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If At First You Don't Suceed, Try, Try Again!
It was January 2008, the start of a new year and once
again the start of that mental promise so many of us
make to ourselves. "I am going to lose the weight and
keep it off this time!" I had managed to lose a
substantial amount of weight a few years ago on diet,
and self-modified exercise plans. However like many
others I let the effects of everyday life intervene into my
exercise time and eating habits, which contributed to
me once again becoming well over 300 pounds.
This time I thought, what can I do differently so I am
not in this position again 12 months from now? After
some contemplation I realized that when my weight
would start creeping back on, I was off of my "diet"
plan. That is the moment that I realized I needed to
develop an eating lifestyle which I can maintain after I
have lost the weight.
I also came to the conclusion that I need to effectively
work out on a consistent basis, thus making time for
exercise, just as I would have to eat- on a regular
basis. I was not very knowledgeable about different
workout techniques or a lot of the equipment in the
fitness center and decided I needed some
assistance. That is when I decided to seek the aid of
a personal trainer. I then debated for a couple of
months whether or not I wanted to make the monetary
(OK yes, and the physical) commitment to working out
with a personal trainer.
On March 17, 2008 I made up my mind to end my time
as one of the millions of obese Americans, and I
contacted personal trainer Ernie Zuberbuehler. Well,
what a difference 14 months makes! Working with
Ernie has made my weight loss and healthy lifestyle
change an enjoyable and positive experience. He is
committed to developing a strategy for each stage of
my weight loss journey, and by providing me the
knowledge and motivation I need to attain a healthy
weight and lifestyle. When I started out my goal was to
get into decent shape, but now my goal is to be in
excellent shape! I will admit it isn't always easy
attempting to lose and maintain weight loss, but what
challenge with a positive reward in the end ever is?
Nevertheless, this is a challenge I will undoubtedly
win. There is no turning back. (Especially since now I
have put it in print!)
As of today I have lost over 100 pounds, increased
muscle mass (which is quite a bit greater than the
last time around due to the regular weight training),
still enjoy eating (but in moderation, not deprivation),
running (yes running, you should ohave seen my face
the
first time Ernie told me I was going to run) several
days a week, and enjoying life as a much fitter person
by entering the 4 mile Lighthouse Run this year and
running the full four miles! The overflowing
encouragement I have received from friends, family,
coworkers, Ernie and the Razor Sharp staff/members,
and prayer helps keep me focused and more
determined than ever to complete and then sustain
my weight loss. I am even considering enrolling in a
health/nutrition/fitness course myself so I can "pay it
forward!"
~by Craig Mason
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Greetings!
Hello and welcome to the May issue of the Razor
Sharp Newsletter. Summer is fast approaching and
with it comes bathing suits, shorts, and tank-tops. Are
you ready for it? If not, there's still time to get your
physique "summer ready." Take advantage of all we
have to offer- participate in a class, swim some laps,
or shoot some hoops. You'll be "summer ready" in no
time!
~The Razor Staff
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| It's the Athlete's Responsibility: Desire, Commitment and Confidence |
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Over the years that I have been coaching competitive
athletes, I have had the pleasure of meeting and
talking with some of the best coaches in the country.
All of these coaches possess the talent to guide their
athletes toward their respective goals whether the
athlete was a weekend warrior or Olympic caliber.
There is however, one thing that frustrated all of the
coaches. Something in their athletes that they could
not control, nor instill in them, no matter how hard they
tried. In the end, the coaches finally realized that an
athlete's desire, commitment and confidence were
impossible to train.
Desire is that feeling we all get to accomplish
something in athletics. We may see a friend or
relative finish a running race or triathlon and we
suddenly have the desire to do it ourselves. Nearly all
of us have felt this emotion and some end up acting
upon it. But desire or setting a goal for ourselves is
the easy part.
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Read On... |
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| Declined Credit Cards Now Subject to Fee |
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It has always been our policy to charge a $20 fee if we
were unable to process membership dues on EFT
accounts (checking or savings accounts) due to
insufficient funds available for withdrawal. This
is the service fee that the bank charges us in these
situations.
Please note that as of April 15th, we now charge a
$20 service fee
on
credit and debit card accounts that do not go through
as well. Cards can be denied for a number of
reasons such as insufficient funds (debit), going over
the card's credit limit, or cancellation of the card.
Due to a rise in the number of declined cards, as well
as
increasing costs and the amount of time consumed
collecting back dues, we will now charge a
$20 fee if the credit or debit card is unable to be
processed.
If you receive a new card, or if your expiration date
changes, we ask that you complete a new billing form
at our front desk, and provide us with the new
information as soon as possible. If your billing date
is approaching and you do not have your new card yet,
please call Tenille at 321-0200 and make her aware
of your situation.
Thank you.
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| 3-Month, Summer Student Membership Now Available |
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We now have 3-month summer student
memberships available for purchase! The
membership is $175 and begins the day the student
signs up. To be eligible, they must be a full-time high
school or college student,
and they must present his/her student ID at the time
of
enrollment.
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| Acupuncture: Your Questions Answered |
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What Is Acupuncture and How Does It Work?
