If you find yourself training at home doing more push ups than normal, here is a great resource to make sure you are training the opposing muscle groups. Check out this video from Charlie showing you how to target that upper back and posterior shoulder to maintain proper posture and shoulder health!
Click the link below to see a video from Charlie and Sara to hear what your Prime team is doing to continue providing safe and effective training. Your health and safety is our first priority, always!
COVID-19 comes from the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold. COVID-19 appears to be an animal coronavirus, unseen before in humans, that first appeared in Wuhan City, China, and is spreading globally through human-to-human transmission. (1) It is important during this season of increased risk of contracting a previously foreign virus that we take extra steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle which includes regular exercise regimen. Contemporary evidence from epidemiological studies shows that leading a physically active lifestyle reduces the incidence of communicable (e.g., bacterial and viral infections) and non-communicable diseases (e.g., cancer), implying that immune competency is enhanced by regular exercise bouts. (2) With that said, workouts of super high intensity and/or extreme in duration can function to temporarily disable some of your body’s immune response so moderation is key. A 30-60 minute workout of moderate intensity 3-5 days per week can be a great aid to preventing contraction of COVID-19.
Other good news — sweat cannot transmit the virus! There’s a lower risk of picking up the virus at a gym than at a church service (2). Here are some helpful personal guidelines to abide by:
Data supports a clear inverse relationship between moderate exercise training and illness risk. (3) Consistent intelligent training involving resistance training and short high-intensity intervals can go a long way toward preventing illness, this COVID-19 scare is no different. Let’s work together to prevent unnecessary sickness and stay fit and healthy!
MARCH 2020 MEMBER OF THE MONTH: Glenn Earl
Jeri Herring. She thought it would be a good fit and bugged me until I went.
Part of my motivation comes from a desire to keep myself moving. Another, large, part of it comes from the organization I did (in some ways still do) belong to. It would be a dishonor to them if I gave a half-hearted showing. NSDQ!
More muscle has been put on. Some blubber has been taken off. Also, an important day-to-day routine has been re-established.
Find a reliable motivation to get you started. Getting moving is the hardest part. Once you get moving it’s easier to stay moving.
There’s the right amount of input from the instructors, interns and other clients. I don’t need a Drill Instructor screaming in my ear all the time but here there is always that element of “potentially somebody watching” that keeps me honest.
Shooting, hunting, fishing. I don’t get to do enough of it.
I like to think I’m honest with myself and I do not lie to anybody else.
The one and only concert was “Better Than Ezra”. Nashville in ’93?
A tie between “Baba O’Reilly” by The Who and “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits.
Benjamin Franklin for scientific, diplomatic and practical expertise. Samuel Clemens for wit and observational qualities. George Washington for self-awareness and self-control.
Space is limited! Call (931) 245-2845 or email Sara at Sara@primefitnessclarksville.com to save your spot!
2019 MEMBER OF THE YEAR! Sheila Beers
I got started at Prime Fitness in December of 2018. My husband showed me the Prime Fitness website and said that I should check it out because I wasn’t making progress at my current gym. I would go regularly, but the only thing I knew how to do was walk on a treadmill and push around a few weights on a machine. I signed up just before Christmas and started seeing progress in just a few weeks because I had a coach to tell me what to do and how to do it.
Those first few months were not pretty as I hobbled, wobbled, huffed, and puffed through a workout, but the coaches and other Prime members kept me motivated. They still do.
In the past year I have noticed that I have much more energy and better balance. I also feel healthy, which is different than the absence of sickness.
I can’t really offer advice about starting a fitness journey because it is very personal endeavor. However, its being personal does not mean you should do it alone. Coaches and camaraderie have been very important to me. What works for me is that I show up consistently.
The best part of Prime Fitness is the encouragement you get from other members. During the Prime Bingo game, I did the Jacob’s Ladder for the first time ever. It was a significant emotional experience for me!! When I finished, I was too drained to celebrate. KK stopped rowing and cheered for me when I wasn’t able to do it for myself. Other times, people will mention a positive change in me that maybe I hadn’t recognized in myself. That kind of stuff happens at Prime all the time.
In my free time, I like to play with my dog, Miki Pearl. So far, I can crawl through a tunnel and jump over a pole.
My fitness goal for 2020 is to get stronger and more flexible.
One thing that people may not know about me is that I love to do Road Scholar (educational travel) with my dad.
My favorite family traditions are blueberry muffins on Christmas morning and barbequed ribs for
Christmas dinner.
