CONCLUSION!

CONCLUSION: 

 

RESULTS!


I have just finished my last "Fitness Conditioning" Class at Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen, CO.  My final weigh-in had me at 190lbs.  That is nineteen (19) pounds lost since I began my workout classes at Nick's.  More importantly, my body fat index went down from 34.5% to 20%.  That is more than 30lbs of fat LOST, and 10lbs of muscle GAINED!

Needless to say, I am VERY, very pleased with my results from this "Challenge".  Nick has kept his promise, and put me into the best shape of my life.  Don't get me wrong, I worked extremely HARD at it.  Nick is not your average fitness instructor.  Nick puts his money where his mouth is, working out with the class every step of the way and practicing what he preaches.  Nick doesn't just wander around the gym, barking out orders.  Nick is in front of the class, doing all of the exercises with the class.  He is as serious as he is fit.  And he takes every single one of his member's fitness and health seriously.  Nick is an incredible person, and doesn't just push you to do more push ups or mountain climbers.  He motivates his members to not only get in shape, but to stay in shape.  He gives a motivational talk at the end of each of his classes, providing uplifiting stories of success and positive thought.  He works out your mind and spirit as well as your body.

This is just one of the many things that makes Nick's Pro Fitness such an incredible gem in the foothills of Denver.  As you have read in my postings before, Nick's is not just a place to get fit.  It is a community center in which people gather to catch up with one another and help each other out.  The members of Nick's Pro Fitness form their own social network, in the ways before the electronic age took over: Face to Face! Nick's is also home to one of the most impressive baseball training facilities I have seen.  Everyone from professional baseball players in the major leagues, to Little Leaguers work out at Nick's.  Improving their form and their game.  Nick's is THE place to improve your game.  Whether it's baseball, or your own personal fitness, I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone who will listen.

"What now" you ask?  Maintainance.  I have worked incredibly hard at losing the weight and building the muscle.  My goal now is to maintain my new found physique!  I will continue to work out at Nick's Pro Fitness, practicing the many new exercises and levels of intensity I have learned these past 7 weeks. I would like to lose about 5 more pounds, and keep the weight off for good.  I am ready to keep up the intensity and maintain the level of commitment to making it to Nick's every day for a workout.  I sincerely hope that, through reading these postings, you have somehow been either inspired or challenged to do the same in your own lives.  To either lose some weight, or to maintain your own level of fitness.   I also hope that you may find some time in the near future to give Nick's Pro Fitness a try.  To stop and visit with Nick Kapande!  He would love to meet you, and then invite you to one of his "Fitness Conditioning" classes!

So, the next time you are in or near Evergreen, CO, stop by Nick's Pro Fitness and say "Hello".  Who knows?  You may see me there - working out, or sitting at the table near the reception desk, chatting with Nick himself. 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

WEEK 7

WEEK 7

CHALLENGE UPDATE!

This posting is unusual in that it will cover the entire week of February 21 - 26 (last week).  Unfortunately, with getting the new March/April "Renovation" issue of Denver Life Magazine ready to gou out to the printer so that it will hit newsstands on time this week, my previous week flew by and my daily postings got away from me.

Last week was no walk in the park, as with ANY of my previous six (6) weeks at Nick's Pro Fitness.  Now you may notice that the title of this posting is "Challenge Update" of my "6 Week Fitness Challenge"!  You see, upon conclusion of my 6 weeks, Nick decided that because I had missed an entire week of working out at Nick's while I was in Pennsylvania, he said that I needed to make that week up.  Never mind the fact that I was able to lose another 5lbs while I was away in PA!  That didn't matter.  It was the simple fact that I was not working out with Nick that week. And that is all there was to that particular conversation. 

So here I sit, at the start of Week 7.  I should also point out at this point where I currently stand with my fitness and weight loss goals. 

As of Saturday, February 26th, I have lost a total of 19lbs. But that number is a bit misleading.  You see, my Body Fat Index has dropped from 34.5% at the start of this challenge to 20.2% BFI.  That is a loss of 14.3% in Body Fat alone!  In pounds, that is 29.6lbs of FAT.  Yes, you read that right.  29.6 pounds of fat I have lost over the past 6 weeks.  I have gained ten (10) pounds of just muscle.  No six pack abs yet, but the muscle's absotuley there.  It's just protected by a soft tissue layer. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

So here I start, Week 7 of my Fitness Challenge and I am sincerely impressed and pleased with my results to date. I have gone down two (2) belt loop holes in all of my belts, and my clothes are looser-fitting.  I feel great, and my energy level during the day is non-stop.  This has been a wonderful transition and I am excited to continue the work that lies ahead.  I honestly hope that, through my own personal experiences, you yourself have been motivated - or at least intrigued - to get up off that couch or desk chair and do something about your own health and fitness.  I hope that you have been at curious to see what Nick's is all about, and about how SPECIAL Nick's Pro Fitness truly is.   Please do not let the distance hold you back from going up to Evergreen at least ONE TIME to check Nick's out.  I promise you that, if nothing else, you will experience something fun, unique and motivating.  Give it a shot!  You just never know what will come of it.  Besides, who doesn't like driving through the beautiful little community of Evergreen, CO and looking at all of the Elk in the Taco Bell Drive-Thru lane on Stagecoach Pass & Evergreen Parkway?  It's a great Kodak moment, for sure.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 34

DAY 34 - Saturday

Don't Get Chubby!

Saturday's class was MUCH bigger than Friday night's small gathering of Nick's Pro Fitness followers.  Many more people showed up for a Saturday morning workout this Holiday weekend.  As we were stretching out, getting ready for the beat-down about to take place, Nick wanders over to a small group of us and starts chatting.  As we spoke, Nick gave one of the most inspirational and note-worthy quotes I have heard in a long time: "If you're not exercising and staying in shape, than you're chubby!  And you don't want to be chubby."  Hmm.  Monumental.  That line pretty much summed up the two years of my life prior to coming to Nick's Pro Fitness to take part in this Fitness Challenge.  It's all Nick had to say on Day 1 to get me signed up and in the gym.

To hear Nick, who is typically full of inspirational and thought-provoking speaches, say the word: "chubby" made us all laugh out loud.  I don't know if it was the word, or just the simplistic reality of the observation that we all found so funny and true.  The laughter was a great way to start the day.  It really did set the tone for the rest of the workout as we struggled to keep up with Nick's frantic pace and aggressive spirit this Saturday morning.  And Nick was right.  If I wasn't there at Nick's Pro Fitness that bright, sunny Saturday morning, I might have been home or someone else getting "chubby".  And who wants to be chubby?

This has been an amazingly tough, and invigorating, six weeks of working out at Nick's Pro Fitness.  Six days a week.  90 minutes a day.  To date, I have lost a total of 16 pounds and I feel great.  I can definately feel that my muscle mass has grown and I have more energy throughout the day.  For those of you reading this who do not live in Evergreen, but are inspired - or at least intrigued - by my experiences at Nick's Pro Fitness, I encourage you to do something about it.  Get out of the house and exercise.  If you feel that Evergreen is just too far to drive for a workout, at least give it a try.  Just once!  Nick holds his Fitness Conditioning Classes six (6) days a week, 2 times a day.  Go online to http://www.nicksprofitness.com/ and check out the schedule.  And then come on up for ONE class!  It is absolutely worth the drive just to give it a try and see the special bond that Nick has with his members, and that everyone has with each other.  Nick's Pro Fitness truly is unlike ANYTHING I have seen.  And you owe it to yourself to at least come up one day out of your life to give it a try.  Remember this: there are several members of Nick's Pro Fitness that live in the Denver area and make the commute daily.  It MUST be worth it for them!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 33

DAY 33 - Friday

 

Atomic Friday!


Friday nights have long been known amongst the Nick's Pro Fitness community as "Atomic Fridays" for the rather tough and strenuous workouts that Nick likes to doll out at the end of the week.  As a result, you pretty much know what you're in for when you head in to Nick's on a Friday night.  And tonight, Nick did not disappoint.

It was a night of hard work, intense exercises and complete exhaustion!  And tonight, I was given an added bonus ... Nick as my exercise partner for Double Leg Presses.  Yippee.  Now if you have been following along with my daily postings, you have read about my past experience with doing these unbelievably hard and painful leg exercises with Nick as a "partner".  And, as such, you have read about how Nick really pushes you to do the exercise completely on your own - without the minor "assistance" you MAY recieve from one of the other class members.  I'm not saying anyone does such a thing, because that would be frowned upon by Nick and a big "no-no" in class.  I'm just saying that it may, or may not, happen on occassion.  But not on purpose, of course.  That's all I'm gonna say about that.

In the end, the 15 or so of us that did show up for Friday night's workout got our money's worth and our butts kicked.  Lucky us!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 32

DAY 32 - Thursday

Me and the Girls!

Due to meetings this morning, I had to miss the regularly scheduled morning Fitness Conditioning class at Nick's and instead workout with the evening Tae-Kwon Do class.  I have done this before, and it is a change in the normal workout routine.  The Tae-Kwon Do group does more running and aerobic exercises, versus the strength-building Fitness Conditioning classes.  So the change is a good one, because I can get some cardio exercise into my weekly workouts.

However, it is always an interesting dynamic when you go to the Tae-Kwon Do class!  In addition to all of the kids in their Tae-Kwon Do, white uniforms running around, you also have those of us who are there for the fitness aspect.  Half are dressed to attack and defend and exercise self-discipline and mental toughness, half of us are dressed to sweat and go home. Tonight's "workout" group was a small one.  Six girls from the Evergreen High School girl's soccer team, and five of us well beyond our high school days! 

