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jcals40-blog · 7 years ago

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Discovered: My Passion for Exercise

My journey to find the perfect gym began when I was 16 years old. I walked into Yang’s Fitness Center in Andover, Massachusetts for a personal training session after doing months of physical therapy following an ACL repair. The previous September, I was playing in my first football game of the season and on the first play my right knee suddenly gave out when I attempted to gather my feet and tackle the ball carrier. I met personal trainer Ben Moll. I was immediately impressed with his high energy, friendliness and ripped physique. We sat in his office and did a complete review of my workout goals, prior experience, health history, and what sports I was playing. He wanted to make sure he understood my expectations and that I was getting what I expected and was paying for. At $75 per hour for a private trainer, I wanted it to be productive. My goal was to build a good foundation overall so that I could be the best athlete I could be. I wanted to work on strength and agility.

As we went on the floor for my first workout, I was nervous about what to expect. It was not that crowded and members seemed pretty chill. I wasn’t intimidated at all, which was a huge relief. Ben showed me the ropes. He told me what exercises were the most beneficial for me. He demonstrated everything well and made sure I was using perfect form before he let me do anything with heavy weights. I argued with him sometimes about what speed and weight I wanted to use, but he taught me how important it was to have good form. It was a huge eye opener for me. I learned how to get the most out of my workouts, stay healthy and hopefully avoid injury. Ben is the most high energy guy I have ever met. He gave positive motivational cues. For example, he would tell me multiple times per session that when my mind tells me that I have basically hit my limit, I am really at only about 50 percent of my overall limit. He was very focused on me the whole time I was with him which I really appreciated. He gave consistent feedback. He also told me to only think about one set at a time, not what I would be working on later on in my workout. I just assumed every personal trainer was this good, but boy was I wrong.

Yang’s is set up with a big front desk when you walk in. Yoga and Group Exercise studios are to the right. Cardio machines, cable machines, Cybex and stretching take up the middle of the gym space. The free weight area is tucked out of the way in the back. It had old-fashioned wide dumbbells which I like. They only had one squat rack at the time, but now they have several racks. I spent a lot of hours on that squat rack and never had to wait in line for my turn. Sometimes I was the only guy in the weight room and it was a great feeling because I had my own space. I rarely saw more than 3-5 people in the weight room at one time. I also always went to the gym with a workout plan and never had to alter it because I had the space and equipment I needed at Yangs. The locker rooms were basic, nothing fancy. No sauna or steam room but it was never crowded. I never had to wait for a shower. After sometime I started to realize that it was a little too quiet for me. I often felt like I was the only one busting my tail in there and I needed a little bit more motivation. I would consider my exercise level to be intermediate/advanced and I prefer to work out on my own and do things my way because I have more knowledge about exercising since I worked with Ben. I also prefer to exercise later in the day because I have always been a night owl. The gym is only open until 9:00pm during the week and I was often heading in late and needed somewhere that was open until at least 10:00pm. I started to look at other gyms.

I decided to try Cedardale in Haverhill. It was an awesome facility but almost too big. It was also a 25 minute drive from my house and it was not as convenient. I considered Planet Fitness in my town but when I went in to check it out, it was not for me. They did not have benches or squat racks. They did not have dumbbells over 65 pounds. And that stupid grunt alarm would have driven me nuts. I did a little athletic training at Parisi Speed Center in Saco, Maine but it was super expensive and the trainers were not nearly as motivating as Ben. I do not know if the trainers even liked their jobs. I went to Boston Sports Club a few times with my friend Carl or with my dad. It was very crowded and expensive. I felt a little intimidated there. So I ended up joining the YMCA in my town. It was cheap for students and they had just done a huge renovation. I was super excited but I quickly learned that they had oversold memberships. I could not even get on a piece of equipment. I could not workout comfortably with people one foot away from me. They were in my space. Once I even drove there and left immediately because it was so crowded. The YMCA just was not working out and that is when I decided that I had a good thing going at Yang’s and it was where I felt the most at home.