One thing that I have never done, but would like to try is to learn an organized sport. I have never played a sport. I don’t know how I’d go about finding some novices my own age. . . Really, I would have to learn the rules and fundamentals.
The first concert that I ever went to was Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
DECEMBER 2019 MEMBER OF THE MONTH: Will RagerMy mom’s begging skills which must I say were superb, and she convinced me to go try a workout at 5 AM and I loved it. And that experience kicked off my wonderful journey at Prime!
My motivation is mostly to look better, feel better. The classic “look good, feel good” feeling is what I aimed for and what I am achieving day by day. But also to my family. To make them proud, and me and my mom being each other’s emotional support through the dieting and gyms that are super tough!
I can definitely tell that I can do more, and do things for longer periods of time, like being able to keep playing a game of flag football without having to take a break and chill out. Also I have noticed how much faster I have been getting (credit and thanks to Pat and his epic training sessions).
My biggest piece of advice is… (well probably 3 biggest pieces)
– Something my mom told me a lot when I was ready to break, or quit was “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time” and that stuck with me because I just took everything 1 step at a time, vs dreading what happened. Being in the moment, vs thinking about what is upcoming.
– Another thing my mom tells me. “If you can do 1% every single day, then by the end of the year you will be 365% better, which was super nice, because I then knew that even if I missed a workout, a walk around the neighborhood (or anything to keep me active) was good!!
-Something I learned when I first started. You don’t have to get right into the extreme workout that makes you sweat bullets, ease into it, find your groove, find what hurts so then the awesome team at Prime can help modify so then it doesn’t hurt. But you still get the same workout, just a different style!!
My favorite part about working out at Prime, is definitely the extreme friendliness around. The coaches and trainers don’t just coach. They check on you and make sure you’re okay, but they also get to know you personally, which is so nice so then the conversations aren’t just super professional and serious, they are friendly and show you how to do the right form so then you can get a better workout! And everyone else in the gym is so friendly and supportive! Everyone says good job as they leave, and everyone enjoys the awesome shakes up front! So the place really gives off a friendly and happy vibe to everyone of all ages!
Some of my favorite things to do in my free time. Well one is probably icing joints and taking super nice showers and relaxing after a workout, but also I love cooking and finding new healthy recipes to try and make with my mom. Which 99% of the time is AMAZING!!! So cooking is super fun when I have the time to do it!
One of my favorite things about myself is probably my people skills. I feel like I get along well with everyone I encounter, and I enjoy being nice and kind to people. Because I enjoy making people happy. “Treat people how you want to be treated” is how I look at my encounters with other people.
When I walk into a room, the song I would really enjoy to be playing is probably any Queen song ever, or any R&B from the 90’s, from Still DRE by dr Dre, or to O.P.P, I enjoy hype music and happy dance to music.
I believe that I am an amazing dancer. I can bust a move on the dance floor when I need to, I really enjoy parties and dancing a lot, just free styling is my thing, and I really love it. And normally people don’t expect it, but I do impress when I show my moves!
NOVEMBER 2019 MEMBER OF THE MONTH: Jonathan Lawrence
I had gained a lot of weight and was struggling to get it off. My doctor suggested to me to work out. I belong to Blue Fitness and have access to several gyms. This was not working. I would talk myself out of going daily. I saw an ad on Facebook and thought I would give it a try. I do not regret my decision.
I am motivated by my blood work and the people I work out with. I get nudges and motivation from the staff as well as others while working out. I like to be pushed; it makes me want to prove I can do it.
My blood glucose levels are down and my A1C has gone from 8 to 6.8. I can do more and lift more also since I have been coming.
To keep coming and try at least to do something. Prime Fitness staff are wonderful about adapting the workout to make you better. They also will keep challenging you to make better choices while working out.
I like my 6 am group – both small and large groups. I love the challenges I get from my workout family.
I like to shop, hang out with my daughter and wife, and listen to books. I like to watch cooking contests on TV to help motivate me to cook.
I have been asked this before and I like the Imperial March from Star Wars.
I plan to go to Europe next year. I am Irish and Scottish as well is my wife and we are planning to go tour Europe.
I have so many to choose from, but I would say anything off the Purple Rain Album. My favorite is Baby I Am a Star. When I was a cheerleader in High School and college, we did dances to it. It brings back a lot of good memories.
