Yes!
Ben Saperia, a good friend of Ryan’s, is opening his own fitness center on Monday. Earlier this week, Ryan suggested we go check it out this morning and said Ben, an amazing personal trainer, might even put me through a workout! 
Though I love my current routine, I am beginning to feel like I’m not seeing any changes and I know I haven’t really been pushing myself too hard lately. I figured a workout from Ben would help introduce me to some new exercises I might want to incorporate into my training. (Sounds like one of my new year’s resolutions, no?) Plus, Ben has worked with professional athletes and definitely knows his stuff. 
Ben’s facility is awesome! The equipment is all state-of-the-art and I love the simplistic, no-nonsense feel of the place.
When we arrived, we chatted with Ben a bit and he asked me about my current routine. I told him about one of my typical total-body weights workouts and he used that to craft a personalized total-body routine for me while I did 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. 
Ben created a four-part circuit for me, with each part focusing on a different area of the body (legs, back, upper body, core).
Each circuit included three different exercises, which we repeated back-to-back before resting for a minute and repeating them again until three sets were completed.
The exercises that challenged me most were the single-leg squats using the Bosu ball, push-ups and holding a plank.
Fortunately the plank exercise came at the end of the workout. Since we did it three times, I called out to Ben and Ryan to tell me a story while I held my body in plank to take my mind off what I was doing.
Their story?
“There once was a girl who had to hold a plank for 60 seconds.”
Thanks, guys.
After my workout, I told Ben that my body felt fatigued, but I didn’t feel like death, which was a great. I definitely got a great workout and learned a ton of different exercises. I can’t wait to incorporate Ben’s workout into my own routine!
Ryan worked out while Ben was training me, so once we were all done, we chatted for a bit. 
I loved talking with Ben and hearing his philosophy on fitness. 
He did such a great job training me because he challenged me, but knew when to let up and was always positive and encouraging. Plus, he has a British accent which makes anything he says seem nice. 😀
As Ben and I were talking, I mentioned the idea of a “Blogger Boot Camp” class to him. I think it would be really neat for me and a bunch of you readers/bloggers out there in the Orlando area to meet up for a fun workout with Ben. He would definitely get you sweating, but understands limitations and knows how to make workouts challenging, effective and fun.
If you’d be interested in attending a Blogger Boot Camp class (for free!) and live in the Central Florida area, please let me know! You can comment below or shoot me an email at pbfingers@gmail.com. If there’s an interest, I’ll work with Ben to set something up!
Now I’ve got some errands to run! I’ll be back with a dog park/lunch/ our New Year’s Eve plans post soon!
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Oh a Blogger Boot Camp sounds fun! Shame I don’t live in Orlando 🙁
Sounds like a great last workout! The best ones are the hard ones! 😛
Happy New Year Julie! 😀
Sounds like an awesome workout!! I HATE planks- I’d rather do 500 crunches than a minute of holds, but hey, they’re effective! Happy NYE 🙂
Wow. They need to come up with a better story while you’re doing planks! 🙂
Wish I lived in the Orlando area! I’ve literally never worked out in a gym, so I would love to learn a few things.
Julie,
Would you be able to post about some of the new exercises you learned?? I’m really into creating my own “bootcamp” workouts and would LOVE to hear some of the things Ben taught you. Thanks so much!!!
Happy New Year!
that sounds like the perfect end of year workout! I wish I knew a trainer like Ben.. and i wish I lived in Florida so I could attend the Blogger Boot Camp! hope it goes well 🙂
Love this idea! I am interested. Keep us posted.
That sounds like you had a fab morning 🙂 New workouts are the best!
Oh, also, my hubby signed us up for this organic, farm-fresh delivery service. They are in FL and apparently deliver to certain areas. I’m in the Tampa area, and they have a few stops over here. FOOD INC (the movie) made me really think about the benefits of grass fed beef… I have not tried it yet, but I am going to get it from this company.
http://www.alrosas.com
Happy New Year!
Ben seems like an outstanding trainer! I will need to get me a good trainer when I get out of college and into the real world.
ohhhh british accent ?! hes a cutie too ! 🙂
happy new year julie ryan & sadie !!
Definitely interested!
How awesome to live your dream and actually open up your own gym at such an early age.
I wish I lived in Florida! I would love to be part of the blogger bootcamp. Darn!
Awe, I would love to do this if I lived there! I had a great 8.5 mile run this morning–it was so gorgeous, I just kept going! Happy New Year!!!
I love working out with a PT! I can never work myself as hard as they can. Pity that regular sessions don’t really work on a student budget!!
Unique story! If only more people came up with stories like that!!! 😉
Sounds like a great workout!
Happy New Year’s!
I love planks even though they burn!
Love this idea! I am interested
Really wish I lived in Florida, would LOVE to do a blogger bootcamp!
They could have at least carried on the story haha
I didn’t realise Americans like the British accent haha.
Wish I lived in Orlando! This sounds like a great idea!
do you think we could see what your new routine is? sounds like a good change!
I love that idea, I wish I lived closer dangit! Oh, by the way…is homeboy up there single? HAHA…but really.
Can’t wait to hear about your NYE 😀
Ooooo a blogger boot camp sounds fun! I live in Jacksonville though, but if it’s a one day thing, then maybe I could head down to Orlando?
Oh, and is Ben single? Haha. 😉
Have a great NYE!
That sounds like a great “last of 2010” workout! Would you be willing to post a couple of the moves you learned?
I would love it if u posted the workout routine u guys did. I live in jacksonville but would be willing to drive down for the bootcamp. I’m coming in town Monday can u rec any good healthy restraunts?
I live in Orlando and am interested!
I would love to hear more about the exercises he had you do! Maybe a video? Or just pictures to see what kind of exercises he suggested?
Happy New Year!
I might be interested depending on when and where of course. (I live by UCF). Keep us posted!
I would love a chance to get to do something like that!
I would be interested in the blogger boot camp!!!!
I would def attend !!!!
Sounds amazing to do a blogger bootcamp! I live in Jax but would head to Orlando for the day if it was on a weekend to meet the group an get new ideas!
OMG british accent?? swooon. id be too distracted to work out
I think that bootcamp sounds fun and free….count me in 🙂
What a great idea! I’d love to do it and I live in the area!
If you do a meetup with readers, please share the details of the workout routine you do so that those of us out of the area can try it for ourselves!
I suck at pushups, but planks don’t really bother me. Love your face in the 2nd plank photo 🙂
Julie,
Maybe this “boot camp” idea could be incorporated in your 2011 blog ideas. So many of us have a shared interest in fitness but we live so far away!
Perhaps you could post your bootcamp workout (and maybe more than once?) I’d would for sure incorporate it in my route up here in Ohio!
I would definitely be interested in a blogger bootcamp! I want to be more serious about working out in 2011. I end up running or doing jazzercise because machines look so intimidating, so it would be great to learn the correct technique for things rather than me trying to figure out from a video and then I just end up sitting on the couch eating cookie dough instead.
Totally would do the boot camp with you! That would be so fun! And Ben’s facility looks fantastic.