Conway Sax, a has-been race driver cum auto-mechanic, curses as he wrestles a rotted 30-pound muffler from a Nissan Maxima. Just then a woman, a beautiful woman with whom he has a tumultuous past, saunters into his auto-repair shop causing him to drop the muffler on his foot. He curses some more, she takes his face in her hands, his girlfriend walks in–things unravel from there. So begins a meeting that sets in motion a snarly web of campaign secrets, illegitimate babies, blackmail and murder that make up Steve Ulfelder’s second of three novels, “The Whole Lie,” a tale the Richmond Times-Dispatch calls “a work of hardcore crime-fiction art.”
You may have noticed a preponderance of “30 Day Challenge” postings in your social media of late. It’s one of those trends that’s been slowly gathering steam over the past few years and suddenly seems to have exploded into the interweb zeitgeist. Some trends can be fleeting and silly, but the good ones stick when people find value in them.
“Thirty days is enough to get started in the right way, to begin to understand what makes change easier and most importantly, how to stay on the right track,” says Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of “The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier.”
For people thinking about fitness, the 30 Day Challenge concept has merit for beginners and experts alike. The idea is to pick an exercise or a small series of exercises and repeat them daily, gradually increasing reps throughout the 30 days with periodic rest days, building toward a goal on day 30 that is significantly greater than the starting point. It’s perfect for beginners because the starting number of reps and duration is very manageable and not terribly time consuming; most people can bang out fifty squats on a commercial break. Such a challenge is also worthwhile for those with more advanced fitness goals as a way to boost the benefits of an existing routine. The idea that you can make a gradual but significant change or achieve something in as short as 30 days is appealing in our world of instant gratification and often inspires greater challenges to follow.
Mike Eaton
Fitness Together trainer Mike Eaton has spent the last year rehabilitating a severe arm and shoulder injury and knows the value of baby steps; it takes patience and perseverance to claw your way through the tiny achievements of those painful post-surgery PT sessions. It takes still more discipline to fully reclaim your pre-injury fitness, flexibility and strength. As a Fitness Together trainer, Mike sees the value of accountability not just for himself but with his clients every day because they identify the accountability component of their appointments as the key to their fitness success. For Mike, building accountability into his own routine by adding a 30 Day Challenge gave him a “no excuses mentality” and kept him on task.
Toward that end, he designed a grueling 30 Day Challenge for himself. “I had to do at least 100 chest-to-floor burpees, 200 squats, and 200 double-unders (where) the jump-rope passes under you twice instead of once.” (See video box above). For added discipline, Mike decided that the workout had to be completed in one structured session, not in piecemeal throughout the day. He logged each workout with a running total of each day.
“There were plenty of nights after work that I just wanted to get home but I needed to push myself and get the challenge done for the day. After a week I kind of looked forward to getting it done and logging my numbers.”
Mike completed the challenge in early May and says it was definitely worth it. “During and after the challenge I definitely saw improvements in CrossFit as well as my long distance running. I highly recommend trying a challenge and structure it to what you need improvements on.”
Alicia Tansey & Karen O’Connor Ripley
Fitness Together Norwell trainer Alicia Tasney began the 30 Day Squat Challenge in April as a way to motivate a few friends who have been historically reluctant to begin exercising. She baited these friends into doing the challenge by promising them that she would to do twice the amount outlined on the challenge web site.
“The squat is a great exercise to focus on for it’s functional benefits,” says Tasney. “It translates to things we do regularly in our every day lives, like getting in and out of the car, walking up stairs, bending over to tie shoes or pick up an object.” When done properly, the benefits of the squat include building muscle; improving flexibility and balance; and gaining strength in the glutes, legs, knees, feet and lower back.
Form is important when doing any exercise, but especially where high reps are involved. Even more important if you’re adding weights. Tasney says that for such a simple exercise, there are many ways to go wrong, and that can lead to injuries of the knees and lower back. (See below for tips on proper form.)
As of tomorrow, Alicia will be on day 21 of the challenge, which means 180 squats for her friends and 360 for her. By the time all is said and done, she’ll have completed 6,590 squats! She says she’s already feeling the benefits from the challenge. When running, her legs feel stronger and take much longer to fatigue. Another benefit? Friends have offered compliments, which we’ll refrain from repeating, but suffice it to say we could rename this challenge the “30 Day ‘Damn, Gurl!’ Awesome Booty Squat Challenge.”