OCTOBER 2019 MEMBER OF THE MONTH: Mitzi SwiftTo be honest I didn’t want to go to a gym and workout because I am so self conscious and have always felt very awkward in a gym. Our son Eli and his wife Maggie encouraged me to try Prime. They said I would like it and my wonderful and supportive husband wanted to try Prime and he wanted me to give it a try also, so I very hesitantly did. I knew I needed to take better care of myself so I agreed. It was very uncomfortable for me to walk through that door but it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.
What motivates me to keep coming to Prime is just how much better I feel physically and mentally. The staff are so friendly, supportive and welcoming. I also enjoy meeting so many great members! I told my husband that I love coming to Prime Fitness so much that if I had to choose between giving up my smartphone or giving up Prime I would do without the phone. Seriously!
I think that since I’ve started coming to Prime it’s made me feel more confident in my abilities to push myself more and stop telling myself that I can’t do a certain move or exercise. I look forward to trying new things. I may still grumble about it some but unfortunately that’s just in my nature sometimes.
If I had to give any advice to someone it would be to not expect big changes fast. Don’t give up and it takes time, patience and work to see those little changes start to happen and when you really start seeing some progress it’s a great feeling of accomplishment!
My favorite part of working out at Prime Fitness is getting to workout with great people and such a wonderful staff! I love chatting with Katie especially when she is coaching small group!
I love spending time with my family. Our four children and their families are scattered across the US so when we can all be together it is such a special time for me. When it’s just me and Mike there is nothing more relaxing than sitting in our hammock chairs in the evening, relaxing and watching the sun set.
One of my favorite family traditions is that every Christmas morning when any of our kids are home we take a photo of them on whatever staircase we have in the house. We’ve been doing that since they were little and I love running across those photos and see how they have changed over the years and see how our family has started growing!
I would really like to not be afraid of grizzly bears! I have had many nightmares about bear attacks.
My first concert was to see Billy Squire at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville when I was a senior in high school. I told my parents I was “working on the school newspaper” that night so I could sneak to see that show.
-I would like to hang out with Joanna Gains because I think she is just a good person and I think we would have a lot in common. We both have a bunch of kids and we like to be creative.
-Queen Latifa just because she smiles all the time and looks like she would be fun to hangout with.
-Sam Heughen and Caitriona Balfe because they play two of my favorite book characters of all time on the STARZ series Outlander.
September 2019 MEMBER OF THE MONTH: Lance Joyner
After a few years of working out at local gyms (some of which closed) and becoming “stagnant” in my workout routine, I was really in need of something different to really jump-start me and push me to my potential. I knew of Prime Fitness through several friends who were members and spoke highly of Prime. I finally worked up the courage to attend a class and the rest was history. It’s the perfect combination of strength, cardio, and the extra push I need.
My wife and soon to be child (first one is due in December, YAY!). I need to be around a long time for them and staying healthy will do that. I also do it for myself – there is always room for self-improvement.
From a physical standpoint, I have seen an improvement in my overall physique and muscle definition. My biggest positive gain, however, has to be my self-esteem. Exercising consistently and eating healthy makes me happy, and I just feel better about myself. I can look at myself in the mirror and smile at the person I see staring back at me.
Two things: First, have someone hold you accountable, and most importantly, you just have to start somewhere – no matter where. Whether it be taking the stairs instead of an elevator, going on an extra walk, or just jumping on a treadmill. Every bit of movement counts. I once weighed 240 lbs. (not a good 240), never lifted a weight in my life and made every excuse in the world not to workout. I was fortunate enough to have a fraternity brother/roommate who was active-duty military and was finally fed up of seeing me eat junk food and pounding sodas every day. He started me on my fitness and diet journey by working out 3-days a week and providing a few diet tips – primarily cutting out sugar (transitioning off sodas, going from white bread to wheat bread, and cutting back on sweets). Those first 30 days…. I lost 30 lbs. A few years later, I eventually hit a point where I had lost a total of 65 lbs. No matter where your fitness journey takes you, just keep moving. Every bit counts.
Making new friends and a great workout day in and day out. Also seeing my 6 a.m. crew every day. You haven’t lived until you have done a Prime workout before sunrise, lol. Us 6 a.m. folks love seeing new faces in class ☺
Spending time with my wife and family, going to the movies, and my favorite time of year: Fantasy Football Season.
This one is tough. Play the piano (or guitar, ah I can’t decide). Learning to ski would be a close second.
Metallica – Nashville 1997. I think I was fourteen. It was AMAZING!
Not really sure it’s a talent, but I do a great Will Ferrell impersonation. I once had a 10+ year streak of being a Will Ferrell character for Halloween.