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
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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
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
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
Friday, February 18, 2011
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
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
Thursday, February 17, 2011
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
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
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
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
Sunday, February 13, 2011
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
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
Friday, February 11, 2011
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
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
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
Thursday, February 10, 2011
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
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
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
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
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
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
Thursday, February 3, 2011
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
"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 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
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
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
