Dance to the Music

Personal Trainer Gavin Sullivan dances to Frank Sinatra's "The Lady is a Tramp" with client Mark Gregor. "He forgets about trying to take a step and just reacts to the music," said Gavin. "He's moving without realizing it." Mark is working to increase his functional mobility as part of his recovery from brain cancer. 

Rep Ranges

By Raquel "Rocky" Herron, BS, NASM-CPT

"Ok, but how many?" I hear this question quite often, and it's a legitimate question. The issue of how many repetitions you should do with a particular exercise can be frustrating, especially for new exercisers. The very first thing to establish is your goal: do you want stronger, more powerful muscles, bigger muscles, increased muscular endurance, or all of it (I hope you said all of it!)?  Let's look at what each of these goals are all about and how you can get there. For this article, I not only used my brain power, but I have also incorporated some information from trainer/author David Dellavane, who owns The Movement Minneapolis in the Twin Cities. Got to give credit where credit is due!

What does it mean to be strong and powerful? Basically being strong is all about muscle fiber recruitment. The more muscles fibers you can recruit, let's say in your legs, the more you should be able to squat. When you increase your muscle fiber recruitment, you increase your strength. Power is basically being able to move something fast with force, which can be seen in Olympic lifts like power cleans. To be stronger and more powerful requires a low rep range, anywhere from 1-5 reps, which means heavy loads are being moved, often very close to the maximum amount of weight you can lift for a particular exercise, think 85-100% of 1RM (one-rep max).  While this rep range may not appeal to many of you, it does have it's place in strength training, especially with athletes and the occasional Pearce Stronger!

Hypertrophy is just a fancy way of saying increase in muscle size. When your goal is to increase the size of your muscles, there's a rep range for that! Generally, we see the hypertrophy range being anywhere from 6-12 reps, usually closer to the 10-12 than the 6-rep range. For those of you who want to know the percentages, this means anywhere from 70-85% of 1RM. More muscle is a good thing! It's metabolically active, burns more calories when you're at rest, and it takes up less space! It gives great shape to your body and helps you complete tasks with greater ease. 

The last component to discuss is muscular endurance. Endurance is the ability to do something over and over again without fatigue. We all know that individual who can do box jumps or push-ups or lunges in group exercise over and over again. This is due to muscular endurance. It's also easy to spot when someone lacks endurance as they fatigue very quickly. If endurance is your goal, then the intensity, i.e. the load or weight that you're using, has to decrease to about 60-70% of 1RM. This rep range is anywhere from 13-20+. 

So what do you do with all of this information? Your desired goal will dictate which rep range you will work in, but I encourage you to engage in all of them. For me personally, I work in all of these rep ranges in any given week. I may pick a big exercise like squats and never go over 5 repetitions, but I'll do 10-15 repetitions with lunges or box jumps and this can easily change based on what I need to work on. I believe this has helped with my overall fitness and I believe it can help you as well. When you're ready to tackle some heavier weight and find your inner strong man/woman, find one of us trainers to make sure your form and set-up are on track, as safety is number one in the gym. Be strong; be powerful!  Happy lifting! 

Food for Thought

By Raquel "Rocky" Herron, BS, NASM-CPT

Over the past couple of months, I have discussed various topics including New Year's resolutions, motivation, and common fitness myths. Now it's time for a short talk about nutrition. Before I begin, please note that I am NOT registered dietitian, nor am I a certified nutritionist. The beliefs I have regarding food are my own personal beliefs, but I know I'm not alone, as many fitness professionals feel the same about food. While I would love to go into detail with regard to food and nutrition, I actually do want my readers to finish this article so I'm merely going to skim the surface of a vast and interesting topic.

Simplicity. It's a beautiful word when it comes to food. Keep it simple! I'm talking about simple, natural, whole foods. When I say natural foods, I'm referring to foods that you can pick, hunt, gather, and grow. Apples, bananas, avocados, walnuts, broccoli, whole milk, coconut oil, pastured butter, free-range chicken and grass-fed beef are all examples of simple, natural foods. It's important to stay away from processed foods as much as possible, and by processed I mean foods that you cannot replicate in your own kitchen such as heavily processed baked goods. Don't rely on pseudo or false foods for your nutrition, such as boxed "diet" food or fat-free "healthy" protein cookies. Often times these so called "healthy" foods have fat removed only to have sugar used as a substitute. Try to eat foods in their most natural state, an apple instead of an apple cereal bar or full-fat Greek yogurt instead of chemically enhanced diet yogurt. Look for products that have five ingredients or less. A key tip for eating healthy is to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store, as that's where all the fresh fruits, veggies, and meats are found. 

