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With winter coming, staying active can become more of a challenge, especially if youre not the skiing/snowboarding type. Thats where indoor fitness equipment can make a huge difference, especially if you can score it at a discount. Case in point: the Hydrow Connected Rower, which is a whopping $1,000 off right now ($1,199 instead of $2,199) thanks to a Best Buy Black Friday sale.

This rower just happens to pack a lot of futuristic features too. Its computer-controlled resistance tech can match the feel of traditional rowing machines, a weight stack and even different types of actual boats. When you combine that functionality with audio and visuals on the 22-inch HD monitor, you just might forget you are rowing indoors.

The Connected Rower lets you track data and interact with others through leaderboards, daily rows and live classes, plus tips and inspiration from US National Team rowers. You can also jump right into 400 pre-recorded river and studio rowing sessions. Suffice it to say, rowers have come a long way since back in the day, and nows the best time to get a great one.

Deal expires 12/2/19.

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Your Best Winter Fitness Ally Is Marked Down $1000 Right Now - Gear Patrol

And invite full-family participation. Almost everyone can do something, even if it is just a push-up against the wall, if someone shows them how and keeps saying, Wow, good job, Grandma, she said.

Importantly, you will not miss out on most health or fitness benefits by lowering your exercise targets to a few minutes per day while hanging out with the family, said Dr. Robert Sallis, a co-director of the sports medicine program at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana, Calif., and the chairman of the Exercise Is Medicine initiative at the American College of Sports Medicine. The science is pretty clear that doing anything even if it is just taking the stairs or walking around the mall with your cousins counts, he said. It is all physical activity and adds up and goes toward improving health.

If you crave solo exercise, go early, said Katie Arnold, an ultrarunner and the author of the 2019 memoir Running Home.

Most normal people like to linger in the morning over coffee, she pointed out, so energetic early risers can slip out for a long walk or bike ride, and, with luck, your relatives wont even notice youve been gone.

You also can visit a local gym in the early hours. Most Y.M.C.A.s open early and offer day passes, Mr. Stulberg said.

You can find other local gym facilities that allow visitors to buy day or weekly passes with the TrainAway app.

Exercise may also help lessen the inevitable strains of holiday togetherness, Dr. Sallis said. There is nothing like exercise for reducing anxiety and stress, he said. Its the best medicine we know of. Even if its just a little, even its just a walk around the block, it could make a huge difference in how well people cope with the holidays.

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Fitting in Family Fitness at the Holidays - The New York Times

Planet Fitness, the national gym chain known for its low prices, "judgment-free zones" and annual New Year's Eve promotions at Times Square in New York City, is coming to Highland.

The fast-growing fitness chain that offers free pizza and free bagels once a month already has gyms in Hammond, Schererville, Merrillville, Hobart, Crown Point and Michigan City.

Planet Fitness is renovating the space at 3315 45th St. in Highland, Building Commissioner Ken Mika said.

The gym chain is taking over space in the strip mall on 45th Street that has been home over the years to businesses like Zorba's Restaurant, Fat's Billiards, Highland Produce Depot, Thrift Store, Chela's Cocina, Women's Core Fitness Center, Dollar General, ABC Cellular and Highland Card and Comic Shop.

As has been noted previously in this column, gourmet popcorn places have been popping up across Northwest Indiana the way froyo places and cupcake joints have in the past.

LeBarron and Nina Burton recently opened Popcorn World at 2560 Garfield St. inside the County Market Plaza in Gary, between the supermarket and the Shark's Fish and Chicken. The chain is known for hand-coated popcorn flavors like banana pudding, birthday cake, blackberry cream cheese cobbler, coconut cream pie, dark chocolate pomegranate, spiked egg nog, baked potato, dill pickle and peanut butter jelly.

Popcorn World has the slogan "doing the world a flavor," selling tins of popcorn of up to two gallons. It brags that it's "the world's largest gourmet popcorn shop" with 250 different flavors.

In other Region popcorn news, Epic Popcorn in the Jewel-Osco plaza on U.S. 30 in Dyer is expanding to Crown Point.

The popcorn chain will have a grand opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 102 S. Main St. in Crown Point.

There will beface painting, balloon twisting, crafts, games, raffles, prizes, free popcorn tastings and special discounts throughout the day.

