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We pride ourselves on our members' success. See how The Arena Club has changed the lives of people in the community below.
For the last two years I have had the privilege of training with Nicole Bosley-Smith. When I started, I was completely out of shape. I felt lousy and a check up with my doctor indicated that I needed make changes in my life.
I was 50 years old and didn't think I would be able to make the changes that I wanted. Nicole thought otherwise. Through her expertise, encouragement, prodding, pushing and her patience, I was able to make remarkable changes.
I began to workout 3 to 4 times a week. I started riding my bike again. Nicole gave me tips on how to improve my diet. The results have been dramatic. My check up this year was great. My doctor told me my health was terrific. My strength and endurance has steadily increased. This past September I am proud that I was able to complete my first century ride on my bike. (100 miles). The thought of being able to do that 2 years ago was simply incomprehensible.
I cannot thank Nicole enough for all the hard work she put into giving me the tools to reach and surpass my health and fitness goals. She is absolutely the BEST!
Bob Weisengoff
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After struggling with my weight for years; attempting various diets, calorie counting and home programs, I decided to start running to lose weight. Several half marathons later the weight was still there. Little did i know, my diet was so loaded with processed foods and carbs that I would never be able to run enough to burn off the extra weight. I was fit cardio-wise but my body did not look the way i wanted.
During my pregancy in 2009, I gained over 50 pounds on top of the excess weight I was already carrying. Nine months after giving birth I had only lost 20 pounds of my 50 pound gain and got out of breath climbing stairs! I was totally out of shape and just miserable with myself. I knew that I needed to take some serious action. I often thought, I am an educated woman with alot of accomplishments, why am I still struggling with control over my body!
In November of 2010 I joined the Arena Club; maintained a regular regimen of both resistive and cardio training to finally get my weight under control. My next goal was to focus on sculpting my body and adding more muscle mass. I started seeing a personal trainer at Arena Club who designed nutrition, weight training and cardio programs to help me reach my fitness goals.
Although I had no desire to compete in a figure competition, I still wanted to look like I could. After much encouragement from my trainer, I entered my first figure compeition, the 2011 OCB Tri-State Classic in Dover Delaware. I placed 1st in the over 35 division and took overall- I was shocked and excited! This experience taught me that anything is attainable with hard work, dedication, and a solid plan. None of this would have been possible without the support and guidance from my trainer at the Arena Club.
Thanks for everything!
Monica Saez |
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Hi! My name is Laura Lathroum & I'm a runner. Not a super fast runner but a lover of running :) Last year I was told not to run anymore because I have runner's knee but being hard headed, I decided to continue to cross train & run. I've done many half marathons and one marathon (Baltimore 2009). I just completed the Ocean City Half Marathon after going through physical therapy & being told not to run. I didn't have my best time but I finished in 2:23 so I'm proud!
Laura L. |
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I have been riding and competing horses all my life. When I hit the big 50,my riding started to slip. I just wasn't on top of my game anymore. I contacted Patricia Marks and we coordinated what I needed with feed back from my riding coaches, Jack and Josee Stedding.
We started personal training sessions that would help with my strength ,balance and core improvement. I am happy to report that I am back in the winners circle with the latest successful win at the Foxden "Hunter Derby" competition. I could not have done it without Patricia. Thanks Patricia! The picture is of me and my Dutch Warmblood, "Confetti" at the Maryland Horse and Pony Show .