Fitness Together client Karen O’Connor Ripley, a client at FT for several years, is always looking for ways to push herself further. A busy mom who also runs a cleaning business as well as a facebook page, “Ecomomics,” Ripley is a busy person. But when she overheard her trainers, Mike and Alicia, talking about their challenges she decided to incorporate one into her own routine as a way to boost her fitness level without eating up a lot of time. To focus on the area she most wants to improve, Ripley chose an abdominal challenge. “It consist of sit-ups, crunches, planks and push-ups with the reps increasing everyday. This also got me to do plank and push-ups which are two exercises I don’t usually do unless I’m at FT. It’s going good, I like it, it’s gets me going.”
As inhabitants of a planet whose circadian rhythms are tied to the 30-day cycle of the moon, you might say we are hard wired to operate within the parameters of this increment of time. When thinking about making a change or an improvement that involves discipline, a month isn’t really a daunting amount of time, but you may be surprised at what you can accomplish.
If you take up a 30-Day Challenge of any kind, keep these tips in mind:
Choose a challenge that is doable, but challenges you as it progresses. You’re in this to make progress, not waste time or injure yourself.
Make sure you’re using proper form. Check with your trainer if you have questions.
Journal your progress. This will keep you on task and give you a real sense of accomplishment at the end.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up: If you miss a day, pick up where you left off if possible. If you miss more than a few days, back up or start again. Just don’t give up!
Here are the challenges happening at Fitness Together in Norwell. If you try one, let us know how it goes, or share your challenge here. We’d love to know how you’re doing!
Mike Eaton’s 30 Day Beatin’
To be completed in one session each day for 30 Days
100 chest-to-floor burpees
200 squats
200 double-unders
30 Day Squat Challenge
(Again, Tasney’s doubling this.)
To do a proper squat, keep this slightly bizarre visual in mind: you’re testing a metal chair with your butt to see if it’s hot, discover it is and stand up again. You can even place a chair about a foot behind you to lightly touch down on before standing up. Keep these other tips in mind for proper form*:
Begin in an athletic stance, feet shoulder width apart, feet slightly turned out, spine in neutral position, abs engaged.
Keeping your weight in your heels, your head up and your eyes looking ahead (not at the floor) bend your knees until your upper leg is parallel or deeper to the ground. Your butt should be moving backwards as well as downward as your knees hinge, preventing your knees from going forward beyond your toes.
Throughout the squat, your head is still up, eyes forward, shoulders back and chest out. Don’t collapse your spine and hunch downward.
To return to the standing position, engage your legs, glutes and abs and squeeze as you “explode” back to your starting position.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
*Have your trainer check your form or help you modify if you have any physical constraints, or if you wish to add weights to increase difficulty.
Day 1 – 50 squats
Day 2 – 55 squats
Day 3- 60 squats
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – 70 squats
Day 6 – 75 squats
Day 7 – 80 squats
Day 8 – Rest
Day 9- 100 squats
Day 10 – 105 squats
Day 11 – 110 squats
Day 12 – Rest
Day 13 – 130 squats
Day 14 – 135 squats
Day 15 – 140 squats
Day 16 – Rest
Day 17 – 150 squats
Day 18 – 155 squats
Day 19 – 160 squats
Day 20 – Rest
Day 21 – 180 squats
Day 22 – 185 squats
Day 23 – 190 squats
Day 24 – Rest
Day 25 – 220 squats
Day 26 – 225 squats
Day 27 – 230 squats
Day 28 – Rest
Day 29 – 240 squats
Day 30 – 250 squats
The Mean Ab Challenge
(It says “June” but Karen O’Connor Ripley couldn’t wait. “Thirty days is 30 days!” she says.)
For more about Ariane de Bonvoisin’s inspirational books:. First30days.com
Bob Lexander – age 60
Production supervisor for the Dedham/Westwood Water District
For most of Bob’s adult life, he’s been an avid runner, marathoner and all around fitness enthusiast, partly because he loves being active and partly in hopes of hedging a family history of health issues. “My father had heart disease, arthritis and cancer,” says Bob. “I always hoped I could outrun it.” But as he got older, his knees began to break down. After his third knee replacement (the second on his right side) failed to heal as well as he’d hoped, doctors put him on heavy doses of arthritis and pain meds and told him he’d just have to live with it. Despite physical therapy his exercise routine all but came to a complete halt.
