The Living Lean Lowdown: March Madness

The Living Lean Lowdown

Never miss a thing!

Mark Your Calendars:

3/13 - 8 Week #NOEXCUSES Lifestyle Challenge Awards Ceremony

3/15 - Living Lean at Kenston Intermediate School Family Night 6:00-8:30 pm

3/16 - Strong Kim Remembrance Day

3/17 - Happy St. Patrick's Day. Wear your green!

3/23 - 3/31 - Spring Break Hours. Details below.

4/1- Cleveland Indian's Opening Day. Wear your Tribe gear!

4/6 - Yoder Clinic - Managing Elbow and Shoulder Pain. Details below.

4/10 - 12 Week #NOEXCUSES Lifestyle Challenge Awards Ceremony!

4/13 - Living Lean Fun Family Fitness Day! More information to come!

Member Spotlight: Adrienne Allotta

When writing these profiles, one thing that always jumps out at us is the fact that our membership is made up of some extremely busy folks. There are #noexcuses being made about “not having enough time” or being “too busy to work out”. Our members raise families, run companies, work full-time, volunteer… and give 100% at Living Lean . This month’s member spotlight, Adrienne Allotta ,is no exception.

Adrienne grew up in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky and graduated from the University of Dayton . It was law school/business school at Case Western Reserve University that brought her to Cleveland where she met her husband and has lived ever since. Currently, they live in Bainbridge with their 3 kids; Jackson , Harper and Bea and very large dog, Lucy . Adrienne was the VP of Business Development and Investor Relations for a real estate fund until last October, when she decided to devote herself to her OTHER full-time job of raising 3 kids.

Adrienne first visited Living Lean about 5 years ago with her friend, Betsy Coy. That first visit proved to be a challenging workout but made a lasting impression on Adrienne. It would be 2 years before she moved to Bainbridge and joined Living Lean. “It is such a welcoming gym and perfect for any person at any fitness level. The coaching is amazing. I would tell any new member to be patient with his/her progress. I still need a lot of coaching, so if you have a day where Mark critiques every single exercise you do, don’t get discouraged! That is a weekly occurrence for me!”

If you’ve ever worked out with Adrienne this next part won’t surprise you. Adrienne pushes her own limits at the gym, never staying stagnant, and ultimately, challenges people who are brave enough to be her partner (though she may not know it). She is humble but driven and that drive is contagious. “Before I joined Living Lean, I was intimidated to go into a weight room. I just stuck with my cardio equipment. Now, I know the value of strength training and can do it correctly. I love how strong I feel and have never seen these results at any other gym. I also have so much more confidence weight lifting.”

Adrienne spends much of her time carting children around to sporting events and extracurricular activities, she volunteers at their schools, and occasionally can be convinced to run races. Last summer, Adrienne was part of an 8-person relay team that ran the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Race . This challenging course covers 100 miles of trails through our region’s most scenic areas, including the Cleveland Metroparks , the Cuyahoga Valley National Park , and the Summit Metro Parks . She’s a self-proclaimed “introvert at heart” because she told us her favorite downtime activity is hanging out with her kids and watching movies with her husband. Adrienne, we love that answer.

Staff Spotlight: Liz Lindecke

To date, we’ve brought you interviews with all of the current Living Lean Trainers, the office staff, and our owner, Mark Derry himself. As we round out our bios of the fine folks that make Living Lean possible, there is just one remaining. It’s likely you have worked out next to her. You’ve probably coveted her fabulous workout attire or her specimen of a physique. You’ve most definitely been the recipient of one of her huge, warm smiles. She’s the fiery red-head whose work ethic and muscle definition are to be envied and if you are lucky enough to call her a friend, then you are lucky enough. She is Liz Lindecke , Gym Manager at Living Lean.

Liz grew up in Westport, CT , attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem PA , and moved to NYC, the city of her dreams, after college. “I spent my 20s in the best city in the world working at Bloomingdale’s , the best store in the world. I am a city girl at heart. It was there that I met Steve Lindecke through my roommate who was working for him at IMG .” Steve (also a Living Lean member) and Liz were married in 1998 and shortly thereafter, Steve was asked to move back to IMG Cleveland. “When he told me, I asked him if he could commute to and from Cleveland . It seemed like a much more reasonable idea than ripping me out of the arms of my beloved city. Alas, he brought me to Cleveland kicking and screaming and knocked up with our first.” It took some time, but Liz has come to think of Cleveland as home. “It is a wonderful place to raise kids and the community is amazing. The cost of living doesn’t hurt either. Cleveland has everything and due to the amazing friends that I have made, I truly enjoy it.”

Family life in Bainbridge includes husband Steve (56) (you’re welcome, Steve), Ryan (18), Kyle (15) and Lucy (10). Their lives are immersed in Kenston soccer & tennis, Mrs. Mantz’s Purple Pantz , Kumon, Fortnight and of course, Living Lean. Liz has spent the last 14 years as the Program Manager for Patient Services at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center . “It is an extremely rewarding job. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to make the lives of those dealing with cancer and their families a little bit better.”

