Cal's Fitness Blog

Sweating for a cause...then just sweating

2010-09-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Wild World of Cal! Its been a crazy week, one that I have been chomping at the bit to tell you about. I ran my first ever road race! In the Upset of the Century, I didn’t win. I did manage to finish in a time that was below the goal I set for myself. Also, I want to tell you about Spinning with Ayla. One word to describe the experience, AWESOME.

So I am standing in a nice crowd at the starting line of the Danny Oates Memorial 5k Road Race and I have some serious butterflies churning in my stomach. I have played in some pretty important (at least, they were important to me) hockey and football games in my day, but I think I was more nervous about running in this race. Honestly, I think that this race was such a big step in my battle with weight-loss that it brought about this nervousness that I was feeling.

The race experience was awesome. People were standing on the side of the roads all along the course calling out words of encouragement. It was cool. The funniest part of the day came when I tried to take a drink of water from the drink station and managed to spill the whole thing all over myself. The level of my coordination is impressively low. Anyway, crossing that finish line was beyond thrilling. I beat my goal of 30 minutes and might have just found myself a new hobby.

Alright, well that’s enough about my race-day glory. Let’s move on to Spin Class with Ayla. In my life before coming to summit health + fitness, I had never taken a spin class. Let me tell you, I am more than impressed. Ayla works you to the bone. All the while, she is giving you an amazing amount of encouragement. I was new to her class but it was like she already knew what I was capable of. She would say to me, “Cal, I know you got more in you, Push it”! Now, don’t get me wrong, its not like Ayla is a drill sergeant at the front of the class yelling at everyone who is not on the verge of dropping. She gives just the right amount of encouragement to those who need it. I find this extremely motivating and is a big help when I am getting tired. I left Ayla’s class absolutely drenched with sweat. On top of that, if you look down at your bike and the end of the workout and you see that you have pedaled over twenty miles, it is extremely gratifying. It is a great work out and, maybe more importantly, a great experience. Be sure to check out Ayla’s Spin Class on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:15am and Saturdays at 8:00am.

Well, that is all I have for you this week. Be sure to check in next week as I will be talking about the importance of balance. Should be an interesting read.

Until next week...

TTYL

Cal

Feelin' The Flow

2010-09-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all and welcome back to the Cal Palace! The past few days have been spent preparing for the Danny Oates Memorial Road Race taking place in Bedford on Saturday September 25th at 8:30am. Come check it out as I am GUARANTEEING VICTORY (for someone other than me). This is my first road race and I am really looking forward to it. I have been doing a lot of running leading up to the race in addition to my typical weight training and preparing for my upcoming hockey season. With all of this exercise, it has been tough on my body. In an effort to maintain my exercise , get some mental relaxation as well as give my body a good stretch, I have been taking the Les Mills BODYFLOWTM class.

BODYFLOWTM is a mixture of Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. It is a relaxing workout that has you perform a variety of stretches and movements that increase muscle strength and flexibility. It is a solid workout that left me sweating and feeling great. I can say that I was delightfully surprised after the workout.

The first time I walked into this class, I have to admit, I was a little intimidated. You hear a lot of different stories about Yoga and Pilates and I really had no idea of what to expect. To add to it, I was the only male in my first class. I was thinking that I was going to look totally stupid. I was wrong. The moves are VERY easy to pick up. The class has a lot of repetition. When you go through it one or two times you pick up the movements and get by for the rest of the class. As I was performing all of the exercises, I was sweating. I could feel my muscles stretching and becoming looser. This was a feeling I really enjoyed. After days and weeks of being tight and sore, it was nice to get a workout and feel this level of comfort.

The moves are a bit awkward at first. Did I look a little silly? Probably. However, I was doing the same moves as everybody else and NOBODY CARES! It wasn’t long before I got the hang of the exercises and I didn’t feel quite as silly. In taking the class, I can say that I am fully capable, along with EVERYBODY ELSE, of taking this type of class. It is not just for women. It does provide a great workout.

I lastly wanted to talk about my favorite part of the class. The last five minutes. This is my favorite not because I know the class is coming to an end, but because it is filled with a meditation exercise that is amazing. You lie down on the floor and relax all of your muscles and meditate. It was unbelievable. It took everything in my power to keep from falling asleep. In times where busy schedules and stress take up a lot of everybody’s energy, it is great to close your eyes and meditate. Even if it is for only five minutes. It left me feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day’s challenges.

I hope this little insert will convince you that taking this class is worth your time. If you had talked to me a couple of months ago and asked me to go to a class like this, I probably would have laughed in your face. Give it a shot. I guarantee you will like it.

Please remember to stop by the summit health + fitness booth at Bedford Day on Saturday September 25th from 10am to 3pm. There will be giveaways and fun for the whole family.

Until next week, have fun and stay active!

