I’m fed up with it. I’m tired of the constant failures. Tired of waking up feeling heavier than before. I’ve had mild cases of success, getting into a steady routine every now and then, but it still isn’t enough. In all my efforts in 2009, I never lost more than 6 pounds. I ran a couple half-marathons, changed my diet, got up early to workout, packed lunches–but nothing seemed to be working. And based on my track record of yo yo dieting over the past 10 years, there were 2 things that really helped drop the pounds:
- DIVORCE: Lost 80 pounds between June 2001 and April 2002.
- PERSONAL TRAINER: Lost 40 pounds between February 2006 and August 2006.
Well, divorce ain’t something I’m going to plan on (obviously), so it’s time to get a personal trainer. I did a lot of online research to know my options. I know what I’m looking for. At the gym I’m at now, I wouldn’t go with those trainers even if it was free. And if you’re thinking about Sport & Health as an option for personal training, good luck with that. I’ve seen them in action–or lack of it. The only times they really show interest in a client are the ones that are already fit, and it’s more of a social thing. Sorry, that’s not why I go to a gym. Convenient? Yes! Right across the street from work? Yes!…but what’s the point when you’re not getting the right help. But I do have to say the TNT trainers that come into Sport & Health and train groups of 2-4 look awesome, but still not my style.
I looked for trainers near my apartment in the Rockville and Gaithersburg area, but I wasn’t impressed, and I’m not sure I want to go even further out from where I live now in order to train.
So, my search results kept leading me to Balance Gym. You’d think the fact they’re on Twitter, FourSquare and Facebook would be enough to impress me, but the biggest reason was that they consider themselves a real personal training gym. They don’t have rows and rows of ellipticals and weight machines. A lot of their equipment are free weights, ropes and kettle balls, but it’s common to also find parachutes, sand bags and tractor tires. That’s awesome.
Their mission is an knowing muscles work in integration, not in isolation, therefore training should focus on integrated movements, not in isolated movements. Machines tend to focus on a single muscle without training the muscles around it. So by integrating all the muscles around it, that helps the overall muscle and is a more natural way to get fit. That means less machines and more lifting tires, running up stairs with sandbags, running in the park with parachutes attached to your waist, and just an overall cardio beating.
They have three locations in Washington, DC: Balance Gym Kalorama, which is near Dupont Cirle, Balance Gym Thomas Circle, which is further in the city and a few blocks from the White House, and a spa gym called SomaFit.
Earlier this week on my lunch break, I stopped by the Kalorama location. It was basically a basketball gym and a small room full of various weights and Olympic-style equipment. This was much different than the gyms I’m used to. I didn’t get a chance to talk with any of the personal trainers, but Kori was very nice, and it seemed like a real fun group to be a part of. I left the location feeling a bit disappointed, but after an hour or so, I changed my opinion and realized how perfect a place like that is for me. I’ve failed at placed with tight corners and tons of equipment. It’s a bonus to have the basketball court as a large open area for classes, dragging sandbags across the floor, and for running and cardio activity. Parking was not fun there though, and a trip on the Metro was about 30 minutes each way, which was longer than I would have expected.
The night before I visited the gym, I filled our their online form, and I received a prompt reply from personal trainer Ben Wiedemer. He mentioned he was from the Thomas Circle location and would be glad to show me around and talk about what goals I’d like to achieve with personal training. I was impressed right off the bat, since not only is he NASM Certified, but heck the guy was a Rugby player in Ireland and specializes in burning fat and increasing muscle mass. He also teaches Boot Camp classes throughout the week and blogs regularly about diet and exercise.
I met Ben and he showed me the facilities. This gym was much more impressive than Kalorama. It had 4 floors, and a special area just for personal training. The gym is in two buildings, and the tractor tire flipping is outside in between the two. They have many cardio machines, some weight machines, a boxing ring, and of all things–pole dancing. We talked about hours, parking, best times to train, diet, and overall goals. He seemed to be a perfect fit for me. He offered a complimentary training session and asked if tomorrow would be ok. He said, “This won’t ruin any of your happy hour plans, will it?” and I said, “I’d be happy spending that hour here actually.” Was that a good line or what?! I know, total geek I am. This guy was right on target with who I was looking for. We shook hands and set up a 6:30pm time to have our first 40-minute session, which is complimentary.
The gym’s rates seemed pretty reasonable, and they are running a great membership/personal training special, so the timing was right. The only downside is that it’s a 40-minute Metro ride to the gym each way, but I look at this as an opportunity to get downtown more often. I’m always complaining about never getting downtown for anything, so this is the time to do it. I’ll probably drive much less now, since I’ll Metro to work, Metro to the gym, then Metro home. My gas money will go towards Metro money. Ben also said the gym is trying to work out a deal with the parking garage across the street, so hopefully I could drive later on and it would only cost a couple bucks to park. But I enjoy taking the Metro…more walking, more exercise, and it gives me time to relax and de-stress a bit.
So here goes. Day 1 is tomorrow. Time to suffer one last night of the old life. I’m ready to run, I’m ready to bike, I’m ready to curl, I’m ready to get fit. I’m ready to change for good.
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