Welcome back folks! Thanks for checking in again in what is the second edition of my blog. Let me first start by saying that everybody that is affiliated with this gym, whether it be members or employees, has been so nice and extremely welcoming. I can not thank you all enough.
I have begun the process of taking all of the group exercises classes that summit health + fitness has to offer. Let me tell you, there are plenty! I started my exercise journey bright and early on a Monday morning by taking Andrew’s Burn class. Before taking the class, I asked Phil what I should expect when taking this class. He replied: “It is not for the faint of heart”. I QUICKLY learned exactly what he was talking about.
Before I get into Andrew’s classes and training sessions, I wanted to give you a quick background on Andrew and his experiences. Andrew is a relative newcomer to the world of personal training and group exercise instruction. Just because he is new does not mean he does not know what he is talking about. Andrew has been an avid weightlifter for over 7 years and has competed in various fitness competitions. Andrew has always been passionate about fitness and loves helping people achieve their goals. He does this with nothing but the best interests for his clients. Andrew told me “I want each one of my clients to reach ALL of their goals. I am going to push them until they do just that”. While he is pushing his clients, he takes into account their safety first. “I had various injuries when I was younger and I fully understand that training hard can lead to injuries. When you train with me you will be pushed but I will be right there with you the whole time making sure you do not injure yourself”.
So back to the Monday morning Burn class. I show up bright and early and I am ready for my first day back in the swing of exercising. It was a beautiful morning and Andrew held the class outdoors. He tells me that he does this whenever the weather allows. I was feeling all warm and fuzzy, the birds were chirping and all was well. AND THEN BURN CLASS BEGAN! Burn class was intense to say the least. It starts with warm-up exercises that take you the length of the parking lot and back. These exercises work mostly your leg muscles. They get you stretched and warmed up for the class but provide a great burn for your legs as well. Andrew walks the length of the parking lot as you perform the exercises critiquing your form and offering you words of encouragement. After the warm-up, you proceed to work one one or various body parts in a weight lifting and aerobic blitz. You are sure to sweat (quite heavily at times) and you will also know right away which body parts you have been working because they are worked to the bone! Andrew picks which body parts that will be focused on for each class. If you have a request for the next class, just mention it to him and he will make it happen. As the class moves along, Andrew provides instruction for those who might be new to the class or to physical weight training in general. He is also walking around making sure that everyone’s form is correct to prevent injury.
I survived my first class (Barely!), and I basically jumped into the deep end of a workout routine. I was VERY sore for the next two days after class. There are a couple explanations for this. I hadn’t worked out for a couple months prior to this class. It is important to remember that when you get back to working out after a long break, you are going to be sore. In addition to this, I did not go light with my weights or take advantage of the alternative exercises that Andrew offered. I HIGHLY recommend that if you are a newcomer to the class, you take advantage of these alternative exercises. I was too busy being “macho” and forced myself through all of these intense exercises. DO NOT TRY TO BE A HERO! Andrew will force you to work hard, and that includes when you use the alternative exercises, so do not be afraid to utilize them.
Overall, I have been very impressed with the manner in which Andrew runs his Burn Class. He also runs the Beach Body Boot Camp and other high intensity workouts. Keep your eyes on the bulletin board for more postings and classes from Andrew.
I got a little long winded in this blog, so I think I am going to rap it up. Next week, I will finish up with Andrew and go over a personal training session with him. I will also have testimonials from two members who train with him, Amy Scully and Jason Gordon. Check back in with me next week and find out what they have to say.
Until then, keep working hard and keep checking in on my blog!
In Good Health,
Cal