The chain said it's a"gourmet-inspired brand with a variety of chef-inspired ingredients to create unique popcorn flavors." Flavors include pumpkin spice, fab and fruity, chili lime, birthday cake, buttery fingers, cheddar bacon, chocolate wafer, coffee liquor, jalapeno bacon, jalapeno cheddar, grape, parmesan garlic, pina colada, rainbow mix, sour kiss, watermelon and whoa momma.

California-based Vampire Penguin is looking to offer its shaved snow and shaved ice in the Region, which a local franchisee touts as a "light, fluffy, creamy, gluten-free, dairy-free healthier alternative to ice cream."

Crown Point High School graduateThao Ho, who's known by the nickname "Chevy" since her name sounds like the Chevy Tahoe, plans to bring the franchise to Crown Point as soon as next spring. She lived in California, returned to Indiana, and decided to go into business for herself after working for Amtrak for 11 years. She is still in her 30s and thought the time was right to start a venture of her own.

"It has one-fourth fewer calories than frozen ice cream but will still indulge your sweet tooth," she said. "You can get great taste without feeling guilty."

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The restaurant offers shaved snow in flavors like strawberry, mango, green tea, honeydew, thai tea, chocolate and vanillia. It can be topped with various syrups, fruit like strawberries, watermelon, lychee, jackfruit and pineapple, and with toppings like Oreos, marshmallows, coconut jelly, strawberry boba, mango boba and rainbow sprinkles.

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NWI Business Ins and Outs: Planet Fitness coming to Highland, new popcorn places pop up, Vampire Penguin shaved snow coming to Crown Point -...

Campus Cycling, a new indoor cycling studio, has replaced Cyc Fitness, a popular indoor spin studio on University Avenue, which closed in October due to corporate issues.

Cyc Fitness is a national chain based in New York City. The company abruptly closed their Madison branch on Sept. 27, giving notice of the closure a week prior, according to one of the Campus Cycling owners Lisa Taylor.

A number of us have been going for years and working there for years. We were all very sad that they were leaving and that we really had no notice of it, Taylor said. Some of us got together and talked about what we could do to hold things together.

What resulted from that conversation was Campus Cycling, which opened Nov. 10 a completely new studio that utilizes the same location. Instructors and riders alike were excited for the latest addition to the indoor biking community.

I was shocked at first and very excited to hear Campus Cycling was opening, said Alanna Goldman, an avid spinner. Cyc closing was losing a friend. I have spent a lot of time there the past 3 years.

Taylor emphasized the difference in energy between what used to be Cyc and other spinning studios.

A number of the people didnt work out in the six weeks the doors were closed, and these were people who worked out every day, Taylor said. Its really the energy of the people there that makes a big difference.

Emma Graves, a former instructor at Cyc, was excited to help start up the new studio.

We have all of these people that are still so passionate about cycling, we still have a clientele coming in, passionate instructors, and so we dont want it to end, Graves said.

An avid Cyc rider invested in the new space on University Avenue to create a new cycling studio on campus for the cycling community. The investor wishes to remain anonymous.

Campus Cycling is currently a placeholder name for the studio, which is only temporarily located at Cycs former location UW-Madison bought the current studio space for the next 15 years.

With the new name, instructors and employees are excited to develop the company in a new studio, tentatively opening at the end of February in what was previously Eriks Bike Shop on University Avenue.

Front desk employee Maddie Hughes highlighted how Campus Cycling has allowed her to strengthen her marketing opportunities by helping re-brand the new studio away from Cyc.

Its super interesting and fun to create a brand from scratch, she added. We want to give Campus Cycling a more relaxed feeling. The instructors have more creative freedom in their classes one instructor even plays the drums during his class.

Campus Cycling also has significantly lowered prices compared to Cyc while one class cost $22 at Cyc, its now $12 at Campus Cycling to make it more realistic and affordable for students, Graves said.

She loves that for many students it is the perfect break in their day and a safe space to release stress and take an hour to do something good for their body.

Its good for you, its good to you, Taylor said. And we just want to make sure as many people as possible get a chance to have a ride.

The goal for the new prices was to make the rides more doable for more students. Goldman stated that she thinks its accomplishing that goal.