Last April, Bob’s wife, Mary Ellen Kelly, became concerned at seeing her husband slip into a funk the longer he went without exercise. Kelly, an attorney, had heard of Fitness Together through her professional networking group. When she suggested to Bob that a personal trainer might be able to help, he agreed to give it a try.
Trainer Kate McNally likes to take a holistic approach, striving to carefully match a client’s personality and goals to his or her program. Specializing in body composition change and endurance training, McNally uses a wide variety of training styles to fit her clients’ goals. Though she started Bob on a gentle regimen, she quickly saw that his determination could take him beyond his limitations.
“In his time at Fitness Together Bob has greatly increased leg strength and flexibility; two really important achievements for guy as active as Bob. All this with little complaint,” says McNally. “Bob Lexander is the model client. When you ask him to do something, he not only does it, but will give 110%. He really wants this. Wants to be stronger, healthier, more fit.”
Since first beginning at Fitness Together last April, Bob has lost 20 lbs and completely weaned himself from his medications. “It’s been a big deal to me to get off those pain meds,” says Bob. “It’s just been so good for my outlook.”
His wife, Mary Ellen, was so inspired by Bob’s success, she also signed on. After increasing her fitness level and losing weight, the couple is enjoying a more active lifestyle.
“Our quality of life is so much better now. I’m in better shape than I’ve been in years. We enjoy walking and hiking together. Now we can walk up big hills without breathing hard and my knee is even flexible enough that I can ride my bike. Going to Fitness Together has been a wonderful thing.”
Says his trainer, “I really enjoy training Bob, training someone with his motivation makes my job easy. Bob comes to every session ready to work hard, usually already dripping sweat from his so called “warm up” (30-40 mins hard on the elliptical). He is just as dedicated in life to family and work as he is in the gym. Bob is making great strides toward his goals and you can tell by just looking at him. He looks great!”
Twenty-pounds. That can seem like a daunting amount of weight to lose. For some of us, losing twenty pounds only gets us part of the way to our goal, and that’s enough to keep us from getting started at all.
Ed O’Brien, 60, came to Fitness together this past November. You remember November, right? It was the beginning of that season when you surrendered completely to your cravings and bad habits and, come January, emerged from your post-holiday food frenzy suspecting someone had been tampering with your scale, because you couldn’t possibly have gained that much weight in, wow, only a month and a half? Well, that’s not what Ed O’Brien has been doing. While you (and I) were polishing off the cookie tray and the last of the eggnog, Ed was getting busy at Fitness Together in Norwell.
Says trainer Joe Caruso, “Ed came to FT with the desire and discipline that all trainers love to see in a client. He was easy to motivate and was a sponge when it came to learning new nutritional concepts and strength training techniques. The staff at FT is very proud of Ed’s results and the amazing time frame in which they were achieved.”
In his own words, here’s how FT Norwell’s Client of the Month dropped nearly 20 pounds and redefined his approach to fitness in less than a month and a half.
“I have always had issues with my weight and fitness. When I was younger I was able to summon the willpower to lose the excess weight and get into shape without third party help. However, as I’ve gotten older and become more of a couch-potato, I found it more difficult to continually harness the required willpower. Luckily, I happened to watch a TV commercial for Fitness Together and decided to follow through. A check of their website led to an introductory lesson at the Norwell Studio. I’m glad I did!
After discussing my goals and assessing my fitness, the trainers at FT, Joe, Mike, and Alicia, developed a program of cardio and strength exercises, which have, after only 8 weeks, brought me to a point I didn’t think I’d see again! I’ve lost 20 pounds, shown vast improvement in cardio endurance, and put my body in a shape it hasn’t been in 20 years!
Joe, Mike, and Alicia have been the willpower drivers, the conscience that sparked my ability to not only consistently train with them, but to also workout on my own. After discussing my nutritional intake with Joe, I was also able to institute a healthy diet plan, which is bringing my weight back down to its proper level. Has it been easy? No. Has it been hard work? Yes. Has it been worth it? Definitely!