Karen P |
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I received your email about sharing a special event that we competed in and I wanted to take the time to share mine with you. Last year around this time, I was approximately 260lbs and very unhealthy. I was at the beach with my girlfriend and we had joked about doing a triathlon at the end of the summer. I had no real intentions of doing this race but said ok to appease her. Anyway, what started out as a joke, became a bet and soon turned into a serious goal. I was scared to race this event because I had never competed in a triathlon before, had stopped working out and was in horrible shape. Also, I didnt know how to train for an event like this and lacked some motivation. I knew that I was overweight and had to make a change and realized that this event was going to spark my weight loss journey. I decided it was time for a change and I walked into the Arena Club and signed up for membership. Alot of my friends from work trained at the Arena Club so they helped convince me to take the plunge into joining. I quickly realized that I was in over my head and didnt want to embark on this journey without some help. After my initial fitness assesment, I decided it would be in my best interest to hire a personal trainer and that is when I met Dennis Wright. I told him about my goal and we quickly started to train together. Dennis helped me regain my confidence which I had been lacking for a long time. After a few months in the gym, I started seeing all types of results. My clothes started to fit better, my endurance was better, and my energy level increased. Everyday I woke up and felt like coming to the gym to work out. Long story short, September came and after months of training with Dennis, it was time for my first triathlon. I competed in the Great Atlantic Ocean Sprint Triathlon in Seaside Heights, NJ. the race was a 1/2mile ocean swim, 14.5mile bike and 3.5mile run and finished it in just about 2 hours (Not the best but I wasn't last). As I approached the water for the beginning of my race, I was nervous and anxious. I overcame my fear by thinking of all that I had accomplished in the gym with Dennis and that gave me the confidence to start the race without any further hesitation. Even though it was one of the hardest things I have physically ever done, I finished the race with a smile across my face. After that day, I realized that I had regained my focus on my life and placed a great emphasis on exercise, health and nutrition. I would like to report that since joining your gym 1 year ago, I have lost and maintained about a 30lb weight loss. I have seen an increase in my muscle strength and self confidence. Also, I got hooked on triathlon and have signed up for 4 races this year to keep me motivated in my training. I would just like to extend a thank you to the Arena Club for providing me a safe, friendly, motivational, supportive staff and environment for my training. All of the classes the Club offers along with the ability to swim in the lap pool has been very beneficial to me. Also, I would like to say thank you to Dennis Wright for always being there for me and giving me the tools to change my life, he is a great trainer and your facility is lucky to have an employee like him representing you to other clients. Again, I wanted to share my story with you because for me, it was a huge success in my life. I apologize for not including any pictures because the only one I have from the event is not my best and I didnt think many people would want to see it. Anyway, I appreciate the opportunity to share my story with you and I look forward to another year of training at the Arena Club.
Respectfully,
Matthew L. McGuirk |
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I compete in about a dozen open water swimming events per year. I did a 3 mile race on the Nanticoke River with fellow member Mark Sposito on May 1. I have a busy June and early July with 5 long distance swims in 6 weeks.
I have the following lined up:
June 4, 7.5-mile Potomac River Swim
June 12, 4.4-mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim
June 18, 15.5-mile USMS National 25K Open Water Championship Noblesville, Indiana
June 25, 5-mile Chester Swim4Life (I think several of the Masters team will be at this one in distances 1,2,3,4 or 5 miles)
July 9, 10-mile Kingdom Swim Newport, Vermont
I'll let you know how things go.
I don't appear to be one of the most fit guys at the club but I did lose and manage to keep off about 50lbs over the last few years. Right now I am spending about 10 hours a week in the pool training for upcoming events. The staff is great and so are the other members. Stop out at the pool and say hello sometime. I am pretty sure most of the guards know me by now.
Hi Earl. I returned to competitive swimming this year after a 25 year break ! I competed in 4 US Masters swim meets including the Maryland State Championship meet at Loyola University (there are no qualifying times). I placed last in my age group (40-44) in all my events but. . . . I got back up on the block and I'm excited to keep working hard and do better next year !!
-Rosanne Mooney, member of the Masters swim team
Last year I joined Arena and got a personal trainer for my daughter Celia Xecominos. Adam kucked her butt. She lost 27 inches !! and 33 pounds n still going. Adam and Arena got my daughters life back!! She continues to work out and shed the pounds as she gets healthier.
Thank you!!! :)
Tracie Talany,
proud mom!
I have been working with Nicole for two years and have lost weight and inches. I am stronger than I have ever been. I look forward to my weekly training session because I know she will greet me with enthusiasm and a different workout each week. Her dedication and drive have pushed me to try new classes and get out of the same weekly exercise box I was in. I have continued to improve and push myself thanks to the efforts of Nicole. She continues to make a positive and healthy impact on my life.
I've been training with Nicole Bosley-Smith for about a year now. Before she got a hold of me, I weighed 212lbs, my all-time-high weight. My diet was lousy, my energy level was non-existent and my blood pressure was inching into dangerous territory.
I work in academia, which is not exactly the most physically active occupation to begin with, and twelve years ago I transferred to another campus and into an even more sedentary job. Starting at a low of 155lbs, I gradually edged into the 170s and then into the 180/190s as our duties became more desk-bound and eating out became an irresistible excuse to "get out of the office".
About a year ago, I hit my worst: stress in my personal life had my already bad habits at even worse levels and I found myself completely worn out all of the time. Finally, an unrelated potential health issue shook me up enough to get help. I needed to get off my butt and back to a gym.
