A Tale of Two Members
Barbara Krucher : I Hope You Dance ...
" I hope you dance ," as the song by Lee Ann Womack goes , and I truly hope you do !! I was probably at one of my lowest points during my three-year absence from Fitness Incentive . I was dealing with the loss of people dearest in my life . Of course , when you are feeling sorry for yourself , there will be weight loss or weight gain . This time it was a big gain for me . At the firm insistence of my dear friend Kim Turri I joined the Battle of the Bulge with Eileen last fall . After a miserable beginning , and it was miserable , I found my true happy place , dancing ! I knew myself well enough to know I was not going to work out on machines or go to any classes I didn ' t like . I started
slowly with a few sculpt classes and was okay with that , but I knew I needed cardio classes . At 52 years of age , it was going to take a lot to get me where I wanted to be . I danced a million years ago when I was in high school and college and was pretty good , if I may say so . I tried Zumba with Jenn and loved it !! Yes , at first , like many , I didn ' t love the glass wall behind me or the big mirror in the front , but trust me no one is watching ! My dance friends at Fitness Incentive and I compare ourselves to Mila Kunis in the opening scene of ' Bad Moms ,' or for those old enough to remember , Lucy and Ethel from ' I Love Lucy .' After my Zumba success , I tried Street Beats with Christina . I decided to be patient with myself and work on learning the routines and fell in love with my old passion all over again !! Christina was on leave from the gym as she recently gave birth to her third child , but her groupies were anxiously awaiting her return . My life at Fitness
Incentive improved again with the return of Dawn and Shakin ' It . I fondly call that class Happy Hour without the drinks !. So , with the return of Christina , I am happily dancing six days a week ! You will burn between 600 and 800 calories each class . Dance is a full body workout , legs , arms , and core as well . The difference in my old lady body has amazed me . I still do sculpt as much as I can during the week to add strength training to my regimen . I have lost about 30 pounds since my return to the best gym in the world , and , more importantly , I feel fantastic !! I never drag myself to the gym ; I look forward to my classes each day . I call it my Happy Idiot time ! I invite all of you to try these wonderful classes and feel like a teenager . Again , no one is watching you while you learn the steps . We are celebrating you !!! Come join us for friendship and fun as well as an excellent workout !! As the song Jenn plays in Zumba suggests , " I feel better when I ' m dancing !" I hope you join us soon !
Mike Maurrase : Fantastic Results !
Mike Maurrasse has been a member of Fitness Incentive since October 2001 , having joined after attending a spin class with a friend . He had never been in a Fantastic Four Fit 4 Summer Challenge before this past year ' s contest . “ TJ Lynch approached me and asked if I wanted to join his team ,” he explains . “ I hadn ' t worked out with any of the team members before , and in fact , I work out regularly 5-6 times a week — almost always solo . The contest experience was new , different — and effective . TJ ' s program of efficient total body workouts ( including the dreaded sled runs ) and nutritional advice were extremely beneficial to me .
At Fitness Incentive , we value a sustained results approach to health and fitness … a fit for life philosophy . I asked Mike to comment . “ My approach to ' fit for life ,'” he said , “ includes many lifestyle changes to improve my overall fitness . Changes to my diet were a key element .
Consistent with the “ fit for life “ philosophy , the 2016 contest added a new dimension : Phase Two , an additional 12 week period during which Challengers continued to train and work toward a second assessment and the Fitness Incentive Triathlon . Mike achieved Most Improved Individual in Phase Two . I asked Mike about his approach to training during this maintenance period . “ I followed the advice of my trainer and continued the weekly workout to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle ,” he says . “ Bike riding , running , and the same weekly total body workout with my team and one upper body and one leg day . Those sessions included weight training with body weight exercise ( pull-ups , push-ups , squats , etc .). I also participated in Missy Dieli ' s Insanity / P90-X / Asylum classes periodically . Phase Two was an by Paul Smith
important aspect of the overall contest . It kept you fit for the summer and beyond as the changes in lifestyle become more a part of your daily routine .” I asked Mike if he participated in the F . I . Triathlon . “ No ,” he answered . “ Wish I did !”
What did Mike find to be the most difficult , the most challenging dimension of the contest ? What was his favorite part ? “ Difficult was adjusting to the style of workouts . Favorite was the changes to my body and overall health . That , and the rapport that developed with TJ and my teammates . I had never worked out with a group before .” Which did Mike find more transformative : diet or exercise ? “ For me , the comparative value of both exercise and diet were equal . Both have had a dramatic impact on my overall health and well-being .” Mike ' s final remark says a lot about him and his contest experience : “ I would do it again next year !”
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Holidays 2016 FIT to Print