Power Station Review

As I’ve mentioned I’ve had the opportunity to visit multiple gyms all over Ohio. I have a growing circle of “Iron Pals” and visit them periodically. I’m not sure why the idea of writing reviews has never occurred to me before, but once the idea sparked in my mind I knew which facility I wanted to start with.

I have ventured to Power Station multiple times now. This gym is very much an old school facility with a twist. Not only are they geared towards power lifters or bodybuilders, but they’re equipped to handle Olympic lifters and even Crossfitters.

Their motto is “Think Big” and they have definitely provided an atmosphere in which to grow big. Power Station had machines I’ve never seen before and machines I absolutely covet. They have a deadlifting platform, 2 mono-lifts, multiple squat and shoulder racks, benches out the wazoo, a handful of smith-machines, tons of dumbbells… pretty much anything you could possibly need, this place has. There is even a strip of putt-putt grass (not sure what it’s called) where you can do sled pushes/ pulls or even sprints with parachutes. There are boxes for jumping on and boxes for squatting on. There are medicine balls for throwing and slamming. There are bands and chains. Again… just about anything you can think of, this facility provides.

Power Station recently moved its location to join spaces with Xtreme Fitness & Performance Center LLC. A few friends of mine who’d given me feedback on the old Power Station were unsure of the new facilities. Now, I obviously never went to the old Power Station, but I was very impressed with the new combined gym. When you come in the entrance you walk into Xtreme Fitness. You’ll have a $5 fee (for access to Power Station), which I’ve found is pretty typical of a one day pass to any gym or fitness club. Once you’ve paid you’ll turn right and go downstairs to get to the locker rooms.

Obviously I’ve only seen the women’s locker room, but upon entering I giggled and was sure this would be a great atmosphere in which to train. Above the sinks and mirrors is a wall decal that reads, “You won’t get the butt you want by sitting on it.” If that doesn’t win you over then surely the full size lockers, sauna, and steam room will! Oh yeah, you read right…. STEAM ROOM! Hell, this place is so on top of things you don’t even need to leave the locker room to get a pump. In a smaller side room there’s a bench, yoga ball, and set of dumbbells as well as your typical scale and not so typical chest of rainbow colored dumbbells. Oh! And don’t forget the full body mirror for all your gym selfies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exit the locker room: downstairs there is a smaller training room that is equipped with enough cable machines to allow a decent full body workout. I’m assuming this room is for individuals who may be intimidated by the Power Station area (maybe women who don’t want men staring) or maybe it’s for physical therapy clients or just clients and personal trainers. In the corner of this room is an area set up for spin classes.
Also on the lower level are a few racquetball courts, the men’s locker room, and the entrance to their SPER Trained area (I’ll get to that later).

Head back upstairs and just beside the stairwell you’ll see a door. Go through that door and you’ll enter a cardio machine area with treadmills, ellipticals, and step-mills all provided with TVs. Keep walking by and you’ll come to the doors of Power Station. Upon those doors are Mike’s rules (Mike is the owner). His rules are simple: be courteous and clean up after yourself.

Besides the wondrous array of training equipment I’ve already mentioned there is the atmosphere of a real gym. A hole in the wall; purely made up of concrete, rubber, and metal; a chalk and sweat drenched gym. There is quite the collection of Marine Corps inspiration as the owner is a former Marine. His dress blues are on display as well as multiple USMC advertisement posters. If that isn’t moto enough to get you slinging some weight head over to the wall of Pros looking down upon a scale. Go ahead, I dare you! Weigh yourself in front of a wall of professional body builders, power lifters, and UFC champs and then have a slack-ass workout. Just not possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The combined facilities offer the following: child care, fitness classes, SPER training, cross fit, speed training, sport specific strength training, personal training, weight loss training, free WI-FI, and tanning packages. Their fitness classes include: body sculpting, yoga, cardio circuit, bootcamp, spinning, pilates, abs, zumba, zumbini, cross training, fight fit, and a newly added Silver Sneakers.