Now that you have an idea about what to eat, let’s talk about how much to eat. Portion control is not a fun topic and I cringe as I sit here and write this. The truth is we all want to have our cake and eat it too, but we have to be mindful of our food choices and portions. Our nutritional needs are largely based on our gender and our lifestyles. Highly active people require more calories than sedentary people.  However, you cannot out-exercise a poor diet! Many people assume that if they exercise that they can eat anything they want, but that's not the case for most people. One of my favorite ways to explain portion size is the hand. Your protein serving should be the size of your palm, your carbohydrate (starch) portion the size of one cupped hand, your vegetable serving the size of two cupped hands, and your healthy fat serving the size of your thumb. I understand that this might be over or under for some individuals, but it provides a basic portion control system. I believe this way simplifies portion control and eliminates the need for measuring or weighing food. 

Personal Trainer Raquel "Rocky" Herron

Holiday Weight Loss Challenge

25th Anniversary Fall Fitness Frenzy at Pearce

Pearce Community Center will host Fall Fitness Frenzy Monday, September 14 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. This special event includes six 30-minute group exercise classes, the re-opening of the renovated Pearce Strong cross training room, the introduction of Kids Zumba class, drawings, prizes, and discounts.

Free access to the public to six of the most popular group exercise classes will be available. Try the TRX Suspension Training from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the front gym; Beginner Hip Hop from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the back gym; Spinning® from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Spinning® room; and Kick Fit from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.; RIP from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.; and Yoga from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. all in the Aerobics Studio. During each class, the instructor will give all participants a ticket to enter into a drawing for three months of free membership at Pearce.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Pearce Strong room will take place at 4:00 p.m. After the ceremony, Pearce Strong instructor Gavin Sullivan will offer free cross training and personal consultation until 7:00 p.m. Registration will also be accepted for the program at the new reduced price of $60 per month for Pearce Foundation members; $75 per month for Pearce members; and $100 per month for non-members. Register for unlimited months by October 14 and receive 20 percent off. In addition, Pearce Strong registrations during the Fall Fitness Frenzy will receive a free $10 voucher to apply to any Pearce Strong purchase.

The new Kids Zumba class will be introduced during the Fall Fitness Frenzy as well. Class demonstration and registration will be available from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. on the stage. Children age six to 12 are invited to participate in the demonstration. Parents must sign a release form. All participants will be entered into a drawing for a free birthday party package at Pearce. Registration will be accepted for the fall Kids Zumba class each Monday from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. September 21 through November 9. Kids Zumba is open to children ages six to 12. The cost of the eight-week session is $18 for Pearce Foundation members; $20 for Pearce members; and $24 for non-members. Space is limited to 15 children. 

Exercise Myths Part 1

By Megan Rupiper, MS, Certified Personal Trainer

Megan Rupiper

Many people read articles in a magazine or on the Internet searching for ways to maximize their gym time. Unfortunately, much of this information is misleading. The following are some common exercise myths you may hear or see every day in the gym.

Myth #1 - "Women should not lift heavy weights, it will make them bulky."

Women say they do not want to lift heavy weights because they are afraid of having big, bulky muscles. The truth is it is very difficult for women to have large, bulky muscles.  Women and men's bodies do not respond the same way to weight training. Women do not have the same hormones as men do. Men's high levels of testosterone allow them to bulk up easily. 

With this in mind, women should not be afraid to grab a heavier set of weights. There are many benefits worth considering. Lifting heavy weights can help improve a woman's bone density. Women are more susceptible to developing osteoporosis later in life than men. When lifting weights, the muscles put a good stress on the bones, which in turn will help strengthen them. Stronger bones can lead to fewer fractures or injuries in the event of a fall as you age. 