After the Tae-Kwon Do portion of the workout (running, sprints, bear crawls, high knees, etc.) was completed, it was time to split the group.  Those dressed in white and ready to defend and pursue where sent to one side of the gym to work on their Tae-Kwon Do skills and yelling, while those of dressed in mis-matched shorts and t-shirts were sent to the other side of the gym to get in more exercises.  For me, I was grouped together with the Evergreen High School Girl's Soccer Team.  Me and the girls.  Teeny-Boppers and a middle-aged man with a gut! I knew this would get interesting.

As instructed, the girls and I had to do jumps, runs, and suicide sprints.  As these athletic soccer players took off with gusto, it was all I could do just to keep up.  Without hesitation, they would jump over the cones, sprint to the wall, run backwards, and then side-shuffle back to the start.  They were like a pack of gazelles!!  Leaping and running like it was a fun game, or something.  And then there was the Wildebeast behind them.  Jumping and landing with an audible "Thud", and then jogging to the wall while I tried to control my breathing, only to then have to turn around to run backwards and concentrate so as not to trip over anything!  The girl's soccer team was very considerate so as NOT to lap me!  And they all yelled encouraging words to each other as a cohesive group during the workout.  I tried to join in, but my words came out breathy and sometimes inaudible as I tried to cheer us on without passing out from exhaustion.  

At the end of the workout, as I lay on my back trying to catch my breath and stretch my sore leg muscles while my knees and ankles cracked with every movement, the Evergreen High School Girl's Soccer Team all leaped to their feet, gave each other fist bumps, and then exchanged kind, sympathetic words of: "Good job!" to me as they filed out of the gym.  Buncha show-offs! 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 31

DAY 31 - Wednesday; 

RIGHT versus WRONG

At Nick's, there is a "right" way of doing things, and a "wrong" way of doing things.  And if you are not doing it the "right" way, every time, there are consequences.  Nick expects, and demands, perfection from his members.  As Nick says: "short cuts don't get you in shape! Short cuts don't do anything but hurt you.  I do not teach you short cuts, so I do not ever want to see short cuts in my classes." 

I learned that lesson the hard way today.  Today, we had to do a series of one-legged presses.  That is where you stand parallel to a wall with a railing and place your hand closest to the wall on that railing.  Only for balance, Nick says.  The other hand is held firmly in place, again just for balance, by your workout partner who is standing on the other side of you.  With one leg extended out in front of you, you slowly bend at the knee and squat all the way down until your butt is inches from the floor with your other leg.  You then push back up to a standing position.  The "short-cut" in this difficult maneuver comes from your workout partner (and new BFF if they are "aiding" you!).  As you squat down, they will place their hand on your elbow and "assist" you on the way down, and again on the way up, by applying slight pressure.  This is a huge "No-No" at Nick's, and he can spot an "assist" a mile away. 

As my workout partner - whom I shall remain nameless out of respect and my sincere appreciation for the short time he was "assisting" me - was providing some "assistance", Nick was on it like flies at a picnic.  He immediately came over to us, and relieved my partner of his duties.  With Nick holding my hand for balance, all of a sudden, the exercise became damn near impossible!!  There was no support.  There was no assistance.  I was 100% completely on my own for the one-legged press.  It became disconcertingly clear and obvious that my legs are NOT in as good of shape as I had previously felt.  As I would begin the downward motion, I would almost drop down instead of doing it in a nice, smooth motion.  The way up was worse! I had nothing there.  My leg would be shaking and my hands were sweaty and I was making funny faces as I strained to stand up!  And with Nick as your partner, he makes you do the exercise until failure.  He keeps pushing and pushing until your legs literally give out and not push up anymore.  Needless to say, Nick would not become my BFF today.  We are "Frenemies" at the moment. 

However, I did finish up a shortened version of the exercise - I could only hammer out about 15 on each leg, instead of the 30 he was asking for and would have completed with my BFF workout partner assisting me.  As I have written before, I am a man who looks for the short-cuts in a workout because they don't hurt as much.  And as I have also written before, Nick is endless in his pursuit to kick that bad habit out of my workout routines.  He constantly strives to push me to do my best, and never give up.  Thus, why we are still at least "frenemies" and not total enemies to date.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 30

DAY 30 - Tuesday;

Curse of the Dreaded Mountain Climber!

For those of you who are unaware of what the exercise is, a "Mountain Climber" is where you start out in a runner's starting position:  Hands, or knuckles, planted firmly on the floor.  Your right knee tucked under your chin with your right foot planted  on the floor beneath you - toes flat and your heal up.  Your left leg slightly bent, knee on the ground, and toes flat on the floor and ready to push. Just like a runner in the starting gate before a sprint.  When you do the exercise, you stay in that runner's position the entire time.  The only movement is from your hips, your stomach, and your legs. You swiftly switch from right foot, to left foot, and back to right foot while maintaining your hands or knuckles firmly on the floor, and your back slightly arched in the air.  You move your legs back and forth under you, making as little sound or impact as possible with your toes as you push your right leg forward, then your left leg forward!   It is an exhausting workout that strains your lower stomach, your legs, and your hip flexors.  And it burns after doing about 40 of them.

A "Kick Back" is where you start out in a squatting position.  Knees bent, both feet side-by-side under you and balancing on the balls of your feet, with your hands planted firmly on the floor on either side of your feet.  Kind of like a Catcher in baseball, only hunched forward with your hands on the floor.  From this position, you kick both of your legs out behind you in one movement, forming a push-up position with your body.  You finish by thrusting both of your legs back underneath you into the starting position.  That's one!  It's a lovely exercise that strains your hip flexors, quads, shoulders, and lower back muscles. And the Kick Back makes you do funny faces as you struggle to keep up and push yourself to continue doing one after another of this torture!  So much so that even Nick notices and has to yell out during the exercise: "RELAX YOUR FACE!  NO MAKING FACES!"  It always makes me chuckle when I hear him say that because you really can't help making a face when you're straining so much to complete the task.  Kick Backs are a real delightful movement that you don't see enough of in yoga or pilates!  Probably because, like mountain climbers, kick backs are annoying too!  Even more so than mountain climbers, though.

Tonight, Nick was in a playful mood and decided that we would do mountain climbers and kick backs for the entire first half of our workout.  In my mind, we must have spent an entire 45 minutes doing just these two exercises, and probably did about 1,000 of each!  In reality, it may have been more like 10-15 minutes, and only 300-400 of each.  Either way, it hurt.  But to Nick's credit, he was there in the front of the hot gym, doing every single one of them with us.  And he was counting them out too!  I know I have said this before, but at 48 years old, Nick Kapande is in the best shape of anyone I have ever met in my life.  He is truly impressive.  No less aggrivating and frustrating when he's making your do these incredibly tiring exercises for long periods of time!  But that is what makes working out at Nick's so special; he is right there with you, pushing you "through the wall" as he likes to say.  Forcing you to do your best, and get in shape.  No shortcuts, no freebies.  It is why, after five weeks, I have been able to lose 14 pounds.  And if muscle weighs more than fat, I am exciting to see how much my Body Fat Index has changed in this time period.  I feel great. My clothes are looser fitting.  And I have noticed a change in my energy level and quality of sleep. What's next?

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 29

DAY 29 - Monday; 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

On a Monday evening, at 6:00PM, on Valentine's Day no-less, you would think that tonight's Fitness Conditioning Class in the small and vibrant community of Evergreen, CO would be somewhat smaller than most other days!  It is a Holiday, afterall.  And a romantic one at that!  What is less romantic than an intensely grueling and exhausting workout in a hot gym?  Well, apparently in Evergreen, that is the PERFECT time for a workout.  There must have been close to 70 people in tonight's class at Nick's.  The most people I have ever seen in my 5 weeks of working out here.  Kids, adults, families, everyone!  It blew my mind.  But why not make Valentine's Day special by working out and getting in shape side-by-side with your sweetie, I guess!?

Whatever the case may be, Nick took this unusually large class as a challenge.  A challenge to make tonight's workout especially tough.  (well, ok - EVERY class has been ridiculously hard!)  And off we went in to an extensive leg and stomach workout that made everyone in the class grunt, and groan and try desperately to catch their breath during the 45 minutes of non-stop action!  Just the way Nick likes it.  No matter how large, or how small the group in his Conditioning Classes are, Nick makes sure that every class is challenging.  The only small benefit to a larger class, if you're still a Nick's "junior" like me, is that there is a wee bit more rest time in between each exercise as Nick walks around and gives pointers to some of the people on how to do the exercises right. 

Of course, at the complete opposite end of that rest is the fact that Nick can also get distracted and give pointers DURING our exercise and lose count!  Thus, instead of doing only 30 pushups, we end up doing more like 50.  Could it be that Nick is smarter than we give him credit for and knows EXACTLY what he's doing when he lets us linger longer during our rests, and push us harder during the exercise?  Perhaps.  But don't tell Nick I said so.  That will just egg him on to give me more mountain climbers for even doubting his method during class.  And I, for one, DO NOT like mountain climbers. They're annoying.  And Nick likes to dole out mountain climbers like a politician would handshakes at a political rally.  Nick assigns them by the hundreds to those who are not following his direction, or just push his buttons.  "600 Mountain Climbers to you for showing up 3 minutes late!"  "1,200 mountain climbers to you for gaining a pound!"  "1,000 mountain climbers to you for wearing a bright orange shirt to class that looks like it might glow-in-the-dark, and makes my eyes hurt!"

