'Lunges Are a Butt's Best Friend'

If you have ever been by Mother’s Beach on a Sunday morning between 8 and 9 o’clock, you may have seen a good-sized group of women running and lunging on the sand or doing abdominal work on the nearby grass. I had the pleasure of participating in this class, led by personal fitness business owner Cindi Gans. And I had the sore muscles to prove it.

The women’s workout group that Cindi calls Strength Sundays is designed, as it says on her website, “to promote muscle tone, coordination, correct posture and a positive mental attitude.” The workout was such fun that the next day soreness was unexpected but welcomed—as I felt it in all the right places.

During the workout, Cindi keeps participants laughing with inspirational lines like “lunges are a butt’s best friend.”

When I showed up at 8 o’clock on a Sunday this month, it had to be colder than 50 degrees. But Cindi guaranteed me I would get warm fast.  Before I knew it, I was bear crawling and skipping in the sand and she was right; I was warm and working hard. And I was laughing, too.

During her 60-minute Sunday class, Cindi leads the group and informs them what they are going to do in advance, but then adds, “don’t worry. I will be here. I’m not leaving for Starbucks.” On the easy sit-ups, she says they are like a “cappuccino break.” The coffee theme definitely works for me and the exercises are a mix of unique new moves with good old favorites. She keeps the group moving the entire hour and I really don’t have much of a chance to reflect on whether or not I can still do some of the moves I haven’t done in a few years. Cindi knows how to target muscle groups—she told us we would focus on the lower abs and that’s exactly what I felt the next day.

I asked Cindi a few questions about how she got started in her own fitness business, which includes private personal training, group exercise and Naples Bayside Academy's fee-based, after-school childrens’ strength workouts. 

Patch: What inspired you to start your own training business?

Cindi: I have been certified since 1992 when I got pregnant with my son, and it was just a matter of time before my other professions (she started out in advertising) got out of the way. I used to run marathons and half marathons and some people that knew me asked me to help train them. I also did personal training at Gold’s Gym for about five years. To me it’s about lifestyle; keeping balance throughout life while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle of always working out and watching what you eat. I try to instill with my clients to have a lifestyle where you eat foods you enjoy in moderation so when it’s time for birthday cake you can enjoy it.

I tell everyone to find something you enjoy. When I teach every week it’s something different (in the Strength Sunday class). It always starts on the beach to get the heart rate up—and I let it go down but never too much—so you are always fat burning throughout the workout. And I try to keep it interesting.

P: Can beginners join?

C: Yes, most of the people you saw in class had never worked out before they got here and then they got hooked.

P: How do you deal with different levels?

C: I always offer three versions of the workout so people can choose. Many people have back issues. I always tell them I am not a mind-reader: they need to let me know when something is wrong and they need modifications.

P: Do you ever have any men in the class?

C: I do a lot of individual personal training for men but this class is for women. I always give them a questionnaire to fill out asking about music selections and what specific areas they want to work on. There is a box to check if they want to include men but it has never been checked off. I think it is just because that’s how I started with a group of women who asked me to train them. If there were enough men, I would do co-ed.

P: Tell me about your kid’s fitness at Naples.

C: I started the program around the same time that I started the women’s program (1992) and provided a program for kid’s fitness. Over the past two years, I have partnered with Naples Bayside Academy as well, and offer fitness for PE for the entire school. It is meant to show kids form and how to do things like a proper push-up.

P: Do you ever do personal training for kids?

C: Yes. From time to time I train some teens but they have to want it. I don’t do it if it is forced on them by a parent. They are usually athletes who want help with exercises for a particular sport.

P: What are your top three exercise tips?

C: 1. Squats are my favorite exercise. 2. I like heavy weights. 3. I am a huge fan of interval training.

Among Cindi Gans’s classes are:

Strength Sundays: 8 to 9 a.m. at Mothers Beach on Appian Way, Naples Island. Each class is $20 or you can purchase a 10 consecutive week pack for $100.

Strength 4Kids is held Wednesdays at Naples Elementary School from 1:30-2:15 p.m. for eight weeks. The price of the class is $80. A certificate of completion is awarded to all participants. Scholarships are available.