Joe Caruso Manager FT Norwell
Joe is a Certified Personal Trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength Conditioning Association. He has a degree in Exercise Physiology from UMASS Boston and is CPR and AED certified. This is Joe’s 7th year with Fitness Together.
Joe has been involved in personal training for nearly a decade and brings his own training experiences into his program design. His passion is strength conditioning for athletes. He has a deep knowledge of nutrition and cardiovascular training and enjoys coaching his clients in all the aspects of fitness.
Mike Eaton Certified Personal Trainer
Mike is certified as a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and is also a Certified CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1).
Staying active and fit has always been an important part of Mike’s life. He was a three sport athlete at Plymouth South High School, playing varsity soccer, basketball, and track & field, and was the former school record holder for the long jump as well as the 4x100m relay team. He took soccer to the collegiate level and was a four-year starter and captain of his team during his senior year at Endicott College, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design.
Through his experience as an athlete, Mike has learned the importance of proper strengthening and conditioning for long-term fitness. He integrates these concepts into his workouts and tailors his training to meet the specific health and fitness goals of each individual client. When Mike is not training, he enjoys golfing, snowboarding, and playing with his black lab, Chloe.
Alicia Tasney Certified Personal Trainer
Alicia Tasney first came to Fitness Together Norwell in April of 2008. Her interest in athletics began at a young age with gymnastics and she continued to hone her tumbling skills into her young adult life, becoming a gymnastics instructor along the way.
Alicia played Varsity basketball, lacrosse and competed in Track and Field for Quincy Vocational High School. While there she also became certified in Rehabilitation Science and served as the assistant coach for the girls’ varsity lacrosse team.
Alicia is certified in CPR, First Aid basics and A.E.D. Her favorite thing about training is helping people do things they never thought they could. “I have a client who could barely do half of a squat and couldn’t sit without using her hands. After 4 months training with me, she’s down 30 lbs and she climbed Mt. Washington for the first time this summer!”
So, you’ve done a few adventure races in the past year? You’ve slogged up muddy mountainsides and crawled under barbed wire through filthy water. You’ve jumped into a dumpster filled with ice, run through a gauntlet of fire, been electrocuted by a curtain of dangling wires and lived to tell about it. Or maybe you’ve run a few marathons in blistering heat, or competed in a triathlon? Think you’re pretty tough, right?
Meet Emily Shames, 19, client at Fitness Together in Newton Centre. When she’s not busy with her studies and at Wesleyan University, she’s a key member of the school’s winning volleyball and softball teams. Not tough enough for you? Here’s what Emily did with her summer vacation: While you and I were barbecuing chicken and sipping cold Corona’s Emily spent a total of 42 days surviving in the wilderness of Utah. Still not impressed? She did it with only a rain poncho, a water bottle, a knife and a sweater. That’s it. No backpack, no tent, no mess kit, not even a wristwatch. Forty-two days in full-out survival mode, seven days of which were in complete solitude and another seven with no food at all, just water. That’s one tough young lady, my friends.
Emily says it was her training at Fitness Together that got her to the point where she could even consider facing such a daunting set of challenges. “The trainers at Fitness Together got me into the best shape of my life. The motivation and the determination I learned from them echoed in my thoughts during the entire trip, encouraging me never to give up no matter how tired or broken down I got.”
A longtime outdoor enthusiast, Emily signed on for the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, (BOSS) in Boulder Town, Utah with the goal of melding her interests in fitness with her studies in environmental science and archeology. Known for being “the toughest survival school in the country,” BOSS prides itself in teaching participants “low-technology camping and hiking techniques, exploring how traditional cultures lived comfortably without all the modern gadgets.” During the course students spend their waking hours eking out an existence and hiking long distances, from 15 to 30 miles per day over rugged mountains and desert canyons. And the company makes no bones about it, this is not a frivilous venture. Participants can expect to lose between 10 and 30 lbs. from the taxing physical demands and lack of food.
“It was the most intense hiking I have ever done,” says Shames. “We didn’t have camp to set up or food to cook so we hiked off trail from sunrise to sunset everyday. In 6 weeks, I covered over 300 miles! I can now make fire using nothing but sticks and friction. I can make rope out of plant fiber. I can make 3 different types of traps and know how to catch fish with my bare hands.”
