As a loyal Gary Lee follower since 2003, I am happy to find that he is finally being recognized…read moreapart from the gym at which he teaches. The gym is fabulous, don't get me wrong, but Mister Lee's master workouts deserve more than a small blurb between a description of the locker rooms and the ever-increasing monthly dues. His workouts are the "meat" of my routine and the reason I drive thirty minutes to get to a workout rather than five, and pay $180 per month instead of $50. I do this because there's something about Gary...
I'll begin with Gary himself. Thirty-something with a wiry strong, athletic physique, he doesn't look like some crazy Crunch instructor maxed out on steroids. Think Tim Lincecum. Down to earth, often funny, he's one of those people that just walks around exuding good vibes. People tend to gravitate toward him and are excited to be a part of whatever it is he's doing.
In the gym, he notices and remembers what each client can do and works from there. He'll yell at you but it's never EVER meant to be mean or to make you do something beyond your personal ability. More encouraging than intimidating, it's a "I notice you're slacking off right now because I know exactly what you're capable of and you're not doing it" warning. My reaction is always either a sheepish grin, or a "you want me to do THAT?" brow furrow... and then I do whatever it is I'm told.
The real question is, will training with Gary get you to lose weight? Yeah, it will. As with any trainer though, diet is a huge chunk of it, so don't expect this to be your ONLY solution. Beyond the weight loss though, over time, you'll start to feel tougher. Not just stronger, tougher. (Yes, I'm talking to you too, fellas. Half the class is composed of fit dudes and they have to stop to catch a breath, too).
First, you'll notice that you're developing endurance. In the middle of a hard run, you'll be able to drop to a three minute plank followed by a set of push-ups before getting back up to start running again. You'll gain balance such that you won't be twisting or spraining your ankles as easily because the small muscles in your lower legs somehow react faster. Your chronic low back pain will no longer plague you because your core will become tough enough to actually support you (imagine that). The endorphin rush you'll walk away with following each workout will last for hours, putting you in a relaxed, positive mood.
These are all effects that I have come to experience for myself throughout my years of training with Gary. Whenever my school schedule conflicts with my G-schedule, I can see and feel the difference, even when I'm consistently taking other bootcamp-style classes, Body Pump, Spinning, Step, and (non-G) kickboxing. I never feel quite as tough or as lean. Needless to say, those are the semesters I dread the most.
Fortunately for us all, Gary has branched off to train clients on his own, independent of the pricey gym with workouts on most days of the week. He's the best kept secret to fitness in SF, but now that he's official with Yelp, I think the secret is out...