I had tried the whole gym-thing before, but the lack of convenience and garbage location had me making every excuse not to go. Luckily, the Arena club was literally next door.
I opted to go with a personal trainer in order to have some accountability and help while I attempted to get back into shape. They paired me up with Nicole and I started working with her once a week.
Scarcely a year later, she's given me the diet and exercise tools I needed to completely "re-boot" my health. Now, thanks to a mix of encouragement, butt-kicking, humor, creativity and (sometimes infinite) patience from Nicole, I've lost nearly 40lbs, gone from 38 jeans-size to a loose 33 and slimmed down from a XXL to a L shirt size.
I can't thank her enough for getting me back in shape, helping me maintain my progress and initiate a complete, sustainable change of (now finally healthy) lifestyle! |
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I joined the Arena Club January 1, 2010 as one more, last ditch effort to lose weight and become healthy. Because of my weight and orthopedic
issues, I believed that swimming was the only exercise option open for me. Like every previous attempt, after two weeks I was struggling and ready to quit. I had hit rock-bottom again. I am often asked what is
different this time, why I am successful when all past attempts failed. The difference is that I took advantage of the Arena Club's Visual
Fitness Planner consultation and decided to work with a Certified
Personal Trainer. I was terrified, self-conscious, and ashamed; but ready to trust my trainer, Alicia Palmere.
After several months of training, Alicia knew I was ready for the next step and gently prodded me into the beginner group exercise classes. As those grew easier, my confidence grew stronger. I started to try harder classes on my own; step, BodyVive, BodyJam, Zumba, Spinning, BodyPump, BodyCombat, and most recently, REV. The group fitness instructors have also been there every step of the way. They are kind and helpful when I struggle. They want you to succeed and are always encouraging you through the process. I now believe that it takes a village to lose weight and become healthy. The Arena Club is my village.
My progress was slow and steady initially, and the inevitable plateaus always came. As the club Nutritionist, Alicia knew I also needed to incorporate good nutrition practices into my training program for continued success. She has guided me through my nutrition hurdles and gave me the tools I needed to make healthy choices. We are a team. With her commitment and perseverance over the past two years, she has (against all odds) kept me moving forward towards my goals of weight loss and better health. I look forward to working with her in the maintenance phase once I reach my goal!
Two years after joining the Arena Club, I have lost 113 pounds and 65 inches. I have regained my health, a strong body, and my smile. I now have biceps, confidence, self-esteem, and many new friends. I have also achieved something of which I have never even dared to dream...I completed the Baltimore Half Marathon October 15th, 2011 and have my 1st ever event medal!
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I have happily been a member of The Arena Club for the past 5 years. Through the ups and downs of being a competitive and now professional dancer, The Arena Club has been there every step of the way. This past October, I broke my left foot for the 4th time. Devastated that I could not go back on tour with "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance"—the dance company I had strived my whole life to be part of – I entered a local Miss America Pageant to keep me motivated through my recovery. Working with Agape and Susan Phipps on the pilates reformer, I am happy to say my foot is fully healed and I was able to compete and win my first pageant ever (current title, Miss Appalachia 2012!) Now that I am in the running to be next Miss Maryland, I keep in shape with the help of The Arena Club and their wonderful pilates
reformer training!
Caitlin Golding
Miss. Appalachia 2012 |
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I am a 46 year old female standing at 5'9''. I was generally a small build, but having my 3rd child at age 37 and my 4th child at age 41, my metabolism changed and I started packing the weight on. In Spring 2011, I weighed in at 242 pounds, was
diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and high
cholesterol and put on medication for all. I was placing
everyone else's needs before my own.
Through the summer months I dropped about 25 pounds
dieting alone. In October 2011, I weighed in at 215 pounds.
I began coming to The Arena Club in November, using the
elliptical for as long as I could 3 days a week, because that was what I was familiar with. The pounds started melting away as my endurance and muscle tone began to increase.
It is now May 2012 (1 year later) and my weight has dropped to 158. I no longer need any meds for any illnesses, I am no
longer required to test blood sugars, and I was told by the
doctor that I could eat as much fruit as I want. I changed my diet to high fiber whole grains and non-processed foods. I am currently still working the elliptical, at this time, on level 10 for 1 hour, 3-4 times a week, frontwards and backwards, usually
covering at least 7 miles per workout.
