A year after it’s creation, the Code Red fitness program is putting the life back in Life Works gym.
Throughout the last decade, the number of fitness studios and facilities in Canmore has grown exponentially, resulting in a duplication of services offered by fitness establishments.
Neil Fox, owner of Life Works gym in Canmore, said it was this healthy competition that pushed him to develop Code Red.
“It inspired me to think outside the box and think OK, we have to create something totally new that no one has in Canmore, and in the end I created something that nobody has in the world,” said Fox. “It’s like a success story. Our revenue was going right down and Code Red’s really bringing life back into the gym.”
Launched this time last year, Code Red uses high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which burns calories and triggers excess post-exercise energy consumption (EPOC) or afterburn, which allows your body to continue burning calories up to 38 hours after the completion of the workout. The program offers an efficient use of exercise time as it combines strength, core, mobility and stability training, as well as cardio in each 55-minute class.
“It’s really a nice cross section of hitting everything that you’re looking for in a workout,” said Craig Dutton, Life Works’ operations manager and on-site massage therapist.
Fox looked at current fitness research and fitness trends when developing the program, which utilizes about 30 pieces of equipment in total. Approximately four pieces are used for each class and the routine is switched up three times a week.
“It’s not on cruise control, it’s not the same class every time,” said Dutton. “It’s different music, it’s different activities.”
Participants in the class range in age from those in their 20s to their 70s, and include all fitness levels.
Marci Segal a Code Red regular who has been advised by her doctor not to jump, says Fox is “aware of the physicality of the people in the class,” and offers alternative exercises for those who need it.
As well, each exercise has different variations for different levels of difficulty.
“We have 75 year olds to Olympic athletes in the same class,” said Fox, who has a Bachelor’s of Kinesiology from McMaster University in Ontario. “It’s safe; safe on joints, safe on motion. I am first and foremost a personal trainer and I put that into the class.”
“I think he put a lot of his knowledge in this,” said Fox’s wife and general manager of Life Works, Jessie, who contributed her fitness and teaching expertise to the program.
Carol Robertson, a 55-year-old cancer survivor, said the class can be tough but she would recommend it to everyone.
“It’s a struggle at first, they had to have a puke bucket beside me and now I’m making it through without even feeling nauseous,” said Robertson, who plans to participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer in August.
Katherine Kearney, who has been participating in Code Red since October, competed in fitness competitions in May and June, placing second in the latter.
“I’m satisfied after every workout and certainly impressed with how (Neil) choreographs a dynamic, time efficient, and well-rounded workout,” said Kearney, who will continue to use Code Red to prepare for her next competition in November.
Code Red runs 11 times each week, with morning classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and evening classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“There’s no other place in the world that has this class that Neil does,” said Dutton.