But I will tell you this!  After doing several hundred mountain climbers, one will never make that same mistake again if they can avoid it.  I don't think anyone likes doing mountain climbers.  They're just not fun!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 28

DAY 28 - Saturday; 

Saturday, Saturday! 

Kind of reminds me of Elton John's song: "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)", although it's Saturday morning really.  But same premise.  Saturday morning's Conditioning Class at Nick's Pro Fitness is something of an event in Evergreen.  It brings out the most people, for one!  There were probably close to 45 people in class this past Saturday.  And it brings out almost everyone who is a member of Nick's.  Kids, Parents, Grandparents, new members, etc.  Everyone who is anyone is at Nick's for an early morning Saturday workout.  And, as such, it has steadily become one of the most difficult days of the week with regards to the intensity of the workout.  Nick really gives people their money's worth on Saturday.

For those of us who had to miss Friday's Conditioning Class do get special treatment on Saturdays!  Half way through the normal workout, Nick will call out those of us who missed the previous class and send us to the other side of the gym for a "special" workout of our own.  Those of us lucky enough to get the "special" workout are usually in for a treat of high-intensity exercises.  In today's case, we were not disappointed.  It was as tough as it was exhausting.  Nick wouldn't have it any other way.

Here is some good news, though.  I was sent to the dreaded scale (that small, unassuming torture device) for another weigh-in.  Down 3 more pounds from Thursday!  You know what that means!! ... no mountain climbers!  Cha-ching. I am now down to 195lbs from my start of 209lbs just five weeks ago.  14 pounds.  No washboard stomach yet, but I can feel them below the ... uh ... protective layer of thick skin covering my rock hard abs of steel!  No, Calvin Klein isn't calling me just yet to appear in their boxer brief ads, but I'm sure they will come calling soon.  Give me 2 more weeks with Nick, and I'll be the next cast member on "The Jersey Shore" - minus the tan, jersey accent, and spikey stiff hair!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 27

DAY 27 - Thursday; 

MORNING WAKE-UP CALL

Ok, even after four weeks of going to Nick's Pro Fitness for my "6 Week Fitness Challenge", I will NEVER get used to working out the evening before a morning workout.  There is something about finishing up a grueling workout at 7:30PM, getting home around 8PM, and then having to wake up early the next morning at 5:00AM to do it all over again! It kicks my butt every time.  And then my legs and arms are sore for the remainder of the day! What gives?!

Here is the other part of the equation, though, regarding my early morning workout on Thursday.  And believe me when I tell you, it was the root cause of great anxiety the entire time was in PA! During the pre-workout stretching, Nick called me out and sent me the dreaded SCALE!  ("Dreaded" is a true adjective for the scale at Nick's Pro Fitness)  You see, the unassuming white flat box, with a tall, skinny pole and smaller box on top, determines your fate at Nick's.  It has the power to make your workout either a good one, or a nightmare of a workout.  It has the power to hurt you, or just send you back in line with everyone else.  It is what Nick uses to determine your level of commitment to his workouts!  This little digital scale was about to give Nick all of the information he really cared about to determine how I used my time during my trip to Pennsylvania, and I was nervous.

5 lbs!  Yup, you read that right.  5lbs.  That is how much weight I LOST during my week away from Nick's.  WOO-HOO!  My shoulders suddenly loosened up and dropped about 3 inches at the site of the weight loss.  Nick just looked, nodded with approval, and sent me back in line with everyone else. I passed, and I was pumped.  NO extra mountain climbers for this guy!  I have now lost a total of 12lbs during my four weeks at Nick's.  It doesn't sound like much, but I have noticed (and so did my wife) that there is added muscle on my body.  We all know that muscle weighs more than fat!  As Nick likes to say: "it isn't so much the weight loss that matters, it's the Body Fat Index that really tells the story of your body".  Nick will do a follow-up testing of my body fat index next week to see how much fat I have lost.  That will tell us both how this whole challenge has affected me.

And away we went on to the morning's workout.  I still struggled to keep up with the exercises, and was winded for much of the time, but I felt good about it.  Now I just have to keep dropping those pounds, and both Nick and I will be happy campers.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 26

DAY 26 - Wednesday 

WELCOME BACK!

I got back from my week's long trip to PA today, just in time to make an evening Fitness class at Nick's Pro Fitness!  And Nick's first response upon seeing me:  "Well? Did you gain any weight? Did you keep up with your workouts and diet?" he asked with a stern tone and questioning look in his eyes.   Ahh ... it feels good to be loved and cared for.

And thus began our workout.  Words are not lost on Nick, however, actions speak louder than words when working out at Nick's Pro Fitness.  And my ability to keep up with the workout was going to be Nick's evaluation of my time away.  As we got in to our workout, Nick did notice my sluggishness and gasping for air almost immediately. His response to me:  "WELCOME BACK, JEFF!"

That's right.  Even after a week of working out on my own and going to the other gym's fitness classes in PA, I found it somewhat difficult to get right back in to the swing of things with the fast-paced and intense cardio training at Nick's.  I thought for sure I would come back with the same energy and fitness level.  It amazed me what a week away from Nick's hard-core training can do to your body and your ability to keep up.

Needless to say, the workout went fine despite my struggles to keep up and keep the correct form.  (DARN those annoying Frog Leaps!  Murder on the thighs.)  It felt good (well, painful really!) to be back and working at my maximum capacity.  As I have written here before, there is something truly different and unique about Nick's Pro Fitness that pushes you further than you think you are capable and the results are awesome.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 25

DAY 25 - Tuesday (Last day in Pittsburgh, PA)

The XSANITY Continues!!

Today, my wife and I decided to give the XSANITY Class another shot as it was my last day in PA!  And Monday's workout wasn't a total bust.  I did feel that I got in a decent workout.  Better than sitting at a table and eating a Pittsburgh-original "Almost Famous Pastrami & Cheese" sandwich, right!?!  Well, no.  I would have MUCH rather been at the Primanti Brothers in the Strip District of North Pittsburgh, eating a sandwich loaded with coleslaw and french fries ON the sandwich!  MMmmmm... heavenly, greasy goodness!  I can feel my arteries clogging just at the thought, but I digress.

Today's XSANITY class followed much the same path as Monday's.  10 minutes of "warm-up" cardio, only this time on a stationary bike, followed by 45 minutes of weight lifting sets with free weights.  The last 20 minutes of cardio is where I actually get my heart rate above 75 bpm. 

Overall, my time in PA was an educational one!  It showed me just how committed and self-motivated you have to be in order to keep up the workout routines on your own when outside of your normal, daily life.  And that goes for everyone who travels for their job and thinks they do not have time to workout, or stay in shape and keep the weight off!  For me, it was especially challenging as not only did I have to find a gym to workout in, but I had to continue to eat the right food everyday.  When on vacation, that becomes a real thought-provoking chore.  My in-laws own and operate an Italian eatery in Northwestern PA that serves some of THE BEST food you can find!  It is all home-made and over-sized portions.  And the menu also consists of about 75% good, Italian comfort food items!  Not great if you are trying to watch what you eat. 

The good news is they do also offer waist-line friendly dishes like grilled chicken breasts, steaks, grilled fish, and grilled pork chops.  But to go to a true Italian eatery and have to forego the Pastas, the Pizza, and the deep-fried goodness of ... well, anything that can be deep fried ... is torture.  Fortunately for me, my wife was there to give me that time-tested, all-knowing female look of the Raised Eyebrows and surprised-sounding "Huh!" whenever I would be even glance at the Pastas or Pizzas side of the menu.  That all-encompassing expression of: "Don't even think about it!" and "I knew you couldn't handle it" all-at-once look. It is the kind of expression where, as men, we ALL immediately belt out the typical male response as: "WHAT?  What's THAT look for? I'm just looking.  I wasn't actually going to do it!  Don't give me that look!  And yes, it WAS a look!" answer!  We are so predictable as men. 

Mission accomplished!  I was able to continue eating right, and find the time between my family and other obligations while visiting the great State of Pennsylvania, to get in a daily workout so as not to lose any momemtum I have gained in the four short weeks of working out at Nick's Pro Fitness.  I am very proud of myself, and I now KNOW that I can, in fact, make this new lifestyle change a long-term commitment and way of life for me.  Not just a 6 week fad! 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 24

DAY 24 - Monday (still in Pittsburgh!)

XSANITY!

That is the name of the fitness class I signed up for today (Monday) and Tuesday during my last 2 days visiting Pittsburgh.  XSANITY is the gym's "most physically intense workout" they offer!  So I figured: "Why not?"

When my wife and I showed up for the class, 2 things struck me right away: 1) There were only 4 other people who had signed up for the class, and 2) The instructor had a check list on a clipboard that she was using to TEACH the class!  I thought "this will be interesting".

As the class began, we were instructed to do a 10-minute warm-up on an eliptical machine.  "Make the 10 minutes count! Push yourself, if you can" were our instructions.  Nothing else.  So, away we went on to our eliptical machines for 10 minutes of cardio.  At the conclusion, we were to meet the instructor in the Free Weights area of the gym.  Once there, she told us each to grab a set of 20lb weights.  At that time, she picked up her check list and told us we would be doing "Day 16 of the P90X routine, starting off with three (3) sets of 15 reps of bicep curls." 

