The thing about denial is that you usually don’t realize you’re in it. Almost every day there is a story in the news talking about the health implications of so many overweight Canadians, or how carrying extra weight around your middle greatly increases your risk of heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes – this is all common knowledge. And you know personally that you should make more of an effort to eat better and exercise more, yet my own efforts to get back into shape were consistently sidelined in favour of other responsibilities that just always seemed to be more important. Every once in a while I would be spurred back to the gym after getting a sign that would hit me like a two by four to the head: chronic back and joint pain, getting out of breath after a single flight of stairs, outgrowing my clothes, having a herniated disk, even slowly losing touch with friends I used to be active outdoors with because I’d rather sit out a trip than be the straggler who can’t keep up.
It’s no surprise that having a child prompts all kinds of planning for the future, so the real tipping point for me came in the quiet hours of the morning as I was feeding our newborn. It was while holding my son and thinking about wanting my kids to know the joys that come from an active lifestyle that triggered a basic realization. I realized that as our kids grow up, more than anything else, they will require our example. And I was going to need some help.
Anybody who has been physically fit at any point during their life understands that there are no shortcuts around the hard work that is required for getting and staying in shape. So it stands to reason that if you are going to be investing your hard work into a program, you also want the best possible return on that investment. And that’s where Greco comes in. In the first ten weeks of the Lean & Fit program, I lost thirty pounds, decreased my total body fat percentage by ten percent, and dropped from a size forty to a size thirty-six; having stronger core muscles and losing the weight resulted in my nearly constant back pain fading away to nothing. Getting fit has made the difference between simply enduring versus actually enjoying physical activity. A two hour weekend road bike through the countryside – bring it on!
What is most remarkable is that achieving these results did not require a complete overhaul of my life and habits, only a bunch of minor changes and smarter choices as suggested by Greco. No fads, just a comprehensive look at what I was doing, what I was eating, and tweaking it by stopping what doesn’t work and doing more of what does work. It helped to take advantage of the resources on the SNI website (especially the recipes) and I love the variety and taste of what I get to eat on a daily basis.
Simply put, the Greco Kanata team is amazing. From the first impression at the front counter to working with the trainers, it’s clear that the team is genuinely interested in seeing you succeed. What continues to impress me is how each of the trainers can be empathetic to how hard you’re working during the drills, yet how they are also able to push you further to get that extra effort out of you. I think it makes the difference between good results and great results. It makes the difference between the workout being a chore versus looking forward to the next workout.
It worked for me and I recommend Greco with no reservations. -Evan
Tony Greco's Biography
I started training at Greco Kanata in September of 2010 weighing 128 lbs. with a body fat percentage of 24%. I was unhappy with the way I looked and had low energy and very little strength. I had tried a few other gyms, but lacked the self motivation to get any results from them. I started with the Lean and Fit classes and from them, I got down to 116lbs and 15% body fat after a few months. I then started some personal training with Matt Sicoli and lost a further 8lbs. and down to 12% body fat, with a lot more muscle definition. It’s been a huge change for me as far as energy and strength…when I started I could not do even one push up from my feet. On Halloween at the Kanata Greco there was a push up competition after the class and I did 73 in a row…huge difference in strength!
