Welcome to my new blog opening up a great forum for you to share, inquire, inspire…vent? …hope not…all things related to fitness, wellness, and life! We are somewhat unique here at ProRobics, one of the few gyms still open with original owners for close to 3 decades. The changes we have lived could fill a few volumes of entertaining Seattleite “memoirs” (which may still be on the way)… stories of which you probably wouldn’t believe. I am also happy to say many of you are still here, some with grown children working out at your sides, which proves the point that fitness can and should be a lifetime, shared event.
One thing you may not know is that ProRobics started out as a class. ProRobics, “the workout for athletes and potential athletes” was the name of my workout. The workout took place M-W- F 3x each day in the basement of Nordic Heritage museum, formerly a grade school gymnasium and it was filled with a wild mix of guys and gals expressing themselves the high impact way. Those were amazing times and I reminisce and laugh often with people who were part of it. The success of the classes gave birth to Queen Anne location, a scary step at 25. I pulled talented members from class to see if they wanted to become instructors so we could actually open a real studio with classes everyday. Queen Anne ProRobics was born…only the studio….no front desk, no lobby, no dressing rooms or showers, certainly no weight room… the waiting line-up was down a stairwell and out onto the sidewalk. 1530 Queen Anne Avenue North received many visits from the fire department regarding blocking fire way exits with waiting bodies…the 80’s, those were the days. The fire department secretly wished they could stop work and take class! Our café, Après Vous, would fulfill all pre- and post- workout needs as well as provide the bass beat through the walls to keep everything shaking. It was a constant reminder to work off what you just put in.
Some of your favorite instructors were in on that first or second wave. Instructors were born from class so they knew what they liked as members, were type A, and had a deep desire to share their talents. So there you go, we do have one of the deepest lineage of historical instructors in the NW, if that means old to you what can I say. With experience comes dedication to bringing you the best so that is where our heart is!
So my challenge to you is to branch out this coming New Year. If you haven’t entered into our Group Ex program yet now is the perfect time. There are so many choices in the types of workouts available between the 2 gyms. We are one of a few gyms (if not the only) in the city offering Body Pump™, Body Step™, Gravity™, Ballast Balls™ and soon to come Beaming™. We are in a league of our own with continuing popularity of HiLo, Dance, Step and Reach™. Our circuit style/equipment-based workouts, cycle classes, Pilates and yoga are some of the best in the city.
As an instructor team our goal is to develop well-balanced, multi-challenged, “can do” members…are you up for it? What is your personal workout “trigger”?
Do you like to sweat? Do you feel a workout should make you feel something the next day? Do you like fast pace? Do you like mental pressure? Do you like simple, repetitive work? Do you like to challenge your coordination? Are you comfortable stepping out of your comfort zone? Do you need to have your established personal space to feel most comfortable? Do you want strength? Flexibility? Coordination? Agility? Balance? Better aerobic fitness? Better posture? To lose weight? Improve your memory? Improve your health? Do you like slower, more focused movement? Is speed important to you…can you slow down? Do you prefer music or no music? Do you like working with lots of equipment? So you like dance? Do you like to challenge memory through more complicated, lengthy movement patterns? Do you want to be “pushed” by the instructor? Would you like to meet some fantastic people?
If you answered yes to any of the above we have a workout for you. Ask around, approach an instructor with your questions but most of all open that studio door and step in! Everyone has a first day, for many it was the best first day of their life.
On behalf of your dedicated instructor team…see you in class!!
Kari
5 comments:
HAH! I'm the first commenter! Great post Kari:)
I remember first standing on the stairs to what is now Pasta Bella at the top of QA hill freezing my buttocks while waiting in a long line to get into an aerobics class taught by someone named Kari. My only thought was "this better be good". It was beyond good. Now how long ago was that? I have been a ProRobics member ever since it was formed and memberships were offered. Traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad, I frequently dropped in on classes, usually taught in a language I didn't understand. Nobody anywhere ever came close to the ingenuity of Kari and her Team. Just when you think you know every move, how to tweak your abs or tighten your whatever, Kari comes up with something new that you would never have thought of. Magic you say? Pretty close I say. If you care about you physical welfare, regardless of age, ProRobics and the Kari Team are the go-to folks. Thanks for everything Kari!!
Kari, great posting.
I looked all over Seattle and Bellevue for a gym that could keep me enthused, challenged and coming back for more. I found it when I stumbled into Pro-Robics on a fluke. That was 23 years ago. I have occasionally tried other gyms but none have classes that come close to Pro-Robics. My congratulations to a superb Instructor Team. We all forget to tell you how much we appreciate all you do. You are by far a cut above everyone. Thank you for your dedication, enthusiasm and creativity.
I think you should post some photos from your historical archeives... oh the '80 and all that spandex! From the Jane Fonda era to thongs-over-tights look, it would be a lot of fun to relive those times!
Dear Kari-
I love your beaming class. I recently wrote a story on body work for athletes at Seattle Magazine-
here is link
http://www.seattlemag.com/0p129a1300/heres-the-rub/
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