Fort Oglethorpe’s Absolute Fit Inc. is revamping to become J-Blast, a personalized weight loss and workout center.
Residents from Catoosa, Hamilton, Walker and Whitfield counties are members.
“We are more focused on nutrition than before,” said owner Jack Bell, who lives in Rossville. “The ladies would exercise themselves to death to lose weight, but now through J-Blast, they learn about nutrition education. Most people trying to lose weight jump into an extreme five-, six- or seven-day workout to lose weight but don’t get anywhere.”
He said it is more effective for people working out to eat healthy foods and to work out just three to four times a week.
“I lost 7 pounds in the program my first week,” said J-Blast member Lesley Blankenship, of Rock Spring. “In a six-week class I lost 13 pounds.”
J-Blast member Paula Poteet, of Chickamauga, said J-Blast helped her learn to read food labels and look at the ingredients.
“We teach people not to be secret and mindless eaters,” said Bell. “We do this program for teens, adults and children.”
Starting June 1 and throughout the summer, the first-ever Kids and Teens Fit Camp will take place at J-Blast. It will run six hours a day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Bell said he would like to assist in reducing the obesity epidemic.
“Since we switched to a nonprofit, we will do a walk-a-thon on Stepping Out for Obesity,” he added. “We would like to offer free weight loss help to people over a BMI of 30 through funds raised at the walk-a-thon. We are trying to get corporate donors to donate tax-deductible donations.”
He said the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to change one’s eating habits, because working out alone won’t work.
“Theresa Smith lost 33 pounds on the first six-week program of J-Blast and came off her diabetes medications in seven weeks that she had taken for five years,” said Bell, adding that she works out three times per week. “We have a cardiologist, Dr. Hood, that lost 62 pounds here. He now refers his patients here.”
In the Fun Room downstairs at J-Blast, people go through intense military training-style workouts using monkey bars, exercise balls, kettle bells, ropes, tires and punching bags. A TV monitor keeps up with people’s heart rate through a chest strap attached to each workout participant.
Military Style Boot Camp begins in March at J-Blast. Bell will run participants through four weeks of 55-minute twice-a-week military-style workout drills. The program runs Tuesday and Thursday at 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. People will pull heavy metal sleds, lift metal bars, squat holding wooden poles and climb ropes and monkey bars to stay in shape.
“I stay active with mountain bike racing and general working out,” said Bell, who monitors the amount of sweets he eats and drinks water with lime or lemon to balance his pH level. “My main focus is to help people change their lifestyle in order to be more active. I’ve maintained my weight at 152 to 155 pounds for 30-plus years with a 29-inch waist.
“I tell people if your clothes get snug, then it means it’s time for a lifestyle change.”
Shape up
Absolute Fit Inc., now called J-Blast, is located at 3012 LaFayette Road in Fort Oglethorpe and can be reached by dialing 706-866-2345. Members can access the gym 24/7. The gym incorporates a rehabilitation machine, treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, a continuous rope climb machine, punching bags, spin bikes, monkey bars and more. Members can take advantage of a free aerobics class Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. March 4 begins Senior Chair Aerobics Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. for $13 for non-members. To learn more, visit J-Blast.org or go to Facebook and search for “Trainer Jack.”