Strength Training Comes to Senior Center

Begins Friday, January 13 at 1 p.m.

Cameron Krein offering strength training to seniors.

Fitness training takes a strong step forward this week at the Orcas Island Senior Center. Strength training classes begin Friday at 1pm with trainer Cameron Krein.

Cameron and his family came to Orcas Island in September just in time for school.  He brings with him an approach to fitness centered around strength and balance. He is certified with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and has been training groups and individuals for the last year.

“I like using dumb bells and kettle bells in my workouts to really challenge and grow a persons stability along with their strength.  We can incorporate a lot more muscles in this way and build a better base and more well-rounded strength.” He also works with athletes, most commonly using plyometric or “explosive” training.

“I am an easy person to identify with, former high school athlete wakes up 20 years later fat, pre-diabetic, with high blood pressure, and in pain.  I got serious and lost 65 pounds, feel great and learned how to help others along the way.”

The senior center program will use weight training in some interesting ways.  The weights are common household items like soup cans, water bottles, and milk jugs.  “I want people to be able to take the exercises I teach them home, so they can continue to move forward in building strength whether training is in their budget or not” says Cameron.  This weeks first session will be an introduction to strength with a warm up, 30 exercises and a cool down. All in 45 minutes.

Beyond the senior center project, Cameron has openings for personal and group training including a running program aimed at taking a non-runner to a 5k in 8 weeks beginning with a 30-second jog.

Summing up his training style he says “I don’t project what I want onto anyone, my goal is to help that person be what they want to be in as fun a manner as I can.” He adds “I also don’t subscribe to the theory that it has to hurt to be effective.  Life is a marathon, not a sprint, so I favor an approach that doesn’t leave you in pain for days after a workout.”