When I first joined a gym (many moons ago) in Toronto, it took me one trip to the weight room to realise I had no idea where to begin.  Physically, I was a mess.  It kind of felt like tying to decide which room in my house I wanted to paint first. 

Then there was the utter lack of knowledge.  What the heck is a “preacher curl”?  Am I supposed to look like this when I left a barbell?  Hack Press…?…well that sounds like a weapon! 

But I wanted so desperately for this to work.  I wanted success…not to mention motivation, oh yeah…and  muscles too!  I sought out help from the club’s Fitness Consultant.  She pointed me in the right direction and introduced me to the proverbial Fitness White Knight…Christian.  My God-like Guide into both my personal and physical transformation.  I had never run a mile, never done a pull up, or even ridden on a stationary bike.   I will be the first to admit, (as my current personal trainer, the ever patient and equally unforgiving, Terri, at Access, will also atest to) I am an absolute WHIMP when it comes to putting myself through a gruelling, heart pounding, sweat inducing workout.  But with my trainer at my side, urging me on with “you can do it!”‘s and “C’mon, just give me two more reps”.  Yes siree, he convinced me during that hour that I was Wonder Woman!  I had always suspected she was in there somewhere.  I never figured all it took was a gym to bring her out.

Well, 8 weeks later, Christian had transformed this ”softy” into a fitness machine!  I was running, dipping, curling and hurling medicine balls across the gym floor with all the strength and bravado of Sarah Connor taking on a fiendish robot…in Terminator 2, not 1. 

Alas…this is just my story, and I am not alone with the success I found through hiring a trained, certified professional to help me over come…well…myself.  Over the next few weeks, I will be posting similar stories from Access Fitness members who have enjoyed and benefited from working with our personal trainers.  Members who want to share their success stories. 

If you have a story that you would like to share, or have some rave reviews about one of our personal trainers, please send them to me!  info@accessfitness.ca

Like I mentioned above, I am working with Terri now…once a week, bright and early.  You see, hiring a personal trainer shouldn’t be a once in a life time experience either.  Like fresh food, workouts can sometimes go stale or lose their yummy taste.  This is what lead me to realise that I NEED a new workout “menu”.  Terri is awesome and I am learning just as much from her as I did Christian, if not more.  I will be writing about all my new Sarah Connor muscles very soon!  (maybe with pics too…) 

See you at the clubs…

-Janice D.

Yes, we are very proud to say that our staff is a very dynamic, diverse group of fitness professionals that are all here becasue they want to, among other things, make your fitness journey a success. 

We all come from different backgrounds, with different reasons for doing what we do today.   Please read to following article about on of our longstanding staff members, Donna.  We are proud to say that Donna has been with Access for many years now…first as a member, and then eventually coming on staff in 2006 to work at our newly opened Alder Street facility.  It was these steps into the fitness world that has lead Donna to where she is today, a motivated, passionate Personal Trainer. 

Her words here show that her multitude of beliefs, interests and philosophies in life will compliment any work out program.

“Hi my name is Donna Bigonzi, Access Fitness Gym’s newest CPTN certified personal trainer!  Delighted to be on board with Access Fitness’ Personal Training division, many of you know me from having worked the front desk as a Membership Consultant for the last two years.  I’m eager to share what I’ve learned, and come equipped with many years of personal and practical, knowledge and experience. 

As you know, our lives are filled with adventures and challenges; the former revitalizes us, while the latter stresses us, in essence aging us.  My belief is that being physically fit increases our capacity for adventure and allows for a positive reaction to our challenges, in essence rejuvenating us.  As an example, I belong to a group that practices natural horsemanship skills and riding.  Starting out in the program overweight by almost forty pounds, I had a few challenges!  Flexibility and balance in the saddle were off.  Strength to handle the horse was weak.  Riding was strenuous due to a lack of cardio, and my response time to crucial cues was slow.  Now forty pounds lighter, and proudly fitter than ever, my flexibility, strength, response time and cardio are vastly improved thus making my encounters with my horse more enjoyable and less frustrating. 

