Health clubs buzzing as residents set out to reach their goals
Many start, but only the dedicated will follow through
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Simi Valley Acorn

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers RESOLUTION RESOLVE- Sharon Rassamni, of Simi Valley, right, pushes herself to finish the last 45 seconds of a set with the rest of the Endurance Boot Camp class at Madera Community Park in Wood Ranch on Tuesday. January is a busy time of the year for local gyms and fitness clubs as many people use the fresh calendar as motivation to start getting in shape.

It's crunch time for all the men and women out there who, determined to lose those extra pounds, have just signed up at a gym or a fitness center.

Not crunch as in sit-ups and pushups, but New Year's resolution crunch time, as in, "Are you going to stick with it?"

The goal of local health club owners, who know their new clients have great intentions, is to keep those newcomers motivated.

Randy Shoemaker and his wife, Sarita, are owners and trainers at Endurance Boot Camp Simi Valley, a business offering an intense workout centered on a military, nutrition and exercise program.

The Shoemakers said they experienced a surge in membership in January, which is something most health and fitnessrelated businesses, like Endurance Boot Camp, anticipate.

"We knew it was coming and we planned for it," Randy said. "This is the time that people set their resolutions."

Randy said he advises people to sign up for a six-week term and pay up front, two factors that help encourage them to stick with the program even after the high of the New Year wears off.

"It sets the tone so that no matter what happens you go to boot camp every day," Randy said. "It's the way you invest in yourself."

Some people, like Simi resident Robert Haggarty, are self-motivated enough to stick to an exercise program. The 49-year-old construction inspector joined the boot camp in June and plans to continue.

"I'm a year-round worker. I like the outdoors and working with all the fun people," Haggarty said. "I made a new resolve to get in better sharp. I can't see quitting it."

Curves for Women West on Los Angeles Avenue offers a 30-minute workout three times a week and weight management in a fun, supportive atmosphere.

According to Sue Nice, coowner with Kathy Martines, the support of fellow exercisers helps women stay with the program.

"We know when the ladies haven't been coming," Nice said. "We call and encourage them. They have the support of all the women, and they make lifelong friendships here."

Fitness trainer Christopher Drozd, owner of Sportfit.com fitness studio in Santa Monica, sees spikes in new memberships a few times a year, not just in January.

"The phone rings more in January but not necessarily more than in September or the spring," Drozd said. "People seek out a personal trainer leading up to summertime or right at New Year's or when the kids go back to school."

Drozd started his career in health clubs but is now a oneonone trainer.

"I started in a gym some 20 years ago, and the business model is that membership increases in January," Drozd said. "People tend to flood the gyms for a couple of weeks and then it falls off certainly before February."

Rich Drengberg, vice president of sales and marketing for Gold's Gym, said sign-ups the first three months of the year are important but membership stays steady throughout the year. A new Gold's Gym opened at 1407 E. Los Angeles Ave. in December.

Drengberg said Gold's Gym addresses the fall-off rate by keeping clients motivated: It offers exercise programs in three studios, movie screens and individual televisions on cardio equipment.

"People come to us to get in shape and we've got the programs and built our facilities so they'll stick to the program," Drengberg said.