I thought: "This is their 'most intense workout'?  P90X? Where's the creativity? Where's the over-caffeinated fitness instructor.  I can do P90X at my own house anytime I want! Why go to a gym for that?"  But, off we went.  45 minutes of three sets of 15 reps each of various arm and shoulder exercises with the 20lb weights.  Upon conclusion of the 45 minutes of weights - which did get my arm and should muscles somewhat fatigued - we went to the gym for the "cardio" portion of our XSANITY workout.

Once in the gym, I am pleased to write that the clipboard was set aside and for 20 minutes straight, we went from one exercise to the next with 15 seconds rest in between each exercise.  A series of various types of lunges, jumping jacks, sit-ups, push ups, and suicide sprints.  I definately could feel my muscles burning after 45 minutes of weights, and then going right to a fast-paced series of exercises. 

Overall, the XSANITY class was fun.  It was different.  I felt I got a decent workout in, but this was still nothing compared to the INSANITY that is the Fitness Conditioning Classes at Nick's Pro Fitness!  But it was great to get out and see for myself what another gym offers its members for a total-body workout.  And my thought is still this: Nick does an incredible job of giving you a workout like no other.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 23

DAY 23 - Friday; 

This is NOT Nick's Pro Fitness!

I must apologize for my delay in getting this posting out to you.  You see, I am here in PA for the week, visiting my wife and kids who are still living here until I get us settled into a new home in Denver, CO.  I moved to Denver last September to take on the roll of Director of Sales for Denver Life Magazine with my good friends Shawn and Kristin Miller who launched Denver Life three years ago!  As a result, my wife and I decided that she and the kids would stay back in PA until I get us settled, and the kids would continue to go to their normal school with all of their friends.  I go back to PA once a month for a week to see them, and spend time with them.

This past Saturday was my son's 7th Birthday (Feb. 5).  My wife had told our kids about my fitness challenge with Nick's Pro Fitness, and they wanted to start their own little fitness program to help support their Daddy.  This past Friday, my son and daughter wanted to join me at the gym and do my workout with me.  It was awesome!  They both did such a great job (for a 7 year-old, and a 5 year-old) for the first ... 10 minutes!!  They were right there, doing their own mountain climbers and sort-of kick backs.  But after 10 minutes, my son flopped down on to his belly and asked: "Dad! Can we just go to the Playroom and wait for you?  This is making my belly too much and I don't want to hurt my belly because than I won't be able to eat."  Well, who could say "no" to that? 

Off they went, and I decided that I had time to join in one of the gym's "Total Body Workout" 60-minute classes that was about to start.  Can I just reiterate to you, as I did in my last posting, that these classes have NOTHING on Nick's Pro Fitness when it comes to a total body workout!!  Not only was I able to keep up with everything the instructor was doing, and at the very same pace without skipping a beat, but it wasn't even close to being as exhausting or challenging as any of Nick's Conditioning Classes have been.  Granted, I did get my heart rate up and did start to sweat a little, but nothing like the pain or fatigue I feel after a 90 minute session at Nick's.  This gym is certainly NO Nick's Pro Fitness!

I write that because I want everyone who has been reading my postings these past four weeks to understand just how different, and how special, Nick's Pro Fitness really is!  As you read this, you may be a member at one of the many wonderful gyms and clubs that the Denver metro market has to offer.  And there are a lot of them.  But are you truly getting the MOST intense and physical workout that your body can handle? Are you really getting into the best shape of your life at your club?  I urge you, if possible, to at least check Nick's Pro Fitness out once for yourself.  Nick and Heather Kapande are amazing people and they invite ANYONE to come on up to Evergreen (really an easy and closer drive than you think) to try out any one of their classes.  It really is a "Total Body Workout" in every sense of the term.  Without fail.  Just ask any one of the current members of Nick's Pro Fitness and they will all tell you with passion and energy that there really is no place quite like Nick's Pro Fitness.  And I would agree with them.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 22

DAY 22 - Thursday;

"BOOT CAMP" and "PILATES"

Today was my first "Boot Camp" and "Pilates" back-to-back fitness classes at the fitness club here in Western PA.  I went in with a curious eye as I have been doing Nick's version of an intense boot camp with his Conditioning Classes the past three weeks. How would this "Boot Camp" measure up?  Let me tell you this:  There is only ONE Nick Kapande!  No one does it better.  No one is more intense. No one is a more gifted athlete.  Don't get me wrong, today's "Boot Camp" class was a good exercise class.  A lot of lunges, a lot of shoulder and bicep exercises with weights, and several other new exercises I have never done before that did make my shoulders and abs burn.  But the intensity just wasn't there.  And we wore shoes!  And socks!  And it was cool in the gym!!  Who knew I would miss the heated sweat box of Nick's Pro Fitness?!

After an hour of getting in a decent workout at the Boot Camp, it was time for Pilates.  I have NEVER done Pilates before.  Ever. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience.  I learned that my core STILL is not strong enough, and I still really hate to do the plank!  Whether at Nick's Pro Fitness, or in Pilates, the plank move is tough to hold for me.  I had a few good laughs with some of the moves, as we would have to hold them for a minute or longer, and my stomach muscles would begin to shake - causing my whole body to shake and I would then have to laugh.  But I did break a sweat, and I my stomach muscles are still burning even now as I write this post.

I don't know if Nick would be proud or not, (probably not!) but he would be pleased that I got in a decent two-hour workout that worked a lot of different muscle groups for me.  We'll see how tomorrow's "Total Body Fitness" class at the club goes!

Stay tuned!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 21

DAY 21 - Wednesday; Nick's Pro Fitness (http://www.nicksprofitness.com/) Ph: (303) 674-6902

DAY 1 ON MY OWN!!

So here I am, in beautiful Western PA, amidst all of the snow, hurricane-force winds, and freezing temperatures!! Good to be back in the East.  And thus starts my week of self-discipline, self-motivation, and self-training without the help (or the razor-like gaze of Nick watching over me to make sure I'm not cheating on any of my exercises!)  My wife and kids are here with me, and my wife has been hugely supportive of my "6 Week Fitness & Weightloss Challenge".  In fact, she has also started her own workout regime at the same time.  My wife also went from a sedintary lifestyle to suddenly having to workout every day.  She is doing Pilates.  She tried Zumba, but found she was as coordinated as a woman with 2 left feet!  She said she flailed around - looking like a dork - and could not control her laughter at her own image in the mirror.  As a result, Zumba is out.

Starting today, my wife signed us both up for a series of fitness classes at the locally-owned fitness club just down the road from where we are staying.  Unfortunately, due to timing issues with our young kids and other commitments, we missed our fitness classes today, so we had to take it upon ourselves to get in a good wokout.  I had printed out a workout that Nick Kapande and Lou Appelhans had given me prior to my trip.  It consisted of a lot of sets of mountain climbers, kick backs, 4-counts, push ups, sit-ups, etc.  My wife and I had a small gym room to ourselves, and I walked her through a "Satellite Nick's Workout"!  Needless to say, she did a great job of trying to keep up and complete the exercises, but in the end, it was mostly me.  And it was tough!  Having her there, with me, was good because she quickly adapted to the "Nick" roll and was egging me on and telling me not to give up.

In the end, we did a pretty aggressive 30 minute mini-workout, and then hit the exercise bike for another 30 minutes.  Not the same as Nick's 90 minute Conditioning Class, but a good out-of-town workout nonetheless.  We were both thoroughly exhausted and my thighs were burning from the 30 minute fast ride on the bike.  Added to my continuation of the diet that Nick has me on, even here in PA, I feel real good about how things are going so far.  So far, as in DAY 1, that is!!  We'll see how the classes go tomorrow.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 20

DAY 20 - Tuesday;

Travel Day!

Unfortunately, I was not able to get in a workout today.  Today was my travel day to Pennsylvania for a week-long trip, and due to the cool weather in Denver, and the bad snow storm in the East, my travel plans changed rather abruptly and I was not able to do my planned Tuesday night workout at Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen.

I will be sure to post about my first workout - SANS Nick's Pro Fitness - and completely on my own from PA tomorrow.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 19

DAY 19 - Monday

Monday, Monday!  Ba-da... ba-da-da-dah.  (great song by "The Mamas & The Papas"!)

As the lyrics go: "But whenever Monday comes, you can find me crying all of the time!"  That pretty much sums up Monday night's intense leg and abdomen workout at Nick's Pro Fitness.  It was brutal.  We did a lot, and then some more, and finally a few more - just to make it BURN - leg exercises!  Throw in the sit ups and planks in between for a good abdomen burn, and you have yourself a swell Monday night workout.  Just what everyone wants to do on a bone-chilling Monday night in Evergreen.

I have not sweat that much in the three long weeks I have been going to Nick's Pro Fitness!  He really knows how to hurt his members.  And it always cracks me up when, immediately following the last set of a brutal exercise, Nick will ask someone in the front row: "Are you feeling that in your legs? Are your legs and lungs burning?", as if he isn't really sure because it is obvious that HIS legs and lungs aren't quite burning!  The man has been doing high-intensity workouts 2-3 times a day, for the past 29 years!!  Of Course he as to ask everyone else if they are feeling it, because he isn't!  The man's in the best shape of anyone I have ever met.  And as I lay there, on my back, trying desperately to catch my breath and minimize the uncontrollable shaking in my thighs, all I can think of is: "How much longer until I can actually make it through one of Nick's Conditioning Classes without missing a beat? I can't keep up!" 

