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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Hanging Out: (Clockwise, from left) Rob Whitacre, Steve Sokol, Dennis Lin and Tammy Campbell at Studio Fit.
Fitness gospel says 'do not take that doughnut'
By Michele Leung
Rob Whitacre, owner of Studio Fit, wants to share his gospel of fitness and health with all couch potatoes and lukewarm exercisers. To anyone who listens, he will sing the praises of regular workouts. Whitacre begins his task by dedicating the whole month of May to exercise. The inaugural Health and Fitness Month continues until May 31.
For a special rate, those who seek intense outdoor exercises may look to Whitacre's boot camp as a solution. Three times a week, early in the morning, Whitacre leads his troops through calisthenics, pushups, sit-ups, lunges and jogging at Willow Street Park. He assures that this regimen is for beginners and advanced folks alike. "I just want to get more people exercising," he said.
On May 20, Whitacre will host a free health fair at his studio. Some of the free services he will offer are chair massages, spinal tap analysis and body fat testing by his staff. The curious can meet coach Parks, the personal trainer to Joe Montana and other NFL players, Eric Wright, all-pro defensive back for the 49ers and Steve Sokol, whom Whitacre calls the world's fittest man.
Sokol, who holds more than 20 world fitness records, might well have the stamina of a machine. "His endurance is unbelievable," says Whitacre of his friend and colleague. "He biked from San Francisco to Los Angeles without sitting on his seat, though he started hallucinating because of the stress."
The world's fittest man also holds the record for doing 52,003 consecutive sit-ups in 26 hours straight. Sokol will hold a free seminar at Studio Fit on "Ultimate Fat Loss." This will be the first of his regular lectures at Whitacre's studio.
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Crunch Time: Dennis Lin (right) assists Steve Sokal while Studio Fit's Rob Whitacre looks on.
Whitacre hopes that the public might be intrigued by Sokol's feats and be inspired to pick up their exercise routine. He has avidly kept his body in shape since he was 14. "It's essential. You can't take your health for granted," he said.
His gym, Studio Fit, has been open since November, and he's pleased that his business in six months has surpassed his projections. Clientele ranges from teenagers to seniors. "There really is no person that couldn't benefit from exercise. If you need to, start slow, but make it realistic. All our trainers are certified to upgrade your program," he said.
Whitacre was born and raised in San Jose and studied physical education at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. A former competitive body builder, he won first place in Mr. San Diego in 1995, competed in Mr. Santa Clara and took second place in Mr. Contra Costa County.
But now he's more interested in getting his neighbors to lead active lives. His goal is to serve more people. "It used to be that people joined health clubs because it was a fad. Now everyone is finding that they need to exercise," he says, noting that any regimen should include a proper dose of resistance weight training, cardiovascular work and stretching.
For those who need a kick in the pants to get started in leading an active life, Whitacre feels his trainers can be the key in the one-on-one attention they give. "The reason people plateau when they exercise is because they're not challenging themselves," he said. "Personal trainers do that for you. Have someone coach you. Everyone needs motivation."
But he provides encouragement for those for whom exercise is not yet a priority. "Understand that every little bit counts, like when you take the stairs in the morning, or the donut that you didn't eat." He's met with a quizzical look. Isn't that an extremely naive statement to make, especially from someone of his caliber?
"Oh no. It all adds up," he says. "The body is like a calculator. But some exercise is definitely better than none."
However, Whitacre does draw the line somewhere. In his opinion, there is no excuse for not exercising. He and his staff claim that they've heard every reason under the sun. Simply put, being too busy with work, family or kids just doesn't fly with Whitacre. "You need to take time out for yourself," he says.
For specific hours on events during Whitacre's health fair, call 408.265.0348. Studio Fit is at 1111 Meridian Ave.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
