Boze’s newsletter is adding a new
feature - a member profile section. We have a tremendous amount
of positive role models and success stories we want to share – and
felt a monthly article profiling one of our members would be a good
way to do this. This month’s member is undoubtedly no stranger
to most of you. Les began working out at Boze’s in 1988 and
has been a regular ever since. Les can usually be seen at Boze’s
more than once a day (depending upon his work schedule) and is equally
at home working on weights or in the aerobics room. Boze’s
asked Les a few questions about his workout habits and what he thinks
about exercise and fitness. Below are some of the comments shared
by our Member of the Month Les Lukianchuk. What keeps you coming
to Boze’s? “Boze’s has become part of my life.
It affects how I feel, how I look - and working out helps me reduce
stress. I’m an emergency nurse and 12 hour shifts take their
toll on you. After a workout I feel great – even if I have
just finished a long shift at work. Boze’s also has a nice
social aspect to it. I like talking to people and chatting while
I work out.” Why did you join Boze’s, and is/are your
reasons for staying the same today as they were then? “I
joined initially to get stronger and put on some muscle. I’ve
certainly achieved those objectives, but now I work out to feel
good – physically and mentally. And I like to meet people.” What
advice would you give someone thinking about joining Boze’s? “Start
slowly, use a program established for your needs and get good advice
before you start. Talk to others who work out or ask for help in
designing a program that suits your needs.” What is the best
thing about working out? “How I feel after a workout. I feel
great. I even feel good on days I don’t get to workout - because
of the positive effects of regular exercise. I guess I’m an
adrenaline junkie - I love the natural high you get from exercise.” What
is your favourite exercise or work-out? “I like everything
I do, but in particular I like working chest, back and arms. Legs
are tough and I don’t particularly look forward to every leg
workout, but I love cardio .” Here’s our goof question
- What is your favourite “treat” food? “Burgers
and fries”
When you think about Boze’s, particularly
in the context of who has been around for awhile, a few people quickly
come to mind. Some are reliable as clock-work, and the “bookends” duo
of Les Painter and Crawford cut a wide swath in the weight room
when they participate in their regular workouts. Les and Crawford
have been working out for too many years to count, and both are
original members of Boze’s (Class of 1985). Work commitments
away from Dauphin had Les play hookey for a couple of years,
but Crawford is true to his membership number 27. That’s right,
Crawford was the 27th person to walk through our doors (we are
now issuing membership numbers in the 4000+ range). In the old days
on Main Street Les and Crawford worked out separately, but divine
intervention or simply the fact there aren’t too many members
interested in pushing the entire stack of 45 lb plates during
leg press routines brought this duo together. They have been nearly
inseparable in the weight room since Boze’s moved to its new
location and, according to a reliable source who requests anonymity
- are starting to look more and more alike. Our source indicates
that a couple of tatoos for Crawford and a haircut for Les would
make them indistinguishable. I’m not so sure, but they do
rely on each other to get through their workouts - with punishing
reps and heavy loads. Tough workouts have caused each of them
a few minor injuries over the years, and collectively they have
more than a few “battle scars” to talk about. However,
most of their pain has been self-inflicted, and Crawford’s
secret identity as Dauphin’s best Oldtimer goalie has left
him with more bumps, bruises and strains than any heavy workout
caused. Crawford is currently nursing a sore shoulder that has put
a crimp into upper body workouts, but leg press beware - the injury
has not affected their leg training. True to their mantra as “throwbacks”,
Les uses an old style leather weight belt that was specifically
designed for him a number of years ago. The belt has a unique
piece of artwork etched into it that precludes it from being mistakenly
confused with other belts in the weightroom. The artwork sends
a message and it’s not for the meek. If you’d like a
peek I’m sure Les would oblige. Crawford and Les have been
tremendously reliable members, and Boze’s is certainly proud
to have them “bend
our bars” whenever they feel the urge.
Howard (or Howie as he’s
known to some of his “friends”) has been a fixture at
Boze’s since the beginning - he’s a long-term member
from the past who holds a two digit (#23) membership number.
Howie’s
involvement with Boze’s (and Boze) started in September, 1985
with afternoon workouts at the old facility on Main Street. Howie’s
a bit of a throw-back and would show up for workouts wearing
an assortment of wraps and bandages for a variety of body parts.