Another benefit to lifting heavy weights is a toned physique. To accomplish this goal, women need to lift a weight that is heavy, in a repetition range of 8-12. Once you reach your goal for repetitions in a set, you should not be able to accomplish any more repetitions--the weight should be that challenging. If your final few repetitions were easy, then the weight was too easy. On the next set of repetitions, you should increase your weights. Keeping a workout journal can help keep track of the weights you accomplished in previous workouts.  Working with the same weight without making any changes will result in a plateau of your results. 

Furthermore, lifting heavy weights builds confidence. The feeling of empowerment that results from having a strong body is worth the time in the gym. Being able to easily accomplish your daily tasks, such as keeping up with active children, doing household chores, work-related tasks, or any other physical activity you encounter throughout your day, is a great benefit to lifting heavy weights.

Myth # 2 - "No pain, no gain."

For decades, people have exercised with the idea of "no pain, no gain". If you weren't in pain after your workout it was not effective. The truth is there is a difference between pain and soreness resulting from a workout. Some muscle soreness can be expected following a workout, especially if you are new to exercising. With a consistent exercise routine, you should no longer experience this muscle soreness after your workouts. 

To go along with this idea of "no pain, no gain" your workout should not cause pain while you are doing it. If an exercise is painful you may be doing it incorrectly or you may not be ready for it.  If the exercise is causing you pain while doing it, stop and modify it. If this is ineffective, find an alternative option. If you have pain routinely following your workout, you may benefit from meeting with the personal trainers at Pearce Community Center to make sure you are performing exercises correctly and safely.

Myth #3-"You need to stretch!"

We've all heard it, and we've all seen it, but have you ever asked why do you actually stretch? Is there any benefit to stretching? Research has shown stretching is not an effective warm-up, does not prevent soreness after a workout, does not prevent injury, may make runners slower and decrease jumping ability. Here is some good news: it will make you more flexible. But if you have enough flexibility to perform your routine daily activities, it will not provide a benefit. For those attempting to improve flexibility, the body will return to its previous level after the stretching stops. So there you have it. You can now go the gym and perform activities that are beneficial and save time as well.

New Weight Loss Group Personal Training Program Added

If you're searching for a more personalized approach to your fitness program, consider Weight Loss Group Personal Training. Beginning April 20 and running for 6 weeks through May 28, program participants will meet with a personal trainer in a group setting to establish a customized plan that includes exercises, proper form, nutrition, and support and encouragement to reach your weight loss and fitness goals. 

Gavin Sullivan

Personal trainer Gavin Sullivanwill offer the program on Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 1:00 p.m. Gavin holds a bachelor of science degree in sports management from Loras College where he played basketball for four years. Since 2008, he has provided basketball skill development training to grade school, high school, college, and professional athletes from all over central Illinois. Gavin currently directs an elite travel basketball program. He specializes in functional strength training for all ages and leads Pearce Strong cross-training at Pearce. He also competes in area CrossFit competitions.

Michelle Manjak, personal trainer, will offer the program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Michelle is a certified

Michelle Manjak

personal trainer, and a certified Spinning®, TRX, and group fitness instructor. She has more than 15 years of experience in the fitness industry and has trained all fitness levels. Michelle tries to create a training environment that motivates and empowers individuals to challenge themselves in a fun and rewarding way. She enjoys running, Yoga, weight training, and spending time with her husband and young children. Michelle studied sports and leisure management at Ohio State University for four years. She also teaches the new TRX Suspension Training premium group exercise classes at Pearce. 

The cost is $100 for members; $150 non-members.

Staying On Track in 2015

By Anthony Bischler, BS, CSCS, Certified Personal Trainer

Along your fitness journey, it is inevitable that you will encounter setbacks and obstacles. There are a few techniques that can be done on a daily basis to keep your motivation high, enabling you to complete your goals.

When making goals, think realistically. Write them on paper and place them in places you will see every day. This technique will help serve as small reminders to go to the gym. It will keep your goals fresh in your mind, and serve as a constant reminder as to why you chose to start your fitness journey. Sometimes a motivating picture or quote can be used in a similar fashion. These small reminders can help motivate you to exercise on the days you lack motivation or time. Find what motivates you and make an effort to constantly remind yourself of that.