On top of all that they have a smoothie bar and sell some of the most delicious and moist protein brownies I have ever tasted! Oh wait… there’s more! NO CONTRACT and NO ENROLLMENT FEE!

In 100% honesty if I didn’t live 25-30 minutes away I would have already ditched my membership to LA Fitness and joined this amazing palace of pain (couldn’t help myself). If you want more information check out their website:

http://www.powerstationgym.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=78&Itemid=435

If you want to read up on what SPER training is hit this link:

http://ww1.spertrained.com/

I hope this was a help for anyone in the Middletown/ Franklin, Ohio area looking for a great place to train, lose weight, or meet a fitness goal.

I had an idea…

I’m not sure why this has never occurred to me before, but I’ve decided to start writing gym reviews. I figure WTH not? I have lifting buddies all over the heartland and have ventured to many iron temples to train. Often I have no clue what kind of atmosphere I’m walking into. I figure why not put my adventures to good use?

A gym, to myself and my like-minded pals, is a place of serenity. It’s a place to work out frustrations. They’re our home away from home, so we like to make sure we’re not wasting our time and I’m sure there are many people like us.

My plan is to keep my reviews as neutral as possible… mainly just relay information so people can make their own educated decisions about whether or not a certain gym is, in fact, the right fit for them.

So keep your eyes peeled for a new tab and post! And please laugh along with me at my little banners. They really are only good natured (I currently hold a membership to LA Fitness).

Knowledge is power, but without a will, there is NO way

Let me first state: I am no expert.

I have no degrees, at present, in fitness or nutrition. I do not currently possess any certification in either area. And yet people ask me questions about both fitness and nutrition; they ask my advice on what they should do and they ask what I do for myself. Why, because they’ve seen me go from fat to muscle. They’ve seen my transformation and they want that for themselves. They know that I’m a gymrat, that I’m lifting weights and eating “healthier,” so they figure if they do what I do, they’ll get the same results.

Now as a perpetual student I believe there are no stupid questions (as long as they are genuine), so on one hand I can appreciate an individual wanting to further their knowledge. I love seeing the spark of curiosity in the eyes of people around me. It’s contagious. When someone around you is genuinely interested in or excited about something and they share that with you, it’s hard not to become excited or curious yourself. So again, I appreciate that knowledge is power and I believe there is always room for improvement/ further education. The day that you stop evolving or learning is the day you are dead.

Bear with me, I promise this is going somewhere.

I once saw a meme “definition” of the word: Askhole. I’m sure through your cyber adventures you’ve come across the same meme. For those of you who haven’t seen, or perhaps have forgotten, this meme let me tell you what an askhole is.

Askhole (noun): A person who constantly asks your advice, yet always does the opposite of what you’ve told them.

Now again, let me reiterate that I am not bashing on people who are asking genuine questions. Honestly I’m not bashing on people at all… I’m merely expressing my frustrations. Since this is my blog spot, I guess there’s no reason for me to apologize or feel as if I have to clear any misconceptions, and yet I feel the need.

Anywho…

On hand number two I honestly get tired of repeating myself to same freaking people. Or even the same type of person. You shouldn’t ask questions if you aren’t going to:

1. Consider the information being bestowed upon you. No, the person giving the information may not be an “expert,” but more than likely (in the world of fitness) they’re putting that knowledge to daily use. If it looks like it’s working for them, made YOU take notice and got YOU asking about what they’re doing, think twice before questioning the advice they just gave you. Chances are, said person has done a lot of reading and their sources are legit (the meatheads in my circle are smart).

2. Listen… don’t zone out. Don’t sit there as this person is giving you the advice you asked for and immediately start knocking it all. That person doesn’t need to know that your schedule is hectic, that you have children to take care of, a work schedule that changes constantly… they aren’t there to figure it all out for you. They’re telling you what has worked for them. It’s YOUR JOB to try and meld it into your life.

