sides that makes daily movement non-negotiable for her — for her head as much as her body. She would be exercising no matter what. That was never in question.

But she is the one who drew the line between the two versions of it. Alone in the basement, she would still be moving. She just would not be lifting heavy, would not be pushing that hard, and would not have gotten back toes-to-bar, chest-to-bar, or double-unders. And she would not be laughing. In her own words, the friendships and the skills together did more for her mental health than working out alone at home ever did.

Ava and Lexi

Here is the ending. Natalie’s twin girls, Ava and Lexi, both 14, recently joined and are training in our group classes. Her son Ryan is 16. The whole family walks, hikes, and trains together, and between them they have traveled to 21 countries — South Africa included.

Natalie with Ava and Lexi, who recently joined our group classes.

Back in December 2021, Natalie told a friend she had enough friends and did not need another gym. She had the equipment, the routine, and the discipline already. What she did not have was a room full of people who would notice if she was not in it.

Now her kids train at the gym she picked. Nobody sends their children somewhere they feel lukewarm about.

“I wouldn’t be lifting heavy, pushing myself as hard during workouts, or getting back to old skills. I also wouldn’t be having nearly as much fun working out, and wouldn’t have the friendships that I’ve made here.”

Maybe you already own the equipment — a rack, a treadmill, a Peloton, a garage full of gear you paid good money for. And you actually use it. You are not out of shape. You are bored, and you have quietly stopped pushing, because there is nobody around if a heavy set goes sideways.

Maybe you are fine on the friends front, thanks, and the last thing you want is a gym that is going to make you do icebreakers.

Natalie was both of those people. She started with a drop-in pack and an easy way out. That is all it has to be.

Start with a free No Sweat Intro — a 20-minute conversation about your goals, your training history, and whether Prototype is the right fit for you.

I have the pleasure of coaching Natalie at least 2 days per week and while 5am is early and it can be harder than most classes to lock in and focus, I always feel like Nat is engaged, which I appreciate as a Coach. I’ve watched her outwork the best of them, put up crazy numbers on the barbell, but I’ve also seen the times where things don’t feel right... some nagging injuries, and she adjusts. She communicates about what’s going on so we can make a plan to adjust and get her back on track.

As a personal note, I love to see her girls Ava and Lexi in the gym. If there is one thing that brings a smile to my face, it’s seeing parents and their kids training alongside each other, and now we get to witness that. I actually worked out with Ava and Lexi this week, Nat was there with them as she did the 9am class then came back with them at 12pm... giving feedback, encouraging... it’s so cool. And selfishly, I now have 2 new babysitters for my young kids! They watched them a couple weeks ago and my girls are still asking “When do we get to see the twins again?”

I’m glad Nat decided to share her journey and story, it’s a good one and one that I hope resonates with folks! Thank you Nat!

— Mike Collette
Founder & CEO, Prototype Training Systems