Forty and fitter

BY ALBERT KRAMBERGER

editor@transcontinental.ca

My six weeks of training at the Power Co. Fitness Centre officially came to a sweaty conclusion last Friday afternoon and I am glad to say I achieved what I had hoped to from the start, to become fitter (and slimmer) in time for my 40th birthday.

With the help of Steve Frischman patiently putting me through my paces three times a week, I managed to knock off 12 pounds (and more importantly increase my strength and stamina) from when I started training with him April 8.

Taking advantage of nice weather last Wednesday afternoon, Frischman decided I should do some outdoor training in the back parking lot just outside the centre at Plaza Pointe Claire. Aside from using cones to mark off a section for a series of running exercises, we used what was around to carry on my training: the curb for some quick steps and even the back bumper of his mini van for pushups. It all goes to show what Frischman has preached from the start: you do not need fancy weights and machines to get a good workout. Try a series of arm rotations for five minutes. Seems too easy the first 30 seconds to be doing any good, but after a few minutes you will feel the conditioning of your muscles. Mind you, during my training I did use a few machines at the centre, such as the treadmill for those 12 minute uphill runs that surely have better prepared my legs for my outdoor soccer season which is just a couple of weeks away.

Working the entire body throughout my six weeks also improved my overall physique, from reducing my waist line to inching up my biceps.

While this is my final report on my six weeks of training at the Power Co. Fitness Centre, Chronicle readers should note Frischman will soon be launching a fitness advice column in your favorite community newspaper as well as on our website www.westislandchronicle.com). From experience, I can tell you it will be real, no-nonsense advice for people interested in getting in shape and living healthier lives.