Get In Shape For Women: A New Approach to Health and Fitness

Get In Shape For Women is located at 110 Newbury Street, next to and , in Danvers. With 60 locations in Massachusetts, the first studio opened in 2006, and the Danvers location opened in 2009 under franchise owner Brian Fletcher.

Manager Linda Ford said when she first walked into the studio as a client, she knew immediately she wanted to be a part of something really special. 

“I’ve been living the lifestyle of weight training, and diet, lots of fruits and vegetables, no processed. I was training for a marathon, and when I walked in here it felt good," she said.

Now, Ford is exactly where she wants to be, helping women rediscover their health and fitness and become happier in the process. "I've been the manager since August 2010 and have loved every minute of it! I have 165 of the most wonderful, inspirational women as clients," she explained.

She continued, "Beyond the sensational support, hard work and total transformation that goes on in the studio, my ladies have participated in local road races, walked and raised money for the .  We will also be an official drop off spot the Toys for Tots toy drive.  My clients understand giving back to the community is an important part of personal health and wellness and are In Shape enough to keep on giving!" 

Ford has noted that health and fitness become less of a priority in women’s lives, especially as they get older. With winter and the holidays quickly approaching, she wants women to remember to put themselves first, so they can be the best they can be for their families. “Most of my clients are over 40, their metabolism has slowed down, and they know they’re not going to turn back time.  The programs are geared toward them,” she said.

Danvers Patch recently caught up with Ford to discuss the philosophy of the Get In Shape For Women program, and find out why it works.

Who are your clients?

Women that come in want to gain strength, and they range in age from 16-75 years old; they know they need to get in shape, not necessarily lose weight, so the first thing we do is ask what they’re goals are. We identify their goals and then devise a plan for them to reach their goals.

What are the key components of Get In Shape For Women?

There are four key components of full-body TRANSFORMATION:

• Weight Training - up to 4 women work with a trainer, who customizes each individuals workout.
• Interval Cardio Training - the most efficient way to maximize calorie burn.
• Nutritional Counseling - we help design a custom meal structure that will work into your lifestyle and effectively help you reach your goals
• Accountability - your results equal our reputation and I'm happy to know we have an INCREDIBLE reputation!

Why are women struggling to lose weight more than ever?

Women move less these days than they ever did in the past. We don’t have to get out of our car for anything, anymore- we don’t even have to pick up a phone-its in our ear! Women don’t get old and gain weight, they get older and get inactive.

How do you help women transform their bodies?

We do resistance training, because you can’t lose weight without it. When you lose weight, you lose muscle mass and bone density without resistance training. My trainers are always checking form to make sure your doing it correctly, and we don’t target spots, there is no real way to do that; we work on getting the fat with cardio. Our clients will work on the treadmill or elliptical with a one minute high intensity interval, a perceived exertion of 10 (on a scale of 1-10), you want to do an 8-9, which is different for everyone. then you get 3 minutes to recover, and go again. They do this 4-6 times, and that whole workout takes one hour, it’s fabulous.

What is the single biggest misconception about diet?

So many women are carb-phobic, but you need carbs!  Especially in the morning, your brain needs carbs to function properly; but you don’t need it at night, and unfortunately that’s when you crave it. Plus, most women don’t eat frequently enough or early enough. When you go 5-6 hours without eating, your body is demanding food and will eat into the muscle mass.  You have to get fuel in the morning, and you need protein after a workout, because that’s what muscle is made of.  

How important is nutrition?

Nutrition is key, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.  The big mental-paradigm shift is, “food is fuel-what is going to make you the best you can be?”  Plus, we’re crabby when we’re hungry, look at a little kid who hasn’t eaten-we still do that, we just mask it better.

What does a typical workout consist of?

We alternate upper and lower body workouts, we have an online companion for support; we also have our clients write everything down, and we talk a lot of nutrition here. I have to take them from where they’re at,so we offer options for the real world. Each program is tailored towards the individuals needs. We’ll find the answer for you, that’s what we’re here for.

How do you help your clients stay focused on their goals?

If no one cares you’re there, you wont do it.  So we have accountability. We weigh in every week, and if you don’t show up, you get a call from me.  I know all my clients by name, we have a goal sheet, and we review it to make sure we are on task to reach their goals.

What makes Get In Shape For Women so successful?

These concepts are sound, and they make sense. The weight loss industry is based on you failing-but we don’t buy into that here; We want people to look great, because our clients are our walking billboards.  I don’t take everybody, if they’re not ready it’s just wasting our time and their money.

What is the greatest reward for you?

The best thing for me is when my clients call me from the doctor’s office because they’re amazed: They’ve stopped bone loss, and actually gained bone density, and dropped their prescription meds within as soon as 3 weeks.

Women come in here, and they’re uncomfortable in their own skin. We get them feeling good again. Yes, it’s an investment, but if were going to live to be 80 years old, shouldn’t you feel good and have good self esteem?