I have been very fortunate to never have a true weight issue. In my 20’s and 30’s if I put on a pair of jeans and they felt a little tight I would watch what I ate for a couple of days, do my usual aerobic routine and in a few days the weight would be gone. Well, once the 40’s hit the weight did not come off so easily and I actually had to work at losing weight. I had been a member of Anytime Fitness almost since opening day, but no matter how often I went to the gym I was neither losing any weight nor gaining any muscle. So I decided to take the leap with a Personal Trainer, Ryan Bielat, And USA Elite Trainer. I had never worked with a trainer and did not quite know what to expect. Not only did Ryan push me to do the extra rep when I really wanted to quit, he taught me the correct way to plan out meals by eating the right foods, taught me the best times to eat, boosted my confidence and encouraged me every minute of each session. I worked out with Ryan for three months and thoroughly enjoyed every session. During one of the training sessions Ryan and I discussed the upcoming 2011Total Body Challenge. I was hesitant to commit at first because I did not think I would enjoy the whole group workout and questioned whether I would have the stamina to keep up with the group. Eventually, Ryan wore down my hesitation and I signed up. Not knowing what to expect, I attended the information meeting then anxiously waited for the first Saturday workout session. Words cannot describe how excited I was after completing the first workout. It was tough, but I had survived and it really was not as bad as I had anticipated. Now, I only had 11 more weeks to complete. But honestly, the weekly group workout had plenty of variety, was geared to all levels of fitness and a lot of fun. Like the name of the challenge, Total Body, all of your body parts were put to the test each Saturday for 12 weeks.
I did not enter the 2011 Total Body Challenge to win. I entered the challenge to continue a productive workout routine, gain more stamina, and tone up my over 40 body. But more importantly I was able to spend 12 Saturdays with a great group of people who made getting up early a lot of fun.