This is “Survivor” without the cameras, safety nets or food reward challenges. Here the only reward is personal growth and satisfaction. “In six weeks I learned more about myself and the world around me than in all 19 years of my life. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.”
Trainers Elisa Sutherland and Derik VanDyke have seen a lot of success stories in their combined years as personal trainers at Fitness Together, but Emily is one of the greats.
“Emily has a rare enthusiasm for exercise. She comes to each workout with a brilliant smile and even when she’s soaked in sweat and exhausted, the smile doesn’t disappear,” says Sutherland. “I look forward to every session with her. She inspires me to workout a little harder and to have a blast at everything I do!”
VanDyke agrees. “No matter how hard or crazy I may make a workout, Emily is always so excited to learn and do anything I throw her way! This type of true enthusiasm and passion for working out really motivates me as a trainer, as well as a person!”
Whether your goals are to fit into that skinny pair of jeans or move personal mountains, the Fitness Together program clearly offers life-changing potential for those who are willing to commit the effort. Just ask Emily.
“Fitness Together has changed my life for the better. They have transformed me not only physically but mentally, too,” says Shames. “I want to say thanks to all of the Fitness Together trainers for all of their dedication to the clients and doing the impossible by making workout out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle fun!”
___________
Ever since winning the 800 meter race at a mandatory middle school track meet, I was hooked on running. I ran for fun in high school, competed for the track team in college, and later moved on to marathons and trail races. I came to think of running as central to my identity. All my friends and family thought of me as the crazy girl who spent much of her free time on the pavement. A couple of years after finishing college, where I got a degree in elementary education, my knees started bothering me. I knew I needed to scale back the running and learn to stay fit in other ways. I got my start in this process at the National Personal Training Institute in Portland, Oregon. I had just returned from several years teaching English in South Korea, and I knew I didn’t want to be an elementary school teacher. While I enjoyed teaching itself, classroom management just wasn’t my thing. After an intensive, hands-on program, I was certified as a personal trainer through NPTI. My first job was at LA Fitness in Portland. While I worked there, I continued to learn more and explore the many corners of the fitness world. I picked up another certification as a running coach, and studied kettlebells with a RKC trainer (I recently became certified to teach Hardstyle Kettlebells). While I was still in Portland, I started to have some medical problems, and was diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome. After losing the ability to walk, going from a wheelchair to a walker, and then finally being able to walk and now even run, my understanding of health and fitness has changed a lot. Last summer I moved to Boston, but I continued to have trouble with double vision and vertigo. In December I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Right now, I’m very strong; no one can tell that I have MS. There have been a lot of medical advances in the last few years, so hopefully I can continue to hide my disease! Having MS has taught me that while my body isn’t always trustworthy, there’s always something it can do. I love helping people build confidence, mobility, and strength through their own power. No matter what your injury or weakness, there are ways to get stronger and feel better!
Derik VanDyke Manager/Certified Personal Trainer
Growing up sports and fitness were always a huge part of my life. From an early age, all the way up in to my high school years, I played football, basketball, baseball, as well as martial arts. I was also exposed to bodybuilding at a very early age, because my father was an amateur bodybuilder . I instantly grew to love that sport and knew that it would always be a huge part of my life. I loved the challenges and personal sacrifice it took to excel at sports and bodybuilding. Shortly after I graduated high school, I wanted to further challenge myself as well as do something good for my country, so I joined the army as a Combat Medic. I served 4 years as an airborne combat medic in the Army, with a 15-month tour in Southern Baghdad. Throughout my 4 years in the army, physical fitness was enforced on us, and was rewarded when one would go far and beyond expectations. With my love for fitness I went far and beyond what was expected of me, receiving “excellent” marks in fitness which helped lead me to make rank quickly. Before long I was leading young soldiers in physical fitness programs myself. Upon completing my 4 years in the army, I knew I wanted to follow my heart and do what I’ve always loved and that was fitness. I attended NPTI (national personal training institute), and graduated with an even greater knowledge of health and fitness. I am excited and highly motivated to be doing what I love and that is help people achieve their physical fitness goals, as well as their goals in life. I will work hard for you so you can attain the goals you set out for! “I’m not telling you it is going to be easy – I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it” — Art Williams
To find a Fitness Together Studio near you, check out FTGetsResults.com
From our FT Studios, our new commercials highlighting 4 success stories.
