Noelle Frank

When I started weight training in 2001, I was always intimidated to venture over to the free weight area of the gym and stuck mostly to machines. I was killing myself on the treadmill for 45 mins, then did some light weight work. In total I was at the gym for 2 hours 4 - 5 days a week. This kept me thin, but I had minor results as far as muscle definition goes. Then I moved to Windsor and got a membership at a ladies only gym. I hired a trainer to help familiarize me with the gym and she was such an inspiration to me because she had muscle. She also had a healthy body - not too thin - curvy legs (from lots of squats), and really shapely shoulders and arms. I wanted her body! She told me I should not be afraid to increase my weights. I was using 12lb dumbbells for chest, gradually increased to 15lbs, and today I am lifting 20's.

I learned that resistance training stimulates muscle growth and more muscle burns more fat. Building a layer of muscle tissue is a surefire way to increase your metabolic rate. When I moved back to Sarnia in 2003, I met Lyle. I was lifting free weights now, but was back on that damn treadmill again for 45 mins every workout. I thought I knew it all about fitness ( I learned a lot from my trainer in Windsor) but Lyle told me if I let him lead me though a workout I would have so much extra time in my schedule because I wouldn't need to be at the gym for 2 hours. I was stubborn and didn't want to spend money on a trainer so I told him no thanks.

Then I had a car accident and had to take 3 months off the gym. When I came back I was not motivated to be there and the workouts I was doing in the past were not giving me any results. My body had reached a plateau because I was doing the same workouts over and over. This is when I approached Lyle for personal training. He showed me so many things I had never done before, and the workouts were only 45 mins total! His training style was so different from any other trainer I had in the past. We did total body with very little rest between sets so that my heart rate remained high during the entire workout. After our 4th session I was hooked. I saw results within 4 weeks! After the first 10 sessions I booked 10 more and I have been working out with him ever since.

In boot camp I realize it can be difficult to motivate yourself to push harder. This is because you get to chose your own weights and you are comfortable knowing what you can handle. Lyle is watching everyone, and is up at the front to push us all - but it is not in his personality to centre someone out and tell them they could really be lifting more. This is why you must push yourself. To make progress, muscles need to be pushed beyond what they're used to doing. This breaks down the muscles, which then need to be repaired to come back stronger the next time you work out.

In boot camp, we typically do 3 sets of 15-20 reps of each exercise. Ideally, you should just be able to squeeze out those last few reps during the last set. (You know the feeling - when you are almost crying, trying to curl that barbell up to your chest, and your body is shaking.) That's where you want to be every workout! Put your mind into the muscle. Trust me - it will pay off :)

I love coming to the boot camps, but my favourite workouts are personal training sessions with Lyle. If you have the time for an extra workout and want to try something instead of Boot camp, just try one session. One personal training session is the fitness equivalent to 2 boot-camp classes. I am not saying it is twice as hard as 2 boot camps, because Lyle, Emily and Morgan will only push you as hard as they know you are capable of handling. But it is a completely different kind of workout - tailored to your personal needs.

When I have a personal training session with Lyle, I'm essentially doing my body a favour by mixing things up. The little tricks he uses are a combination of advanced training techniques incorporating equipment that is not available for boot-camp, and the whole time he is keeping the intensity where it needs to be. So if you have a hectic week, book a personal training session with Lyle, Emily, or Morgan  and Spring forward into something new!

See you at LD

Noelle