Hey dads! Looking to try a new workout routine this month? Check out the inspirational stories of two local guys reaching fantastic fitness goals, then amp up your regular routine too!
Strong Swim
Swimming is the perfect workout for the summer. It’s a great full-body routine, and can masquerade as a fun day in the sun with the family. Darren Miller of Murrysville, however, makes laps in the pool seem like child’s play. Last summer, Miller became the 833rd person to swim across the English Channel, and he’s not stopping there. He’s currently training to swim across the Catalina Channel in August and the Molokai Channel in September. But the English, Catalina, and Molokai Channels are only three stops on his way to meeting his “Ocean’s Seven” goal. Miller plans on swimming all seven of the world’s most difficult channels, something that’s never been accomplished to date. Proceeds and donations for all future swims will benefit Miller’s charitable foundation, the “Forever Fund,” which aids families struggling to afford the costs of infant cardiothoracic surgery at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. To try your own strength in the pool, check out water aerobic workouts at Club 1 Fitness in Shadyside. Contributions to the Forever Fund can be made at darren-miller.com., or by purchasing EnergyCare USA products. Club 1 Fitness, 6325 Penn Ave., Shadyside. 412.362.4806. club1pittsburgh.com.
Breaking Out
Every Father’s Day, Dad and I watch a Rocky movie marathon. The training scenes — from running though the streets of Philadelphia to climbing the snow-covered Russian terrain — always made us want to get out and seriously kick ourselves into shape. One local guy, Michael Silvio, had a similar experience after watching this year’s blockbuster hit, The Fighter. “I was inspired, and decided to train and enter the Toughman Boxing Contest,” says Silvio, a project manager for Turner Construction. “I was the only person from Pittsburgh to win. I fought four bouts,” he says. “On average, I trained about 15 hours boxing per week, ran in the morning a couple of days a week for endurance, and had to cut my caloric intake,” Silvio says. The training regimen lasted from January until his fight in the first weeks of March. “The hardest part was the training, making time for it, and the impact it has on your body,” he says. If you’re considering signing up for a fight, or just training like a fighter, check out Anthony Colonna’s Warrior Fitness classes locally at Amerift Fitness Club. Warrior Fitness at Amerifit, 100 Roessler Road, Green Tree. 412.341.3033. afitspa.com. Toughman Contest, wvtoughman.com.
Perfect Fit
If you’re looking for the perfect gift this Father’s Day (or you want to treat yourself to something special) the Twilight Series FIT and FIT STs, are two perfect options. Enjoy a spa-like retreat and a workout without leaving the comfort of your back porch. Sigh. “The TS FIT is truly an amazing fitness/workout spa,” says Jan Cerminara, general manager at Pool & Spa Outlet. “We call it the ‘Liquid Gym,’” she says. And she’s not kidding. The FIT comes standard with an aquatic exercise and rowing kit. Work those arm and back muscles with a rowing workout, and then let the jets work out the soreness. Personally, I’m suggesting that my dad outfit his new FIT with the stainless steel treadmill and stainless steel bike options for extra-hard cardio routines. “It’s unlike anything else in the industry,” Cerminara says. But once dad is finished working out, or just relaxing, I think I’ll slip in and turn on the 15-inch pop-up HD TV — I don’t want to miss the Rocky marathon after all. Pool & Spa Outlet, 160 Galley Road, Canonsburg. 724.873.7665. pool-spaoutlet.com.