When not at the barn, I can be found outside biking/hiking one of many parks in the area, power gardening, and skiing during the winter months.  Keeping physically active is easy and enjoyable for me now and I strive to impart that experience on my clients.  Workouts are tailored to fit the individuals.  Programs are set up to incorporate a combination of strength training, endurance, balance moves, core training and flexibility.  Form and peak muscle contraction are paramount for optimizing training time and seeing results quickly and safely.  Periods of maximum cardiac output help to burn fat, define muscles, and increase your heart’s workload capacity.  All that to say your next game of street hockey won’t leave you breathless and panting and ready to give up!  AND, the view from the rear will be looking mighty fine!

Some of my other interests include photography, art, music, bird watching, shamanic studies and sharing a home with hubby Allan Hassoun, pug dog extraordinaire Harley, our bird, Bill, and two goldfish.  I’m also a member of the Carrot Stick Club and the Society of York Region Artists.  I’d love to see you in the club and help you be better prepared for your adventures and challenges! In the meantime, I’ll see you on the trails”

You can find Donna at either Lakeview or Alder, with one of her clients, or working out on her own time!  Call or come in to the clubs today to meet her!

-Janice 

**This article originally appeared in Snap Dufferin Magazine in 2009**

Below is an article written by one of Access Fitness’s wonderful personal trainers, Kathy Painter.  It’s the story of how she brought fitness and martial arts into her life, how it changed her and how she can do the same for you.  Her passion and commitment are downright contagious.  Read on…… 

“Over 10 years ago I joined a Karate class to get back into shape.  I never imagined that it would bring me to where I am today.  I changed careers, went back to school and graduated with honors from the Humber College “Fitness Leadership Program”.  I am currently a Personal Trainer and Fitness Consultant with certifications from Can-Fit-Pro, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and have been a Personal Trainer at Access Fitness now for 4 years.

I successfully graded for my Nidan (2^nddegree) black belt in Shorin-Ryu Shorin-Kan Karate this past June and hold a Shodan (1^stdegree) black belt in Kobudo (Weapons).  I am a Sensei at Laurel Martial Arts Club and teach Karate and Kobudo.

For the past 5 years I attended a Karate-Kobudo camp in North Carolina where Black Belts from all over North America attend to practice their art with the top ranking Kyoshi’s.  It is always a great learning experience and keeps me on top of my game.  This year was extra special as I was invited to travel with our (8^thdan) Kyoshi to Okinawa, Japanto train withour Grand Master Shugoro Nakazato.

Karate has given me the drive and determination it takes to accomplish my goals and the passion to help guide my clients and students to go for theirs.  It’s never too late to start down the road of health, fitness and happiness.

Did you know as you age you lose muscle size and strength much faster than you lose endurance or co-ordination? 

Here is a challenge for you; let’s do an easy test of your leg strength.  All you have to do is a “Wall Sit”. Stand with you back to the wall, feet hip width apart.  Press your head, shoulders, back and hips against the wall, and then lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold as long as possible.

Fitness Score:

Aspiring: 30 to 59 seconds

Solid: 1 minute to 1:59

Strong: 2:00 minutes plus “

What was your score?  Call the club or come in and let us know.  Maybe it’s time for a change, huh?  Just remember, no matter how insignificant it may same, all change is great.  Change your life, your way of thinking or even just your cardio machine!

-Janice 

**This article originally appeared in the November 2009 edtion of Snap Dufferin Magazine.** 

Alexandria Brackett is one of Access Fitness’s on staff Nutritionists.  Below is an article she wrote for  Snap Dufferin magazine.  Read on for Alex’s amazing insight and expertise.  I know you will find her words as inspirational as I do! 

-Janice

“Consider this time of year a new opportunity, start fresh.

