Monday, July 30, 2012

Web Site!

Web Site!

As promised, Here is the link to my web site! Join us for a class! at cross-fitforce.com

Friday, July 20, 2012

New GYM In Town

New GYM In Town

Did you ever walk into a new gym and feel like a stranger in a strange land? You look around and feel lost. Where are the free weights? Where is the stretching area? What is that machine, and how do you use it? This strange feeling can turn off any prospective exerciser, especially those who are already hesitant about working out and wearing spandex. We need Spanx to design some exercise wear!

You are not going to get that strange feeling in this GYM. It has always been a dream of mine to own a small gym where you can feel comfortable working out. I’m excited to say that this dream is starting to become a reality. I have purchased a place to carry out my dreams. It was formerly known as Pulse. It will be now known as Cross-FitForce. It is located at 1898 Mentor Avenue in Painesville. We will be opening in August. The Web site should be done next week. I will post the link to my blog once complete.

I have many friends who have joined big gyms, pay the membership price each month and never attend. Why? Because once they have worked up the courage to get to the gym, they do not know what to do once there.The personal trainers are really no help, they are paid by commission...so unless you are buying something they are not interested. Exactly the reason I wanted to open up a gym. Cross-fitforce will be offering many classes starting in August. We are not the typical gym that you can just walk into and lift. The gym will be centered around classes. You will always have instruction from a certified trainer, so that you can get the most out of your gym time. We will be offering Boot Camp classes mornings and evenings. Boot Camp classes combine cardio and strength training all in one.  We will be adding some TRX Suspension Trainer classes. If you have not heard of these classes check out this you tube video.
TRX Suspension Trainer Class

And if you have not heard of the new craze Crossfit check out the link below. You may want to give it a try. I love these classes because they can be scaled back (for people like me), or be made as intense as you want it to be (for people like my 18 year old son). Making it possible to work out with my family! 
CrossFit Fun

I will be also be offering My 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge to clients who want to lose weight or for athletes who want to use the shake for after a workout.

Contact me with any questions 440/479-5148.

I hope to see you at a class soon!


Charlene Sintic
NFPT Certified Personal Trainer
TRX® Suspension Training™ Certified






Wednesday, July 18, 2012

New GYM In Town

New GYM In Town

Did you ever walk into a new gym and feel like a stranger in a strange land? You look around and feel lost. Where are the free weights? Where is the stretching area? What is that machine, and how do you use it? This strange feeling can turn off any prospective exerciser, especially those who are already hesitant about working out and wearing spandex. We need Spanx to design some exercise wear!

You are not going to get that strange feeling in this GYM. It has always been a dream of mine to own a small gym where you can feel comfortable working out. I’m excited to say that this dream is starting to become a reality. I have purchased a place to carry out my dreams. It was formerly known as Pulse. It will be now known as Cross-FitForce. It is located at 1898 Mentor Avenue in Painesville. We will be opening in August. The Web site should be done next week. I will post the link to my blog once complete.

I have many friends who have joined big gyms, pay the membership price each month and never attend. Why? Because once they have worked up the courage to get to the gym, they do not know what to do once there.The personal trainers are really no help, they are paid by commission...so unless you are buying something they are not interested. Exactly the reason I wanted to open up a gym. Cross-fitforce will be offering many classes starting in August. We are not the typical gym that you can just walk into and lift. The gym will be centered around classes. You will always have instruction from a certified trainer, so that you can get the most out of your gym time. We will be offering Boot Camp classes mornings and evenings. Boot Camp classes combine cardio and strength training all in one.  We will be adding some TRX Suspension Trainer classes. If you have not heard of these classes check out this you tube video.
TRX Suspension Trainer Class

And if you have not heard of the new craze Crossfit check out the link below. You may want to give it a try. I love these classes because they can be scaled back (for people like me), or be made as intense as you want it to be (for people like my 18 year old son). Making it possible to work out with my family! 
CrossFit Fun

I will be also be offering My 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge to clients who want to lose weight or for athletes who want to use the shake for after a workout.

