20 - Wednesday, May 26, 1999 - North Shore News

Testing

AS a columnist for our
community paper, I
am occasionally invited
to attend events or try
certain products for
free.

Some invitations [ grate-
fully decline, like the one
from the guy who wanted to
use my picture to promote
celasene in exchange for two
months free supply of the
product (just not sure |
want to be known as the cel-
lulite lady), And some I
accept (generally anything
that involves food or golf).

By and large, I consider
these freebie offers to be a
nice little perk for exposing
my soft underbelly to the
reading public.

A couple of weeks ago I

ot a call from a guy J met a

cw years back naraed Clyde.
T hardly remembered him
until he reminded me about
the party I had where he
tracked dog poop through
my house.

Anyway, Clyde works as a
personal trainer for Bogie’s

‘itness Center in Ambleside,
and he deduced, from read-
ing my columns, that I
could use a persenal training
session or two.

Well, I’ve heard of per-
sonal trainers and in the past
enerally dismissed them as
igh priced coaches for the

rich and lazy.

However, a few of my
wealthier friends (the ones
who are still married) have

kids’ stuff

WEDNESCAYS
Research on ADHD:
Mothers and sons are needed
for a study conducted by'Dr.
Charlotte Johnston. Sons
should be 7-12 years and
have been diagnosed with
ADHD or ADD. Mothers
will receive $15 and children
a UBC T-shirt. If interested
cail Jacky at 822-9037.

Basic Bicycle Safety: Lynn
Mutrie, founder of Cycle
Smart programs, talks to 5-
8-year-olds on June 2, at
3:30 p.m., N.V. City Library.
Pre-register: 980-4424.

Junior Stamp Ctub: For 7-
12-year-olds, June 9, 3:30
p.m., N.V. City Library. Pre-
register: 980-4424.

Toddler Storytime: Drop in
fun for ages 2-3 years at 10
a.m. and 11 a.n.., N.V. City

Library. Info: $80-4424.

Drop-in Storytime Fun:
Ages 3-5 years at 10:30 a.m.
and 1:30 p.m. at W.V.
Memorial Library. Info: 925-

North Vancouver
Rangerettes: Ages 3-16,
N.V. location. For more
information call 929-8236.

— Compiled by Sharon
Cocomile

E-mail (sharon@nsnews.com)
or fax your event information
to 985-2104.

been using personal trainers
recently and raving about
the results. Since I’m an
adventurous type with more
than a few soft spots I
accepted Clyde’s invitation
to a complimentary training
session. “Hell,” | rational-
ized, “at the very least it will
give me something to write
about.”

On the appointed day I
put on my best tights and T
-shirt and set off for my
workout. I was a little
apprehensive because I’m a
certified slacker when it
comes to working out. If
I’m not having fun exercis-
ing by playing a real sport
like tennis, I prefer either
solitary exercise or large
group exercise where no
one’s really watching and I
can fake the burn so to
speak.

Let me warn you. With
personal trainers, there’s no
faking the burn. They make

to

_ ENTIRE

north shore news

££ PARENTAL GUIDANCE

you work.

Thad my first personal
training session with Bogie
himself. Coincidentaliy, he
was my pre-grad date over
25 years ago. Bogie’s been
coaching and coaxing slack-
ers like me into shape since
he graduated from universi-
ty, and he’s even written a
book on fitnsss.

He’s a pretty normal
looking guy, not at all the
buff, body building type,
bur he's 100 pounds lighter
than he was at high school
graduation and he’s clearly
committed to his work. My
one-hour workout with him
was great. In fact, during
the hour he not only worked
most of my major muscle
groups to exhaustion, but
also told me the entire story
of his failed marriage and
counselled me at length on
mine.

While I was working out,
I noticed some of the other
personal trainers in the stu-
dio. They were mostly
female, mostly trim and
taught, and mostly young.
Certainly inspiration for the
likes of me. One particularly
perky trainer was due to
have a baby in 10 days, and
she was so firm and fit you
couldn’t even tell from
behind that she was preg-
nant. I don’t know why I
felt compelled to mention

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ut those personal

the similarity between expe-
riencing natural childbirth
and having a chain saw rip
through your crotch but she
shrugged off my analogy
with a cheerful giggle. (First
baby, ignorant bliss!)

By the way, here are a
few things other than a basic
knowledge of exercise physi-
ology that personal trainers
obviously require in order to
be good at what they do:

A good personality: If
you can’t make interesting
conversation with the person
you're training, chances are
you'll lose them as a client
quickly, because less than
dedicated specimens like me
need constant distraction
from the labour of working
out,

I’m sorry, a beautiful-
bodied trainer is not enough

for me. I need gossip,
tateletale-ing, worse life sto-
ties than mine, and a good
rude joke or two.

Good motivational skills:
Personal trainers must be
able to motivate their
clients, to push them to per-
form at levels they might
not otherwise.

Good cheerleading is
very helpful, but in my
opinion, bribes like milk-
shakes and chocolate bars
would work just as well.

Discretion: Personal
trainers must politely ignore
the inevitable groaning, fart-
ing, and the stink of sweat
that physical exertion gener-
ally involves.

They must never laugh.
out loud at unsightly bulges
that appear on thighs and
tummies in awkward posi-

Guitar
Pace Group Piano
Strings for Children

trainers

tions or yelp with astonish-
ment as you step on the
scale to be weighed.

All joking aside, my opin-
ior. of personal trainers has
changed. As a client, not
only is your workout special-
ly designed to enhance your
existing lifestyle, but having
full hands on babysitting as
you go through it is orally
awesome. And personal
trainers are not only for the
rich and lazy.

They travel to help exer-
cise seniors who cannot get
out of their homes.

Their clients range from
the supremely fit to the seri-
ously physically disabled.

If you-re not making the
fitness grade on your own
and you can afford the So0
a session, having a personal
trainer is a real luxury.

age 2 and up
age 7 and up
age 6 and up
age 4 and up

Are you making plans for your child to start
music lessons? It’s important to find quality pro-
grams that are stimulating and creative for young
children. Capilano College Community Music
School has been providing progressive and cre-
ative music training since 1979.

Please come to our free evening workshop for
parents and take this opportunity to meet with
our professional music instructors who will help
you plan your child's musical experiences.

Free Workshop for Parents and Program Registration

‘(a= Capilano
ce Col

Tuesday, June 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Fir building, Main floor, Music department
Phone 990-7891 to register for the free workshop.

Capilano College Continuing Education

lege 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver

www. capcollege.be.ca/continuinged