In her early years in Cleveland, Liz worked out at Elite Fitness, taking group classes and using the thigh adductor machine. A poster on the wall that said “ Permanent Fat Loss through Smart Exercise” caught her attention because… that’s a no brainer, right? Back then, Living Lean was a bit different in that there was a boom box playing CD's in the corner and the timer was on Mark’s watch, but the philosophy was the same. “I vividly recall speaking to Mark after my first class about the philosophy of Living Lean when he uttered the words, ‘ I don’t believe in running as a way to get stronger ’. This guy just gave me permission to never run again! BAM! SOLD! Also, for the record, he made us bring a clean pair of shoes back then too.”

As time went on, Mark moved the gym to his garage and Liz became fascinated by the revenue he was generating out of this 400-square foot space! “We ended up meeting to discuss the potential of his business and the rest is history. We have been working together ever since. I am the Gym Manager and he is President, but I’ll leave it to you to decide who is boss.” Liz credits the team at Living Lean for all of its growth and success to date. "Truth be told, I am only able to do what I do because of our team's incredible and unwavering commitment to the success of Living Lean. Trust me, if it weren't for them, we'd be back in the garage!"

As Gym Manager, Liz knows the power of the Living Lean philosophy and has seen the results in her own life and the lives of countless Living Lean members over the past 10 years. “Living Lean is a lifestyle. We will get you the results you are looking for in the smartest and safest way. And when we say group personal training, we mean it. You are personally trained in a group setting. We educate you on proper movement pattern, form and appropriate loads. I guarantee that you are not going to find that anywhere else. But, the key is to be patient because a lifestyle change doesn’t happen overnight. Mark always says, “If you want something that you have never had before, then you have to train like you never have before to get it.” It’s the truth. Let’s face it, when it comes to getting in shape there is no magic pill, but I’ll tell you this…Living Lean is the closest thing to it.”

"Strong Kim"

Every year, on March 16th we remember one of our own. Kim (Birkel) Hegedus was one of the very first Living Lean members and is one that will love on within these gym walls as a reminder of what true strength, kindness, and grace look like in human form. "Strong Kim" as she is known to many of us, was a nickname given to her because of the perseverance, grit and raw determination she applied to everything she did. She applied this in the gym. She applied this in life. She applied this to her battle with cervical cancer.

Mark remembers the day he moved the gym to its current location."Kim was one of 3 people who helped me move the entire gym from my garage to the upstairs portion of what is now Living Lean. My cousin was there too and watched as Kim picked up two 70 pound dumbbells, without hesitation, and charged up that flight of stairs. My cousin looked at me and said "who is that?" I just laughed, shook my head and said; "that's Strong Kim"

We hope you will join us on March 16th as we honor Strong Kim. She's still with us, pushing us to be better, reminding us to be more present, and leaving us with a smile as we remember her always.

Kim Birkel Hegedus

9/2/70 - 3/16/13

Welcome!

Welcome our new members and visiting guests! Say hello! Introduce yourself!

Amber Gile

Aleece Hutchinson

Jan Isakoff

Sean Kearns

Deborah Kronstain

Emma (Canter) Leuszler

Donna Ludwig - 21 Day Trial

Raquel Scharyj

Jen Tusing- 21 Day Trial

Andrew Weingart

Mary Kay Yuhas

Thank you to our renewing members!

Adrienne Allotta

Jen Allyn

Christina Beg

Vince Coley

Laura Coy

Dominic DiSanto

Ian Frank

Robyn Forney

Beth Kalinowski

Carrie Keegan

Matt Krug

Steve Lindecke

Bob Mantz

Sonali Morris

Mark Olszewski

Carol Olszewski

Kristen Thalman

High Fives & Fist Bumps

These members crushed personal goals this month in or outside of the gym!

Kim Hatcher - Loaded Push Up 10#

Nicole Lieber - 4 Unassisted Chin-ups x4

Did you have a personal best in the gym? Accomplish a goal outside of the gym? Let us know! We want to celebrate you!

Spring Break Hours

We have adjusted hours beginning Saturday 3/23 through Sunday 3/31.

Please take note!

**No Youth Athletic Training classes

Monday - Friday: 5:45 am & 8:30 am

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 6:30 pm

Saturday: 6:30 am & 8:00 am

Sunday: 8:30 am

Yoga (on Sun 3/31 only): 9:45 am

Our Youth Athletic Training, 7:00 am and 9:15 am classes will resume on 4/1.

For those that are traveling, have a wonderful and safe trip!

KIS Family Night

Attention Living Lean KIS Families!

Come visit the Living Lean crew at the Kenston Intermediate School Family Fun Night! We will be providing a fun fitness obstacle course for the families and giving out stickers that are good for a free Youth Athletic Training Class to all who stop by!

Friday, March 15th from 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Barbell Clinic:

Managing Shoulder and Elbow Pain

Our good friend, Dr. James Yoder, is back again with another FREE clinic using evidence-based strategies to get you back to pain-free training. Dr. Yoder's informative clinic will address overcoming elbow/shoulder pain through resistance training. This event will last approximately 1 hour with a Q& A to follow. RSVP required through the link below.

When: Saturday, April 6th at 10:30 AM

Where: Living Lean