And the answer is this:  Soon.  Very soon.  Don't get me wrong, the classes will always be challenging and difficult and everyone in the class has to constantly push themselves past their own breaking point to make it to the end.  But it is possible to keep up!  I just need to continue to go to class, every day, and do the best that I can to do the exercises right and build the muscles in my body.  All of the "veteran" or "senior" members of the Conditioning Class (those who have been doing this for more than a year) are in great shape and they can keep up.  They have the commitment, and the muscle power, to endure.  I have been there for three weeks!  And already, I can feel the change happening.  I find myself doing more and more of each exercise before muscle fatigue sets in and I crash.  It's a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.  Nick's Fitness Challenge is working.  And I do notice a change.  I am cautiously optimistic about my individual results, as I still have three weeks to go! 

Tomorrow, I leave for a trip.  I will be away from Nick's for exactly seven (7) classes.  Rest assured, Nick and fellow "senior" member Lou Applehans have provided me with a week's worth of exercise sets to do everyday so as not to miss a beat. I will continue to do my daily postings in order to share my experiences of doing these exercises in a foreign place and on my own, without Nick's razor-like gaze upon me!  Nick has threatened, though, that for every pound I gain while I am away, I will have to answer with 600 mountain climbers per pound. My goal:  NO weight gain!  Stay tuned...

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 18

DAY 18 (Saturday morning)

1-Count, 2-Count, 3-Count, 4-COUNT! Ah-ah-ahhh... (The Count from Sesame Street!)

GOOD GRIEF!  This morning's workout was really, really tough.  And I don't mean because Nick forgot to bring donuts and bagels to the Club for "After Workout Snacks" either!  Nick was on a mission.  And that mission?  To make Jeff hurt and feel the pain.  As Nick told me: "Don't just hit the wall! I want you to run THRU the wall, Jeff! KNOCK IT DOWN for crying out loud! 

With our exercises, Nick is a real stickler for perfection.  He doesn't want his members to just go through the motions and move for the sake of moving.  He wants you to do it right.  And do it right everytime. Nick would rather see us do an exercise 10 times correctly, instead of 20 or 30 times incorrectly.  And for good reason. The correct way is WAY more difficult and painful than the incorrect way.  This was the case with my 4-Counts today.  Nick did not like my form.  SO, ... he stood over me and made sure my form was correct.  And the correct form was difficult.  Nick doesn't care that my knees don't bend that way, or that I thought I WAS keeping my back straight!  Nick wants perfection. So he stood there and yelled at me to keep my knees straight, and my back straight.  For 10 times. What a guy, right?  As I've said before:  He's my Mickey (from the "Rocky" movies).  "Keep those knees straight for cripes sake, Rock!" 

I definately got a good workout in this morning.  And Nick made sure that I did it right.  I sincerely do appreciate him for that, because he MAKES you work harder!  He MAKES you push yourself harder than you ever would on your own!  And Nick MADE me knock that wall of exhaustion down on several occassions today.  And I feel it even now, 5 hours later, as I sit comatose on my couch with a bottle of Motrin IB in one hand, and a tall glass of water in the other. I'm not going to lie to you: I really wish it was beer, though!  Ok, let's be honest with each other.  I'd be MUCH more happy if it was a beer in one hand, and a slice of thin crust pepperoni and jalapeno pizza in the other!  Now THAT would be perfection in my book.  And then I could be like The Count on Sesame Street and count all of the slices of pizzas I was going to eat:  "1. I have 1 slice of pizza! 2. I have 2 slices of pizza! Ah-ah-ahhhh...."  I love that muppet.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 17

DAY 17 (Friday)

NICK'S BACK

Nick is back in town after making a 2-day visit to his mentor's club in Phoenix, AZ.  Mack Newton (http://www.macknewton.com/) is Nick's Mentor and inspiration, as well as being one of only a small handful of 9th Degree Black Belts in TaeKwon-Do in the country.  Mack trains a lot of professional athletes at his club in Phoenix!  In addition, Nick likes to point out that Mack Newton is 68 years old (age is just a number!), in better shape than anyone else he has ever met, and has only 2.7% bodyfat.  It just goes to show that being in shape is so much more than just a physical state of being.  Mack preaches mental toughness in collaboration with physical fitness.  Your mind is a muscle and it needs just as much exercise as your body.  Mack Newton's philosophy is one of positive thought and uplifting messages.  And that nothing is impossible if you put your mind too it.

Tonight, Nick discussed the many things he was inspired by during his visit to Mack Newton's club.  One point that really stood out was the importance of sustainability.  This relates to how you approach your own physical fitness and making the "life decision" to get in shape, and then having the commitment and strength to SUSTAIN that new course in your life of eating right and getting more exercise.  Nick tells the story of one of Mack Newton's members who has, on several occassions, gone to Mack's Conditioning Class and lost 20-30 pounds while getting into great shape.  And then they disappear for several months because they are in great shape and have a new, slim figure.  The only problem is, that person eventually shows up again several months later - out of shape and back to their original weight!  Does this sound familiar to you?  It does for me.  I've been guilty of the very same experiences in the past.  I make the commitment to get in shape and lose the weight. Once I've completed that goal, it is so easy to start cutting back "just a little bit. Here and there".  I'd start missing the workouts. I would begin to indulge my appetitie for appetizers before dinner; for desserts after dinner.  And before you know it, the weight is back and I get winded going up and down stairs again!

SUSTAINABILITY!  We are all guilty of it to some degree or another.  Me included.  As I take on this "6 Week Fitness Challenge", I have to come up with a plan for Week 7!  Then what?  Right now, my plan is to continue on this new path in my life.  Continue to eat right, all of the time. Not just when it's convenient.  Continue to exercise everyday.  Whether at Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen, or hiking, or biking, or skiing any one of the thousands of breathtaking trails that exist in this beautiful State. We are so lucky to live in a State where everyone else in the US comes to visit.  I need to sustain my commitment to get in shape, then stay in shape and live a more healthy life. 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 16

DAY 16 

TAEKWON-DO ... And TAEKWON-DON'T!

Due to a meeting this morning, I had to miss the typical Thursday morning Conditioning Class at Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen!  But that is ok, because in the evening, members of the Conditioning Class do have the option of working out with the Thursday evening TaeKwon-Do Class!  To be honest, I was looking forward to seeing how their workout differs from the Conditioning Class workout. 

When I walked into the gym for the workout, I suddenly felt a bit out of place.  In the gym, doing all sorts of cool-looking TaeKwon-Do moves were kids ranging in age from 9 years to 18 years old!  And they were all dressed in their cool, white TaeKwon-Do outfits and colorful belts!  And there I was, ... a middleaged guy in basketball shorts and a t-shirt.  I was so underdressed for this group of serious, high-kicking, swift-punching group of kids. Then it went from awkward to downright laughable when about 11 girls from the Evergreen High School Girls Soccer Team showed up for the workout.  Now I really felt old and out of place.  Fortunately for me, a few other "elder" members of Nick's Pro Fitness showed up and I didn't feel so out of place.

The TaeKwon-Do workout is significantly different from Nick's Conditioning Class.  First off, they all bow and speak a few Korean phrases to each other.  And there is no shortage of "YES SIR!" and "NO SIR" responses coming from the group like a military unit to their commanding officer. Next, we started running.  Yup.  In the gym.  In wide circles.  No stretching first.  No Evergreen Gossiping amongst the members during Social Stretching.  Just started running.  And after we ran for a while, we changed it up a bit and did sprints!  And then some frog leaps.  Followed by some bear crawls.  And a few other leg-burning exercises, but I don't really remember because my heart was racing so fast, and I was trying too hard to catch my breath to really comprehend what my body was doing.  Needless to say, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the athleticism and energy level of all of the TaeKwon-Do students and the soccer girls.  They were like a bunch of gazelles, sprinting their way across the Serengeti. And I was like the big wildebeest drinking from the muddy river and lumbering along.  (Sorry, I'm watching "Planet Earth" on cable tv as I write this posting!  I LOVE THIS SHOW!!)

I've decided that no matter what fitness class you show up for at Nick's Pro Fitness, they will ALL give you the best workout you can possibly hope for.  Nick's is not a place to go and "be seen", or to just do a few sit-ups and maybe run on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes. This is a place to get in shape, and work your butt off.  No question about it.  Now give Nick's a call, or just make the 20 minute drive up I-70 to the Evergreen Parkway exit.  It is worth it if you are even considering getting in shape, or losing some extra weight.  You will not be disappointed!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 15

DAY 15 

BEN HUR

This morning's workout, Wednesday, marked Day 2 that Nick is away on business.  Mike McMahon ran the workout session on Tuesday night, but this morning was Ben's turn.  Now you need to know (2) things about Ben before I get in to my post: 1) Ben's wife is a yoga instructor, so Ben is more flexible than most men (he, like Nick, can do the splits!); and 2) Ben is in great shape and must be doing Nick's workouts because he's either bored or because he likes to catch up on the Evergreen town gossip that gets discussed during the warm-up stretches!

This morning, like Mike McMahon the night before, Ben was a bit more low-key and relaxed than Nick Kapande who has such an intense energy vibe surrounding him at all times. Ben took his time leading us through our stretches, which is good AND bad for an out-of-shape, unflexible guy like me.  To give you an insight into my stretching abilities, I get really excited when I can bend over and touch my fingers to the floor without bending my knees!  Yup ... it's Miller Time when Jeff can touch his toes.  That was about the extent of my pre-exercise stretching before I joined Nick's Pro Fitness.

For our morning workout, Ben decided that the entire class should have upper arms and shoulders as strong as his are.  We did all types of arm circles, arm extensions, and push-ups.  My shoulders were burning so bad, it was truly hard to keep the pace.  Ben never broke a sweat, the show-off!  Another different to note between Ben and Nick Kapande -- Ben smiles through much of the work-out as if he thinks this is fun and mildly relaxing.  Nick is serious, and takes the workout seriously.  Again, not for better or worse, just a difference in teaching styles.