Contact me with any questions 440/479-5148.

I hope to see you at a class soon!


Charlene Sintic
NFPT Certified Personal Trainer
TRX® Suspension Training™ Certified






New GYM In Town

New GYM In Town

Did you ever walk into a new gym and feel like a stranger in a strange land? You look around and feel lost. Where are the free weights? Where is the stretching area? What is that machine, and how do you use it? This strange feeling can turn off any prospective exerciser, especially those who are already hesitant about working out and wearing spandex. We need Spanx to design some exercise wear!

You are not going to get that strange feeling in this GYM. It has always been a dream of mine to own a small gym where you can feel comfortable working out. I’m excited to say that this dream is starting to become a reality. I have purchased a place to carry out my dreams. It was formerly known as Pulse. It will be now known as Cross-FitForce. It is located at 1898 Mentor Avenue in Painesville. We will be opening in August. The Web site should be done next week. I will post the link to my blog once complete.

I have many friends who have joined big gyms, pay the membership price each month and never attend. Why? Because once they have worked up the courage to get to the gym, they do not know what to do once there.The personal trainers are really no help, they are paid by commission...so unless you are buying something they are not interested. Exactly the reason I wanted to open up a gym. Cross-fitforce will be offering many classes starting in August. We are not the typical gym that you can just walk into and lift. The gym will be centered around classes. You will always have instruction from a certified trainer, so that you can get the most out of your gym time. We will be offering Boot Camp classes mornings and evenings. Boot Camp classes combine cardio and strength training all in one.  We will be adding some TRX Suspension Trainer classes. If you have not heard of these classes check out this you tube video.
TRX Suspension Trainer Class

And if you have not heard of the new craze Crossfit check out the link below. You may want to give it a try. I love these classes because they can be scaled back (for people like me), or be made as intense as you want it to be (for people like my 18 year old son). Making it possible to work out with my family! 
CrossFit Fun

I will be also be offering My 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge to clients who want to lose weight or for athletes who want to use the shake for after a workout.

Contact me with any questions 440/479-5148.

I hope to see you at a class soon!


Charlene Sintic
NFPT Certified Personal Trainer
TRX® Suspension Training™ Certified






Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Total Resistance eXercise.

Total Resistance eXercise.


As a personal trainer we have to take CEC (Continuing Education Courses) yearly to keep our certifications current. The fitness industry changes frequently, so trying to keep up with it is a full time job in itself. So on Sunday I went to Beachwood to get some CEC credits and took an 8 hour class on TRX Training. I have a TRX in my basement but never have had training on it so I thought this would be a great course, and it was! What the heck is TRX, you ask. TRX stand for Total Resistance eXercise. It’s basically a couple of adjustable straps that you anchor onto something solid like a tree or a beam, or if you get the door anchor accessory you can use in your house. Like so:




You use this pair of straps so gravity and your body weight work together to provide resistance when you exercise. You can change the angle you are at to make it easy, hard, or totally freakin impossible. This is just not for sissies, tough-ass military men use the TRX too!




These TRX people have figured out how to work out your entire body using these two straps. Check out some of the videos here video demonstrations 

After the class on Sunday, I am sold, that this is an awesome workout. I was especially sold when I woke up the next morning and could barely move my arms over my head! 


 Awesome facts about the TRX:

1. It’s light weight and portable. You can pretty much do this exercise anywhere, even outside! The small size and convenience of this system makes it a great choice for home exercisers.


2. You can train your entire body with these straps.

3. It recruits many muscles at the same time so you get more functional fitness. As the instructor explained to us, if you are going to put a roof on your house and 10 guys offer to help...you would not say no thanks I only need 2 of you. So why when doing a chest press would you only use your chest. Engage all your muscles, tighten your glutes, you abs, and your triceps and it really makes a big difference.