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jcals40-blog · 7 years ago

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Working Out for Dummies: Jackson Callahan’s Guide to Serious Muscle Gains

Do you struggle with building up the confidence to go to the gym? Is your biggest problem that you want to workout but simply do not know where to begin? Well good news… I am here to help! In this guide I will explain the best workout routine for a beginner, the exercises and the muscles that are worked, and also touch on nutrition and dieting basics.

Everybody needs to start somewhere and building the foundation to a healthy, active lifestyle is often the most challenging part of the fitness journey. Once it becomes a habit it is much easier. You will feel stronger, healthier, and less stressed. The release of endorphins is scientifically proven to improve your mood. There are lots of options to get started but this plan I have detailed below would be a great one to follow.

It’s very important to fuel your body for exercise, so before you even walk into a gym you should have a good nutrition plan. Eating a high protein diet will help your muscles grow and recover. Eat lots of vegetables to get the nutrients your body needs and drink plenty of water. By implementing these small changes, your body will be ready to take on it’s new challenges. Pretty soon, you will start to feel and see the positive changes to your body and mind.

Now that you have your nutrition plan in place, it is equally important to have a well rounded workout routine. You want to work on three major components: strength training, cardiovascular training, and flexibility. In layman’s terms: lifting, running (or biking), and stretching. The most important exercises for strength training are compound movements. Compound movements are multi-joint movements that use several muscle groups at the same time. For example, the barbell back squat is a compound movement because all leg muscle are used to lift the weight as well as the core muscles, back muscles, etc. The bench press is also a compound movement because the chest is the primary muscle group used but the triceps and deltoids are used as well. Secondary to compound movements are isolation exercises such as leg curls for hamstrings or wrist curls for forearms. These movements really just focus on one muscle group at a time.

For cardio training, running or jogging is typically the most popular for good reason. There is no way to emulate going on a three mile jog. It burns the most calories. High Intensity Interval Training, called HIIT, is also a popular and effective way to improve cardiovascular endurance. For example, use the AirDyne bike and go as hard as you can for 10 seconds then go at a slow pace for 20 seconds and go hard again for 10 seconds. Continue this for another five minutes and you will burn lots of calories in a short period of time. Doing this type of training will increase your metabolism which means you will be burning calories at a faster rate, even while at rest.

Stretch at the end of your workout for best results. Some good stretches are the standing hamstring stretch, lying quad stretch and kneeling hip flexor stretch. Stretching is important to reduce pain and stiffness, as well as minimize wear and tear on joints caused by muscle tension and inflammation.

Now for the detailed workout routine to piece this all together! It’s your first day in the gym, let’s start with a good leg workout. You will want to warm up your entire body and increase your heart rate. Jog on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes at a comfortable pace. Then head over to the squat rack and do about 15-20 bodyweight squats. Then load the barbell with a weight that you can comfortably do for about 12 repetitions. Do three sets of 12 repetitions. Next perform the barbell deadlift. Simply bend down by pushing your hips back, bend your knees, grip the barbell overhand and pull it up until your legs and arms are straight. And make sure to keep a flat back to avoid injury! Complete this exercise for three sets of 10 reps. Next grab some lighter dumbbells and do walking lunges. Perform about eight for each leg. Finish off with calf raises. Grab a set of heavier dumbbells and simply lift your heels by pushing off the balls of your feet. You should feel your calves working to lift the weight. Now to finish off this leg workout, head over to the cardio machines and hop on a stationary bike. You want to use the bike because your legs will already be somewhat fatigued so running is not the best option as your running form will be significantly compromised. Turn up the resistance to at least five but not any higher than 10. Bike for at least 20 minutes. Before you’re done it is important to stretch to reduce soreness and increase flexibility to reduce risk of injury. Stretch out your quadriceps by pulling your heels to your glutes for about 30 seconds each leg. Stretch your hamstrings by sitting down with your legs out straight in front of you and grab your toes for about one minute if you can. Also stretch out your glutes by laying down and pulling your thighs to your chest.

You will be feeling this tomorrow! It is not a bad thing if you feel pain when sitting down in a chair or getting up. This is typical for beginners to get more sore than advanced fitness goers. Complete this workout once per week or twice per week if you can handle it. Make sure to take rest days to allow ample time for muscle recovery. Once you build the foundation, it will get easier. I guarantee you that!