A common obstacle people encounter is a lack of time. People have busy lives and several obligations. For some, time restrictions are a true issue. However, there are alternative ways to arrange your time to include a daily workout. Another obstacle that impacts your time is children or grandchildren. Many facilities offer child care services at a reasonable rate. An additional obstacle is the lack of energy people experience. After work, most people look forward to going home to eat dinner and relax while watching their favorite TV show. While watching TV can be enjoyable, taking 30 minutes to an hour of that time to exercise instead can go a long way to helping you achieve your fitness goals. Many people have time during the week to exercise, however their time is not prioritized around it. When exercising becomes a priority, it becomes a habit causing many excuses to fade away.

Another way to stay on track with your fitness goals is to find someone to workout with. Whether that person is a friend, colleague or even a trainer, someone holding you accountable is crucial, especially for someone who needs motivation to stay on track. Even if you are usually motivated to exercise most of the time, occasionally, there may be that day where you just don't feel like working out. On those days, having someone else counting on you to show up is helpful.

If you find yourself straying from your goals or finding it hard to stay motivated, give these ideas a try and keep yourself on track towards your fitness goals!  

Pearce Strong Cross Training Class Begins February 2

The next one-month class of Pearce Strong Cross Training will begin on Monday, February 2.

Is It In You? Find Out With The Challenge Within

My Journey Through The Challenge Within

My name is Katie Grivetti. I’m 42 years old, married, and the mother of five children. My oldest is 17, and my youngest is two and one-half years old. Life is full and action-packed but I came to the point where I needed to make myself a priority for at least one hour each day.

My background in physical activity started in high school. I was involved in basketball and track, but I never really loved doing either one. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s that I began aerobic classes that I got hooked on fitness. I took as many classes as I could. It was fun; like dancing, not work. Later, I added weight training to my routine. I enjoyed it and learned the value of incorporating weights into working out. I participated in a women’s body building competition in Chicago. Training for that event was exciting and challenging, and I learned a lot. It was great to advance to the level of competition.

Five children and 20-some years later, my body, diet, and lifestyle have gradually, but drastically, changed. I’ve tried many different exercising methods to regain tone, lose weight, work off stress, and boost my energy to keep up with it all. I’ve had very little success due to a limited amount of time, lack of energy, and not really knowing where to begin. I also hid behind my mantra: “for having 5 kids, I don’t look that bad,” and I was fine with that, sort of. As for my once very diligent no fat diet, I only worked out so I could eat what I wanted, particular stress binging on carbs/sweets.

After the birth of my fifth child, I desperately wanted to lose the pregnancy weight and reach the best physical health I possibly could. I made goals for myself and was determined to reach them. As an “older” mom, it was critical that I become healthy and fit for my family, particularly my baby girl. Call it a mid-life crisis, but I wanted to get back that love I used to have for exercising, that competitive spirit that was buried under a mountain of responsibility. I wanted to again experience that awesome feeling of getting stronger, accomplishing more physically than you thought you could. And let’s be honest: I wanted to lose weight and inches to get back my girlish figure.

Before joining The Challenge Within, I was attending aerobic classes, working out hard, showing up regularly, and I was being challenged. I enjoyed being back in a group setting, loved the classes, and found the instructors to be very helpful, professional, and passionate about their work. But after about six months, I realized I needed something more individualized to eliminate fat and increase my endurance and energy level. I needed an individualized plan.

One day in aerobics, the instructor briefly mentioned The Challenge Within, but those few words stayed with me. She talked about how successful participants had been; losing up to two pants sizes in 10 weeks. I was blown away! Two pants sizes is the equivalent of about 15 to 20 pounds! I didn’t accept The Challenge right away, but when I finally did, I was ready for it and dove right in.

Here’s what you can expect from The Challenge Within:

• ·         Significant physical challenges
• ·         Sore and tired body. It’s a lot of work to change your body. Ibuprofen and sleep will be your best friends.
• ·         Leave your comfort zone. You’ll be physically tested and forced out of your comfort zone. Get over it, muddle through, remember how you’re improving your body, and keep going.
• ·         Personal Trainer Sean Gillen will correct you often. Leave your pride out of it and listen. He will help you stay injury-free and learn the correct form for maximum benefits.
• ·         Sean will not yell at you or make you feel stupid or weak when you can’t understand something or are struggling. He is patient, kind, and genuinely wants you to “get there.”
• ·         Sean will not put lots of pressure on you. He expects it to come from within.
• ·         Sean is your leader, but you need to bring it and do the work. There are no shortcuts. It takes time, dedication, and effort. 

