Resolutions gym review: Adrenaline Strength & Conditioning

While some workout sessions might be a bitch, these trainers make sure they have your back

January is here, and some of you may be working on the trend of “new year, new me.” This trend is very gym-focused. Since that is a common theme, the Carillon is working on a gym series. Last year, we did a gym series where I went around to different gyms in the city, tried out a class, told you what I liked and did not like about the specific class, and at the end did an interview with the instructor or owner.

Today, I am joining Adrenaline Strength & Conditioning. I did some fitness work alongside Cheryl Guidry and focused on strength and conditioning by taking a class that they’ve titled ‘the Bitch Session.’ I also did an interview with the owner, Derek Becker.

To get you to learn a bit more about the gym that Becker owns, I did a quick sweep of their website and thought I would tell you some important details. The gym is a safe place for men and women, and has a great deal of trainers/employees who are very committed to their passion. Based on the website, they have strength and conditioning classes, youth coaches, class instructors, nutritional therapy consultants, massage therapists, spin instructors, and more. To me, with such a great variety of trainers and helpers, it looks like they really care about their members and about creating a space that is useful for a wide variety of individuals. 

First, let’s talk about the gym itself. Located at 1400 McIntyre Street, it has a unique setup. You walk into the gym and see lots of equipment to work on different body parts, along with a strip of turf across the floor and some classrooms. It really is a good different setup. After I had taken a walk around and looked at everything, it was time to start my session with Guidry.

This session was called the Bitch Session, and it had a certain pattern. We worked in pairs, and we went around and completed a circuit of two exercises in groups of four. I’ll give you an example to help place a picture in your mind. One set of two exercises included a jump box, then a burpee, and a jump box over and a burpee on a repeat. While you are doing this specific exercise, your partner is completing 20 dumbbell swings. Once those are done, you switch and do the exercise your partner was doing while they begin yours. You would do this consecutively for five minutes, and then move on to the next part of the circuit. It really was a unique setup for a class, and I enjoyed how different it was.

Now that you have a bit of a feeling of the gym and the session I went through, I will tell you about the details that I did and did not enjoy. This session was very entertaining, enjoyable, and very challenging, which is one of the main reasons why the owner recommended it to me. It is one of their most popular classes and that is one of the main reasons why I chose to take this class. The class gave us time to walk around and see everything we were doing beforehand, and the instructor assured that we had good form, challenged each of us individually in different ways, and gave us time to cool down and work as a team. I personally really enjoyed all parts of this class and it was a complete full-body workout that focused on both strength and conditioning. I was constantly moving and challenging myself.

Now that you know about the team at Adrenaline Strength and Conditioning, a bit about the Bitch Session setup, and know my feelings on the class, let’s ask Becker some questions on how he created such an amazing, welcoming gym.

What do you like specifically about personal training?

Helping people work towards and accomplish their goals is the most rewarding part for me. […] I just generally enjoy helping people, and I do that through fitness.

What keeps you personally motivated to be a personal instructor? What inspired you to go this route in the first place?  

It is honestly one of the main things that interests me. From a personal level, I was just fascinated by how the human body works. […] As a younger guy, working out was my drive, and I fell in love with it. That is how I put those two together; I like helping people and teaching.

Is there anything you’d like to learn to instruct in the future? What are your personal goals?

I am always learning; I have been in this industry for two decades now. I am just fascinated by how science is evolving and changing and how we do things 20 years to 10 years ago to now. A lot of concepts are being improved. The industry is evolving, […] Goals are more directed towards Adrenaline. Helping my team, helping clients and instructors so that they can help more people make it bigger.

What advice would you give someone wanting to try out your gym for the first time?

We are a community-based strength and conditioning facility. We have members and we have classes. Each class forms their own type of community: the boxing community, the spin community, and the athletes. We have classes for seniors, women only, for beginners, all the way up to advanced classes. Really, there is something for everyone and you must take that first step, and I am sure you will find something you are looking for.

January is often the month of “new year, new me.” What are some suggestions for people to have a “new me” in January and to improve their lifestyle and habits past this month? What have you found helpful in making a resolution that sticks?

You must be realistic. If you have never exercised before in your life, try not to commit too much. Start out with just once a week, or just half an hour, and over time those small changes are going to change to big improvements in your health and you just must keep progressing. […] Whatever you are doing in January, keep doing it in February and into March.

There it is! Now you know about Adrenaline Strength and Conditioning. The workout was great, the vibes were great, and the team was great. If this sounds like the gym for you, go and check it out. If not, stay tuned for the next issue as we continue to discover new gyms in and around Regina.