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jcals40-blog · 7 years ago

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My Quest for the Perfect Gym

I can’t imagine life without exercise. I started to become seriously interested in taking care of my body by exercising and eating healthy about five years ago. It’s in my blood. Both of my parents have continued to stick to rigorous workout routines and healthy diets since they were teenagers in the 1980’s, so that has inspired me to do the same. My father is 57 years old and still runs five miles 2-3 times a week as well as lifting weights and going to yoga twice a week. My mother teaches fitness classes and does small group personal training as well as crossfit and high intensity interval training on a regular basis. My parents have never forced me to exercise or diet but they encouraged me in a healthy and positive way. The fact that they are both in their 50s and in much better shape than probably 99% of college students in America is amazing to me. To be able to continue to take care of your body for 40 plus years straight is something many people do not have the discipline to do. Do you? I believe this discipline carries over into other aspects of life such as career and personal life.

The first time I had to really test my discipline is when I tore my ACL in high school. In order to still be able to participate in sports, I had to get surgery and do a LOT of physical therapy. Even though I was disappointed to be injured, I enjoyed seeing the progress I was making during the physical therapy. I was running, jumping and lifting weights and it definitely boosted my confidence. When I was cleared to play sports again, I noticed I was able to throw harder in baseball and hit harder in football.

Exercise is also important because, contrary to popular belief, it can actually increase energy levels. It can also improve skin and bone health as well as help with relaxation at night and falling asleep faster. As a teenager with ADD who had a hard time falling asleep at night, it was appealing to know that if I worked hard to burn calories during the day, than I would have a much easier time falling asleep at night. Not to mention the release of endorphins that gave you that exercise high.

So it’s no secret that I love to workout. It’s a priority for me. If I don’t workout I can get pretty grumpy. Since my schedule is very busy, I need my workout place and routine to be efficient. Finding the right place to workout is very important to me. If I only have an hour to spend at the gym, I don’t want to be disappointed. Thus my quest for the best gym.

For someone my age, I have been to many different gyms. I have been to Lifetime Fitness in Houston, Texas which is the largest gym I have ever seen. I have also been to a gym in Winter Park, Florida that was half outdoors and half indoors. I have been to gyms at different colleges and different gyms in Massachusetts and in Maine. Through all my gym hopping, the one I frequent the most is Yang’s Gym in Andover, Massachusetts where my mother works as a fitness instructor. It’s that friendly neighborhood gym, where everybody knows your name - kind of like the neighborhood pub, but healthier.

I definitely prefer small, privately owned gyms such as Yang’s over big gyms such as Planet Fitness. In fact, in my opinion, Planet Fitness is by far the worst gym chain in the world. There, I said it. I’m not judging anyone who goes there, but come on now, their commercial slogan is “We’re not a gym, we’re Planet Fitness.” But at the end of the day, they are a gym, and not even a good one. They earn a large chunk of their profits from people who join because of the cheap monthly payment but rarely ever actually go to the gym. I once went to a Planet Fitness to join for a month, which they advertise is only 10 dollars. But this is simply not true. I was told I had to pay a 200 dollar “initiation fee” and that the first month was 20 dollars. They don’t even have barbells, benches or squat racks. It’s basically a cardio factory. If you want to walk on a treadmill for an hour, it’s the perfect gym for you. No personal attention, no heavy weights, no fitness classes. Not my kind of place.

Another negative experience I had at a chain gym was when I went to Gold’s Gym, which is known for having members who take their training very seriously (the opposite of Planet Fitness). I was anxious to try it out for a day and hoped I would find a perfect fit. Most private gyms allow you to have a one day free pass or even a one week free pass to go there, try it out and then decide if you want to join or not. The manager at Gold’s told me, “We don’t just allow people to walk in and workout for free”, like that was a foreign concept to him. He was pressuring me like a used-car salesman. Needless to say I was very disappointed.

My experiences at smaller, private gyms have been much more pleasant. In addition to Yang’s, I’ve enjoyed working out at Cedardale Fitness Center which is also in Andover. It was not expensive to join and they did not pressure me into to joining immediately. They allowed me to workout for a week completely free before I decided whether I wanted to join there long term. They also let college students put their memberships on hold while they are away at school. Now that’s the kind of customer service I’m talking about.