Since late October, I have dropped 57 pounds that I attribute to exercise, as diet alone could not have accomplished this. I was told by my nutritionist to eat a high fiber, no sugar, and low salt diet. With this advice and exercise I have been able to drop 84 pounds in the last year. I still have 8 pounds to go and surgery to have hernias removed and abdominal muscles reattached (they were ripped in my last pregnancy). But, all in all, I feel very confident about what I have
accomplished- putting my health as first priority this last year. I am a better Mom for it!
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I have been an active member at the Arena Club for a year now. I can honestly say it has been a great experience for me. I joined the Club to lose weight and feel better. I lost over 55 pounds and I feel so much better. My strength and endurance has greatly increased. While I won't be winning any races anytime soon, I recently jogged 4.5 miles which is something I haven't been able to do in about 15 years. I don't bang my hands on door knobs while walking down the hall anymore. The reality of my weight lose really smacked me hard one day after I carried two 25-lb boxes of kitty litter upstairs. At the top of the staircase, I realized this was how much weight I had lost. No wonder l was always tired!
Now, I'm only tired after one of Susan Phipps great workouts. Susan is a fantastic trainer. If it weren't for her, I would have lost my motivation after the first couple of months like I've always seemed to have done over the years. She keeps the workouts fresh by constantly changing routines and challenges. The rest of the staff is great as well. They are all very friendly and helpful. My thanks go to everyone at the Arena Club. With all of their support, I'm sure my next year at the Arena Club be as great for me as this one. |
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We all have a picture in our heads of how we want to look and feel. Three years ago, I realized I had strayed very far from the
person I wanted to be. I had become frustrated not only how I looked but how tired and run down I felt. While I lost a few pounds on my own, I soon became discouraged with the amount of time and effort I was putting in at the gym with very little to show for it. The only thing that I actually lost on my own was the hope that I would ever become that person I wanted to be.
The turning point for me was when I began working with
personal trainer, Bill Ackerman. From the start, Bill instilled
confidence in me that I could get the results I was looking for. He took the time to get to know me, my eating habits and my
lifestyle. And, he used that to help motivate me. Most importantly, he was there every step of the way. It was apparent to me that he wanted me to achieve my fitness goals as badly as I did.
Working with Bill has truly been the key to my success. I finally have the healthy lifestyle I've always wanted. He has taught me a whole new way to view food and exercise. Now, I look forward to coming to the gym and working out. I never know what's in store for me, but I always know it will be challenging and fun!
There are many investments in life that you take and wonder if it's all worth it in the end. After having the good fortune to work with Bill Ackerman I can honestly say that
having him in my life has been one of the best investments I have ever made. He's helped me uncover muscles I now knew I had and he has helped me find the athlete in me that I never knew existed. I have the energy to get through my busy day and I am living the lifestyle that I want to model for my children and family. Thanks to Bill, I finally feel like I have become the healthy person I was always meant to be.
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I was first diagnosed with double lateral scoliosis in the late 1980's, although I surely developed it at a young age. That condition causes my pelvis to tilt and torques my spine and my right sacro-illiac joint . I also have Stage 2 Osteoarthritis, due to car accidents. The arthritis is in my cervical and lumbar spine. I have had chronic pain in my neck, the arthritic areas, and right SI joint.
I started working with The Arena Club around October 2010, with the goal to alleviate some of my pain. I started working with Susan Phipps about six months ago, where we switched focus from treating pain to working on improving my spine and core strength, using both the Therapy Pool and the Pilates Reformer.
I am pleased to report that in the past six months doing one weekly half hour session on the reformer, the amount of daily pain has greatly improved. My doctors have measured a height increase of 3/4", steady bone density, and steady function of the spine. I attribute the spine progress and reduced chronic and acute pain to the work I have done with Susan. I now live my life with less intense pain and less anxiety. It goes without saying that Susan is delightful and caring. I look forward to continuing to work with her and making additional progress in the many months to come. I look forward to being able to do more, with Susan's good care. |
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I joined The Arena Club in February 2010 and wanted a trainer to help me build strength, core, and balance. I suffer from sacroiliac joint disorder, which is commonly characterized by low back and gluteal pain, as well as hip and sciatic leg pain. I have endured several back surgeries—most recently in 2003 to help minimize lower back and leg pain from a ruptured disc. The goal for me was to improve strength, range of motion, and work major muscles. With the help of Master Trainer, Patricia Marks, I have made major strides with strength and balance, dropped several pant sizes, and changed my body fat percentage from 28.5% to 15.5%. |
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