Michele: I have been working out with Chuck and Bianca since Thanksgiving of 2010. I started working out 2 days a week and increased to 3 days a week after the holidays since I loved it so much.
Cathy: I have been working out with Chuck and Bianca for 4 months. My son and husband have both started out with them as well and love it.

What are some of the advantages to working out with PF4YOU compared to a local gym?

Michele ersonally, there are so many advantages to working out with PF4YOU. I have an extremely busy schedule, so time is a precious commodity. My workout hour 3x a week is sacred! In the past, I would always make excuses as to why I couldn’t get to the gym. You are just a body going in and doing your own thing. No one is going to say, “Where were you today. We missed you. How are you doing?” At PF4YOU I get a high intensity workout maximizing my time and get that personal feel that I have come to value.
Cathy:I feel it is important to be a role model to my children and show them that exercise is an important part of our lives. With childhood obesity so prevalent in our society, I want to make sure my kids know how to be healthy and make healthy choices.

Both of you have family members that also work out with us here at our studio, how
important is it to have a fit family?

Michele: I feel awesome after my workout. I always heard about the endorphin kick from exercise but never felt it before. My energy level has definitely increased. I see big improvements in my core body strength and toning. Before starting with PF4YOU, I was seeing a physical therapist for elbow tendonitis and discouraged with my progress. After a month of working out with Chuck and Bianca, my upper body strength has really improved and elbow tendonitis almost fully recovered.
Cathy: We need to lead by example and one way of doing that is working out as a family. We belong to a local gym but I find it mundane. Working out with Chuck and Bianca in a small group is fun, motivating, challenging and best of all, I have seen results!

What are some benefits that you feel post workout and have you noticed improvements with your fitness, mobility and strength?

Michele: The small workout group is a major bonus! There are many times I feel like giving up and Chuck , Bianca or Cathy ( my friend and workout buddy) will say, ” Come on Michele almost there. You can do it” I’ll reach for the 15 pound kettle bell and Chuck will say ” Come on Michele you are ready for 20 pounds” Bianca and her smile somehow can convince me I have enough energy for 1 more circuit. I feel like a million bucks after working out.
Cathy: I feel the best I have in a long time. I fit in pants I have not worn in years! I am flexible, strong and have a lot of energy. I look forward to my workouts like never before.

A 5k is somewhere in the near future for both of you, how excited are you both knowing that you will have the fitness to have a great race?

Michele: I turn 40 in April. It was my goal to turn 40 feeling good about myself and fit enough to run a 5k. I’ve never been a runner. It is still a little scary thinking the race is coming up soon. I feel confident that Chuck and Bianca are getting me ready to achieve my goal. It’s going to feel amazing crossing the finishing line.
I can’t say enough about Chuck and Bianca. They are a great couple and you can tell how much they love what they do. Chuck and Bianca have changed my life for the better.
Cathy: My workout partner and friend and I are getting ready to run our first 5k and we would have never been this fit and prepared if it weren’t for the training we received from Chuck and Bianca. They are the best!

Hi Laura, Tell me about your sporting background?
I was a junior road and track cyclist and also a collegiate road and track cyclist at Penn State. After college i continued to stay active but took an exercise break when my 2 girls were babies. My sister got me back into exercise about 2 and a half years ago with running- she actually made me run Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving day in 2008. I also play tennis once or twice a week.

So then in 2009 I did a few half marathons and trail running races (the trails are pure torture!!!) and I ran the 2010 Disney marathon for fun because it was on my birthday.

In 2010 I ran a few more halfs and trail races (still pure torture!) and got Lyme disease which was bad but I was able to recover with Bianca’s help and I just ran the Disney Marathon Goofy Challenge where you run the half marathon on Saturday then the full marathon on Sunday.

How long have you been training with PF4YOU?
Well, I started with Chuck almost a year ago after I ran into him at Starbucks (after 9 years of not seeing him!) and he told me about PF4YOU. I can’t believe it’s already been that long!

How has the running and mobility work in the gym worked together?
Running is wonderful for aerobic fitness and stress relief. I don’t know how I ever existed without it before! Bianca’s mobility and strength workouts are really great and since I have started working on mobility I feel as though I recover much faster from running workouts and I am a more efficient runner.

What benefits have you noticed?
Faster recovery, more endurance, less soreness, and more buff arms

Having a family, working full time and running how do you balance it all?!
I think it’s more about prioritizing than it is about balancing. Plus I’m a good multi-tasker! My first priority is and always will be my family and everything else comes next.That means sports are next and then the rest of life follows on after that.

And sometimes I take work phone calls while I am working out…

What races are on your calendar for 2011?
I am going to try a 50k or two and maybe some more of those torturous trail runs!

