I'm Matt Joe and one of the great disappointments in my life was the realization that gym class ended after high school. Many years, pounds, and countless eating challenges since high school, a friend of mine told me I needed to take my pudgy self to this gym he was a member at. I figured I would be the good polite friend and go, because he invited me to, and for some reason, he felt the need to give my phone number to this trainer, Steve, who proceeded to call me and arrange for an evaluation. I figured, fine, I'll go, humor them both, then go meet my other friends for drinks.
So, I went to this gym, and after being evaluated by going through a series of drills using just ropes and body weight, I believe I was unable to think straight, and under duress, and in a hurry to get away from this mean, cruel man who made me jump rope (for like a whole minute!) I agreed to sign up for an initial 5 week program with every intention of not renewing after those 5 weeks. After all, I wasn't all about working out and where were all the fancy machines with the seats and the weights and pulleys? You can't workout without those! Everybody knows that!
Well, those 5 weeks have turned into over 5 years. Why didn't I quit? Because it was challenging, it was something I'd never done before, and this trainer, Steve, was very persuasive, believed in the program, and I admired how intense he was about it. I was impressed with what he and his wife could do with these odd weights I'd never seen before, these kettlebells. I was told this would help build real world strength, get me back into better shape and benefit me in my other pursuits.
For over 20 years I've been involved in the shooting sports, many of these competitions would require me to be outside in the heat during the summer months for the entire day. Being as out of shape as I was, by the end of the day I was a tired sweaty mess, and in a sport that requires me to be fast, run around and shoot targets accurately, my performance would suffer as the days got longer. This is no longer a problem thanks to the way 212 has transformed my life. I am in far better shape, stronger, and have better endurance than I had 10 years ago.
The trainers do a great job at motivating us, but who really inspires me to try harder? Come inside the gym, look around, and see the people I see everyday, doing what they do, achieving personal goals and bests, pushing themselves, holding themselves accountable, they don't quit, they get better.
212 is more than a gym, it's a community of friends with common interests and goals. In retrospect, I'm happy I stayed here because of the lifelong friendships I've made, because of the challenges and the fun. Set a goal and Kerry and his crew at 212 will help you achieve it. Be it running an adventure race, competing in a strongman competition or winning our division in the 2013 Dragon Boat Race, your goals are achievable, and everyone inside this gym is living proof.