For many years I practiced yoga. I became more flexible over the years and while I feel yoga is still good for the mind, body and soul, I felt that I was missing the element of strength.

I heard about SFL being a gym where every class feels more like working one-on-one with a personal trainer as opposed to going to a massive gym full of fancy equipment but not knowing how to adjust anything to my personal needs. The thought of working out was somewhat intimidating. Over the years as a graduate student, I would go to the gym and saw guys working out and would be embarrassed. It also felt dangerous, not knowing what I was doing.  

Another factor was that SFL was close to my house. Once I started, I did not leave.  The personal approach to clients, individualized workouts and the flexibility of tailoring a program to my goals in class was appealing.

Over the past three years, I have met wonderful people and feel part of a community. There is no sense of competition and there is much encouragement during class.

SFL is not just working the physical body. Working out is similar to yoga class in the sense that you are learning the body that you are living in and connecting to your body. There are constant modifications to keep the workouts interesting and maintain progress.

I am now comfortable going to other gyms when I travel because I feel confident in my ability to work out safely and efficiently.

I have embraced that working out is a process where improvement occurs over time. I have become more aware of nutrition and dieting and how they affect goals. Nutrition is 50 % or more of that equation.

The trainers here are very generous to share their knowledge. When I approach any trainer with questions, they fully answer my questions and even provide resources for me to explore.

Everything that we want to achieve requires some effort. But how important is effort in achieving our goals?

What you do today – the effort you put in – determines your success tomorrow.  Rory Vaden, the author of “Take the Stairs: 7 Steps for Achieving True Success”, says, “Success is never owned; it is only rented – and the rent is due every day.”

Effort, like sunscreen in the summer, needs to be applied consistently. To achieve our goals, we need to put in the effort each and every day. On days that we feel good and on days when we don’t feel like doing the work. Many people will put in effort for a short time and when their effort does not immediately pay off or they become distracted by life, they stop putting in the daily effort needed to finish and succeed.

One way to keep yourself motivated to put in the effort needed for your goals is to think of all the other people who have the same goal.  

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Is Your Son or Daughter Ready to Lift Weights?

12 Questions Every Parent Should Answer Before Allowing Your Child to Start Weight Training

When I was growing up very few teens lifted weights. As a matter of fact, most coaches discouraged lifting fearing that it would stunt a child’s growth or make them “muscle-bound.” If you played football, you probably did some lifting on an old Universal machine. The high school weight room was often a converted broom closet or unused room in the lowest level of the school. Swimmers, soccer players, baseball and track athletes probably could not even tell you where the weight room was in their school. Girls did not lift weights.

Times have changed. If you are participating in a high school sport, you lift weights. The Universal machine has been replaced with racks, barbells, dumbells, kettlebells, benches and specialized equipment to make athletes bigger, stronger and faster.  The myths about stunting growth and becoming muscle-bound have gone in the same trash heap as the Thigh Master and Bullworker.

Strength training has become mandatory for participation in most sports and children are starting younger and younger. Strength training has been used to help children lose weight, gain muscle and improve sports performance. Almost every high school and junior high school has a weight room manned by a “coach.”

But how can we be sure that our children are getting proper coaching in the fundamentals of a strength training program. How heavy should my child be lifting? How can I tell if the weight room is properly supervised?

Having a good understanding of what strength training is and what goals are best for youth will help you choose the right training facility for your child. Here are twelve questions you should have the answer to before allowing your child to participate in a strength training program.

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Lifting Weights can help improve strength, fitness, and performance but only if done correctly. Proper technique and form should be taught before adding any weight to an exercise.