Back
I met Jon about a week after he opened his gym, I went to find out about what this place was all about after reading a story in the newspaper. I was very interested for a couple of reasons. One, I had been plagued with chronic shoulder pain after a disslocation a year before and two, I had always believed that using your own body as the "weight" to strength train yourself was something that just made sense.
I had many,many doctors tell me that I needed to have surgery on my shoulder to get it back into shape, Jon was simply my last hope. When I arrived that day little did I know I was his first student and that I was going to get some serious one on one training. Within the first 15 minutes of the first workout I knew this was the place for me….by the way I thought I was in shape, in that first 15 minutes I found out that, that was just not the case when my muscles felt like jello.
Fast forward 5 years down the road, Jon has become a good friend of mine, I no longer live in Madison, but I have my own stash of all the Monkey Bar equipment that follows me everywhere (even as I type it’s in my work bag). I now live in Colorado where I Mountain Bike,snowboard, hike and trail run, and despite all of that activity, the techniques for keeping my whole body strong are still as valid as ever. From pullups to jumping rope, Jon and the rest of the Monkey Bar staff taught me the value of pure movement,stability,balance and above all FUN.
There is no doubt that once you get what’s going on there, you can’t go back to the same old routines.
Oh Yeah!, my shoulder(s) are as strong as ever, no surgery, just recovery!!! Thanks Jon.
Sincerely,
Todd Schroeder, Durango Colorado.
An open letter to the Monkey Bar Gym:
I would like to thank you, for reminding me that we are all animals by design. Prior to Monkey Bar Gymnasium (MBG), I was an overweight, junk-food-eating, shirt and tie…looking for a way to lose weight, while still eating the crap that is mass marketed to our pocket books.
Looking back, I’m not sure where I lost my way. In 1997, I was discharged from the US Marine Corps at a healthy weight of 212lbs. Some where along the way, I did what the majority of people across the USA do. I took on a lot of debt, and found a regular job that allowed me to sit on my bum for the majority of day. We would have donuts and baked goods for breakfast, team lunches consisting of fast food, and dinner wasn’t much better since I was always in a hurry. I got to a hefty 264lbs when I decided I had to do something about my expanding waste line. I decided to join the local YMCA and start swimming laps; only to realize that I could only swim 2 laps before I felt as if my arms were going to fall off. So I decided that I should start running like back in my day in the Marine Corps. I ran a good mile in about 11 minutes compared to the 6 min 30 seconds I used to run 6 years before. This was a slap in the face. I felt I had grown grotesque over the years, but I continued to push forward in my search for my inner me. I kept fumbling forward with the workouts at the YMCA, burning out, activating lower back problems…at one point I blew my back curling so bad, the chiropractor laughed at my x-rays. The muscles in my back had spasms so severe it pulled my spine over 37 degrees towards the right side of my body. Once that was cured, I continued for another year toying with protein shakes, and diets…before someone asked me if I had looked into MBG. The stories I had heard of the workouts were terrifying! Then one day I noticed the “60 Day Challenge” ad in a local paper. This couldn’t have happened at a better time! It just so happened that I had planned a trip to Costa Rica to go surfing for one week, which happened to be the week following the completion of the “60 Day Challenge” …So I decided it was either then or never.
My first class was a Wednesday morning class; Body Power, being instructed by Tim Clavette (Tim, thanks for helping me along the way!) During this class, I had to take three separate breaks due to my body and brain trying to black out. Three breaks! Tim’s response was simple…”Maybe you’re not used to working out in the morning?”…When he said that, I felt frustrated! Not at him, but how I had let finances, work, and stress take over my body. I took two days off after that class just to recover. At that point (Sept. 12th, 2005), I weighed a hefty 249lbs with a body fat percentage of 21.4%. That was a total of 53.3lbs of body fat. Essentially, I was carrying a small child around on a daily basis. From that day on, I decided to take my health more serious. I attended every class my body could handle, stopped eating crap foods, and focused more on healthy balanced meals. At the end of my challenge (60 days later), I had dropped 14.6lbs in body fat, down to a staggering 16.2% body fat. Friends, family, and co-workers thought I was sick and commented on the physical changes in my body. I walked differently, moved quicker, and carried myself stronger; all because of the mental affects the workouts were having on me.
The best comment I’ve had was in an office I visited in Janesville. I walked in and the branch manager looked at me, “Who are you?” she says. Keep in mind; I haven’t seen her in a full 12 months. I say to her, “My name is Will, I haven’t been in the area for some time”…She stared at me with a blank look on her face for about 2 minutes, which seemed an eternity. She blurts out “holy#$%^…what happened to you?…Your face looks so different!” I told her about my workouts and the gym. Simply put, her NOT recognizing my face was simply the greatest compliment I could’ve received.
In August ‘06, my body fat count was 15.7%. Since then I have managed to attend two classes per day the majority of time, currently weighing in at 221lbs in September ‘06. That is the lowest I have weighed in this decade so far.