Tracy Simpson Achievements: Tracy lost 50 lbs and dropped six dress sizes. Tracy completed the Tough Mudder challenge last spring, a grueling10-mile military-style challenge.
FT Trainer: Tom Lavoie
Tracy first came to Fitness Together when she realized the baby weight she’d put on three years prior wasn’t going to come off without some major changes to her lifestyle. Tracy committed to her training and nutrition program and saw greater results than she ever imagined. “My trainers are amazing. They are the primary reason why I come here.” Since starting at FT Tracy has lost 50 lbs. and went from a size 14 to a size 2. She also increased strength and flexibility and has competed in the incredibly demanding Tough Mudder challenge. Trainer Tom Lavoie says, “She really has kicked up her strength in a big way. She’s continuing to grow, as far as her strength, flexibility, and improving her overall health.”
Mike Gurdjian Achievements: Lost 66 lbs in 6 months. Improved health, strength and confidence
FT Trainer: Tom Lavoie
Mike had put on a lot of weight in college and really needed to change his lifestyle. In just six months Mike has lost 66 lbs and is wearing the clothes he wants to wear. ‘The trainers here make you accountable. They’re the best.” Mike’s trainer, Tom Lavoie is impressed with Mike’s commitment. “The results Mike has seen are off the charts. He’s really changed his lifestyle by making that commitment to himself and to his program.
Dave Norden FT Trainer: Brendan Stapleton
Dave, age 46, came to FT with back issues, injuries and he needed to lose weight. In 8 months he’s lost 40 lbs., gained strength, confidence and a healthy lifestyle.
Next goal: The Boston Marathon.
Linda Norden Achievements: Lost 25 lbs in 3 months and dropped four dress sizes. Improved strength, confidence, energy and sense of well-being. Trainer: Brendan Stapleton.
Linda came to Fitness Together when she realized she weighed as much as she had when she was pregnant more than a decade ago. She had become self-conscious and was dressing to hide her weight. Says trainer Brendan Stapleton, “When I first met Linda, I knew we were going to be able to help her.” Linda dedicated herself to the fitness and nutrition program outlined by her trainer and lost 25 lbs. and went from a tight size 12, to a 4/6. Her trainer says, “The biggest improvement I’ve seen in Linda is her over all improved well-being, but everything has really improved 100%.” Linda agrees, “I’ve walked into many gyms and never showed up again. At Fitness Together I walked in, and I don’t ever want to walk out!”
For more info on Fitness Together and to find a studio near you check out FTGetsResults.com
One thing I have to say about the personal trainers at Fitness Together – is that they definitely keep safety first. As a part of each personal training session, they do what’s called movement prep dynamic stretching for the first 5 minutes of each workout. It warms up the muscles and increases the blood flow to areas that will be used during session.
The last 5 minutes of my workouts are my favorite because we focus on stretching!
For me being pregnant I have to do a modified stretching routine — which means all stretches that I do — I have to either stand or sit as opposed to lying on my back and tummy. This is the best practice for any pregnant women who are in their 2nd trimester and moving forward. As my pregnancy progresses, the amazing trainers will work more with the bench and stability ball.
My co-worker Katie had an amazing stretch session as well. Trainer Brett and Katie worked on lower body so it was natural for her to stretch out the area that she worked! Brett performed assisted lower body stretches on Katie which are more effective because the muscles tend to relax more allowing for a better stretch.
Check back to see what happens at our PACK* workout!
I completed my 5th week at Fitness Together in Medford – and I am feeling better than ever!! We mostly worked my legs, back and shoulders… I have to say, I never thought I would feel this good at 17 weeks pregnant but I do!!
Another Great Jeans Challenge Success Story
by Martha Hicks Leta
When Kristin Joyce, 20, returned home to Hanover for summer vacation from High Point University in North Carolina, she had goals in mind: not only to lose weight and get back into shape, but to rediscover the happy, active person she was in high school. When she heard about Fitness Together’s Great Jeans Challenge, she knew it was exactly what she needed to help her reach her goals.
