2nd Wind helps clients get RIPPED

SANDPOINT — Local fitness trainers are giving residents a free taste of a new program designed to burn calories in no time at all.

Certified trainers Missi Balison and Sue Lopez, who train clients at 2nd Wind Fitness,  are bringing a new program into the area that brings effective results in a fun environment. Appropriately named RIPPED, the program uses free weights, resistance and body weights to burn 750-1,000 calories in a mere 50 minutes. At this point, Balison and Lopez are the only trainers in town offering this innovative routine.

The idea behind the program is to create continuity, consistency and challenge every time clients show up for a class. By effectively combining different workout methods, the RIPPED routine aims to avoid the dreaded plateau — that unfortunate point when the individual no longer sees results from their exercise routine. According to Balison, the program avoids this by utilizing different exercise methods that provoke different responses from different parts of the body. That way, the individual’s system never gets accustomed to the workout regiment. The challenge remains level and the pounds keep coming off.

RIPPED spells out its guidelines for success within its very name. The letters stand for Resistance, Intervals, Power, Plyometrics and Endurance, all key ideas behind the routine. Of course, everything is capped off with the final letter, which stands for Diet. As always, balanced and healthy eating habits provide the foundation for every individual’s fitness goals.

Balison and Lopez balance the rigorous fitness program with a sense of fun and driving motivation. The atmosphere among participants is all cheer and excitement as they move in time to the beat of high-energy music. While RIPPED definitely makes demands on participants, it’s never too intense, and the trainers and fellow participants keep a spirit of optimism alive throughout the class.

Residents have a chance to check RIPPED out for themselves free of charge 9 a.m. Saturday at Cedar Street Bridge. Call 290-2081 to RSVP for the event or to sign up for regular classes.