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Life Story I’d like to take a few moments to share my story and hopefully inspire someone who might be at a crossroads and not sure what to do. First I’ll give a little background. My name is Jim Farrell and I just turned 43 years old. I am married to Carye and have four children. I would say that during my younger years (through my early thirties) I was a pretty active person. As a child I was always involved in athletics and I loved to compete. As a U.S. Marine, I had no choice but to be active. But somewhere along the way after my service, I lost myself and I peaked at 264 pounds this past July. On July 3rd 2009 I was at an office visit with an Endocrinologist (my first visit to such a doctor) and was told that I had the symptoms of Type II diabetes. I just lost it. I had been diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and had been on 2 medicines for years. I sat there for a few moments, looked up at my doctor and said “Ok, now what do I have to do?” He shared with me some medications and outlined his treatment plan. I then inquired as to what I could do, not what he could do for me. Lose weight through changing my diet and adding exercise was his response. My first step was changing the diet. Been there done that, probably no different than most people that are reading this story. I went up and down 20-30 lbs for years. I couldn’t do it myself. So my doctor set me up with a nutritionist. I had to wait a week for that appointment and frankly just about starved myself for those seven days. I did not know what my new diet was to be… I left the Nutritionist feeling as disheartened as ever. Hindsight helped me see that I was just overwhelmed. See, in my mind, I was looking for someone to outline what I needed to do. I just wanted her to preplan my diet and tell me what to eat and when to do it. I now eat smaller meals more frequently. I actually eat a lot more than I did in the past. That was hard for me to comprehend. I then started the other aspect of my rehabilitation. I joined another local gym, but after only 14 days as a member, I made the decision, along with my wife, and we both joined Ultima Fitness. The gym I had originally joined didn’t appeal to my family. I have younger children and they had no facilities for them. And since I have not gone through my journey on my own I needed a gym where I would continue to have the support of my entire family, and as a group we have made a lifestyle change. In addition to just joining the gym, my wife Carye and I have worked out with a Personal Trainer, Matt Otero, for three months now. We have also gone through some follow up nutrition consultations with Sonja Friend-Uhl and my 5-year-old Lauren has progressed to Yellow Belt in the Tae Kwon Do classes with Grand Master Pope. My other children are going to start working out with us at the gym as well. I do cardio 5-6 times a week. I work out with Matt once or twice a week, and also lift on my own once or twice a week (with the goal of three sessions a week). I travel for a living so I have had to adjust my lifestyle on the road to support my nutrition and exercise needs. My wife also works out with Matt. We both like Matt’s approach, he pushes you, keeps changing the workouts up, but all the while keeping you upbeat and encouraging you to dig just a bit deeper. I’ve had what some people have said are pretty dramatic results in a short period of time. I am currently 47 pounds lighter and have lost 18” off my arms, legs, chest, and waist. My doctor had said my blood work results are remarkable for such a short period of time. My A1C level went from 8.7 to 5.6 in just over 90 days. My Triglycerides went from 761 to 77. All of my labs are now in the normal range and I was taken off one of my high blood pressure medicines. I am looking forward to my next doctor’s visit, as I am pretty confident I will be off the blood pressure and diabetes prescriptions for life. Sometimes the bad news we hear is nothing other than a wake up call. Push yourselves and most importantly surround yourself with people that can help you! Best of Luck.
Caryn Jockel’s Life Story Caryn literally rolls into Ultima Fitness two to three times a week to meet with her trainer, Grace. You see Caryn is a quadriplegic, due to a car accident in 1983. At the time doctors told her that she was obviously very limited to what she was going to be able to do for the rest of her life. If you know Caryn, there is nothing this woman won't try to do. Even though doctors told her she couldn't have children Caryn had two children after her accident and has raised them successfully. She has a very talented daughter, Rachel who is seventeen and a son, Gavin, who is twenty-six. This woman leads a very busy life. She doesn't let much get in her way, and if it does, watch out. After four years of physical therapy Caryn poured herself into her family. Over the years her personal life took a few hits but that only made her stronger. Caryn began one-on-one training with Grace two years ago. If you ask Caryn it's Grace's wild imagination with the exercises that keeps her going. Since she is limited in what she can do in the gym it's important to train with someone who can create a safe and effective routine for her. With Grace by her side Caryn can do more in and out of the gym in her everyday life. She can do more for herself and for her children since she began training with Grace. Over time Caryn's self esteem has gone through the roof. She has found that people look at her differently now. Having self-esteem brings it all together for her. Caryn feels her freedom has returned and has a better outlook on life, all this coming from a woman in a wheelchair.