Its very cool to be around a group of people that are so into something, she said. There are times that I smile and laugh and feel happy and just release. It's been great for my mental and physical health.

Taylor commented on the new design of the formerly sparse studio: most of the walls when you enter the premises of the studio are covered in vibrantly-colored graffiti.

Because we were abruptly thrown out of the place and basically told we couldnt work out there anymore, what we tried to do was recreate the space as if we hopped the fence and went back in and tagged it and made it our own, Taylor added.

People interested in Campus Cycling can book a class on the Mind Body app, as the startup does not have a website yet.

This is an open and welcoming place, Hughes said. Campus Cycling has the mindfulness aspect of yoga and the instructors really care about each rider as a person. It doesn't matter if you've never been on a bike the community is so supportive.

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Spinning to a new beat: Campus Cycling replaces Cyc Fitness on University Avenue - The Daily Cardinal

Close your eyes and take a moment to think about an important woman in your life. We bet it didnt take long at all to bring one (or many) to mind. Whether its your sister, mother, wife, friend, colleague, or daughter, chances are that this special lady frequently helps your life get and stay better.

So what are you waiting for? This holiday season, give her something that makes her life better, happier, and more joyful. Each of these gifts is not only fun, but also useful in some way, including Fitbit that connects with your smartphone and smart speaker, bacteria-busting bed sheets, and even a fold-up yoga mat that fits into a carry-on.

The yogi in your life might need (or could really use) a yoga mat upgrade. The first of its kind for Lululemon, this foldable yoga mat can fit right into your carry-on or gym bag for easy transport. Plus, its machine-washable and made with materials that are sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Not just for fitness buffs, this smartwatch (and other fitness trackers) could be a godsend to any busy woman who's doing it all. It sports a built-in connection to Amazon Alexa, music controls, smartphone notifications, and of course, all the health stats you could want.

These holiday-themed hand creams make for a perfect stocking stuffer or bonus gift. The 99-percent natural, sweet-smelling formulas deliver a dose of needed moisture this time of year, to boot.

allbirds, the trendy sneaker brand, has launched a comfortable new flat that could be a substantial enhancement for the lady in your life who reserves sneakers for the gym only. Theyre lightweight, machine-washable, and sustainably made from breathable materials sourced from responsibly grown eucalyptus pulp.

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In the Ayurvedic tradition, essential oils are believed to be powerful agents that can safely restore well-being and protect against depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other issues. This trial kit includes five of the brands most popular blends, from a calming oil to an energizing oil, so your giftee can choose the right oil for whatever ails her.

Brighten up her mornings with this insulated, stainless steel coffee mug, which keeps java hot for six hours. The flip-top lid helps prevent spills when shes on the go.

Help her protect one of her most significant investments: her iPhone. With a stylish case from LifeProof thats both waterproof and shock-proof, it comes with a built-in screen protector thats invisible to the eye and provides full access to the touchscreen and charging ports. And if she sports an Android phone, there are FR Series cases for those, too.

Know someone who could use a good dose of inspiration? Give them the gift of motivation, wisdom and support in the form of this encouraging book. In it, empowerment coach and author Shannon Kaiser delivers advice to help anyone get out of a rut and discover their best life.

Give this thin stacking cuff bracelet to a forward-thinking female in your life 20 percent of the proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood.

Staring at the blue light from your computer (and phone) all day long can do some damage on our eyes as well as affect our ability to fall asleep. These glasses help block it out, and offer optional magnification at various strengths. Oprah Winfrey included these in her 2019's Oprah's Favorite Things list.

Treat a frequent jet-setting traveler to this multi-functional cosmetic bag: It self-regulates once the temperature hits 82 degrees to ensure cosmetics and makeup products inside of it dont melt. Plus, a premium leather case is classic and luxurious for added style points.

Ideal for the home cook (and perhaps hostess), this clever cheese board makes the most out of minimal space: It features sockets for serving bowls, a groove for crackers, and even a hidden drawer for knives. Also, it packs up into half its size, so its easy to stow away when guests go home.

Here's some sobering information: Bacteria builds up on our sheets and towels every night. Gift any mild-to-severe germaphobe this soft and hypoallergenic silk pillowcase. Its fabric is made of 100-percent charmeuse silk, which is good for hair and skin health.