Spring if approaching and often at this time of year as the snow starts to melt we think of shedding the bulky coats and spring cleaning.  It is a good time of year to also start considering cleansing the body of toxins as well.  Toxins develop in our body for all sorts of reasons, but one of the biggest is eating “dead” foods or those that are highly processed or “fast” foods.  Toxins lodge in your cells, soft tissues and muscles and overwhelm your entire immune system.  There are all different methods of cleansing, some gentle and some harsh, but there are some small steps you can take to get the process started.  First and foremost INCREASE your daily water consumption. You hear it everywhere but you must practice this. Second, increase your consumption of fresh (or frozen at this time of year) fruits and vegetables, never canned. Eat them raw or steamed. Also choose lean protein and non-gluten grains (e.g. quinoa, brown rice).  Try to exclude from your diet as mush as possible the following things: dairy and eggs, butter, alcohol, caffeine and refined sugars. Choose high quality fats only: nuts & seeds, avocados, olives, cold-pressed oil’s. Avoid baked goods, especially those made with refined flours and oils.  Consider adding some spices to your foods that you cook, such as turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cumin. These are well known for there healing powers. There are many different ways to cleanse the body, hopefully some of these ideas will get you thinking or get you off to a fresh start.”

 ∞Alexandria Brackett, Registered Holistic Nutritionist

*You will find this article as it originally appeared in the March 2010 edition of Snap Dufferin.*

For some it’s a careful, thorough conclusion, not unlike purchasing a car. Maybe it took weeks or months or of weighing the pros and cons, perhaps some comparison shopping was involved. Even though you know you need to be healthy and exercise, and that doing so on a regular basis will help you “lose that last 10 lbs…..but it’s such a big commitment…”

For others, it’s a no brainer….an impulse buy, like a magazine at your grocery store checkout counter. Once you realize you’ve paid for it, you know you’ll use it, so what’s the big deal?

My point is this; no matter how long it took you, or for what reasons, you are here, you’ve got your membership in your hand.

Me? I was the impulsive gym membership purchaser.

I was 26 and still trying to lose that last 20 lbs of the 70 I had gained while I was pregnant…3 years prior.

Self taught, in home Yoga and a healthy diet had fulfilled my needs so far. But there was so much more that I wanted to do, I felt like I was missing something. Besides, I had never joined a gym before.

I had just moved to a new neighborhood. I knew there was a gym close to my home, I passed by it on my way to and from the grocery store.

One day, I decided to take a walk to that fitness facility and check it out.

Well, ½ an hour later, I came back out into the sunshine of the early spring day, a card carrying rookie of the fitness world. I remember thinking to myself: Oh crap, what have I just done?

Well, let’s just say, I moved forward, and haven’t looked back since. Yes, it was the best thing I have ever done for myself.

No matter how you’ve arrived on the gym floor wearing your new sneakers, gym towel draped casually over your shoulder, you’re here, might as well dive in.

If you think you wouldn’t be able to keep up with something called a “Box n’ Pump” group fitness class, go anyway. You can start at your own pace…or you may discover your hidden talent for choreographed fitness moves. At the very least, you may enjoy the music.

If you see a piece of equipment that looks scary, follow the instruction panel, or enlist the help of the floor staff and conquer this machine. Trust me, it will make you feel strong just doing it, no matter how few or how many weight plates you lift.

You can only run for 7.5 minutes at 4.5 mph, without feeling like you are going to keel over? Push it to 8 minutes….or increase your speed to 5mph. No matter how long takes, you will get there (wherever your “there” might be). Besides, you’ll be surprised to discover gradual increases really aren’t painful or difficult. Just rewarding!

Trust me, each time you walk out of the club, you feel that much closer to reaching your goal.

But it doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t even stop when you see “those last 10lbs” come off or when you can admire your new set of pipes.

When you have reached your goal, set a new one.

Why?

The best part comes when you feel the benefits of having more energy. When your mind is clear and your body feels strong and healthy. When you can smile as you think to yourself, this is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Welcome to the Club.

-Janice D.