September 25, 2000 Regular workouts pay off for dedicated staffer By Jennifer McNulty It was all smiles and high-fives when Katrina Cope and her fitness instructor Ryan Andrews reviewed the results of Cope's second fitness evaluation at the end of the summer. Staff member Katrina Cope and her fitness instructor, Ryan Andrews, are happy with the results of her six-month workout routine. Photo: Jennifer McNulty Cope, who began working out regularly in Andrews's lunch-hour weight-training class six months ago, was pleased to see that her percentage of body fat was down and her strength was up. But what has really delighted Cope was greater muscle definition. "These look impressive," she said, pointing to new bulges on her shoulder. "My husband says that I never had muscles on my shoulders before." The evaluation tests, which are available to faculty, staff, and students for $30, measure cardiovascular capacity, flexibility, strength, weight, and body composition. Cope had made improvements in all areas. "You're doing awesome. You really are," he told Cope. "I didn't expect this. I expected you'd be a little above where you were six months ago, but you're way above." Cope had lost 4 pounds of fat and added 1.5 pounds of muscle. Her body fat crept down from 30.8 percent to 29 percent. Her flexibility test results soared from 14.75 inches to 20 inches, and in two of the three strength tests, Cope exceeded the range for her age. "I'm off the charts!" she said, joking with Andrews. Next? Cope wants to bring her body fat down more, and she is consulting with Andrews about tailoring her workout toward activities that will help her hit the 25 percent body fat mark in the next six to 12 months. "I know you were hoping for a little more in that area, but body fat is super slow to change," said Andrews. "Your aerobic capacity is really good. The more muscle mass you build up, the more calories you need to sustain that mass." Aerobic exercise, he noted, speeds up metabolism and the rate at which calories are burned. Notably absent from their discussion was any talk of quitting. Cope, a career adviser in Hahn Student Services, has overcome the challenge of motivation. She attended every express workout over the summer--except when she was on vacation or recuperating from minor surgery, and she is now inspiring coworkers, including her supervisor, Joan Walker, to join the Wellness Center. Cope and Walker participated in the summer Adopt-a-Slug exercise mentorship program. Walker got a great complimentary introduction to the Wellness Center and to weight training, and Cope got a T-shirt out of the deal. "I felt pretty unhealthy when I started the lunchtime Express Workout program in February," said Cope. "It's such a blessing to have a facility like this, to have the support of my supervisor, and now to have her working out with me." Return to Front Page