Sunday, September 07, 2008
Life, Health + Fitness

Tiny gym, big results

Ready to lose weight, but hate the thought of huge crowds at those mass-market gyms? Fitness Together might be the solution

By Colleen Oakley

When I walked into Fitness Together of Norcross the first thing I noticed was how small it was—there were just three cardio machines in the whole place. But that’s kind of the idea at this gym that is all about one-on-one personal training.

Bill took me to his office, where I filled out some paperwork and we discussed my goals. I’m getting married in seven weeks, so I wanted to tone up my arms to look awesome in my sleeveless dress. He explained to me that this initial consultation is where he would typically ask clients what their level of commitment was on a scale of one to 10. “If the answer isn’t a 10 or higher, they’re probably not ready for our gym yet,” he says. “We will give them 100 percent, but they have to give 100 percent, too, to reach their goals.”

It makes sense, but I was impressed at the concept—here is a gym that won’t just take your money. They really want you to lose weight as much as you want to. And if you follow their instructions it’s fail-proof. Every fitness routine and nutrition counseling program is tailor-made for the individual.

Bill took me through a full-body routine using free weights, bands, a stability ball and a mat. I even bench-pressed, which I hadn’t done in a few months. Halfway through, I had definitely broken a sweat, and my arms were feeling the tricep extensions and bicep curls in a big way (wedding dress—here I come!). Bill was super-encouraging and was also just fun to be around. In fact, the few clients that came in during my session all had smiles on their faces, like they were genuinely happy to be there.

After the workout, Bill showed me a few before-and-after pictures of some of the people he had trained. They were really impressive, and even more so because I know they got there the old-fashioned way—through lots of hard work and great coaching.

Sure, there are cheaper alternatives to Fitness Together—personal training isn’t exactly free—but if you’re serious about getting in shape and ready to make the commitment, it’s worth the cost. Results are guaranteed. SP
Colleen Oakley is a freelance writer in Atlanta and the former editor of Women’s Health & Fitness magazine. Got a fitness challenge for her? E-mail her at colleen@sundaypaper.com.