What do you like most about working out and how important is it to you?
I really enjoy the stress relief and I like that I can eat candy after really hard work outs!

How helpful has it been working with a coach?
I cannot say enough positive things about this aspect- working with Chuck and Bianca has made my work outs way more productive and I have seen great results really quickly.

How do you celebrate after the race is over?
Chocolate or Cheeseburgers or whatever junk food I am craving at the moment…after the Disney Marathon it was peanut butter fudge and then a hot dog with sauerkraut.

Try a local 5k – it’s only 3.1 miles and there are many many fun local races in the area! For strength training- I really never enjoyed strength training until I started working out with Bianca so my advice there is to go see Bianca for a few sessions!

If we could only do that more as adults, I would think the world would be a better place? Build a bridge and not a barrier, Believe in your friend and their aspirations.. Greta and her crew had it going on. I guess I did ok.. they invited me back for their 5k race event Dec 1st. I will be there with bells on… just wait girls! I must remember my water bottle next time!

Anyhow, back to the salsa.
Cinda, a client and friend came charging in this week at her 5:30am slot to the studio and gave Chuck and I her famous salsa. Cinda, you were not kidding.. this is great salsa!
So good, I will post the recipe. Cinda and I often talk about our trips around the world.. different restaurants and cultures that we have both been exposed to and FOOD. Cinda, you are my Anthony Bourdain.
Here is her recipe. I may convince her to post another. Her deserts are apparently to die for…

Cinda’s Most Incredible Salsa:
Ingredients:
1(14.5 oz) can Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes
1(14.5 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped ( approx 4 Tbs chopped)
1cup sweet onion, diced
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground Cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp Goya Adobe lite
2 shakes Frank’s red hot juice of 1/2 lemon ( or lime)

Instructions:

Put tomatoes in a food processor and chop until it reaches desired consistency
( I like mine pretty chunky and so I pulse 4-5 times)

Add all other ingredients; stir.
Refrigerate to allow spices and flavors to mix.

For spicier salsa, add more Cayenne or Franks’s red hot or add finely diced fresh jalapeno.

For more festive salsa, add frozen corn kernels and/or canned black beans
( rinsed and drained)

Thank you for the kind comments on the church pew. I promised my Dad I would sand it by hand and stain it several times. He made me nervous! Remuera Intermediate wood work class paid off!
I would also like to thank Y+B Wines and Ray Lamontagne for their company during those hours.

In the Simpson house we are never ever short on wine, coffee or baked goods. So, if you are running on the Horseshoe trail and you see a log cabin up on the hill.. come on up.. coffee is brewing! Likewise at our studio! Although, the wine may need to be served after hours!

What a crazy past couple of months!
We have completed some crazy demo, reconstruction jobs in the past 2 months. Sanding and staining my church pew was the easy job. I knew that wood work class would come in handy one day!
Next Friday is rolling around very soon…
Our doors open and finally a spot where we can give Personalized Fitness 4 You a home!
Chuck and I have been singing along to this song the past week as it has kept us moving and grooving.
Click on the link below and turn it up!
The Dog days are nearly over….

Austin (rear)

Austin, how long have you been rowing for?
I have been rowing since the winter of my freshmen year. A few injuries in football and basketball early on in the seasons led me to rowing in the spring, a sport that I knew a little about because of my father who also rowed. I was skeptical at first, but now three years later I am seeing how great of a decision it was to stick with it.

What do you like about rowing?

What I like most about rowing is how unique of a sport it is. There is truly no other sport quite like it, it is mostly a sport of mental strength more than physical strength. When everyone begins in rowing they are all on the same even playing field, no one has had previous experience. It is amazing how each program develops their oarsmen differently.

Has the flexibility training with PF4YOU helped you achieve better results and made you stronger?
The flexibility training has been very beneficial for me as an athlete. In rowing, the person who goes the fastest is not always the strongest person, but quite the opposite. The person who is able to be the most efficient within the rowing technique often finishes the race. Flexibility is a key component to the technique which allows the rower to maximize his power and efficiency.

Best achievement to date?
I was fortunate enough to have a successful spring season and saw a lot of my hard work pay off. The highlight of my season was winning the Philadelphia City Championships in the Varsity Double for Malvern and winning the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, also in Philadelphia, in the Junior Quad. The Stotesbury Cup Regatta is the largest high school rowing regatta in the world with thousands of competitors.

Short term and long term goal?
My goals for the coming season are to make the best boat available for Malvern. In addition my goal is to win the Youth National Championship at the end of the year, this is a very competitive and prestigious event if you win it. In the longterm, I have goals of rowing in College and being successful with collegiate races as well. I would like to see where rowing takes me from there, maybe I can compete after college as well.

