The two winners from the “Make Me Over Current” contest have hit the midway mark on their 10-week journey to their best body ever. Only five weeks into the contest, winners Siggy Torres and Jamie Marcella have reached new fitness highs at Club KO gyms in Hoboken (the fitness sponsor).
The pair has kicked, punched, and sweat off inches and pounds during their weekly kickboxing classes. With only weeks left, Torres and Marcella are close to achieving their fitness goals.
The Current will follow the two winners as they make their way to the finish.
Within his reach
Bayonne resident Siggy Torres has applied the same focus he needed to run a marathon this winter to the fitness regiment at Club KO. After orientation in March, Torres jumped right into the program. He has been going to classes on average about four times a week, approximately every other day since he began the program.
Torres began with 31.1 percent body fat with a target of 18 percent at the end of the 10-week program. All that determination has paid off. Siggy has lost pounds and inches in the program. He has gone from 31.1 percent body fat to 20 percent!
In addition, his clothes fit better. He was finally able to fit into a pair of jeans with a 33-inch waist that he had received as a gift but never worn.
According to Torres, he was so impressed with fitness program at Club KO that he decided to stay on after the 10 weeks.
“I’ve enjoyed the classes so much that I actually signed up for another year,” said Torres. “I’m going to use it to obtain my running goals.”
He recently ran a half-marathon in April in 2:03 and eventually hopes to translate that into a 4:19 time in a full marathon.
Torres said that although he likes all the classes at the gym, he tries to take at least two classes a week with Mike Andreula, a manager and head trainer of Club KO gyms.
Since learning that Torres was one of the contest winners, Andreula has made a point to shout out to Torres if he isn’t keeping up with the class.
More muscle
Hobokenite Jamie Marcella doesn’t have love of a sport like Torres, having never found a sport or a program that she liked, so she wasn’t sure what to expect.
At the start of the program, Marcella had 39.2 percent body fat with a target of 25 percent. At the halfway mark, Marcella has replaced a number of fat pounds with muscle. She has gone from 39 percent body fat to 28 percent!
Although that hasn’t translated into weight loss just yet, the muscle ratio has vastly improved her overall health. Marcella said one of the hardest adjustments for her is the nutritional program. She considers herself to be a very picky eater, and having to eat every three to four hours to keep her metabolism going was hard to do.
“It’s all to keep the metabolism going,” said Marcella. “I never ate so much!”
Marcella said that she eats more fruits, vegetables, and protein, and she snacks primarily on yogurt.
Andreula has also made it a point to shout at her.
“When he sees me, he yells ‘Jamie keep going! Get those legs higher,'” said Marcella with a laugh. “All the classes are so different. Some trainers make you run laps, some make you run in place – it depends.”
Yet the biggest improvement for Marcella is her overall fitness.
“I can tell I’m not getting out of breath as easy,” said Marcella. “Even walking around I feel better.”
Marcella has advice for would be kick boxers: “I think the fact that I could take it and keep going – and I’ve never really stuck with anything – I would say that it really does get easier as you do it.”
She added, “It’s only one hour out of your life.”
Strength training
In addition to the regular kickboxing classes that tone the body and improve cardio, Torres and Marcella are taking high-intensity strength training classes (HIT), which work the core muscle groups. Torres said that the HIT classes generally leave him spent.
“Each week, I’ve been making gradual strides,” said Torres. “I’ve been going up 10 to 20 pounds per week.” Yet all that work has improved his overall health. He noticed a difference in his personal times in running and games of basketball.
“You can really tell a difference in basketball because you rely on the core muscles,” said Torres.
Marcella has been making real strides with the HIT classes. On average, she said she lifts about 70 to 110 pounds each week.
She added, “I really never thought I’d be able to do that.”
Marcella said the strength training classes are “ridiculously hard.”
“My sister told me that she doesn’t believe I’m lifting that much,” said Marcella, “but I’m going to make her a copy [of her training file] and show her.”
The HIT classes on average are only about 15 minutes long, but each time the student is pushed to work the muscle groups harder. The trainee works on five core muscle groups – with two different arm reps, two different leg reps and one for abs. “It’s hard, but it’s quick,” said Marcella.
The program
The owner of Club KO gyms, Joe Andreula, opened his first branch in 1997, which in a decade has grown into nine area branches.
The 10-week program, which is an ongoing program at the club, is designed to shape, tone, and lower body fat. Those in the program are instructed to take at least two to three kickboxing classes a week plus one strength training class with a personal trainer. A member can burn on average 800 to 1,200 calories a class.
In addition to the physical workouts, members are given a nutritional program and are told to track their progress.
Each new member weighs in and has a fat measurement taken at week one, midway, and at the end of the 10-week program.
Although the program does lead to weight loss, it is really designed to replace fat with muscle.
If both Torres and Marcella continue doing what they are doing, they should see a dramatic difference in their shape at the end of the 10-week program.
We’ll have to wait and see. Stay tuned for more updates!
Club KO gyms has two locations in Hoboken. The gym is open seven days a week. For more information about classes, visit: www.clubkogyms.com.