Hello Fitness: Working Out At FitGuana

A Hello Fitness Story

By Hello Fitness' Exercise Guru, Carolyn G.

I’m a kickboxer. I love the art of Muay Thai. It’s my passion. KickFit CT, owned by Lyndsay Doyon Clark, is definitely my happy place. But I like to compliment my main workout with additional workouts. Last week, I tried a new gym in town, FitGuana, owned by Sander Vanacker.

Here's How It Went:

It’s Monday morning. 4:45am. My alarm goes off. I don’t hit the snooze button. I’m up! I’ve got a 5:30am HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) class scheduled!

Coffee is brewing as I get ready. I had set out my workout clothes the night before to make it easier. I’m ready to go…open the front door and the crisp, cold air takes my breath away. As in, the winds are about 40MPH, so it feels like -10 degrees.

Who goes to a new gym for the first time, this early? I do! I have to go when I feel ON! Roads are quiet…pass only a few cars along the way. I love the quiet at this time of day. Gives me time to reflect, and plan out what I need to get done.

I’m a little nervous to walk in. It’s a new gym and I have no idea what to expect. I had exchanged messages with Sander already to schedule my class, so that gave me some comfort, but still, it can be intimidating.

Then I see my accountability partner WALKING to class. In those high winds! I get out of my warm car. Brrrr. We walk in to the lobby. This time my breath is taken away, not by the wind, but by the beauty that surrounds me. The floors, the walls, the artwork, the little details. All so beautiful.

I change my shoes in the lobby (only inside shoes allowed!) and then proceed into the main gym. Sander is talking to another student. As we walk in, he looks up, and greets us with a smile. I feel welcomed.

He has me sign in and puts me at ease. I ask about how to sign up for additional classes. He shows me the app he uses. I download the app to my phone before class starts.

More students arrive…love it! Let’s hear it for early work-it-outers! Class begins at 5:30am. Warmup is fun and gets me going.

Sander then explains the main part of the class while we all catch our breath and get a quick sip of water.

We rotate through stations and must complete 20 reps at each, and then start again but drop it down to 18 reps! After 18 reps, comes 16 reps and so on. The music helps distract me from the heavy sandbag that I’m pushing back and forth across the gym floor. I definitely love total body moves and that one is killer! Moving on to the next station, and it’s TRX bands. I get a little confused on how to put my feet into the bands, but Sander comes over and helps me.

WOW! Class is already done! Energized for the day, and already sore!

In my time at FitGuana, I took 3 HIIT classes that worked with my schedule. Two classes at 5:30am and one class at 5pm. And each class was different, which kept it fun. And I laughed so much during my third class. It’s all good stuff at FitGuana. Definitely would like to go back for a HIRT (High Intensity Resistance Training) class. A student told me that the HIRT classes are even harder than the HIIT classes! Oh boy! Looking forward to scheduling that class!

The Verdict?

A big THUMBS UP for FitGuana!

FitGuana is located at 16 Bailey Avenue, Ridgefield CT. More information about classes can be found on their website at www.fitguana.com . Email Sander at contact@fitguana.com, or give him a call at the gym, 203-885-7945. He’s eager for you to try a free one week trial!

You can find me, Carolyn Gillan, motivating people to be healthy on Hello Fitness! on Facebook, or teaching at KickFit, located at 109 Danbury Road, Ridgefield CT. Check out our website for more information on our school at www.kickfitct.com. Or call us at 203-403-3382. We would love for you to try a free trial class and kickstart your fitness journey!