New Zealand Olympic Triathlon Champion, Hamish Carter came from a solid background of rowing at Auckland Boys Grammar. Rowing is rated on the list to being one of the toughest sports
I definitely agree that rowing is a gateway to other sports. Because of the degree of difficulty of rowing (both physically and the complexity of the technique) and how many different muscles it encompasses in the body (legs, back, lats, core), it provides a good foundation for various different sports such as cross country or cycling. Whether I will ever get to Olympic level in any of these sports would be a dream of mine and would take years more of training and hard work.

Who are your number one fans (apart from Chuck and I )Besides You and Chuck, My parents are definitely my number one fans. Its not only me that gives up a ton of my free time for this sport, but my parents as well. They are at all my races all day in sometimes grueling whether conditions to support me. I can’t imagine its much fun, they only get to see me race for about 6 minutes before its over, and theres a lot of down time. The fact that they are there for me though makes me have so much respect for them and love them even more. One plus of going to the race is there is always ample food in the parents tent.

What is a typical practice session during the off season and in season?No matter when I am practicing, whether it be the off season or during the season, practice sessions are what I make of it. I have to be the one to put forth 110 percent every practice or else my training is for nothing. My Coach can have me do all sorts of crazy workouts, but If I’m not fully on board and trying to get better, I won’t get anything out of it. Our season is broken down into four parts. In the fall we are on the river in small boats (either singles or doubles) practicing very long races (like marathon running). We have a few big races in the fall like Head of the Charles in Boston before we move forward into running season. Running season is a short cross training season late in the fall after we are not allowed to go on the water anymore, and before winter has truly began. It usually is to get us ready for our hardest training of the season in the winter called “Erg Season”. Cleverly named for the workouts we do everyday in our schools Rowing Tanks on the Concept 2 Rowing Ergometers. This is easily the hardest and most disliked time of the year. Early in late in february, we are back on the water and getting ready for the spring season which lasts until mid-June. In the spring the races are very short sprints unlike in the fall. From the first day of school all the way through our last day of the season, our team does weight training in our school’s weight room three times a week at 6:30 AM. This is how we get faster and improve our pulling capacity. In the summer, our program offers a camp for our rowers and for new rowers. Our rowers usually do this program until late July and compete in a number of Summer races. After that, kids on the team usually practice on their own and train for September when it all starts up again.

Anything else you would like to add
Chuck and Bianca are great dedicated trainers who have worked with me in many different things. I am so thankful for having them supporting me and helping me reach my goals, I would not be where I am without them.

Please tell us a little about the Smiths. What are your backgrounds?

Steve grew up in Seattle, and Clarissa in a little town called Ashland Kentucky. We both have pursued careers in sales and marketing which have taken us around the country a bit. Relocated to PA 9 years ago from Northern California. Steve has a keen interest in tennis, has always worked out. Clarissa hates it, always has, and does it only because she has to. Realizing that it is good for you, kind of like eating all your vegetables.

How long have you been training with the torturer?
Seems like we have been training with the torturer forever, but really about 2.5 years.

Do you see and feel any benefits by training with Personalized Fitness 4 You?
There are tons of benefits working with Bianca and Chuck, but for me I have seen lost inches more than I ever saw with cardio alone. Steve believes his tennis game has improved and we are both stronger. I love being able to get my luggage in the overhead without almost having it fall on my head.

Favourite exercise?
My favorite excercise, if there is such a thing, is one leg vups. Great for legs and abs. I also like the ab work on the big ball, but I don’t know what it is called. Steve likes Bianca ten,any core work and running intervals with Chuck.

Least Favourite?
I hate Bianca 10. Steve doesn’t like anything on the Bosu ball.

Favourite exercise activity on the weekends?
Mostly cardio, jogging on the trail with our handsome dog Derek.

Anything else you would like to add? (play nice, now!)
Working with Chuck and Bianca has given us discipline and focus on strength that we would have never gotten on our own. Their approach is personalized, so we never feel like we are getting everyone else’s workout. They are tough, but not obnoxious and understand what each person needs.

PFitness4you: Hi Aaron and Michelle, can you tell us a little about your back ground?

Aaron: I have been competing in triathlons for about 5 years and recently completed my 14th race which was St. Anthony’s Triathlon (Olympic distance) in St.Petersburg, FL in April, 2010. This was the 4th consecutive year I raced St. Anthony’s. I have also raced in several sprints, 1 Half Ironman and in 2008 I completed Ironman Lake Placid, NY.

In addition to racing, I work for Ernst & Young in the Advisory practice. The job is dynamic, requiring my schedule to change frequently with little notice.

