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 | TFC Success Story |
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Joyce Hoffman
On December 29, 2009, I experienced my first workout at The Fitness Circuit. I was at the heaviest weight of my life, a size XL/1X/16-18, leading a mostly sedentary existence consisting of going to a desk job for eight hours a day, coming home to prepare dinner, sitting on the couch for most of the evening, and going to bed. I was being treated for high blood pressure and had been a long-term migraine sufferer. I had struggled with my weight all my life and had recently lost my mother, who suffered from congestive heart failure.
At my first workout, I was unable to do even one push-up. I couldn't get my legs out from underneath my body to do one squat thrust. Rowing? Jumping rope? Almost impossible. But I knew I had to do something, and I felt mentally ready to do it, I just needed the right kind of help.
From the very first day, I felt that I was on the right track. I found the people around me?fellow members?to be very supportive. I felt that as owners, Scott and Chanel were really concerned about how I was doing, and that as coaches, Scott and Missy?and later on, Roberta?were very knowledgeable and knew how to push me in a challenging way without ever making me feel inferior or self-conscious.
From January 4 to the end of March, I lost 17 pounds and dropped a little more than a size. By July 4, I had lost 35 pounds and dropped another size. By the end of August, I was nearly 50 pounds lighter. As of December 1, I have lost over 60 pounds and am pretty consistently in a size 8. I feel great!
Somewhere along the line, I noticed that I wasn't having migraines. Wow! I saw my doctor about halfway through the calendar year and was taken off my blood pressure medicine. Wow again! I am consistently in a better mood, have increased confidence in myself, enjoy better quality sleep, and I have better balance, strength and endurance for carrying out everyday tasks. Wow once more!
The Fitness Circuit did more than help me lose weight. I learned the importance of setting meaningful goals, learned valuable lessons about nutrition, and learned to appreciate the joy of leading an active, healthy lifestyle. From that inner joy has emerged a greater capacity to love others, be a better wife and friend, be more productive at work, and be a more open and giving person. I'm truly excited about what the future holds and am thankful that The Fitness Circuit has helped me get to this healthier, stronger, leaner place in my journey through life!
John Clark
State College, PA – September 23, 2010 - For John Clark, recently retired associate professor of meteorology from Penn State University, challenge is still what he’s looking for in an exercise program. That may not seem out of the ordinary until you consider that John is 70 years old. But exercise is no stranger to him; he completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 1994, and is a daily runner at the Blue & White golf course on Penn State’s campus.
Together, with his wife Karen, his daily boot camp workout consist of lunges, ring push ups, stability ball crunches among many other types of atypical, functional movements. But why would a man of 70 years choose such an intense fitness program? Aside from the fact that Karen is also a member, John wanted to become more “completely fit.” He agrees that the workouts are difficult, but that he wanted to strengthen his core and back and his classes at The Fitness Circuit do just that, and more. He’s more flexible, stronger and says he really enjoys the camaraderie. “Everyone seems to like each other and it’s not a competitive environment,” John says of the comfortable class atmosphere. Men and women, 20’s and 70’s, it’s a welcoming place to be.
Waking up early every morning to get to his 6:30am class on time, is the only thing he says he could do without. In a fitness program with some half his age, John chooses weights that are appropriate and sometimes asks the instructor for a few modifications, but all-in-all, John is fully participating in a rigorous, daily boot camp class. “I’ve never come home and said, ‘I wish I had stayed in bed,’” instead, John says, after class he feels energized for the rest of the day. “Working out on my own, I can sometimes get tired and quit, but while at The Fitness Circuit I have Scott (one of his instructors) cracking the whip. I enjoy the challenge.”
When asked what liked best about his class, he couldn’t put his finger on one particular thing, but said that he’s stronger, has better posture and just “feels overall better,” and at 70, that’s valuable!
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