Acupuncture has a 4,000 year old history of helping
the body to get back into balance. In acupuncture,
disposable, stainless steel needles are used to
stimulate the body's 14 major meridians, or energy-
carrying channels, to resist or overcome illnesses
and conditions by correcting these imbalances.
Acupuncture is also thought to decrease pain by
increasing the release of chemicals that block pain,
called endorphins. Many acu-points are near nerves.
When stimulated, these nerves cause a dull ache or
feeling of fullness in the muscle. The stimulated
muscle sends a message to the central nervous
system (the brain and spinal cord), causing the
release of endorphins (morphine-like chemicals
produced in our own bodies during times of pain or
stress). Endorphins, along with other
neurotransmitters, block the message of pain from
being delivered to the brain.
What Happens During Acupuncture Treatment?
The acupuncturists, Juanita or Kelly, will swab each
acu-point area with alcohol before tapping a hair-thin,
metal needle into the site. The number of needles
used during treatment can vary and are placed at
various depths. They are placed under the skin in
carefully determined points on the body. After
insertion they stay in place for twenty minutes during
which time the patient relaxes and rests.
In a treatment series, we may use different
combinations of points, different needling techniques,
or both. These combinations help stimulate new
sources of healing as your response to treatment is
observed.
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| Congratulations Bridget! |
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Congratulations to Bridget Durocher who took 3rd
Place Overall Female in
the first ever Kenosha "Cheesiest Marathon" on May
2. Bridget, who is a Personal Trainer and the RPS
Run Coach here at Razor Sharp, finished the
marathon in 3 hours 21 minutes 14 seconds. Bridget
now qualifies for the New York marathon. Rather than
a trophy, Bridget was awarded a lovely cheese hat
which she promises to wear around the club.
Bridget was not the only member of the
Razor Sharp family to run in this event.
Congratulations to the following members and staff
who participated in the Half Marathon: Eric Sanchez,
Kris Siudak, Nicole Peterson, Chris Antonneau,
Jennie Antonneau, Becky Stephenson, John
Durocher, David Brown, Kelli Steenrod and Andrew
Steenrod.
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| June Blood Drive at Razor Sharp! |
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Please mark your calendars for Monday June 15th for
our first annual blood drive benefiting the Blood
Center of Wisconsin. With your personal
commitment, we can save the lives of friends, family
members and neighbors that need blood at any of the
50+ local hospitals that the Blood Center supplies
blood to. The drive will take place from 1:00pm-
6:00pm and we have set a goal of 42 donors! Watch
for sign-up sheets throughout the club. If you have
any questions, please contact Suzanne Williamson,
RN at swilliamson@razorsharpfit.com.
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| Why Should You Have a Smoothie with Protein After Your Workout? |
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ANSWER: You're giving your body the two
necessary components needed for recovery. Protein
provides for muscle repair after the breakdown, and
sugar is needed to replace what you have burned as
fuel in the cells.
Our smoothies are made from the real fruit purees
offering a naturally-flavored fruit beverage sweetened
with nature's sugar. They also contain crystalline
fructose which is low glycemic, and doesn't build fat
cells or cause your insulin to spike. The protein "add-
in" provides the building blocks vital to a healthy body.
Stop at the front desk today and treat yourself to a
nutritious smoothie!!
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| Razor Sharp Summer Leagues |
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Interested in playing basketball or volleyball this
summer? Razor Sharp will be having a summer
basketball league on Monday nights and a summer
volleyball league on Wednesday nights. Leagues are
open to both members and non-members.
Information about the leagues and sign-up forms are
available at the front desk or on the sports board in
the gallery. The deadline to register for basketball is
Friday, May 22nd and Wednesday, June 3rd for
volleyball.
If you don't have enough people to form your own
team, there is an individual player form available.
Questions? Please contact Mike Jelacic at
mjelacic@razorsharpfit.com or Dan Neumann at
dneumann@razorsharpfit.com and we will be happy
to answer them!
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| Mother's Day Appreciation |
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Give the gift of wellness! During the month of May,
bring your non-member Mother (or Daughter) in for a
FREE DAY PASS.* She will be entered to win a FREE
30 min massage and if she joins, you will receive a
30 min massage for yourself!
*Limit 1 per person
*Guest must join by June 1
for you to receive your free massage
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| Memorial Day Hours |
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Razor Sharp will be open on Memorial Day, Monday,
May 25th from 7am until noon. Please note that there
will be no classes held or kid's playroom available
that day.
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| Ride of Silence Bike Rally |
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Cyclists of all kinds (road, recreation, commuter, race,
and triathlon) are invited to participate in Racine's
portion of the world wide Ride Of Silence bike rally.
The rally will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at
7 PM to:
- to mourn those cyclists killed by motorists
- to raise awareness (among motorists, police, and
city officials) of cyclists on the road
- to have motorists know we only want to share the
road we ride on
- to show that cyclists are not going away
Riders wishing to participate will meet at Racine's
Regency Mall parking lot, across from Starbucks
Coffee.
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Read On for Details... |
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