Michelle: I have been active most of my life and enjoyed fitness and a healthy lifestyle since I was young. I played team sports as a child. In high school, I ran XC, outdoor track, and indoor track. My first degree was in Exercise Science. I had an interest in participating in a triathlon but never pursued it and had no idea how to begin training. I was a terrible swimmer ( I could barely swim a lap or two without stopping) and did not have much experience in biking. In order to enhance/broaden my knowledge in triathlons I went to a Philadelphia Triathlon meeting. I met Aaron at the meeting and he had just completed the Ironman. I had a strong running background and he had turned into a strong swimmer and biker. We started running, biking and swimming together. I ran and “overtrained” quite a bit on my own. Aaron shared how he was training with a couple that owned their own training company. He had described how their philosophies and training styles were based on science and very beneficial for the working professional and for the lifetime athlete hoping to maintain fitness long term. I was interested.. but still stubborn and hoping to continue to keep my speed. About a month and a half before my first triathlon, I was having problems with shin splints. I work on a ortho/surgical floor and described my symptoms to the podiatrist and orthopedic residents on my floor. Based on my description they said I may have developed tendonitis (caused by overtraining). This was a little bit of a reality check and I knew that if I were to progress in the distance of triathlons.. I would need a training plan that did not break down my body.

PFitness4you: Why triathlon? What do you love about the training and racing? What race are you doing next?

Aaron: Triathlons allow me to train in multiple disciplines. I was never really much of a runner, biker or swimmer, but through triathlons, I have gotten pretty good at each!

I really enjoy the way working out improves my general mood and well being. I’m very goal oriented and enjoy the challenge of the race itself. The excitement leading up to the race is really fun and adds to the experience, as well.

I will be racing in the Philadelphia Triathlon (Olympic distance) in June, 2010.

Michelle: I love triathlons because the training is diverse. I come from a background of running, which overtime can get a little boring. The training offers quite a bit of variety and I never get bored (or injured.. knock on wood). I love working with Bianca and Chuck because they work around my schedule. I am a nurse and work three twelve hour shifts a week. My schedule varies week to week and days to nights. Bianca and Chuck make my work day workouts easier. I appreciate this because it is enough to relieve the stress of working with the sick.. but not so much that I can’t do it. My next race is in June– an Olympic–The Philadelphia Triathlon.

PFitness4you: Aaron, back in 2008 you did an Ironman and on very little training. How did you juggle the training and everything with your busy lifestyle?

Aaron: Its hard to believe, but Ironman training was much easier than I expected going into it. I had a very busy schedule at the time, but Chuck & Bianca worked closely with me to schedule my training around my work, travel and social schedule. My training was normally about 12 hours per week. I would usually have shorter workouts in the morning before work, then on the weekends I would have a somewhat longer workout usually consisting of a longer ride in the 6-8 weeks leading up to the race. The interesting thing with Ironman training is that almost all of the training is pretty low intensity, so it was easier than I expected!

Michelle:The training for my first Olympic was fun. I found the training very managable. The winter was rough, but the training was a great way to keep myself busy. Aaron has a gym in his apartment building and he lives three blocks from me. We ran on the treadmill and put the bikes on trainers in his dining room and watched movies and listened to music while training. It was a fun way to train. I spoke with a lot of people that experienced cabin fever or the winter blues, however, I felt that the training helped keep me from experiencing that. It gave me something to look forward to since going outside was not much of an option! When April came I felt very prepared for the race. I was happy with my race.

PFitness4you: What is your favourite workout?

Aaron: I really like the track workouts, since they have helped to significantly improve my running. I never considered myself a very good runner, but the track workouts from last year and this year have changed that. I feel faster, stronger and more confident when I run. It was really great to be able to just show-up and race the Broad Street run a few weeks ago, without specifically training for it. While all of the racers around me were fading at the end of the race, the 10th mile was my fastest and I had a burst to help finish strong.

Michelle: My favorite workouts are brick workouts. I love biking and then running off the bike. I think it adds a lot of variety in the workout and it keeps me from getting bored. I also really enjoy Bianca’s swim workouts with an added female touch. The swim workout is over before I know it.

PFitness4you: Does it help having a coach and getting together for the Saturday morning track sessions?

Aaron: Coaching for the track workouts helps greatly. Chuck and Bianca focus on keeping me in the correct target zones and will make adjustments to the workout based on weather, wind or how I’m feeling. This helps me to get the most out of the workout and minimize wasted time and effort!

Michelle: Having a coach and group workouts on Saturdays are very benificial. I hate waking up early, but I enjoy working out early on Saturday mornings because afterwards I have the rest of the day ahead of me. I often have a lot of energy and feel great about completing a challenging workout. Training in a group makes it easier to wake up early and easier for me to complete the workout than if I were on my own. It is encouraging and motivating when other people are doing the workouts with you. Bianca and Chuck offer positive attitudes, encouragement, and advice.