Gardening and greenery are hot right now, but if you dont have a green thumb (or time to worry about watering), these real-looking plants will do the trick. Theyre perfect to spruce up her home, desk, or bedroom.

Want more tips like these? NBC News BETTER is obsessed with finding easier, healthier and smarter ways to live. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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14 gift ideas for her: the best fitness and home gifts for women - NBC News

If you were a kid in the US who took gym class anytime between the 1960s and 2012, chances are you took the Presidential Physical Fitness Test.

This gym-class tradition happened on an annual basis, requiring students to undergo a series of six physical challenges to test their endurance, agility, flexibility, and muscular strength. The kids who scored within or above the 85th percentile earned the coveted Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

I spent my school days in the drama club, in choral groups, and in the library. Yearly fitness tests in gym class were the bane of my existence. So when the opportunity arose to retake the Presidential Physical Fitness Test as an adult, I had to find out whether this challenge was really as arduous and soul-crushing as I remember.

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I took the Presidential Physical Fitness Test as an adult and it wasn't as soul-crushing as I remember it being in high school - INSIDER

Photo: Getty Images/LumiNola fitness resume

Working on our resumes is one of those much-dreaded adult chores that everyone has to do, but complains about before actually getting around to it (see also: paying bills and flossing teeth). Drafting a fitness resume, though? That's something I can get behind.

Trainer and wellness coach David Chesworth, who's the fitness director at Hilton Head Health, thinks you should be looking at your sweat game the same way you look at your career. Similar to your nine-to-five, your sweat dreams should be goal oriented and nicely organized with steps that get you to that goal. The fitness resume, something his colleague Matt Barrack, a fitness coach, coined can help you do just that.

The idea is that you set up fitness goals, which help you track how you're improving. "A lot of the times with goal setting and with behavior changes, just the idea of logging something reinforces adherence," says Chesworth. "On top of that, the feeling of success leads to more success." Think of it as a way to get extra motivation in your sweat game.

"Showing your previous achievements reminds you how you've had success in the past," says Chesworth, who says it's helpful to outline your strengths and weaknesses in fitness. "Something that's detrimental to the vast majority of people is getting tunnel vision with their workouts. If you're not seeing the precise results you want, it can be frustratingso a resume gives you more reasons to feel proud of yourself." Intrigued? Keep scrolling for Chesworth's five-step plan for creating one for yourselfI promise it's not nearly as annoying as writing one for a job.

1. Choose an objective:You can choose anything you're looking to achieve, like learning how to do a push-up in perfect form, or increasing your running endurance.

2. Build a skillset:"Once you've mastered something, see if you can increase it," says Chesworth. Conquered that perfect push-up? Make your next goal to knock out 10 at a time. "Keep track of your progress, and when you master something, add it as a skill then set a new goal within that skill."

3. Keep learning:Make note of your fitness knowledge repertoire. Do you follow a certain trainer on Instagram, or frequent a fitness studio? "Write down classes, apps, or channels you watch to learn more [about fitness]," says Chesworth, so you know where to check in for handy intel that can help you up your game.

4. List references:Think about who makes up your support team to hold you accountable, like your significant other who goes to Barry's Bootcamp with you (in my case) or a personal trainer who keeps you on a schedule. "Put down your support network who's supportive of you in your fitness routine," says Chesworth.

5. Display it: Don't tuck your fitness resume into the back of a drawerhang it up on your fridge or on your desk. "See it often and be reminded of your progress, and continue to update it regularly as you would a career resume," says Chesworth.The good news? There's no cover letter involved.

Also useful is the 5/3/1 Wendler method, which can help you achieve strength training goals. And here's why trainers say that in the divided world of cardio vs. weights, you should really be incorporating both.

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Why one trainer believes we should all be creating fitness resumes - msnNOW

Get you some advice from a girl who knows!Jordyn Woods took to her Instagram Stories to do another Q&A session in honor of her latest fitness venture, FrstPlace. The model, 22, took some time on her commute to work (at the new fitness routine app, of course) to answer a few questions from fans and followers.

Fitness slash mental health check. How are you guys doing? Lets talk fitness real quick, lets talk mental health. Ask me a few questions while I have time, the brunette beauty said in her Q&A kickoff video before she selected six questions from fans to go a little more in-depth on.

