Crunch Fitness Reston Town Center Fitness Director Cali Garner, who stands at 5 foot and 7 inches, made a fitness resolution in 2009 that helped him go from 255 pounds to 189 pounds. Photo by Fallon Forbush.
Reston — Crunch Fitness at Reston Town Center expects 150 new members to join in January to conquer their 2017 New Year’s fitness resolutions. But, statistically speaking, 85 percent of those people will stop within the first 90 days, according to Jamie Toombs, the gym’s general manager.
It’s Toombs goal to make sure his gym beats the industry average and to keep these new members—many of whom will be joining a gym for the first time in their lives—comfortable so they stay past 90 days.
By 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, 151 of the gym’s 2,500 members had stopped by to work out, on track to increase by the New Year.
“People are motivated and may go too hard, too fast,” Toombs says. “It’s more about starting and building so you don’t burn out and plateau.”
Crunch gives new members a body assessment and two complimentary sessions with a personal trainer to make the gym a little less intimidating.
The Connection spoke with Cali Garner, the gym’s fitness director, for more advice on sticking with your resolutions.
Garner speaks from personal experience.
Garner, who stands at 5 foot and 7 inches, teaches classes of all sorts—from Zumba to weight lifting. He is also a professional in bodybuilding. However, this was years in the making.
His fitness journey began in 2009 when he made a resolution to get back into shape after working a job during the third shift where he formed a habit of snacking to keep himself awake.
That year, he stuck to his commitment and went from 255 pounds to 189 pounds. And he hasn’t stopped re-evaluating his goals ever since.
THIS YEAR, he has a goal of earning his pro card from the International Federation of Bodybuilders, which would give him the qualifications to earn money for his bodybuilding. This means he must win regional and national bodybuilding competitions.
He will compete in the National Physique Committee’s Max Muscle VA Classic in Woodbridge on April 29.
“Most people know what they want the end result to be, but they don’t know what’s in between,” says Garner. He recommends breaking a goal into small portions and rewarding yourself for progress. And if your goal is weight loss, it’s counterintuitive to reward yourself with extra cheat meals. Still, “five pounds at a time deserves a celebration,” he says.
“Most people know what they want the end result to be, but they don’t know what’s in between,” says Garner.
He recommends breaking a goal into small portions and rewarding yourself for progress.
And if your goal is weight loss, it’s counterintuitive to reward yourself with extra cheat meals.
Still, “five pounds at a time deserves a celebration,” he says.
He recommends rewarding yourself with things that will make time at the gym more interesting. This could be an upgrade in headphones for each milestone or buying new water bottles or workout gear with pithy or motivational sayings.
“I see people fuss with their headphone wires and then over time they get bluetooth and then they end up wearing $300 Beats,” he says.
Garner says that it is impossible to “out-train a bad diet.”
“Hand-in-hand, nutrition is 60 percent; resistance training is 30 percent; and cardio is 10 percent of losing weight,” Garner says. “Tracking calories ensures you achieve your goals.”
He recommends using calorie counting apps on your smartphone to keep track, like dotFIT, MyFitnessPal or CalorieKing. The apps will tell you how many calories you should be eating in a day, according to how much you weigh and what your weight loss goals are.
“Cardio is great, but it won’t get you your ideal body,” Garner says.
For every pound of muscle someone has, 50 calories are burned while at rest per week. With 10 pounds of muscle, that equates to burning 500 calories, or an entire pound of fat, per week while at rest—for doing nothing.
“Second to nutrition, building muscle is more important than cardio when losing weight,” he says.
Garner says that it is impossible to “out-train a bad diet.”
“Hand-in-hand, nutrition is 60 percent; resistance training is 30 percent; and cardio is 10 percent of losing weight,” Garner says. “Tracking calories ensures you achieve your goals.”
PEOPLE WHO WORK OUT with someone else are 80 percent more likely to stick with it.
“Never be afraid to ask for help,” he says.
Whether it be a trainer or a friend, having accountability is key. Social media can be an easy way to build accountability with strangers.
Garner posts photos on social media daily to track his fitness progress.
“If I miss a post, someone will comment and ask me where it is—and I may not even know who the person is,” he says.
Garner has taken all sorts of fitness classes to keep his routine from going stale. Gym memberships can often include complimentary classes, like yoga, Zumba and Pilates.
Variations in work out will help keep your interest so you stay on track towards your goals.
Cali’s 15-20 Minute Functional Training Workout
All 15 repetitions with fast or minimal breaks
*Slam Balls, weighted 10-50 pounds
*Modified Burpees
*Squats (weighted or unweighted)
*Dumbbell Curl and Press (curl into a shoulder press while standing)
*Inverted Row with TRX Suspension Bands
*Repeat Three Times