During a wellness screening program at work three years ago, the reality of being overweight hit hard when I registered 45% body fat via the electrode method. My youngest daughter Jennifer talked me in to joining Family Fun and Fitness (FFF). A plan was developed during my initial free visit with trainer Mike Bellinger which also involved small incremental changes to my diet and lifestyle.
Three years later I’ve lost 65 pounds and Mike Bellinger measured my body fat at 23%. I still have some progress to achieve my initial goal of 18%.
One of the keys of my success has been the very positive attitude and enthusiasm provided by FFF trainer Mike Bellinger. Over the years, we’ve developed efficient methods to get the most out of my time spent in the gym. His philosophy of “keep moving with or without the ball” has kept me focused on various activities outside of the gym.
“Under New Management”
Last October, I noticed the owner of FFF speaking with various members on a regular basis in the evenings. My prediction was some kind of change was in the wind….. A few months ago there has been a staffing change and overall change in customer service and community involvement. The first change I noticed was the exercise swimming pool had clear blue water instead of a green hazy color. Other improvements were made that are too numerous to mention for this review. However, it is important to mention some equipment improvements which have been made:
• Four of the treadmills have had the decks replaced. The deck is the solid surface below the revolving belt. Many gyms try to temporarily fix the permanent problem of a slipping belt with the temporary fix of tightening or replacing the belt. The right way to fix it is to replace the deck so the belt won’t slip.
• Seven weight machines in the Circuit #2 area had missing pins for the weight stack which is a common problem in many gyms. The pins were not only replaced, but the pins had flexible cords to prevent the pins from being misplaced.
I’ve also noticed the return of a large number of families in the gym. Many make their visit a true family experience and either play basketball as a team, play catch or other activities.
Some minor improvements that have been made including placing a remote control along with a steel cable with each TV so the channel or volume can be changed without climbing on the treadmills to make the adjustments.
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