After a short warm-up he’d strap on his weight belt and push
himself through a strenuous workout. In those days David often
worked out during the afternoon, and singing often became part of
the routine. Howie regularly requested music changes so David would
stop his poor singing (in the old days Boze’s played taped
music - Howie didn’t sing much, and preferred “rock
and roll” to
the “disco/dance tunes” Boze often played.) Howie didn’t
much go for the aerobic beat that was common in the late 80's
and 90's, and let us know quite regularly what type of tunes
were needed for a good workout. Howie’s workout schedule has
changed since the early days, and instead of afternoon workouts
he has become known as “Mr. 9:30 Man”. The nickname
is a result of his preference for arriving around 8:00 pm, working
out and then hitting the showers as Boze’s closes at 9:00
pm.. By the time he’s cleaned up, dried off and packed up
it’s close
to 9:30. Staff have gotten familiar with the routine and enjoy
the added security of having Howie around as they close up ‘Shop
for the evening. Although Howie is focussed on his workouts -
and pushes himself pretty hard in the gym, he’s always good
for a chuckle and a laugh with just about anyone at anytime.
This predisposition to “chew the fat” has sometimes
impacted his workouts, as his jaw often gets more exercise than
any other body part. However, between shots about David’s
singing, the odd complaint about the price of wheat and the plight
of poor farmers like himself he still squeezes in the odd set. All
kidding aside, Howie is a warm-hearted member who rarely complains
and brightens the atmosphere with his wit. Boze’s would like
to recognize Howie for his commitment to exercise and for his long-term
association with the Bodyshop.
Verna
has been a long-time member of Boze’s, first joining in the
late 80's, quitting for a time, and then coming back “for
good” during
the mid 90's. During the time Verna was away from Boze’s she
experienced some back problems, and thought exercise might help.
After determining the best combination of activities she has
proven that exercise has indeed made her back feel better. Verna
is a Boze’s “fixture”,
particularly during our early morning hours. She has gained notoriety
as the “first one in”, as she can routinely be found
waiting patiently for the doors to open at 9:00 am. (On cold
days she thanks Charles Hill for offering his warm car to wait
in - Chuck is “second one in” - and can’t seem
to get here before Verna, even though she always walks). Verna complements
her Boze’s workouts with regular trips around Dauphin’s
infamous “four mile square”. Regardless of the weather
you can often see Verna biking or running - she’s truly caught
the exercise bug. When asked “what’s your motivation” Verna
stated the obvious - “to be fit and healthy, to stay strong
as I get older”, and then snuck in, “to keep me slim
and trim”. She certainly is that - and you wouldn’t
notice by looking at her that she has three grown children and
will soon be a grandmother. Working out as regularly as Verna
(223 visits to Boze’s in 2000) would make all of us “slimmer
and trimmer”. Boze’s salutes Verna Wilson as our May
2001 Member of the Month.
Murray Marchenski is our Member of the Month for
June. Murray has been a Boze’s member since 1986, and has been one of our
most regular and consistent members. Murray first came to Boze’s,
as he put it back then, to “get himself together”. He
wasn’t sure if exercise was what he needed, but Boze’s
was conveniently located near his work so he gave it a shot.
Murray dove into his workouts, and frequently combined aerobic
classes with weight room workouts. Some days he worked out more
than once, and In a very short time Murray was noticing fairly
significant changes - his stress level was reduced, he had steadily
increased his strength and muscle tone, and surprisingly enough
he was getting taller. Murray found that exercise was helping his
posture - and he was standing taller. Over the years Murray has
been an ambassador for Boze’s, routinely bringing in friends
and co-workers for workouts. Murray has alternated between aerobics,
the weight room and cardio equipment, and now routinely “punishes” himself
with high-tempo workouts on the Stairclimber and heavy sessions
pumping iron. Murray is such a staunch Boze’s “believer” that
a sign welcoming guests to his home has him outfitted in a Boze’s
muscle shirt. Murray extols the benefits of regular physical
activity and is a great role model for others interested in “getting
themselves together”.
Tom-Tom, as they have
collectively become known around Boze’s have been working out for years.