Cal

Buyer Beware!

2010-09-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

Before I start my latest rant, I wanted to take a second to send my condolences to a good friend of mine, Tim Foristall. Tim lost his father, Steven, to cancer this week. We here at summit health + fitness would like to send our condolences to Tim and the rest of his family. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.

I know that I said last week that I would be talking about our new BODYFLOWTM class. I have to veer off that road for the time being to get something off my chest. The purpose of this week’s blog will be to tell you about pre-workout “energy drinks” and how I STRONGLY recommend NEVER using them!

I had Wednesday scheduled as an off-day but I decided to come into the gym for a workout (Andrew’s Beach Body Boot Camp). I was really down on energy all morning and was having a tough time getting motivated to workout. I remembered that I had a free sample of a pre-workout energy powder (name of the product has intentionally been left out). The directions said to mix the powder with 6-8 ounces of water and to drink it 30-40 minutes prior to working out. I followed them to the letter. The drink was fruit punch flavored and was actually quite yummy. Before I could even finish the drink (remember it is only 6-8 ounces) I felt like I got slapped in the face with an energy kick. I began sweating profusely and could feel my heart rate increasing noticeably. It was unnerving to say the least. So I arrived at the gym, sweating heavily, heart pounding and on the verge of freaking out! I talked to Phil (one of the gym owners) and Andrew to see if this was normal. Their response: TOTALLY NORMAL. This is exactly what these drinks are supposed to do! How is that possible??!! Apparently, there are some who seek and crave this type of energy boost and overall crazy sensation. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM! Phil and Andrew were kind enough to make me aware of the impending “Crash” that lie ahead, but I will talk more about that later...

So now I proceed to the workout. This “magic potion” did what is was supposed to do. It boosted my energy and got me through a difficult class and a tough workout. What is didn’t say on the package is that it would make me sweat through two t-shirts, have the worst cotton-mouth of my life and make me feel like my heart was going to explode out of my chest.

I finished my workout and headed home to “ride out the storm” that I had created for myself. About an hour after I got home, the “crash” that I was promised had arrived. It felt like I had been hit by a train. I was exhausted. I ended up taking a two-hour nap in the middle of the afternoon. Needless to say, this mid-afternoon nap totally messed up my sleeping cycle and had me tossing and turning all night.

Obviously, I did not enjoy the effects of this product. Based on my research, there are a ton of them available on the market. There is a reason we do not sell them at summit health + fitness, nor will we in the future. If you are really dragging or lacking energy, try a cup of coffee and a banana. For most of us, this is sufficient. I do not recommend trying one of these drinks. If you are a fan of these drinks and are going to continue to use them, please be careful in doing so. The feeling I got did not seem right and appeared to be downright dangerous.

If you have stories related to the use of these types of drinks, positive or negative, please post them in the comments section. Please do not use any specific brand names when telling your story.

Thanks again for reading. My next blog will cover BODYFLOWTM, I promise!

Take Care,

Cal

Guess Who's Back??!!

2010-09-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

Hello there all of you fitness nuts, welcome back for what is my third installment of Big Cal’s Fitness Blog! I promise I will stop counting these blogs soon, it is getting a little silly. Last week, I told you about Andrew Eppinger’s Burn class. This week, I want to tell you about Personal Training with young Andrew.

The early part of my career here at summit heath + fitness has been working with Andrew. It started with me taking his Burn class then I moved to working with him on an individual basis for Personal Training. Before we started working out, Andrew took the time to sit with me and find out EXACTLY what my goals were. It is important that ANY trainer review your goals with you before you start working out. How else would he or or she know if they are pushing you in the right direction? I told Andrew that my goals were to get in better condition for my upcoming hockey season as well as to tone my body, essentially, to get everything tighter. Andrew took into consideration my goals and also helped me add to my “wish list” by simply having a discussion about what I thought looked good and where I wanted to be. In the end, we made a plan to get me in excellent cardiovascular condition for hockey, get my body tighter and we also set a goal to increase my strength and build muscle significantly in the shoulder, chest and arm areas.

Since making these goals together, Andrew has developed all of our workouts together to meet each and every one of these goals. He takes the time to explain each exercise that I will be performing and will also explain exactly why I am doing it. Andrew says “ I feel it is important for the client to know exactly why he or she is doing each exercise. That way, they know exactly where they should be feeling the exercise. It also helps with motivation”. Upon request, I asked Andrew to push me past my limits. When it gets tough and you feel like quitting, Andrew is there with motivation and words that push you to keep going. I feel that you get the best results when you are pushing yourself past your limits. Go until it gets difficult, AND THEN do some more. That is my attitude towards working out, however, not everyone shares the same mentality. Upon watching Andrew work with other clients, I see that he is fully capable of figuring out just how hard to push each person. Andrew has the skill to know just when to push you harder and when to “ease off the gas pedal”.