And again, I was sadly mistaken to think that maybe Ben would take it easy on us this morning while Nick was away.  Nope.  I left the class exhausted and thoroughly spent.  You were a fearsome and admirable foe, Ben, and I salute you.  Figuratively, of course, as because of you ... I can not lift my arms once again.  SO, use your imagination and just pretend that I am saluting you, Ben.  It's ok.  I'll nod in agreement. 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 14

DAY 14 

Nick's Away!

Tonight, Tuesday, was our first class sans Nick Kapande - spirited owner and Fitness Guru!  Nick left for a business trip so fellow Conditioning Class veteran, Mike McMahon, took on the leadership role and took over the reins of leading this fit group of people through an invigorating workout.  And when I say "fit" to describe the group, of course you understand that I am so not including myself in that group.  It is more of a metaphor, really.  But I'm working on it!  It was a different vibe with Mike at the head of the class.  Not better, or worse, just a completely different leadership style!

A few differences to note between Nick and Mike:
1) Nick well tell us towards the end of the workout that he "can't hurt us in just 10 minutes", as he then proceeds to hurt us in remaining 10 minutes of class.  Mike does not make any such claims, but does a great job keeping Nick's fast-paced energy during the class.
2) During an exercise like knuckle push-ups, or leg lifts, Nick yells: "only 10 more! You can do it" ... and then makes us do 20 more for good measure!  Mike counts down and when he gets to 1, he actually stops.
3) Both Nick and Mike do a great job of not only doing the exercises with the class, but also stopping to help those who might not be doing the exercise correctly.  However, Nick then moves you to the front row so he can keep a keen eye on you for the remainder of class!  I find myself in the front row A LOT.  And I don't think it's because Nick likes my witty banter or wants to make idle chat during the workout.  He's all business.
4) Mike can't kick as high as Nick.  Nick's got a pretty impressive side kick!

Yes, despite my frivolous hopes that Nick's absence might mean a bit of a reprieve for us in our workout, those hopes were quickly dashed as Mike settled in to the quick-paced, high intensity workout just as Nick does every day.  A major bummer.  As I told you in my "Day 3" posting, I am a man who looks for the short-cuts without someone standing there to hold me accountable, because short-cuts don't hurt as much!  Mad Mike had his shifty eyes scanning the class the entire time, making sure no one (me) was cheating themselves during the workout.  Curse you and your razor-like eye sight, Mike McMahon!  No rest for the weary this night.  Nick would be proud. 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 13

DAY 13 

PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS AND ... FROG LEAPS?

Over the weekend, fitness legend Jack LaLanne passed away at age 96. Some have called Jack the "founder of fitness", as he was one of the pioneers of physical fitness as we know it today.  Why is this important to you, you ask? Well, because it is important to Nick Kapande, owner of Nick's Pro Fitness, and to celebrate Jack's life, Nick decided to honor his passing with an extensive set of sit-ups and push-ups for the Conditioning Class!

The endless series of varying types of push-ups and sit-ups seemed to last forever!  And with each push of my arms, and contraction of my stomach, my muscles were getting weaker and weaker to the point of exhaustion.  After the fun of push-ups and sit-ups concluded, and arms having melted, it was time for another fun and grueling exercise: frog leaps! This is an exercise where you squat down - butt low and even with your bent knees and arms stretched out in front of you.  With all of the power in your legs, you BURST up and out with your legs while throwing your arms behind you to gain some momentum!  Looks just like a frog jumping, only it hurts a lot more.  You can REALLY feel the burn in your thighs.  Nick decided we should do those for a while.  A rather LONG while!

Needless to say, my morning experience trying to get ready for work was one of an awkward dance that would probably look like I had my arms tied to my sides - just above the elbows - with an invisible rope.  There was nothing left in my shoulders and upper arms.  And my head is located WAY above my shoulders, and a bit out of comfortable reach for my sore arms this morning.  In the shower, as I tried valiantly to shampoo my hair, I found that simple maneuver rather difficult.  At one point, I thought of squeezing the shampoo onto the wall of the shower and just rubbing my head against it.  Same thought crossed my mind for soaping up my back. 

As for combing my hair and using gel in it?  Let's just say that today is a "hat day" for me at the office! It's a good look.  A suit and a hat.  Perhaps I will start a new fashion trend.  Or, maybe not. As I near the middle of Week 3, the soreness I feel never seems to go away.  It just moves around my body, from one muscle group to the next, each day offering up new challenges to completing mundane, everyday tasks.  Like getting ready for work!  However, the results are beginning to show.  I have lost over 6lbs and my clothes are feeling more loose fitting.  And I have moved down a notch in my belts, which is a great feeling.  So far, I am pleased with the results.  No washboard stomach yet, but I'm getting closer!  Pretty soon, I'll walk into the sweatbox (gym) and Nick will call me "The Situation!"  Scratch that.  I don't think Nick has ever seen "The Jersey Shore", let alone owns a tv.  He will simply say: "keep going!"

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

To reach me by email:  jeff.bowers@denverlifemagazine.com

DAY 12

DAY 12 (Saturday) - Nick's Pro Fitness (http://www.nicksprofitness.com/)  Ph: (303) 674-6902

EATING & EXERCISE!

Today's 8:00AM class came quickly after Friday night's tough workout.  It is definately a tight-turn for exercising.  This morning, Nick decided it was time to weigh me again.  Nick's rule is to get weighed ever 3 days to judge your individual progress.  The scale was not good to me.  I went UP .5 lbs.  That's right: a half pound.  I can try and give execuses, like eating a very late dinner after last night's workout, and then a quick fruit shake for breakfast.  But the bottom line is this:  an increase in weight is an increase in weight for Nick.  And that has its own consequences.  In my case, my punishment was (still is) 1,200 mountain climbers.  Good grief!  At this rate, between gaining a half pound and being late for class, I'll be the best damn mountain climber around.

Nick has his own reason for my slight weight gain: not eating enough!  It never occured to me.  Nick and I talked at length about what I am eating and how often I am eating during this Challenge, and he is not happy.  I am only eating breakfast, lunch and dinner.  No in-between meals.  And that is another "no-no" at Nick's.  A huge part of the "6 Week Fitness Challenge" is not only making the commitment, dedication and sacrifice to be at ever single class to get in shape, but also to eat right, and more frequently every day.  Nick wants me to start eating a minimum of five (5) small meals a day of lean protein and vegetables.  By eating the right things (which I was already doing!), but eating MORE FREQUENTLY throughout the day, the weight will drop at an even quicker pace as I train my body's metabolism to get in shape.

I know that everyone else at Nick's already knows this fact.  You can see it by the great shape everyone at Nick's is currently in.  But with my busy, daily schedule of meetings around Denver and not a lot of down time, eating at various times throughout my day is difficult at best! I just don't really feel hungry all the time.  But this is where the sacrifice and dedication comes in to play.  I have to make the time.  I have to find the opportunities to eat the in-between meals in order to be 100% successful in making this positive change in my lifestyle.  Not just for the next six weeks, but for the long-haul.   I owe it to my wife, and to my two young children to be in the best shape of my life and be the best that I can be for them.  By eating!! I never thought a fitness expert and TaeKwon-Do champion would be telling me to "EAT MORE!"  I think I can make that happen.  Why not, right?

This weekend, while I watch the awesome football games on the tv -- GO BEARS! GO STEELERS! -- I will be preparing all of my meals for the week.  Mid-morning snacks, lunches, mid-afternoon snacks, and dinners. That way, they will be ready and convenient for consumption.  I'm looking forward to putting this theory to test with my busy schedule and the Conditioning Classes at Nick's, and my individual goal of losing 20-25lbs in the 6 weeks.

I will keep you posted!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 11

DAY 11 (Friday) - Nick's Pro Fitness (http://www.nicksprofitness.com/) Ph:  (303) 674-6902
Total Weight Loss to date: 6 lbs

TARDINESS!

Today was another first for me during my "6 Week Fitness Challenge" at Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen, CO.  Car trouble!  Yup.  I had what the mechanic told me was a "minor" issue and should only take a few hours to repair and get back on the road.  Unfortunately, the mechanic ran into some unexpected challenges while repairing my vehicle and it wasn't until the very last minute that he informed me I would not have my car back until Saturday!!  "Oh crap!" was my first reaction.  Not because of the additional repairs needed on my car, but at the thought of being LATE for Nick's class -- a HUGE "No-no" at Nick's Pro Fitness. 

I quickly talked Shawn Miller, Publisher of Denver Life Magazine, into letting me take his car so I could race up to Evergreen and try and make it to the scheduled work-out on time.  Unfortunately, traffic delayed my arrival by 45 minutes.  As I approached Nick's Pro Fitness, the thought did occur to me to just skip the workout and make it to Saturday morning's class.  Well, that thought lasted about 2 minutes until I remembered just how Nick handles those who are either late, or miss altogether, one of his classes.  Lots, and lots, and lots of kick-backs, mountain climbers, bear crawls, or whatever he is in the mood for at the time.  And they are NO FUN at all! 

I walked in a good 50 minutes late, with still 40 minutes left to go in the workout, and sure enough ... Nick gave me 300 mountain climbers right away for being late, and then told me to join the intense cardio going on.  Let me tell you that just in the 40 minutes alone, the exhaustion and burning in my legs was enough to know I had made the right choice.