Tom Dawson and Tom Monson are former school chums (Dauphin boys)
who use workouts at Boze’s to help keep in touch with each
other. Tom Monson can probably lay claim to being slightly more
regular in the gym than Tom Dawson, mostly because he retired
from the CN this past year. He claims to be just as busy as when
he was working – only
now he’s doing things he wants to do, when he wants to do
them. Tom M. has added cycling to his exercise program for the
summer, and when combined with fishing, gardening and the other
outdoor activities he crams into his schedule he’s a pretty
active fellow. Tom D. “punches the clock” for the Province
of Manitoba, and with his office just across the street from
Boze’s
he finds the time to be a pretty regular member – when his
job allows him to stick around Dauphin. Tom D. spends a considerable
amount of time “on the road”, so when the two Toms find
they can synchronize their watches and meet at Boze’s for
a workout, they usually have lots of catching up to do when they
hit the gym. Tom and Tom both say Boze’s has been good for
them as a means to stay in shape and remain active. Their workouts
allow them to be active out of doors, with Tom M. getting out
a bit more now that he has extra time on his hands . (You can
tell when he’s been out because he’s usually forgotten
to apply sunscreen). They have come to know a lot of the members
at Boze’s, and there is rarely a time that either of them
can get a workout in without “shooting the breeze” with
someone in the gym. When they work out together, the Toms usually
end up doing some exercise that one of them likes and the other
doesn’t – or vice versa. This usually involves an animated
discussion regarding the merits of the exercise – and one
of them a bit more sore than the other the next day. Regardless
of their verbal adventures in the gym, it’s great to have
them as members, and a double treat when arrive to work out together.
Richard Bogoslowski (Bogie) is a picture of health
and fitness. He has been a regular member of Boze’s since
1991. Time spent in the gym has transformed Bogie into a “fitness
machine”.
Richard exudes activity - from cross country skiing, cycling
and running (he completed the half-marathon in June) for cardiovascular
fitness to weight training for muscular strength and endurance
Richard does it all. A competitive athlete, he plays slowpitch,
badminton, tennis and hockey and gets involved in organizing
events, as his presidency of the local badminton and slowpitch
associations attest. Richard’s
schedule is like clockwork, and he rarely misses a workout. He
combines cardio training and weight training daily. In the last
year or so Richard has focused a great deal of attention on his
diet and the results are spectacular. Richard has dramatically
lowered his bodyfat and “leaned out” - to become one
of Boze’s
most fit members. Richard recommends watching what you eat, getting
plenty of rest and “living a clean life”. With the extra
training Richard has been doing he indicated a need to stretch
more often . “My hamstrings are tight, so I’ve decided
to spend more time stretching after workouts”. His suggestions
are accurate, as a good stretching regime reduces the chance
of injury. Boze’s congratulates Richard Bogoslowski for his
fitness achievements and acknowledges his selection as Member
of the Month for August.
Harv Kustra first joined Boze’s
in January, 1989 at the request of his wife who told him “he
was getting too fat”.
Little did Harv know then how important a role physical activity
would play in his life. Harv started working out with weights
and in pretty short order increased his muscularity, decreased
his body fat and started looking and feeling better. Harv continued
weight training and slowly became a fixture at Boze’s by regularly
showing up just after six p.m. daily. A few years after joining
Boze’s
Harv began to notice slight tremors in his hands. Although at
first he discounted anything seriously amiss, he did recognize
the signs of Parkinson’s
disease. His father was diagnosed with the illness at age 52,
and according to Harv “was devastated by the disease” and
died at age 59. Harv was convinced he could “fight it”,
and continued exercising after being diagnosed with the illness
in 1994. Even though he was active and otherwise in good health
the illness starting to limit his abilities. Gradually, as he
found it more and more difficult to continue with a regular weight
training program Harv tried running. The more he ran the better
he felt, and although a couple of hernias temporarily slowed
him down, Harv continued to increase his mileage. Then, the racing
bug bit and Harv started competing in half marathons (13.6 miles).
Harv has finished ten half marathons to date, and this fall will
run in two more - hoping to get his time under two hours. Harv
trains rigorously, running 1,000 to 1,300 miles a year - about
20 miles per week regularly and slightly more when he’s in
marathon training mode. Harv is one of a handful of people in
North America with “full
blown” Parkinson’s disease who runs competitively -
and is so infatuated with marathons that he has embarked (with
a few other running devotees) on holding a half-marathon in Dauphin
next spring. Harv will be 61 years old in October, and although
Parkinson’s has slowed him down he’s living life to
the fullest. Harv retired from his business this past year, and
attributes his current health to running. He states “without
running I’d probably be disabled by now”. Harv believes
fighting Parkinson’s is “mind over matter” and
believes “if you work hard, regardless of your condition,
you can do whatever you want. Don’t let little things - like
Parkinson’s disease - get in the way of living”. Harv
Kustra truly is a deserving Boze’s member of the month. If
you are interested in running or would like to help Harv organize
the spring marathon let us know at the front desk and we’ll
pass the message along.