I have obviously enjoyed my workouts with Andrew, but I wanted to see what some of his clients had to say about working with him. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Amy Scully has been working with Andrew for just over a month. “ It has only been a month and I am already seeing the change that I want to see. Training with Andrew is ever-changing and motivating. His flexible nature will certainly help me achieve my fitness goals”. Amy is an extremely hard worker in the gym and Andrew has successfully harnessed that energy and given Amy the pathway to reach whatever goals she wishes. Chris Lesperance went to Andrew with the goal of losing 35 pounds and to build muscle. He has been working with Andrew for three months and is pleased with the results he has seen so far. “Working with Andrew is definitely challenging. Each workout is different which keeps it interesting. I have already almost reached my weigh-loss goal and I couldn’t be any happier with the results”. In talking with Chris, it is clear that he is not going to rest on his success. He and Andrew are going to come up with new goals to keep Chris moving in the right direction.

Working with Andrew will push you to your limits. You will work hard ALL THE TIME and will sweat immensely. You will do this knowing that your trainer wants nothing but success for you. He also wants you to reach your goals without getting hurt. Andrew Eppinger is at the beginning of a promising career as a Personal Trainer. Give him the opportunity to help you reach your goals and he will not let you down. If you would like to set up a meeting with Andrew, feel free to send him an email at aeppinger@summitbedford.com. or you can simply let me know at the front desk and I will have him get in touch with you.

Thanks for your time and checking back in with me. Next week, I will tell you about my adventures in Les Mill’s BODYFLOW class. This is a class that should be experienced by everybody. I was totally skeptical walking in, but now I am convinced about its benefits. Check in next week to find out more!

Please feel free to share your thoughts. I haven’t received any on the blog yet. Don’t be shy!

Cal

I am DEFINITELY feeling the Burn!

2010-08-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

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

Hello My Name Is...

2010-08-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hello summit health + fitness members! My name is Bob Callahan, but please call me Cal. I am the new Member Service Manager. I am taking over for Dave Evans who has moved to Ohio to be with his family. I would like to wish Dave and his family the best.

So what is this whole blog idea? As a new employee, I figured I could write about my new experiences with the gym and what is has to offer. On a weekly basis, I am going to tell you about the different group classes that I have taken as well as tell you about my experience in working with the various personal trainers. I LOVE to work out but am by no means an expert. I figure I can tell what each class is like, so you can make an informed decision on whether or not you would like to attend. The same goes for the trainers. I can tell you about their workouts as well as their different personality types to help you decide which one you would work with best. I will share my experiences with you as I go through them. I hope you like what you read and will check in on a regular basis. I will also be around the club for over 40 hours a week...so PLEASE stop by and say hello and feel free to strike up a conversation!

Before I get into the details of my workouts and whatnot, I figure I should tell you a little bit about myself first. I grew up and still live in Dracut, MA. I am engaged to be married. I will be “taking the plunge” with the lovely Kerith Boghosian on May 1, 2011. If you are nice to me , I will consider giving you an invite! I grew up in a unique situation. I was and am still an athlete. I lived and breathed competitive sports. I played Hockey, Football and Baseball my whole life. I even participated in Shot Put and Discus for the Track and Field Team in high school. Not to mention a brief stint playing Rugby and I am entering my fifth season playing professional roller hockey in the American Inline Hockey League (AIHL). So what is so unusual about this? Well, I did all of this while being EXTREMELY overweight. I went through high school teetering around the 300 lbs mark. I peaked at close to 350 lbs after Graduate School! I battled my weight my whole life including suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure) and sleep apnea. Combine these ailments with the fact my father has had two open-heart surgeries, and I was worried about my health for the long-term.

As I visit all of these classes, I am not only taking them to let you know what might be best for you, but I am also taking them as a change in lifestyle. I am now dedicated to being as healthy as possible for the remainder of my years. I want to live a long life with my future-wife and hope to start a family soon. My body has been through a lot, whether it be from the rigors of organized sports or from simply being overweight. I have spent time in the gym but am by no means an expert (at least not yet). I am going to share stories with you about each class. What did I like? What didn’t I like? This will be through the eyes of a person who has struggled with being overweight and struggled with injuries (broken bones and a bad back, just to name a few). In the end, I hope you can find this blog informative and you can use it as an aid in deciding what classes you want to take. I also want you to be entertained! Check in every week. I am going to keep the mood light and I will be sure to poke fun at myself on a regular basis. You can bet that I will throw in the occasional joke in the direction of your favorite gym owners!

Thanks for your time. I hope you will read my blog on a weekly basis.

Next week’s blog will cover the Burn Class and working with personal trainer, Andrew Eppinger. Be sure to check in!

In Good Health,

Cal