3. Take it seriously. If you aren’t ready to make a lifestyle change just don’t even bother asking. That’s exactly what all this is, a life style change. You’re changing the way you look at food, how much of it you eat, how much water you drink, the fluids you’re putting into your body. You’re changing your activity level, the amount of sleep you get… you are changing your life. If you think you just want to “tone up” don’t ask a fit person what they do or eat… just stop drinking soda or sweet tea or stop eating out or whatever “vice” it is that you have and walk a little more vigorously and you’ll “tone up.”

4. Get your head screwed on straight. Not only is this a life style change, it IS the concept of “mind over matter.” NO, you really don’t need that junk food. NO, you’re really not too tired. Excuses are like assholes… everyone has at least one and they all stink. Once you get that through your head and you’re willing to throw all the excuses out the window, go ahead and ask away.

I could keep going… honestly if I do I’m just going to sound like a hag, and that’s not what I want. I want clarity, understanding.

People who “tone up” or “just want to get in shape” will never stick with it. People who jump onto the latest fad “diet” craze will lose weight, sure, but they’re not making actual lasting changes, so more than likely the weight will come back. Maybe not all of it, but they’ll gain some back because, again, THEY DID NOT MAKE A LIFE STYLE CHANGE.

There is no shortcut. Even if there was a shortcut why the hell would you want to take it?! If you took the short and easy way you wouldn’t have all the struggle and sweat to make you really appreciate how far you’ve come and what you’ve gained. If it was easy then you’d just eat whatever, be lazy, get fat and hop right on the short cut again because, OH MY GOD! BIKINI SEASON?!?!?!

What I’m trying to express, and failing miserably to do so, is my frustration at the people who ask me what I did to change my life not realizing how big a deal it actually was. What a struggle it was. What an amazing journey it was. They don’t realize that I’m not done… I’m still learning. I’m growing in strength and knowledge every day that I train. They just don’t get it (sorry to sound so cliché). It really is a mindset… and 95% of the time the people who ask me questions don’t have the right mindset to follow through. 95% of the people who ask me questions will ask me the same exact questions a month later… utter frustration.

 

Why is it frustrating? Why do I let it bother me so? Because 100% of the people that ask me these questions are people that I care about. They are people I want to see succeed and when they just half-heartedly “give it a try” I want to shake them. There is no half-heartedly in fitness… half-heartedly will get NOWHERE or worse, squished while benching! There should be no half-heartedly in life! Give it your fucking all and see where the fuck you go (pardon my French). If you don’t at least try you will never know what you’re capable of.

The #1 thing that I have learned on my fit journey is that you are your only obstacle. If you give it your all you will surprise yourself.

It took me two years to figure out that #1 lesson… two freaking years and now I kick myself in the buns every day because if I had stopped doubting myself, if I had gone balls to the wall from the beginning, if I’d started off doing it for the right reasons I would be SO much stronger and have a WAY better body fat and muscle ratio.
So from the bottom of my heart, from the depths of my soul, please stop being an askhole. You can be curious and ask genuine questions to mull over. Ask questions like, “how do you keep motivated,” “what drives you,” “why do you do this,” “was it hard to get started?” Ask things that will help get you in the right mindset.

Once you have your mind 100% made up, then sure, fire away. Ask all the fitness and nutrition advice you want. Because when you have your mind made up, when you let go of all the excuses, when you take the advice and make it your own you will be on your way. Once you get to the point of seeing actual changes it will become an “addiction.” It will become a part of your life. It will have become a life style change. Then you’ll be in my boat with a bunch of askholes that you care deeply about driving you nuts.