This is one of the things Nick preaches to all of his members almost on a daily basis: Commitment and Dedication. It takes 100% commitment and dedication to want to change your life. To want to improve your health and get the most out of your life.  It takes commitment and dedication to know that, even when running 45 minutes late, it is far better to still show up and do as much as you can with the remainder of the time, than to just "skip it" and try and make up that time tomorrow.  As Nick says: "There are no short cuts to good health.  There are no do-overs in life.  There is only today." 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 10

DAY 10 - Nick's Pro Fitness (http://www.nicksprofitness.com/) Ph: (303) 769-6267

WAX ON!  WAX OFF!

This morning's workout saw a particularly small class, as compared to the usual large group of members who show up for a great early morning workout.  There were only 12 of us on this cold, snowy morning.  As a result, Nick decided to change things up a bit ... (Editor's Note: EVERY day is completely different at Nick's) ... and we did circuit training again.  This time, however, our workout had a psuedo"Karate Kid" type of feel too it that involved push-ups, pull-ups, and round-out kicks that were much more difficult to do in person than they look on tv.  I felt like "Danielson" training for the big karate match, and Nick Kapande was our "Mr. Miyagi, only not as old and without the Asian accent.  Same height, maybe.  I've never met the actor, Pat Morita, so I can not accurately portray the comparison.  Just use your imagination!

Unfortunately, Nick did not make any cool, creative comparisons between the moves were doing and everyday house-hold chores to really send the message home, like the iconic: "Wax on; Wax off!" comparison to a karate block.  Nope.  Nick is all business.  It was a simple: "You will kick like this!  Do it right the first time, and MAKE IT COUNT!"  Oh well, it was still a fun and challenging workout this morning that got the blood pumping and my shoulders burning.  It would have been great if Nick handed us all headbands with a Korean flag on it, just to complete the mood.  But that would not be Nick's style.  And we, as a group, would have probably gotten a bit out of control with laughter and goofing around.  On second thought, Nick may be brighter and more cunning than I previously gave him credit for!  It's as if he has been doing this sort of high-intensity training thing for the past 29 years, or so!  Hmm?  Food for thought.

Today, I feel great.  My body is starting to respond and I can definately feel a change occuring in my energy level and my overall well-being.  I hope you are enjoying reading my postings as much as I enjoy writing them.  Please do not hesitate to write me with any questions or comments.  I would love to hear from you.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 9

DAY 9 - Nick's Pro Fitness (www.nicksprofitness.com) Ph: 303.679.6267


WAKEY, WAKEY!


Wednesdays and Thursdays are early morning workouts at Nick's Pro Fitness. The Fitness Conditioning Class runs from 6 a.m.- 7:30 a.m. It takes a new level of dedication and commitment to wake up in the early morning hours, in the dark and cold, and gather the will to head on down to Nick's to get your butt whipped into shape. And it never ceases to amaze me just how many of Nick's members do it! There were a lot of people in this morning's class, all ready for the intense workout to follow.



This morning was a first for me! NOPE ... no washboard tummy yet (because I know that is what first popped into your mind). No, it was a cramp. A CRAMP, for crying out loud. In my lower left calf, as we were jumping rope. I have not had a muscle cramp in years, and it still hurts more than anything else going on. Luckily for me, Nick showed compassion and let me quit the jumprope exercise. "Great!" I thought. Until Nick then informed me that I would be doing a series of mountain climbers, kick-backs and knee presses instead! "Thanks, Nick. Thank you for that. I feel great. Totally winded, exhausted and shakey ... but, great."


And, as one of my fellow members looked back and must have seen the anguished look on my face, simply demanded of me:  "SMILE JEFF!"


They are a happy and upbeat morning crowd at Nick's. Even without a Coffee or Scone in hand. My fellow Conditioning Class members are always positive and ready to help out. As I have said before, Nick's truly is an enjoyable place to get in shape.


Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 8

DAY 8 - Nick's Pro Fitness (http://www.nicksprofitness.com/)  Ph; (303) 679-6267

Keep Smiling!

I must apologize for my delay in getting this Posting out, regarding DAY 8 of my "6 Week Challenge"!  You see, only now can I actually keep my arms in place without them getting fatigued and falling back to down to my sides.  Nick was in a "playful" mood last night, and gave us one heckuva workout.  I realize that I am using the descriptive words: "intense", "grueling", "exhausting", and "painful" all too frequently in my daily posts.  The only excuse I can provide to you, my readers, is: YOU DO IT!!  These are the exact feelings I experience on a daily basis at Nick's Conditioning Class. 

It is encouraging, and freakishly scary at the same time, that every one of Nick's members who are partaking in the Conditioning Class are absolutely spent by the end of the workout.  Even those who have been working out with Nick for several years are exhausted by the end of the 90-minute session!  And they're seasoned veterans.  So, I am glad to know that is not just me who is doing everything I can to keep up, and not throw up in class (last night, I did have the dreaded gag-reflex a few times, but was able to keep my composure).

The Good News:  This has been an incredible eight days, so far.  I am beginning to see a noticable change in my body, and the workouts - though tough and not for the faint of heart - are beginning to feel more comfortable.  I can see that this is going to be a truely life-changing moment for me going forward.

The Bad News:  Nick is beginning to notice as well, and that acts as a catalyst for him to start picking on my technique and notice whenever my body gives out and I have to take a quick breather!  "KEEP GOING, JEFF! BREATHE, AND KEEP MOVING!  NO SHORT CUTS ALLOWED IN MY CLASS, JEFF!"  I hear him yell from the front of the gym. 

That voice is going to start ringing in my head and bring about nightmares as my weeks continue, I just know it.  For now, though, my philosophy and attitude are upbeat and whenever I hear Nick call me out -- I just SMILE!  And that annoying song that Dory sings from the Disney movie "Finding Nemo" pops into my head for the duration of my workout: 
"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LAH! Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming"!!! 

And now it's stuck in your head, isn't it?  I love it.

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

DAY 7

DAY 7 - Nick's Pro Fitness (http://www.nicksprofitness.com/)  Ph: (303) 674-6902
(DAY 6 was folded in to DAY 5 – in case you were wondering!  It was a Saturday morning class.)

Going in to tonight's workout, after having ALL of Sunday off from exercising, it almost felt like I had been on vacation!  It was such a refreshing feeling not to be so sore.  However, and this still surprises even me, it also felt good to get back into the hot gym.  After spending a relaxing and sedintary Sunday on the couch watching those AWESOME football games on tv (GO BEARS! GO STEELERS!), my body was actually ready to get back to the exercise routine.  It is difficult for me to explain, but I felt a slight tinge of sluggishness today without having had any rigorous movement for 1 1/2 days. Crazy, I know. 

Perhaps, and don't tell Nick Kapande this, but just perhaps ... he may be on to something.  That once you have given your body a taste of intense physical activity, and endured several days of grueling workouts that involve every muscle in your body, you almost start to miss it! The adrenaline and the rush of the workout becomes sort of intoxicating. SORT OF!!! I am not going to get too far ahead of myself here.  I am hungry and dillusional.

It is ONLY Day 7, of course, and I have not had anything more than a meager salad for lunch at 11:30AM today so my mind may be playing tricks on me.  I am so not ready to call myself "addicted" to this grinding 90-minute Conditioning Class, six days a week, just yet. Tonight's workout was a punishing stomach and chest workout that has left my shoulders achey, and my stomach tight. (No washboard tummy yet, though! I check everyday in the mirror for it.)  I can't wait to try and sit-up in bed tomorrow morning!! That should prove for some laughs. Although, I must say, I have become quite skilled at the art of rolling out of bed and landing on my feet.  It's a bit trickier than it sounds, my friends. Give it a try!

CONGRATULATIONS to the Evergreen High School Girls Soccer Team!  They have also joined Nick's "6 Week Fitness Conditioning Class" to gain a HUGE competitive advantage over the other schools in their conference.  They were right there in the class tonight, doing their best to keep up and complete all of Nick's exercises without complaint or despair.  They did awesome tonight. 

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

Day 5

Total Weight Loss in 5 days: 4lbs

"ATOMIC FRIDAY!"

Unfortunately, “Atomic Friday” does NOT signify a platter of Hot Buffalo Wings and iced-cold refreshments waiting for us after the Conditioning Class, as I had truly and sincerely hoped for when I heard the term. I know what you’re thinking now: Total Let Down!

 This post is going to be a first for us: You (the reader) and Me (the writer), so just go with it! In order for you to completely understand what I am currently enduring today, as I write this post, I am going to involve a concept called: “Audience Participation."  Right now, Stand Up wherever you are while reading this post. Go ahead and do it. Just stand up.  (I’ll wait…)

Now that you are standing, I want you to FLEX your quadricep muscles (your thighs) as hard and as much as you can possibly muster. I mean it. I want you to stiffen those legs right up! Lock your knees in place. Make it so that you feel like your thighs could literally BURST right off of your bones. Ok ... HOLD THE FLEX! HOLD IT! HOLD IT! By now, your legs should start to shake or tremble a little. It’s a weird and uncomfortable feeling, I know.

WHILE STILL FLEXING YOUR THIGHS, I want to you try and take a few steps. That’s right! Without letting go of the flex, try walking around in a small circle. A bi-product of this little maneuver is that your butt will automatically, without your control or desire, tighten up and clinch up on its own! You look, and feel, like a complete DORK while doing this exercise, don’t you? Totally. I know this because … WELCOME TO MY WORLD, this morning! Except that, for me anyway, the extreme tightness is completely involuntary and out of my control. That’s right. I have no control whatsoever of my thighs this morning, and they are burning! My legs are so sore and trembly.