This wouldnt be the first time the influencer has done a question session on Instagram. In fact, back on November 3, she hit us with a double whammy: Jordyn announced her new brandand did an epic IG info session on the same day.

So guysss! My big secret is finally out , the influencer captioned an announcement vid for the brand that day. I am so excited to finally to introduce my new fitness brand FrstPlace. I can now share the exact workoutsI have done consistently for thepast few monthsand that have got me into the best shape of my life!

She even revealed why she decided to embark on this new journey and create workout plans. Thats exactly why I created this, she replied to a fan saying the program was relatable. I wanted to normalize the whole fitness world it can be really intimidating stepping into it. I wanted it to come from someone normal who was on the journey as well with you.

Plus, she dished that more is coming! It was hard narrowing it down to just one thing but theres definitely more to come because I have a lot more exciting things to share and more steps to the program but I wanted to start with something basic, she gushed. Needless to say, were in.

Scroll through the gallery to see Jordyns second Q&A session on Instagram!

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Jordyn Woods Shares Fitness and Mental Health Advice in Instagram Q&A - Life&Style Weekly

Being a Strongman comes with a lot of injuries. Torn muscles/ligaments/tendons, broken bones, dislocated limbs. Its all part of the job if you want to be huge and able to bend frying pans.

Eddie Hall has talked at length about his injuries during his Strongman career and numerous health issues he suffered leading up to his famous 500 kg deadlift and after that. However, what he hasnt really talked about(until recently) was an injury that happened to his private parts.

In a recent interview with the famous British tabloid site, Mirror, Eddie has revealed that he once nearly lost hisWorlds Strongest Penisin a freak accident. Heres what he himself had to say about it;

I piled a load of heavy weights on a leg-press machine and then heard a loud thud. It had come crashing down and the weights had landed on my penis. I nearly bled to death,

It was bad. The worst ever. I didnt cry for help though. I just lifted them off, drove myself to hospital and got stitched up. I was back training soon enough. via mirror.co.uk

That sort of injury would make grown men cry out in pain like little children. However, Eddie is no ordinary man and is no stranger to injuries. So, to him getting hurt was another day at the office.

Also, this didnt stop Eddie from going crazy on the leg press either. A month ago he pressed +2000lbs on the leg press and literally blacked out.

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Eddie Hall Suffered A Freak Penis Injury While Traning - FitnessVolt.com

GREENSBORO Lynch Hunt wants to tell you and he's not afraid to tell you that he's made mistakes.

Once the leader of an $8.3 million drug operation in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he spent 10 years behind bars. Hes not "Big L" anymore, a man who wore expensive watches and furs and today doesn't bear any resemblance to that other life.

These days, he has different handles: Coach Lynch. Mentor. Businessman. Prison-reform advocate. Motivational speaker. Transformation specialist.

In the drug game and its a cliche, but true you either end up in jail or dead. It's just a matter of time.

Thing is with Hunt, he was actually trying to get out when he got busted.

Now as a free man, the lessons he's learned on the way to changing his life he wants to impart to others.

Many of those lessons are taught at AWOL Fitness on the edge of downtown, a place Hunt runs with all the compassion of a drill sergeant.

And as he teaches people to face their fear, he faces his own.

For a long time, Hunt didn't talk about his past.

He worried that he hadn't built enough value in the community although he counts some of the most powerful and prominent people in Greensboro as clients and has been involved in efforts to help the less fortunate.

But he also couldn't shake the feeling that he could help prevent ex-convicts from returning to prison and others from getting into the pipeline. And people are paying attention.

Hunt's book, "From Prison to Prosperity," influenced legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Walker of Greensboro on criminal justice reform that would enlist several federal agencies to train inmates in such fields as manufacturing and health care so they are better prepared to succeed after their release.

At an appearance together last week, Walker told the crowd that he drew inspiration from Hunt.

"We hope to replicate your story," Walker said.

Hunt wasn't the best at football, baseball or basketball. He had to work at every sport as far back as Pop Warner. But they always made him captain.

"Through work ethic, through discipline, through being a leader," he explained as he stood in the middle of AWOL Fitness, a place for serious gym rats and for the unfit to get serious.