CAUTION: this product may improve your physique so that random strangers or personal trainers try to grab your ass. LOL!







This is me at the training class!






Join my 90 Day Challenge Here




CONTACT me to get started on a fitness routine

Ruining Your Weight Loss Goals?

Ruining Your Weight Loss Goals?

Ever notice how easy it is to get off track? And, how easy it is to stay off track? Miss a workout here some extra desserts there and before you know it you are in a downward spiral. Spirals can go both ways. Once you get back on the track of working out again, it’s easier to curb your desire for those unhealthy desserts. Sure you will still indulge, but maybe a little less. You need a solid two weeks of exercising to get back in the groove again, and make it a habit.

I have heard people say I’ve worked out for an hour today so I can eat this. In fact, I think I have actually said this myself. Don’t use exercise as an excuse! An hours worth of training only cancels out about 2 protein bars, or three cookies, or two glasses of wine. All that hard work wasted for one night of indulging. Many of my clients come to me and say “I have not changed my way of eating, but started working out so I should lose, right?”  You couldn’t be more Wrong...if that where true I would be the size I want to be. That’s why there are two components to losing weight, DIET and EXERCISE!



Here is a good idea I found on Pinterest!


Join My 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge



My Advice

My Advice

In this post, I want to offer some advice for losing weight. Let me be quite clear, I am not a doctor, nurse or a dietician. I’m simply a personal trainer, who struggles everyday with maintaining my weight. It’s not easy for me or anyone else trying to lose. I get it! But I thought some facts that have helped me along the way could possibly help you too.

My first piece of advice is, don’t make your goals unattainable. You will be so disappointed if you expected to lose 30 lbs in a month and didn’t. It’s not worth the disappointment.

Another thing I do, and this has kept me motivated and inspired to work out, is to make a weight loss goal and reward chart.  The more weight that is lost, the more expensive or desired the reward should be. It is hard to stay committed to a life style change of working out and eating healthy, especially during the summer months when graduation parties and weddings are in full swing. So each goal should be rewarded with something other than food. When you want to eat that bowl of ice cream on a hot summer night, or you want to skip a workout...think of the reward chart. Here is mine. Make your own and post somewhere you will see it everyday.




You have probably heard a million times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Do yourself a favor and set your alarm 10 minutes earlier and make time for it! You want your metabolism to start working as soon as you get up, don’t you? Try to make your breakfast more about protein than carbs. Want to start your day with a protein shake? Join My 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge

Schedule your workouts. I know after working 8 hours a day, the last thing you want to do is exercise. Luckily this is the only part of losing weight that I do not struggle with. I love to work out, love getting sweaty, and love the sore muscles the next day. You have to find something YOU enjoy, and this may take a few weeks. Try My Boot Camps or Personal Training

Keep a food journal. This is probably the most important one. I do not know anyone that has lost weight without doing this. Keep a paper journal in your purse and write down everything you eat. If you are on a computer a lot use http://www.loseit.com/

Here is my final piece of advice. Just because you worked out doesn’t mean you can eat what you want. You are not a dog, do not reward yourself with food. Do not ruin the hard work that you have put into working out.

I lost 30 pounds in 6 months a few years back, in The News Herald Lighten Up Contest. I have maintained that but still want to lose more. I have posted this tips to help anyone else trying to lose any amount of weight. I know it’s hard, it does not happen over night...but It can be done.


The Ultimate HERO Workout

The Ultimate HERO Workout

The memorial day workout for CrossFit was to pay tribute to Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, 29 of Patchogue N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. According to the articles I have read on-line he was a HERO! CrossFit created a workout named in his honor, and the CrossFit community pays tribute to the fallen by completing the challenging workout to the best of their ability.

The workout will be always referred to as the "MURPH". What is the Murph workout? I'm glad you asked.