And here’s the worst (best) part:  I am stuck on the couch. No, really. It all started when I went to get out of bed this morning. My mind said “yes”, but my thighs said “You’re kidding, right?” And thus began the most painful, goofy-looking, combination walk-shuffle sort of contrite movement that lasted entirely too long; took WAY too much energy and concentration; and has lasted even through this morning’s workout. Finally, I am back home and sitting on my couch where I have given up completely and collapsed – with beads of sweat on my forehead. Not pretty. Any sort of leg movement whatsoever brings obnoxious pain and the beginnings of a leg cramp. I’ll be ok, in case you suddenly got worried. I have my laptop here, obviously, and I have the TV remote sitting next to me so I will be able to watch the great football games this weekend from this position right here. On the couch. I’ll be fine. Besides, not only does Pizza Hut deliver (SALAD, in case Nick Kapande is reading this), but you can order online (SALAD. Again, just in case Nick sees this) and you can pay online. Right from the comfort of your couch and laptop. Bonus!

My next concern and steadily growing dilemma: the bathroom is WAAAAAAYYYYY far away. In another room. And there are no Assist Handles to help me get up in my bathroom. Just smooth, plastered walls. CURSE YOU SMOOTH PLASTERED WALLS!!

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

Day 4

Rocky Balboa  (I currently resemble Paulie more than I do Rocky, but I'm working on it!)

This morning, Nick Kapande, decided to change things up a bit. Today, we did a workout reminiscent of one of the best feel-good movies ever made: "Rocky." A true American classic that we all know and love. Who didn't want to be like Rocky at one point in their lives? Our "Rocky" workout involved a 45-minute rotating circuit of: jump rope, speed & power punches on the punching bag, sit-ups, lunges with a medicine ball, pull-ups and dips! Unfortunately, there were no iconic horns blaring the "Rocky" theme song to really set the tone and pace of our workout, or Survivor belting out "Eye of the Tiger" on the loud speakers to really get your heart pumping and feel like you too could be getting ready to fight Apollo Creed or Clubber Lang! Nope. This is 2011. We had to listen to the Black Eyed Peas and Kesha (really?) to get us moving. What is THAT all about?!

The best word to describe my overall workout experience this morning is this: TEAMWORK! We have all had to push ourselves to limits we never thought possible, and then motivate ourselves to continue pushing even further. Even Rocky had Mickey there to push him and show him how to train correctly! I will be the first to tell you that without Mickey around to hold me accountable in the gym, I look for the shortcuts because they won't hurt as much. In our "Rocky" workout this morning, Nick found muscles to abuse I haven't felt in years. And it was only with the help and constant encouragement from some of Nick's "veteran" members that I was able to make it through today.

I need to take this opportunity to thank my own versions of "Mickey" today. Ed Bischoff (Ed has lost 20lbs in his few short months at Nick's to date); Mike McMahon (Mike drives up to Evergreen everyday from Denver just to work out with Nick); and Eric Shaw (Eric joined Nick after his wife lost 20lbs and called Eric out on a dare!). It is people like these 3 guys who make Nick's Pro Fitness such a great place to workout. They didn't have to help me out. They didn't have to take the time away from their own exercise time with Nick to make sure I was doing everything Nick asked -- and doing it RIGHT! But they did it because everyone in Nick's Conditioning Class has been there before. And they genuinely want to see each other succeed. Nick's Pro Fitness is a very cool, very personable place to work out and the pain you experience is only a small bi-product of the ultimate goal:  To Lose Weight and Get in Shape. Thank you Ed, Mike and Eric. I really could not have done it without your help today.

Thank you for reading.

Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

Day 3

I know what you're thinking: "Already?"  Believe it. I know I just posted "Day 2" last night, but that's how Nick Kapande rolls. No rest for the ... um ... No rest for this guy!! (I think that's how the saying goes.)

Today's posting revolves around the single most powerful part of your body:  The Mind. Your mind is truly an amazing tool when put to use. Your success, and your failure, rests solely on the power of your mind. It can control you; it can make your body do things you never thought possible. And it is an effective weapon when put to the test. Today's work-out brought the power of the mind to the forefront of my challenge, like never before. I'd like to introduce you to four key elements that came into play during this morning's grueling, muscle-straining work-out. (The hardest one to date ... in 3 days).

CONCENTRATION: The dictionary defines "concentration" as: intense mental application; complete attention; the act or process of concentrating with undivided attention.

WILL-POWER: The dictionary defines "will power" as: the strength of will (or mind) to carry out one's decisions, wishes or actions.

ADVERSITY: The dictionary defines "adversity" as: distress, affliction, hardship; an unfortunate event or incident to overcome.

GAG REFLEX: The dictionary defines "gag reflex" as: normal reflex consisting of retching; an automatic instinctive uncontrollable reaction to a stimulus.

It took all of the Concentration and Will-Power I had to overcome the Adversity and the Gag Reflex I experienced at several times during my work-out with Nick this morning. It was all I could do to keep from losing my stomach on Nick's dark green carpeted floor in the sweatbox he calls a "gym". The good news is this:  My mind is a powerful and wonderful tool when faced with such adversity and I came away from this morning's class with my integrity ... and my breakfast ... still intact. You're a noble and persistent foe, Nick Kapande, and I applaud your efforts to whip me into shape. Until tomorrow morning, you all may find me firmly planted in my desk chair at the office as any sort of physical movement whatsoever may set off a chain of events you won't necessarily want to bear witness too.

Thank you for reading this, and for your words of support.  I sincerely appreciate it.

Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

Day 2

1st Thoughts: Only Day 2? Good grief. And I don't have a washboard stomach yet. This process is taking entirely too long for me.

I don't mean for these first 2 postings to be about my car, but I do have to send my sincerest regards to the master engineers at GM who developed such wonderful amenities for middle-aged, out-of-shape men like me.  You see, this morning was a little tough on my legs after last night's work-out, and they would not stop trembling when put to use.  This was most noticeable while driving. I tried my best to break and accelerate in a smooth, easy manner. That was not happening. Had the police been anywhere near my neighborhood this morning, they would have pulled me over for reckless driving or suspicion of drunk driving. I was slamming on the breaks at every stop sign, and then literally flooring it at acceleration. Try as I might, I just could not make a smooth breaking motion, or acceleration. And with the snow, I was all over the place - even in 4-Wheel Drive.

Bring on the wonderful Cruise Control - conveniently located right there on the steering wheel for sore arms - with the ability to accelerate ... AND decelerate ... at the click of a button! Bless you GM engineers. Bless you. That is how I managed to drive all the way to the office this morning. With my thumbs!

Tonight's work-out was tough. And Hot. Nick Kapande, our motivational leader, was so proud of getting the heat in the gym fixed. Apparently, last night's work-out was not hot enough! Nick likes a warm gym to keep us moving. So far, I am doing okay even at 9 PM. Here's the kicker though ... tomorrow's class (DAY 3) begins at 6 AM.

Who signed me up for this? Perhaps Nick will offer us snacks and refreshments for the morning class. Like bagels and coffee. That may be just wishful thinking on my part. I will be sure to let you know.

Thank you for reading this.

Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

Day 1

The Person:  Jeffrey Bowers, Director of Advertising Sales for Denver Life Magazine
My Vitals - Age: 36 years old;  Height: 5' 9";  Weight: 209lbs;  Body Fat index: 34% ... not good.

The Place:  Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen, CO  (www.nicksprofitness.com)

First Impression:  Upon entering the gym where Nick's "Conditioning Class" takes place at the club, I immediately notice that there are no flashy, neon lights. There is no bass-thumping music blaring over the speakers. There are no brightly-colored stepping platforms or giant blow-up balls sitting around the perimeter. There are NO shoes or socks allowed on the floor (I quickly adapt and leave my brand new, bright white Adidas socks and new Brooks Cross-Trainer shoes outside the door like a rookie!). And there is definitely no high-energy, happy-go-lucky, pony-tailed instructor with a headset microphone standing on a pedestal and leading the class! Nope. This is a serious room with white walls and dark green carpet. And it is HOT! Nick keeps the room around 92 degrees for optimal muscle performance, I guess. Or it's just to make us sweat more. Either way, it is very easy to sweat in there. There are large, mosaic tile tablets with inspirational sayings hanging high on the walls (albeit in a foreign language, but I'm sure they're inspirational!!). And there is Nick Kapande. Dressed in black shorts and a black tank top, Nick is the leader of the group. Nick is 48 years old, in incredible shape and is all business.

Results of Day 1:  As I write this post, my arms and legs are shaky and my stomach muscles are completely non-existent. It is already 2 1/2 hours AFTER the completion of the workout! Instead of just hopping out of my car with gusto when I got home, I had to kind of roll out of the car slowly and uneasily and use hand-grips I never knew existed on the door frame. Thank you, GM...you are my hero tonight. As for the diverse group of people who have also voluntarily signed up for this grueling class, the one word that best describes them is: LOYAL. These people are some of the most dedicated and disciplined individuals I have ever seen at a health club. A large majority of these people have been coming to Nick's for several years! On purpose, no less. And it shows. They are inspirational to work out with, and to watch...which I was able to do frequently when my muscles were burning too much to continue the long sets of each exercise. Every one in that class has a positive attitude and they want each other to succeed. They will become my best support group, and I will need them over the next six weeks as I take on this challenge to lose body fat and get in shape.

Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine