Ladies, get ready to sweat.
Deer Lake Athletic Club held the grand opening of its new women’s circuit room on Nov. 20. The room is dedicated to owner Jacqui Milzow who passed away on Sept. 30.
The new fitness center follows the proven 30 minute circuit routine including 24 minutes of exercise with six minutes for warm up and cool down. The room has both weighted machines and free-style stations.
What makes this circuit unique from many others is the room’s design.
‘This room was designed by professionals,? said Personal Training Director Dan Houston. ‘The women’s fitness circuit was created, designed and is run by professionals.?
The room is for women who are either new to exercise or who have time constraints, but are interested in improving their health and overall fitness. The circuit is for ages 16 to 90 at all fitness levels.
Circuit orientations begin every half hour and rotations begin at the top of every hour, during normal club hours. Between eight and 10 circuits a day are run with no more than 12 women in a session.
Six nationally certified trainers rotate overseeing the women’s fitness circuit. Each instructor assists members in personalizing the course to meet their needs. The instructors? styles come through in the free-style stations to create a ‘group personalized training program.?
Members can come at different times of the day and work with different trainers to find the best match. Houston said a schedule is available at the desk for members to see who the trainer is at certain times.
‘We have a lot of options in the room,? said Houston, ‘so the workout is never the same even though the circuit is. The trainers really personalize the routine with their own style.?
Deer Lake’s women’s fitness circuit does not include a random cardiovascular component, such as running in place or marching. Instead, the circuit improves cardiovascular function by having participants perform 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of recovery.
‘We don’t do the cardio in place because that can create injuries,? explained Houston. ‘One of our goals is for women to be able to work at the intensity that’s appropriate for them without feeling forced to be competitive with those around them.?
Injury prevention is very important in the room. The women’s fitness circuit uses weighted machines instead of having participants increase their speed. This allows those exercising to focus on their form and their effort, not how quickly they can move.
‘This room can create a lifetime of exercise benefits,? said Houston. ‘We hope to help with injury prevention, while enhancing women’s strength and endurance.?
In addition to the circuit room, women can optimize their exercise plan with many of the services offered by the club such as metabolic testing and nutrition counseling.
Also, women can progress from or graduate from the circuit room to the main workout room at Deer Lake filled with new Life Fitness ‘Signature Series? equipment. The room includes trainers, cross-trainers, free weights, 16 pieces of cardio, a group cycling class and group instruction room.
‘We use a hands-on approach so that our members are learning fitness, not just coming in and exercising on a machine,? said Houston. ‘We want to see the members walk out of here feeling good about themselves and where they’re spending their time and money.?
Deer Lake women’s fitness circuit was dedicated to owner Jacqui Milzow because of her dedication and love of fitness. Milzow’s goal was to promote health and fitness throughout the Clarkston community.
According to Houston, Milzow looked forward to her workouts and enjoyed the energetic lifestyle she earned as a result of her efforts.
‘She wanted her friends who had been members here for years to get that benefit as well,? said Houston. ‘Her dedication was amazing. She was so excited to get this room moving.?
To celebrate the women’s fitness circuit grand opening, Deer Lake Athletic Club is offering a one week free membership that includes swimming, aerobics, kickboxing, Yoga, Pilates, use of the main exercise room, the new circuit room and full locker room privileges. For more information on the pass, please contact Shawn Myott at 248-625-8682.
A contest is also currently underway to name the new circuit room. Entry forms are available at the club’s front desk and must be received by Dec. 3 when the official name will be chosen by Deer Lake personal training staff. Participants do not have to be members of the club, and the winning selection will receive a $25 Back Court restaurant gift certificate.