For Time:
1 mile run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

When I showed up to the workout on Monday morning, the trainer offered the 1/2 Murph. That would  ONLY be 50 Pull-ups, 100 Push-ups and 150 Squats. Did I just say ONLY?  If we wanted to do this we could. I waited for someone....anybody to say they where going to do the 1/2 and there wasn't a single person who was willing to do the 1/2. I really wanted to do the 1/2 but peer pressure got the best of me so I signed up for the full.

Off we went, about 15 of us to do the mile run. After that it's into the gym to get some things done. I broke my MURPH workout into groups. I did 10 Pull-ups, 20 Push-ups and 30 squats, and I did this for 10 rounds. My fourth round I started to feel a little nauseas, but pushed through it. On about my 9th round I noticed that I am the only one left in the gym. Everyone else has headed out for their last mile run. Darn it! After I finished my rounds I headed out for my last mile run and convinced the gentlemen that came in first to run another mile with me. He Did! I honestly don't think I could of ran it if he wasn't with me.

There where some tears at the end, and as I finished everyone was cheering for me. I came in last and it took me 68 minutes to finish, but I finished!!!!

It was very rewarding to finish this workout. I read that this was Lt. Michael Murphy's favorite work out. My husband and son also did the MURPH. This is a photo of us after the workout.


This was the hardest part for me. Pull-Ups! Push out of your comfort zone.

Check out my web site

Join My 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge

Ruining Your Weight Loss Goals?

Ruining Your Weight Loss Goals?

Ever notice how easy it is to get off track? And, how easy it is to stay off track? Miss a workout here some extra desserts there and before you know it you are in a downward spiral. Spirals can go both ways. Once you get back on the track of working out again, it’s easier to curb your desire for those unhealthy desserts. Sure you will still indulge, but maybe a little less. You need a solid two weeks of exercising to get back in the groove again, and make it a habit.

I have heard people say I’ve worked out for an hour today so I can eat this. In fact, I think I have actually said this myself. Don’t use exercise as an excuse! An hours worth of training only cancels out about 2 protein bars, or three cookies, or two glasses of wine. All that hard work wasted for one night of indulging. Many of my clients come to me and say “I have not changed my way of eating, but started working out so I should lose, right?”  You couldn’t be more Wrong...if that where true I would be the size I want to be. That’s why there are two components to losing weight, DIET and EXERCISE!



Here is a good idea I found on Pinterest!


Join My 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge



What Is The Best Exercise ??

What Is The Best Exercise ??

Part of me wants to say that, any exercise is good exercise. But that's just to easy. Honestly, taking a walk is great, but it's not the best exercise for me personally. Part of me wants to say that this is a trick question. I believe that a body needs a variety of cardio and resistance training. In my opinion, the real answer to this question, and I hate to say this but it is BURPEES. If I had to pick just one exercise to do, it would be a BURPEE and a push-up tossed in the mix. Why? Because its an effective cardio and weight resistance move all in one. In fact, I really should do BURPEES more often in my classes.

Now it's your turn to chime in...What do you think is the best exercise for you?

Now excuse me while I do a few quick set of BURPEES!


Join one of my classes and do BURPEES with us!

Sign up for my WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE

Play The Aging Game!

Play The Aging Game!


Why is it when I walk into a gym I see plenty of elderly men working out, but not women? Women of all ages belong in the gym or in some kind of strength training class, especially if you are over 50.

Muscles can be strengthened at any age. This can help with joint pain and lowering your blood pressure. Have you noticed how the weight piles on as we age? Losing muscle causes your metabolism to slow down, and contributes to weight gain.

To get started with a strength training program you must first get the ok from your doctor. Choose a facility that you want to work out at. I highly recommend hiring a personal trainer for a few session to learn proper form.

I want to gain muscle as I age, not lose it. I am trying to stay ahead of the game. Are You?

90 Day Weight Loss Challenge

Try a Boot Camp