During my Challenge, I was most surprised by:

• ·         What a huge incentive paying for something can be. I don’t want to fail the program. I don’t want to fail myself. I don’t want to waste my money.
• ·         How observant Sean is. He watches you closely and picks up on weaknesses and incorrect form that you may not even know exist. He takes the information and tailors a routine to improve and strengthen these areas.
• ·         How fast the workouts go and how much fun they can be. I work out with Sean four days a week and one day on my own. I’ve gotten better results than doing back to back aerobic sessions that I had begun to grow bored with.

Where I Am

As I write this, I’m in the fifth week of the 10-week program. I still get nervous and anxious before a session wondering what will be asked of me. But for the most part, I now know what I’ll be doing and am familiar with it. We do a combination of cardio weeks to weight lifting weeks. Cardio is more of a challenge for me, but the weight lifting isn’t much easier because you are constantly increasing the amount of weight you are lifting. I’ve learned many new exercises that target my goals my precisely than whole-body exercises.

I’ve definitely had days where I doubted if I could handle this, but once I was home and relaxed, I thought about what I had just accomplished and couldn’t wait to go back and do it again, the biggest surprise of all!

Mr. Chillicothe Contest

Certified personal trainer and Spinning instructor Rob Ordazrepresented Pearce at the Mr. Chillicothe Contest on Friday, June 6, part of the Claud-Elen Days Festival.

The community was invited to "vote" for their favorite candidate by making donations to the Chillicothe Lions Club in collection containers around town.

At the end of the fierce competition, Rob was crowned Mr. Congeniality and the first runner up in the event.

Rob Ordaz in the swimsuit competition

May Member of the Month Announced

Our Member of the Month for May is the group of Pearce members who recently represented Pearce Community Center in the men’s and women’s novice division of the spring Festivus Games held April 19 in Peoria. Novice and intermediate CrossFit athletes at gyms across the country competed in this one day event, all on the same day.

Pearce member competitors included Mindy Daum, LouAnn Harms, Allison Irvin, Brooke Kitts, mother and daughter Carol and Erica Larson, Sarah Miller, and Kassie Williams.

Allison Irvin finished fourth of 27 local competitors. Brooke Kitts won first place locally, and ranked sixth in the nation against 1,062 competitors.

In the men’s novice division, Pearce members Tony Oedewaldt, Brian Ramseyer, and Nathan Webster competed. Webster won the local competition and ranked fourth in the nation against 372 other competitors.  

Congratulations to all the competitors!

Pearce Members Compete in Festivus Games

Pearce Community Center was well represented in the men’s and women’s novice division of the spring Festivus Games held April 19 at Peoria CrossFit Gym in Peoria. Novice and intermediate CrossFit athletes at gyms across the country competed in this one day event, all on the same day.

Pearce member competitors included Mindy Daum, LouAnn Harms, Allison Irvin, Brooke Kitts, mother and daughter Carol and Erica Larson, Sarah Miller, and Kassie Williams. Allison Irvin finished fourth of 27 local competitors. Brooke Kitts won first place locally, and ranked sixth in the nation against 1,062 competitors.

In the men’s novice division, Pearce members Tony Oedewaldt, Brian Ramseyer, and Nathan Webster competed. Webster won the local competition and ranked fourth in the nation against 372 other competitors.  

Brooke Kitts weight lifting

Brooke Kitts Wins Women's Novice Division

Nathan Webster Rows His Way To First Place

Nathan Webster Wins Men's Novice Division

Summer Drop-In Personal Training Available

Pearce Community Center will offer drop-in personal training every Monday through Saturday May 12 through August 14 for ages 12 and up. Personal trainer Sean Gillen will create a beginner, intermediate, and advanced daily workout that will include strength training, cardio, circuits, plyometric, and stretching. He will provide individualized training to all participants to help them reach their fitness goals. This program is an excellent on-ramp for the monthly Pearce Strong CrossFit-style training program.

Drop-in personal training will be available Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Foundation members pay only $7.50 per visit. Members pay $10, and non-members pay $12. 

Personal Trainer Sean Gillen