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Abby Bolton

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This month our member of the month is one of our own team members! Abby has been working with G&M at the front desk for 1 year now. Many of you know her already but what you may not know about her is how much she has accomplished in her fitness journey already. Here is her story:

Abby was always active in her childhood. She competed in gymnastics from ages 8 to 18 as well as in track and field through high school. But once her gymnastics career came to an end she knew she had to find something else to challenge her, keep her active and in shape.

In grade 10 Abby had a fitness class where she was introduced to weight training and was hooked. So naturally when gymnastics ended she transitioned into weight lifting and started working out consistently in the summer of 2016.

Her goal was to get stronger, beat her 1 rep max’s and just lift as much as possible. And then last summer she decided that she was going to pursue a new challenge and compete in Fitness. Her new goal had her switch from heavy lifting to more hypertrophy training. Fitness competitions combined her gymnastics background with her new found love for weight lifting and seemed like a natural fit.

In December 2017 she competed in her first competition coming in 1st place! Since then she has competed 3 more times claiming 2 more 1st place finishes and one 2nd place finish just a few weeks ago at the Toronto Pro Super Show.

Her next competition is coming up on August 4th at the Natural Canadian Pro Qualifier show in Toronto.

“My main goal is to get my pro card and compete at the Olympia whether that happens this August or it takes me a few years.”

Abby has had to overcome a few injuries, one shoulder injury that kept her from being able to lift weights for 3 months which set her back a bit. Also, she has had to learn how to manage her time efficiently between going to classes, studying, working and getting her workouts in.

“I am most proud of my 1st competition. I proved to myself that I have the discipline and commitment to push myself and my body.”

Abby also is grateful to see how many people have reached out to her and let her know that she has inspired them to get into fitness and working out.

Currently Abby is at Brock University going into her 3rd year of Kinesiology and hopes to pursue a career in the fitness industry helping others better themselves.

Abby’s Words of Wisdom:

  • Goal setting is huge. Make sure you set goals. They are what help you stay on track.
  • Be willing to put in the work. It will be worth it.
  • Don’t give up when it gets hard. That is when you see the best results, when you push yourself through the hard times.
  • Find a way to make fitness fun for you, and
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions

“Thanks to the community at G&M Fitness for making this job fun and for all of your support!”

Congratulations Abby! So many huge accomplishments already! We are lucky to have you as part of our team. Good luck with your next competition and we look forward to seeing you on stage at the Olympia’s one day!

Getting Out of His Wheelchair After 35 Years

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Some of you have heard this story before, but I think it is worth repeating. Here it is:

Once upon a time, there was a man who entered our club via his dirty old well used scratched up wheelchair, wearing his tattered clothing, torn old gloves to protect his hands, long dirty white beard, old baseball cap, smelled like cigarette smoke and had alcohol on his breath. You can imagine the thoughts that went through my head as I saw him enter.

Not to judge, I greeted him just as I would any new visitor and asked him why he came to us. As I listened, he told me his story.

Once a prominent dance instructor, Kevin’s vocation came to a grinding halt as he was tragically maimed in a terrible motor vehicle accident at the young age of 23. He was now 58.

While lying in the hospital in a coma for six days on life support, with a shattered ankle and pelvis, broken ribs, broken neck and a badly broken arm, broken back, punctured lungs and brain damage, the doctors where asking permission from his mother to amputate his arm. She would not allow it.

After waking from the coma and two brain surgeries, Mr. Clarke spent the next six months in hospital, and was able to move only his eyes as he listened to the doctor tell him that he would never walk or talk again. Now, after 35 years, his doctors had pretty much lost interest in him and had given up.

So there he was, sitting in his wheelchair, looking up at me, and these words came out of his mouth: I could barely understand him as he struggled to ask “Can you help me?”

I had only one question to ask him: “Can you stand up out of your wheelchair?” He said “Yes, but I can’t walk around.” That’s all I needed to hear. “Yes”, I said, “I can help you.”

We started very slowly with a few select exercises. Mr. Clarke’s first challenge was to try to keep his muscles from going into spasm. We slowly and gradually worked more exercises into his routine and then as part of his routine, Mr. Clarke was to walk behind and push his wheelchair out the door. He was not allowed to be in his wheelchair on his way out.

He was spent at the end of his workout, but I still made him walk down the hall and out the door. There were times when I didn’t think he would make it to the front door but he did.

Not being on a regular schedule because of his inability to get to the club in inclement weather, we would miss each other sometimes for weeks at a time, but Kevin was determined to get better and would come in on his own without me.

My biggest surprise came when I got back from vacation and ran into Mr. Clarke at the gym. I shook his hand and asked him where he parked his wheelchair. He just shook his head with a grin on his face and said, “There’s no more wheelchair. I got rid of it.”

I must say that this was likely my biggest achievement as a personal trainer and although Mr. Clarke is no longer a member, I hope and pray that he is still well and happy.

This is personal training at its best. This is what we do. This is what you need if you have specific goals in mind that you wish to achieve. Showing up consistently is one thing, but doing what you really need to do when you show up is quite another. Let us help you.

Gino

Manage your priorities, not your time.

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No time. After all of these years running this health club, trying to figure out why more people don’t exercise regularly, we have finally concluded by researching, surveying, asking, listening, etc., that the number one reason people give for not exercising regularly is lack of time.

Well, the fact of the matter is that we all have the same amount of time. It’s what you do with that time that’s important. It’s not a matter of time management; it’s a matter of priority management. 

Get that straight.

Most likely, if you have a good look at your daily activities besides the ones you have to do, (like going to work), you probably have several hours a day to choose your activities. Some days, let’s face it, you actually don’t have any spare time, but likely some days you do. You have to ask yourself, what’s most important to you?

Watching a movie, going shopping, playing video games, searching the web, having lunch with friends, or maybe doing something to ensure you sustain good health as you age!

Well, here’s the good news, which most people don’t realize. You only need a few hours a week! I’d say three to four hours a week, that’s it. If you come to our gym three times a week, no more, but you do what we show you and you do it consistently, you will achieve the physical results that you want, we guarantee it.

So, can you find three hours in your busy week to ensure your good health? I think most can. Can you find something that you do three times a week that’s not as important as your good health? I think most can.

So, what’s your excuse now?

In my humble opinion, lack of time is no excuse, because simply put, you don’t have any less time than anyone else.

Gino