She sat down with us last week to tell us why:
I chose the Great Jeans Challenge at Fitness Together in Norwell for multiple reasons. This summer I made it one of my goals to get back into shape and lose weight but I knew I needed some extra motivation to do so and the GJC did just that. It offered the motivation not only from the trainers at FT but also the $100 gift card to shop for new clothes (after dropping two sizes.) I thought that would be a perfect way to begin my back to school shopping!
One of my biggest goals was not only to get back into shape and lose weight, but to become a happier healthier me. Back in high school I played field hockey and danced 3-4 nights a week and I couldn’t have been happier with myself. After going to college, these activities stopped and my body definitely took notice. I took it upon myself this summer to become the healthy active person I was back in high school.
Before coming to Fitness Together, the gym was always an intimidating place for me. I never really knew what to do there, so I never truly got in a good workout. Now I know and understand the importance of weight training, cardio, and a healthy eating is when it comes to losing weight.
I’d say the biggest challenge for me was not the Pack sessions or adding more cardio to my daily routine, but changing my eating habits to be sure I wasn’t countering the hard work I was putting in at FT with too many calories. The nutrition session with trainer Joe Caruso was extremely helpful and definitely added to my success at FT.
After the challenge I lost 3 inches, 2 jean sizes (from size 8 to 4) and a total of 13 pounds!
I think the constant support from the trainers at FT truly helped me reach my goals. Each and every session they are there for you 100% and just want to see you succeed.
After the challenge I didn’t just lose 13 lbs and 2 jean sizes, I gained a whole bunch of confidence that I didn’t have before. I feel more like the girl I was two years ago, and I couldn’t be any happier. I’m a new me who makes exercise and healthy living a major priority. FT helped me reach my goals and has motivated me to never go back to where I was before I started.
I would most definitely recommend Fitness Together to friends! It was an overall great experience this summer. I was really happy with it, (I even signed up for more sessions after the GJC was over!) and I know my friends would love it if they gave it at shot as well.
One of the biggest fitness challenges women often face is getting back in shape after pregnancy and childbirth. A lot of us imagine that our bodies will magically spring back into shape once our precious cargo has been offloaded. Some of us may even be so delusional as to pack along pre-pregnancy jeans as we head off to the hospital. I can tell you from personal experience what a crushing disappointment it is to leave in the same maternity jeans in which you arrived.
Sizing in at a tiny size 0 prior to her pregnancy, Leticia Costa had an enviably slender frame. Even her post-pregnancy size 6 might garner a sneer or two from women bouncing toddlers on their cushiony hips. Nevertheless, when Costa, age 27, heard about the Great Jeans challenge after having her baby, she knew the disciplined workouts and nutritional counseling would be the thing to get her back on track in a hurry.
“I have always enjoyed working out, but after I had my baby I decided I wanted to try something different since my body wasn’t the same. My goals were to drop 2 pants sizes. I figured a size 2 was reasonable. I also wanted muscle tone specially on my legs, butt and stomach.”
Leticia trained with all three FT Norwell trainers, Joe Caruso, Mike Eaton and Alicia Tasney and says the sessions were a far cry from the workouts she was used to. “My old work out routine consisted of 90% cardio, 7% legs and 3% socializing at the gym! My trainers pushed me each session and also gave me good dieting tips.”
All three trainers were impressed by Leticia’s discipline, particularly in following her nutritional program. “Due to her amazing diet and total commitment to her workouts, she totally changed her body composition,” says FT Norwell manager and trainer, Joe Caruso.
Tasney agrees. “She really didn’t have much weight to lose. It was more about getting her muscle and skin tone back.” Leticia’s 1200-calorie diet plan featured a disciplined balance of high quality nutrition. “She really stuck with it and it paid off.”
During the course of the Great Jeans Challenge, Leticia lost five pounds, 5% of her body fat and dropped from a size 6 to a size 2.
“I felt accomplished and I feel a lot better about myself now. I lost about 4- 5 lbs, and gained muscles that I never knew existed.” That sense of achievement motivated Leticia to continue with FT beyond the Great Jeans challenge. She’s also proud to recommend Fitness Together to her friends.