Sid Rudnick’s Life Story Eighty seven year old Sid Rudnick was born in 1922 and lived through The Great Depression and World War II. At the young age of 11, in 1933, Sid went to work as a liquor delivery boy making twenty-five cents an hour to help put food on the table during a troubled economy. No laws existed in those days prohibiting minors from delivering alcohol. His father was the victim of two bank failures, one in 1929 and one in 1933, where he lost all his savings each time, forcing him to start all over...twice. FDIC insurance was non-existent. In 1942, at the age of twenty Sid fought for our country in the 12th armored division in battles in France, Germany, Austria and Spain. He returned home safely in 1946 and met and married Lorraine. They celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in August. Diabetes, heart problems and prostate cancer has impacted Sid’s health over the years therefore he has had to keep a watchful eye on his level of fitness. Sid found out about Ultima Fitness from Jill Merrill while getting a manicure at the same salon. Diabetics have to be careful not to injure their fingers or toes so Sid uses professionals for these services. When Sid started training with me he was very unsure and unstable. He was somewhat fearful of backing up making it difficult to get out of a machine once the exercise was complete. Sid depends on a cane for support. After several months of working on a customized program that selected machines and exercises that Sid can successfully handle, he now trains once a week with me and twice a week on his own. Sid does both weight training and cardio (recumbent bike) and plays four holes of golf each week with a coach. He feels “ less wobbly and recognizes improvements in his diabetes and heart disease. “ Sid is an inspiration to everyone around him and is an example of the benefits of a customized exercise program, at any age or to overcome any condition. - Bob Heil  Fitness Life Changing Event Joining Ultima Fitness and participating in the programs that the gym offers has made a tremendous difference in my life. I had always been athletic, but after a horrible pregnancy I had a lot of work to do. I was on “bedrest” for two months and ballooned to over 200 pounds with swelling and lots of weight gain. Following the birth of my daughter I just couldn’t get back to the size or shape that I wanted to be. I joined the 2009 90-Day Challenge, and I learned how simple it actually was to reshape my body if I exercised daily and ate right. I lost 24 pounds and am comfortable wearing size 6 clothes. Yippee!!! I guess all I needed was a friendly little competition to inspire me toward my goals. I somehow even managed to win the 90-Challenge to go along with my new body and sense of self. I have more energy, more endurance and I am motivated to compete in more endurance events. I thank Ultima Fitness for giving me the motivation and the tools to feel like myself again. I could not have done this without the trainers and, of course, the child care staff.
Life Experience Ten years ago, I received the best gift of my life, but at that time, I wanted no part of it. My weight was out of control at 195 lbs and my cholesterol dangerously high at 398. Severely overweight and totally out of shape made this place far too intimidating. Why would I want to go to the gym? I would have taken the easy way out but my son gave me a membership along with a personal trainer, Fabian. I felt compelled to follow through. I made it clear to Fabian, that my son thought that this was a good idea, but I was not convinced even after a year, that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Progress was slow and the weight loss took forever. As time went on, seeing the same people everyday, made “the gym” less intimidating, especially as I met some really nice ladies. They would continually invite me to join them in some classes. One day I decided to try it, and although the entire class is doing a grapevine moving to the left, I went to the other left. After class Lidia introduced herself and proceeded to tell me I did quite well for my first class and to come back. As for my going in the other direction, Lidia told me that I was the only one going the right way. That little bit of humor sure helped me feel that doing my best, even though I was going in the wrong direction, was OK! Diet and exercise had become important factors in my life now but I was still not enjoying the physical part. Twenty-three months later, I had lost 73 pounds, eighteen inches off my arms, and I was finally enjoying “sweating it out”. A Mediterranean Diet had me choosing fish and fresh vegetables more often. This new lifestyle had brought a safe and healthy weight loss and my cholesterol was in a much safer range without any medication. The next few years were primarily spent in classes and more friendships had developed. Little by little, I began to truly enjoying weight training and cardio classes. Three years ago I found myself in need of a trainer for an entirely different reason. I had surgery on my shoulder and physical therapy did not leave me much better off. I had approximately 10% range of motion. I asked Lynette if she could help me to safely start strength training. Two years later after a lot of hard work, I have 98% range of motion back. During a promo the gym was offering I asked my friends to try this group personal training package. Adiiza, another amazing lady, decided to sign up with me. Training is a lot more fun when you have a good buddy to workout with. A little healthy competition adds some spice to things. Our trainer, Greg, keeps us wanting to do better. I now enjoy the experience of an endorphin rush; the boost in one’s self confidence, new found strength and all the wonderful health benefits that go along with a clean diet and weight/cardio training. You should try it too. There is always something to do with all the classes that are offered. Participation is up to you. It does not matter how big you are or how old you are, just try it! They give you the right direction (oops, I still go the wrong way). Your workouts are as easy or as challenging as you want them to be. Wonderful trainers, like Lynette and Greg bring out the best in their clients. I am looking forward to the next 10 years with Ultima. Be careful, it is addictive! Testimonial – Greg Massaro Many people wonder, “Is it really worth it to hire a personal trainer?” There are so many resources available, such as, books, magazines, and especially the internet on health and fitness. Why go to the expense of hiring someone if you can just do it yourself? This is the mentality I had my entire adult life until several years ago when I finally decided it just wasn’t working for me. I was tired of letting myself down, and was very close to just giving up. That was when I decided to swallow my pride and ask for help. That help came from Greg Massaro. From the first session, and every session afterward, without fail he showed true dedication to his profession and to my health – as he does with every client he has ever had. Greg is the type of trainer that will not allow his client’s self doubt to get in the way of the transformation he is confident will occur. There were so many times when I thought I couldn’t do another rep or even a certain type of exercise, and Greg would get in my face and convince me that I could do it. And I did. If you give him an obstacle, he’ll find a way around it. He has the ability to make his clients feel confident that during their 1-hour session with him, they and their fitness are the very most important priority to him. With Greg’s guidance on fitness and nutrition, and his sincere belief in me, I finally found the courage to make that transformation I had always longed for. Now, at 5 dress sizes smaller, and strength I never knew I had before; not only do I love my body, but I love the way I think, too! So, is it really worth it to hire a personal trainer? It is absolutely priceless! Click here for our monthly letter from our gym owners. Find out what new things are on the horizon for the members and guests of Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do gym in Wellington, Florida. |
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