Stop holding back and get out of your way

 

Too much time has passed since I’ve drafted or posted a blog. When I started this venture I had made the goal to post at least once a week. Well, since some of my earlier blogs have determined that failure IS an option I guess there’s no real need to apologize, and yet I still have this nagging need to say the words:                          I               am          sorry

Much better! No excuses really, just life getting the better of me. A lot has happened since my last blog: adventures in Columbus with my IronGalPals at the Arnold Classic, new PR’s in the gym (personal records), spring has sprung even as winter tries desperately to hold Ohio in its cold grasp, and much, much more.

What got me back on track? Well, inspiration my dears. Words that spoke to my heart and awoke something deep inside of me. Words that rang true and reverberated through my aching soul. Words that I wanted,no, needed to share with you.

“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.”

~Alan Watts (Oxygen Magazine: Vol. 16, Issue 13, Page 110)

 

This faith I’m supposed to have in myself is something that I’ve been struggling with for a few years now. Odd, really, because I used to have complete faith in myself, or perhaps I was just young and full of reckless abandon. I’m not really sure which, but either way things seemed to go smoother in the past. I have been making strides to better myself and life in general. I’ve been pushing the effort I’ve put into physical gains into other aspects of my world as well: creativity, occasional, spiritual, etc…

Now why did this quote in my recent issue of Oxygen Magazine resonate with me so deeply? Probably because of the water references. Water seems to play a big part in my life… a big relaxing part. My family has a lake house that we’ve been going to since birth. My dad, uncle, and aunts grew up spending their summers there and now my cousins, siblings, and I spend our summers there. This house, from early on, was a safe haven for me… even from my own family. The sounds of the lake and wind chimes are so peaceful.

Even just sitting in the shower is a fail-safe for me when I’m sick on my stomach, need to clear my head, need to de-stress, or feel like I’m about to im/explode. Hot or cool, water running over my body just calms something inside me. There’s something oddly reassuring about throwing all caution to the wind and jumping head first into a body of water, relaxing, and just letting the water take your weight and support you. You can just float along, carefree. Even just running through sprinklers! Hell I’ve done it in the past… 2 or 3AM driving by some city sprinklers, pulled over and just run through them grinning from ear to ear.

I don’t know why I’ve taken on such a worrisome persona. Life is so much more fun and fulfilling when you give it your all, embrace it completely, and when things start to crumble just throw your arms wide open and let the pieces land where they may. Such amazingly strong and beautiful creatures have risen from ashes: the Phoenix and the Pegasus for example. Symbols of strength, rebirth, growth, wisdom, etc.

Worry and lack of faith in myself have stood in my way for way too long. The whole first year I worked with my trainer I shied away from squats and dead lifts because they were #1 intimidating and #2 I wasn’t 100% sure on form. Well I’ve been squatting and dead lifting for about a year now and these two moves have shaped my lower body so quickly and drastically that I’m really KICKING myself for not doing them sooner! If I had done them from the start I’d have at least two years under my belt and WAY more change would be visible in my body.

And this brings me to the aforementioned PR. During the week of the Arnold Classic I was lifting with friends who have believed in me from the very beginning. They’ve had more faith in me than I have. With their tutoring and encouragement I managed to get 200lbs for one rep on deadlift. When I woke up the next morning it really hit me, “I lifted 200lbs off the floor, 200lbs of dead weight. AND I’M NOT EVEN SORE?!?!?!” Which was immediately followed by my wishing I’d tried for 205 or at least 200 for multiple reps.

Two weeks ago I lifted 175lbs and 185lbs for reps all the while a galpal of mine took video. I watched the videos for days. I checked my form over and over. I sent the video to friends and had them check my form. It looked good. I made a goal and last week on my deadlifting day I lifted 200lbs for 3 reps on my 12^th set. I’m super excited. I know that I am my own worst enemy… I am the only obstacle in my way. I am fully aware that I’ve been selling myself short; I am stronger than I think I am and it’s time for me to get out of my own way.

 

So please remember, my bloggy friends, to not get in your own way. Keep faith in yourself and your own strength. Relax a little, breath, and then unleash your fucking beast because anything that comes at you is nothing compared to what’s inside of you.