How do you make sure you don’t miss a workout? How
about following Member of the Month Kelly Michaluk’s advice
and scheduling workouts into your day timer. This is what Kelly
does to keep workouts consistent, and she’s glad she made
the change. Kelly has been a member of Boze’s, off and on,
four or five times since moving back to Dauphin after her son
Kai was born almost nine years ago. Kelly worked out while living
in Calgary, and was even weight lifting during her pregnancy.
However, after becoming a new mom, trying to juggle work and
other responsibilities often left exercise out of her daily schedule
- and the fact that she gets bored easily didn’t help her
stick with a consistent exercise program. Last November Kelly
decided she needed to get regular with her workouts again. “I
like to work out in the morning, and when I didn’t
make doing that a priority, I’d often put off exercise until
I ran out of time”. I wasn’t happy with the way I was
looking or feeling, so I thought I’d re-commit to Boze’s
and see what kind of results I could achieve.” Since then
Kelly has scheduled her workouts into her daytimer and treats
them as appointments. The strategy has worked, with Kelly routinely
making trips to Boze’s shortly after the doors open each morning.
Initially she had high expectations that her workouts would provide
the same type of effect on her body that previous bouts of exercise
provided. Kelly found that it took a bit of extra effort this
time, however with persistence she is now seeing the positive
changes she envisioned. “Working out is a great stress reliever,
my clothes fit differently (better), and to tell you the truth
I don’t
even know my body weight. Feeling better is what is important
to me.”
Esther
has been a regular noon-hour Boze’s member since she starting
working at the Dauphin Friendship Centre. Prior to that Ester
held numerous sessional passes and attended afternoon classes
whenever she found herself in Dauphin. (Esther lives in Garland
and could only attend classes when she visited Dauphin). An occasional
class in Dauphin was about all Esther needed in those days, as
her non-working time was spent doing a variety of volunteer tasks
-- including instructing aerobic classes in Ethelbert. Esther
is a former accredited Manitoba Fitness Council leader who, for
many years, led a group of dedicated fitness enthusiasts through
their paces. As her professional life led her to Dauphin and
work at the Friendship Centre, Esther found she finally could
spend more time working out for herself. Esther has settled quite
comfortably into noon hour workouts and spends a great deal of
time doing both cardiovascular and resistance training workouts.
Esther credits regular workouts with keeping her body fit and her
mind sharp. She is a proponent of a healthy diet and drinks plenty
of water, and she needs the water, as she routinely works out
at a “fever
pitch” intensity.
Fitness has always been a part of Myrna’s life. In High School she was
involved in volleyball, badminton, cross-country running, track
and softball. Those formative years of physical activity made
it important for her to stay active - for the rest of her life.
Myrna has been a member at Boze’s
for many years, although she admits she hadn’t always been
consistent. “I’d have a membership for awhile then
get busy or distracted - but I always knew that working out was
good for me”. Myrna used to be a smoker, and she contends
that’s part of her motivation to stick with her exercise program.
She also believes working out gives her more energy throughout
the day. Myrna works out consistently at a pretty high level
of intensity. “My
workout consists of a four-day weight training split and a 20
minute cardio five times per week”. She usually keeps a training
and eating journal which help her keep on track. Myrna says she “tries
to eat clean”, but she does indulge in one “cheat day” a
week where she allows herself to eat anything she wants. Myrna
is also a bit of a powerbar junkie - ask her to show you her
stash of bars - you’ll probably be impressed. Myrna’s
training philosophy is simple and makes great sense: “Keep
a journal to stay on track, and don’t beat yourself up if
you miss a day or get the odd craving - just get back on track
the next day”.
Myrna strongly believes that an active lifestyle makes her feel
better - and feeling better physically makes her feel better
about herself. Feeling better also “boils over into how she
handles and looks at life”.