Yang’s Fitness Center is equally as accommodating, but they take it even a step further as the owners are on site 99% of the time. If you have any questions or concerns, they are being addressed immediately. It’s not like you have to wait for an answer from “corporate”. (Ahem, Boston Sports Clubs). And speaking of waiting, you don’t have to wait to get on a piece of equipment or sign up a week early to get a spot in spin class. The equipment is good, the price is right, but the people make the place. Yang’s has some of the best personal trainers and fitness staff around. They genuinely care and they notice when you haven’t been there for a while. I recently sat down with owner Diana Kiesel to do a little Q&A.

Hi Diana-

1. How long have you been in the fitness industry? For 30 years if you count martial arts as a part of "fitness" but if not, we've owned the gym for 13 years.

2. What's the biggest change(s) you have seen over the years? Low cost competitors (box gyms that charge a very low monthly fee like Planet Fitness, Workout World, Choice Fitness, etc.) have devalued fitness memberships so the single owner facilities (aka mom and pop gyms) are finding it hard to compete. Prospects who are new to fitness are unable to differentiate between low cost competitors who do not provide services (training, classes, etc) from those that do but the ones that do are slightly more expensive so have lost market share to the low cost clubs. Then the other extreme are the big corporate gyms (like Equinox and Lifetime) that are very expensive (upwards of $100 - $150/mo) which have swallowed many single operator facilities. Third change are the boutique clubs (those that only offer one specialty service like Spinning, Barre, Cross Fit) which have also taken market share from the single owner operator gyms.

3. What have you done to stay competitive and what sets your gym apart from the competition? Service ... by providing personal services and classes to members. Personal Training, Small Group Training, Team Training and workshops.

4. What are some of the advantages of belonging to a gym where the owners are present? I learned a long time ago that no one else cares for your business as much as you do so when the owner(s) are present, their philosophy and culture they want their business to reflect trickles down to the staff. They role model after what they see the owners are willing to do to service customers.

5. How do you attract new members? Mostly through referrals/word of mouth and social media (facebook and most recently instagram). Newspaper advertising is no longer the best use of advertising dollars.

6. How do you retain people and keep them coming back? By providing outstanding customer service and demonstrating to the members that they are not just a number, their health and well being are important to us.

7. What type of advertising do you do? On occasion newspaper, magazine and direct mail but mostly social media (facebook boosts) and like-kind (donations).

8. What do you think are your members biggest motivators? Our staff ... they notice when a member has gone missing and reach out. By demonstrating that we notice they aren't coming keeps them accountable.

9. Can you share a few sentences from a couple of success stories about your members and how Yang’s Fitness Center played a part in their journey? We have a 58 year old member who has undergone several cancer treatments and has told us if it weren't for the personal training she had received in the years leading up to and during her treatments, her recovery would not have been as quick and her treatments would not have been as aggressive to treat her two cancer occurances.

A retired public school principal joined our gym a few months after her retirement having never been a "regular" gym member her entire life and admittedly didn't really enjoy organized exercise and primarily joined to find a social circle. She thanks us almost every time she comes in now for her love of fitness and her new social circle. She comes 4-5 times a week and is our group exercise class ambassador now. Always there to welcome and encourage new members.

A 69 year old man currently going through his 3rd cancer diagnosis comes every day to cycle on his own just to stay strong during his current treatment and to find some distractions to occupy his mind. He feels welcomed and not judged based on the limited amount of exercise he may or may not be able to perform each day based on how he feels. To have your members feel welcomed regardless of how much or little they can do that's "fitness" is special since most people have a fear that going to a gym means you'll leave beat up and limping.

10. Do you feel like your gym focuses on the whole person - both their mental and physical health? If so, how? Definitely, we offer a variety of mind-body programs, Yoga being one, where the teachings in a class are not focused just on the participant's physical ability or condition. Additionally, we offer Tai Chi, Qigong (Chi Kung) and meditative classes and workshops on an ongoing basis. Those who participate in training are more exposed to mental aspects of their well being that those who perform workouts on their own but we attempt to reach out (via email, phone or in person) whenever we can and especially if we witness or hear of any personal struggles.

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