Skip to main content

Bicep curls, Beards, and Boobs

Marty and I discussed checking out Crunch in Garwood and had some errands to run yesterday, so we decided to put on our workout clothes and pop over after we were done. When we arrived, we stood at the front desk, scanning the room while patiently waiting for someone to acknowledge our existence. In our opinion, if a potential member is not greeted within the first 10 seconds, it is one second too long. We were finally greeted by Jacklyn, a warm, upbeat 25-year-old woman.  Jacklyn's personality made us quickly forget how long we were waiting. "Are you guys being helped?" she asked. We answered appropriately. "Have you guys ever belonged to a gym before?" was the next question. We paused for a moment, looked at each other as if we were dreaming, and finally answered with, "We own a gym."

Her confusion quickly turned into empathy when we explained that our brand new gym was destroyed by a fire last Saturday. As she showed us around the facility, she gave us encouraging words that we would be up and running again soon and to stay positive. She told us Crunch would be the perfect place for us to workout until we open again. We finished the tour and got our day pass to stay for a workout.

As we started warming up, we stared at each other once again and at that moment realized we were both fighting back the tears. It finally hit us; our place was really gone. After a year of meticulously planning every detail from designing the space, educating ourselves on every aspect of the business, taking seminars, extensively researching the best equipment appropriate for our business model, and getting our systems in place, it was gone overnight. We had only been up and running for three months, were gaining momentum, and now we were at Crunch. As we powered through our workout emotionally and physically, we realized that this was not the place for us. Watching young people with cut off sleeves doing bicep curls in the mirror was the kind of place we could not go back to or be associated with. While we were getting through our deadlifts and push-ups, Marty asked me why so many of the guys had beards. I remembered hearing our son Nick talking about No shave November so without hesitation, I declared, "It's No-Shave November"! He responded, "Is that really a thing"? We both shook our heads. We were missing our middle-aged gym.

I don't have to explain the boobs, and needless to say, we will not be joining Crunch, but it did serve 2 purposes. One, we got our workout in, and two, it made us realize why our members love it at Active Life Fitness; we are the place to be for the 40 and over crowd who want to be greeted warmly within 9 seconds, who are looking for a quality program designed around their goals and needs, run by fitness coaches with 25 years of combined experience that are meticulous about exercise technique, and will always keep you safe. We will be back!






Active Life Fitness Personal Trainers & Gym
94 North Ave, Garwood, NJ 07027
(908) 389-8009

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Keep a Food Diary?

Studies show that when people journal their food intake, they are more likely to succeed with fat loss goals. When it comes to keeping a food log, though, most people are not sold. So, what's holding you back?   When we ask clients to share their journals with us, we don't care whether or not you have been "perfect".  Our job is to help, not judge. W e don't go home at night, and then entertain ourselves reading about the 26.2 cookies you ate last week. Helping you is our life's work, and we want you to succeed.   People tend to think they should hand in an exemplary journal with pristine line items of strictly portioned meals. Yes, we want to see the good, but we also want to see the bad and the ugly. No perfect people allowed! Together we can make little changes that add up to big successes. I recently had a conversation with an ALF member who confessed to attacking a bag of trail mix the night before. I told her that she can still attack the trail mix but m
Post a Comment
Read more

Can less sleep cause weight gain?

The Siblings Who Refused to Go to Bed: Leptin and Ghrelin Leptin and Ghrelin are hormones. These cute little guys are from the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system is the system in our bodies responsible for controlling our appetites! That is worth repeating. The neuroendocrine system is responsible for managing our appetites. (Ever notice that when you are sleep deprived, you crave carbs? Read on...) Leptin tells our brain, "Ok, I am good to go. I am full. I don't need any more food right now." Leptin tells us when we are satisfied - commonly called the satiety factor. However, when we are sleep deprived, Leptin is decreased. In short, less sleep equals a decrease in food being able to satisfy us, which leads to overeating and weight gain. Ghrelin signals our caloric needs. Ghrelin tells us when to eat and how much to eat. Lack of sleep increases Ghrelin, thereby increasing the need to eat more. Decreases in Leptin and increases in Ghrelin, caused by sleep lo
Post a Comment
Read more

How I Met My Mentor

My desire to help others become strong and fit started as a member of The Westfield Area Y. I wanted other people to experience what had happened to me - my body becoming fitter was helping my mind become stronger and my self-confidence to soar. The Y also gave me a sense of belonging. I loved the people there, and I felt valued.  As I became more comfortable in the classes and the weight room, I got to know the Fitness Director, Jean White, pictured here. A petite woman with a huge heart and an even bigger smile. She saw something in me and encouraged me to get certified. I laughed it off but did enjoy the attention - I was flattered.  The laughing turned into kicking and screaming when I realized that my desire to be in the fitness world was stronger than my fear of getting up in front of a crowd (hence the kicking and screaming). I had to do this - not for her, but for me. Jean  planted a seed in my heart that grew and pulled me straight into the world of fitness.   Months passed by
Post a Comment
Read more