His parents separated when he was young. Outside, not far away from the apartment where he and his siblings resettled, drug dealers gathered on a street corner.

The New Jersey neighborhood was steeped in poverty and seeded with despair.

As Hunts mother left in the early morning for the two or three jobs she had that day, she would tell her three children Hunt at age 7 was the middle child to watch after each other as they ventured outside to ride their bikes.

"We raised each other," Hunt said.

Hunt as a high school basketball player.

In high school, he made good grades and was excellent in calculus and trigonometry without having to study.

By then, some of the neighborhood kids he hung out with were making a name for themselves, too as regulars on the corner selling drugs.

But not Hunt. Not yet. He was going to a small college in New Jersey on a scholarship. He was leaving the streets, and the life, behind.

The guys on the corner didn't bother him. Maybe they were pulling for him, too.

He would have been the first in his family to graduate from college. Only he didn't graduate.

Once he was there, the independence perhaps not having his mother as a personal "snooze button" was something he handled poorly.

He started showing up late for class. Soon, he was sleeping through classes. Eventually, he dropped so many classes that he was no longer a full-time student and lost his scholarship.

For Hunt, that meant one thing.

"I had to go back home to that same environment," he said.

The family had long moved out of Hunt's childhood home. But Hunt, back from school and without a job, gravitated back there and to a best friend who dodged cops while selling crack.

When that friend asked Hunt to stash drugs for him while he was out of town, he did so. But so many people came looking for drugs as he hung out on the corner, that he got the stash and sold them. More than $400 worth of crack in a matter of minutes.

"I was the last one to even consider it," he said of his decision to sell drugs.

The money put him on a path. The path would put him in jail.

"I still had hustle," Hunt said. "I still had work ethic. I always did things right, but I didn't always do the right thing."

The crack epidemic was filling his pockets and allowing him to wear a different fur for every day of the week.

"I would buy everybody sneakers," he said.

Soon, he was buying cocaine on his own, and cooking it into rocks of crack, which multiplied his investment.

There were $50,000 cars. But it also felt good to put money in his mother's hands.

His mother didn't condone it, but she took it anyway.

It was complicated, Hunt explained.

"I think my mom had needed help for so long," he said.

After being the last of his friends to sell drugs, he was soon the largest drug dealer in the county.

Something hadn't felt right.

Hunt took different routes home.

He studied the cars in the parking lot of the condo units so he would know if any didn't belong there.

The drug game has a shelf life, and Hunt wanted to get out while he was aheadas in alive and not in jail.

He had rented space at a local mall where he sold retro jerseys, then going for $350 each, and popular ball caps.

It was hugely successful. More than that, though, it was legitimate. A way out.

But it was too late. By then, police in Mount Laurel, N.J., had him in their sights.

The front page of the local newspaper detailing how a drug bust called Operation Summer Heat ensnared Lynch and 12 others.

Hunt had just paid $100,000 for a stash of cocaine. But as he started cooking it to make crack cocaine, it was a bad batch and he had to stop.

About 20 minutes later, police surrounded him as he drove away from his home. His arrest in September 2003 marked the end of an 18-month investigation.

"One day, you are eating lobster and shrimp, and the next day they're pushing something you don't recognize through a slot," he said.

"Operation Summer Heat" as police called it, would catch 12 in what was an $8.3 million drug-trafficking operation. The local newspaper ran a flow chart of everyone involved. At the top was 27-year-old Hunts mugshot.

"The moment they told me to freeze and put my hands up, was like a video game finally ending," Hunt said. "Game over."

From the county jail, using a free postcard and stamp affixed to it, Hunt promised his mother he would change his life.

"What I wanted to do but didn't have the will to do," Hunt said of dealing drugs, "God came in and put a stop to it."

He had written the judge before sentencing, calling the day a "gift " and a chance at redemption.

"I went to work on myself, Hunt recalled. "I said, This is not who I was meant to be.'"

He would be forced to do what he couldn't do himself.

"What I wanted to do but didn't have the will to do, God came in and put a stop to it and said you are going to be used in a different way."

During his 18 months in the county jail, he devoured books on self-development and spirituality.

He had barely arrived in prison when he was summoned from the prison yard. Guards said they found drugs in his locker. Hunt said they werent his.