MBG has given me not just my life back, but the inert desire to try harder, faster, and feel like an animal…fit to my environment. All this comes along with bills for tailoring all my suits down to size, and many new clothes since my older things are somewhat too big. A small price to pay for feeling proud of who I have become. I would to thank Jon for providing me with motivation to continue my regimen, Tim for supporting me during my first challenge, and Jessica, Chad, and the rest of the team for their ongoing support, nutritional education, and encouragement.
William (Double Day) del Moral
"Lighter, leaner and more fit than I have at any other point in my life"
I really love the Monkey Bar Gymnasium workouts! Prior to joining the Monkey Bar Gymnasium, I spent many years working out with a typical routine of weight and aerobic machines, spending the entire time with a CD player or iPod strapped to my body, totally isolated from everyone else in the gym.
I was a “workout zombie”!
I believe the “group synergy” aspect of training at the MBG greatly enhances the effectiveness of the workout. I enjoy exercise rather than enduring it.
The feedback and encouragement that is given and received from your workout partner, fellow class members and instructor helps everyone perform the exercises in a safe, beneficial and fun manner.
I feel better both mentally and physically and I can see real, positive changes occurring in my body. I was very pleased to have found that at my mid-challenge checkup, I had reduced my body fat from 29% to 23% and replaced 8 pounds of fat with over 8 pounds of muscle. Awesome!
I’m looking forward to seeing an additional decrease in body fat at my final challenge checkup. I’ve been able to downsize my jeans from size 12 to size 8 which was very exciting since I have not fit in a size 8 since my college days (some 20 years ago).
The increase in my muscle definition has also been surprising and has not gone unnoticed by my friends and co-workers. I feel lighter, leaner and more fit than I have at any other point in my life. And it’s only been three months!
I am planning a trip to Africa this summer to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and I am confident that training at the MBG will play an important role in my physical conditioning and increase my chances of reaching the summit. Thanks to Jon and the MBG staff!
-Jacque Reese
"The least threatening exercise experience I’d ever had"
I have always been a self defeatist. If at first you don’t succeed, quit. I feel like my ongoing struggle with both my weight and my self esteem came from years of telling myself I can’t.
I’d been told by my doctor, after being diagnosed with Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome, that I would most likely be heavy and unhealthy forever. All my vain efforts to take off the pounds seemed to back that up. I felt stuck, mired down, helpless.
I looked upon joining the Monkey Bar Gymnasium as one last shot. I wasn’t convinced it would work, but at least I could say I’d tried. I discovered something the first day of the challenge however. Yes, it was hard, but it wasn’t impossible even for me. I found that a week later I was still coming, a miraculous event on its own. More than that I felt stronger.
This was the least threatening exercise experience I’d ever had. I could work at my own pace, and I was always with someone else. I was doing things I hadn’t done in years, sit ups, push ups and more, and each time it was getting easier.
Now I’ve tried low carb diets before, but to be honest I feel like I’ve tried every diet before, and always with dismal results. I love pasta, bread and especially sugar. With some trepidation, I started the hand plan. For the first week, I felt rather hollow like I hadn’t eaten enough. Besides, salad for breakfast?
But by the second week, an amazing thing happened. I had all this energy. I felt lighter, I was sleeping better, and I felt like I could get more accomplished. This had definitely been a challenge. But, maybe for the first time, I have met it.
I have gained a lot over the last 8 weeks at the Monkey Bar Gymnasium. I am two pant sizes smaller, I have more energy and many more things seem possible. I know that I have challenges ahead of me still, but I feel ready for them. I feel like, I can!
-Jessica Bloczynski
"The first gym where I feel like I can focus on being strong instead of being skinny"
At this time a year ago, I was in the hospital with Lyme’s disease. I probably weighed less than I do now because I hardly ate anything for two months. It took me a long time to completely recover mentally and physically from this illness. By the end of spring, I reached a low point and knew I needed to make some changes and find a ways to get physically healthy again.
I also knew I needed something organized and group focused to keep me motivated. So, I did a lot of research and found the Monkey Bar Gymnasium. The Monkey Bar Gymnasium is in a category of its own.
This is by far the best gym I have ever been to and is the first gym I’ve ever belonged to where I feel like I can focus on being strong instead of being skinny. What a refreshing change.
I feel great and am stronger and more confident than I’ve ever been and have finally stopped obsessing about how much I weigh. How Cool. Thanks!
-Cheri Dubiel
"You are making a HUGE difference in my life"
"Dear Jon and Staff,
I wanted to relate in a genuine way the love I feel toward your school and what it stands for.
I have tapped into a source that has given me more power for living a sacred life than any other fitness/martial arts school I have ever attended, thanks to you and your inspiring teaching and dedication to an excellent standard.
Eating right is a way of living sacred, and you have helped me become more what I always wanted to be. Your school is helping me to live body, mind, and spirit on a daily basis and I feel inspired. For this I am entirely grateful. Upon reflection this morning I have realized I am becoming my fantasy of living!
I hope these words are a source of encouragement to all of you and your staff because you are making a HUGE difference in my life simply by being who you are and your excellent teaching. Believe me this is rare especially in today’s society. I wish and pray for you that you have health, happiness and prosperity all your days."
-Dakota Windancer