Still, Hunt was sent to solitary confinement and would stay there a year.

Hunt wrote to the governor and anybody else in authority who he thought might have listened. He figured it might have been someone setting him up or simply someone using his locker to hide contraband.

He didn't know it at the time, but the transfer to a higher security prison came with perks not available where he had been housed.

It was there he would earn finance and fitness certifications through correspondence courses.

"The thing about how God works, is, even though it was a worse prison, that's where I got all my certifications," he said. "I did exactly what the letter (to the judge) said."

It wasnt just a way to pass the time. Hunt was working on a future.

Nothing could replace those years lost from age 27 to 37. But at least when Hunt left prison in2013,he had a marketable skill.

And other changes were underway.

He had written to someone he had previously dated from his neighborhood. She responded, but then stopped writing back for nearly a year.

Then Hunt was busy working as a trainer at an LA Fitness franchise on work release with all his certifications, he was hired on the spot while living in a halfway house. Hunt quickly became one of the more popular trainers, who didnt mind getting in your face to get results. When needed, his bluntness could be tempered with compassion.

When he next heard from the woman who had been on his mind, she was now a police officer. She had leftNew Jersey with her two young daughters for a better life. That better life would include accepting a reformed Hunt as a life partner.

He married the future Wendy Hunt while sneaking away during a break while on work release.

Hunt (back center) watches as Marlowe Wood stretches a band during an early morning workout at AWOL Fitness.

When Hunt was released from the halfway house, he followed her to Greensboro, finding a job at the former Rush fitness center on Battleground Avenue.

He focused on being a husband to Wendy and a dad to his new wife's children.

"I have to give my wife a return on her investment," he explained. "She had a lot to lose, trusting me and my vision. That was all faith. That was all vision. That was all heart."

At Rush, clients gravitated to Hunt because he got results.

He made it a point to meet three new people a day by giving away a free session or helping someone in the gym learn how to use a machine. The idea was to network and increase his potential client list.

One of those people Hunt had made a point to meet told him about a building that had become available. It would make a great place for a gym. There was indoor and outdoor space for an obstacle course and exercises that require pushing tires in the dirt.

WFMY anchor Tracey McCain was referred by a friend after a stubborn battle to get rid of the 70 pounds she gained during her first pregnancy. She recalled how she would spend the first few minutes in AWOL chatting with people as she made her way to the bowel of the building.

"He said to me, 'If you put more energy into your workouts than your conversations then you would have your transformation," McCain said. "I didn't like him in that moment."

But he uses obstacles in working out to empower people to take risks. McCain had put off a children's book for years. She's just finished with writing it.

"All of a sudden, it's likethisis not impossible," McCain said. "So maybethat'spossible."

Hunt coaches Allen Little during a recent morning atAWOL Fitness, a place for serious gym rats and for the unfit to get serious.

At AWOL, being a local celebrity, pastor or judge which Hunt counts among his clients won't protect you from a tongue lashing.

"There's no comfort in the growth zone, and no growth in the comfort zone," is one of many Hunt matras.

Among those drawn to AWOL which stands for A Way Of Life was Ken Canion, a former N.C. A&T football player and past Biggest Loser contestant. When he darkened AWOL's doors, Canion had fallen into a rut. His father had gotten sick and Canion got burned out.

"I just wanted to come to a place where it was different," Canion said. "Where I didnt have to lead anything. I wanted to follow instructions and do what Im told."

After Canion became familiar with Hunts story, he told him to share it.

"I said, 'I think you have a message that the world needs to hear,'" Canion recalled. "The reason why youre effective ... is because most people walk around and theyre masquerading."

They want to pull off their masks, he said, but they're afraid.

"But whats going to help you touch the lives you touch is because you are not afraid to take off your mask," Canion told him. "You are not afraid to say, 'Heres where I screwed up."

Some would call him reformed. Thats a word he hates. He preferstransformed.

These days, Hunt talks to middle school and high school students about the "traps" that lead to prison.

He's usually not in a suit and tie when he shows up.

"I just make sure I have the newest Jordans on," he said.

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How Lynch Hunt came to open Greensboro's AWOL Fitness is a story he wouldn't tell. But not anymore. - Greensboro News & Record

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