Photos by Tim Farley
LAWTON – Physician’s assistant and personal trainer Liz Tomichen has a passion for helping people get well and into shape.
Those are the reasons she and husband Tommie Simon, a doctor in Lawton, opened F45 Training Lawton West last Saturday and will continue to run classes through the Oct. 23 grand opening.
“I have a huge passion for exercise and health,” Tomichen said. “I also like group exercise. It helps people stick with it.”
Each class lasts 45 minutes as participants watch a monitor on the wall to inform them which exercise they’re supposed to do. The classes vary from cardio to resistance training to a mixture of both. The F in the F45 stands for functional training, a mix of circuit and high-intensity interval training-style workouts geared toward everyday movement.
“You can modify the exercises to fit your fitness level,” Tomichen said. “You push yourself to your own limit.”
The training center is equipped with heart rate monitors to help people know if they have reached their cardio limit or if they can push forward with the workout. The trainers also advise participants when they should sit out and when to return.
“A lot of people don’t know what to do on their own,” Tomichen said. “So, coming here and having these workouts on the monitor along with personal trainers to help them, it gives them an edge. Plus, there is a group of people supporting each other during the workouts.”
No more than three people are at each station during the workout. About 20-30 people are involved in each class, Tomichen said. Classes are held in the morning and evening. A complete class schedule can be found at the center’s website at www.f45training.com.
“We have good, programmed exercises with the time intervals varying,” Tomichen said. “It’s never boring. It’s always changing.”
Lawton residents have responded well to the new training center since it announced it was opening.
“I feel like the community has been excited about it,” Tomichen said. “We’re blessed that so many people have pre registered. A lot of members have fun seeing results from previous outdoor workouts we held as the center was being constructed. I think we can make an impact by having them see our passion for exercise.”
The training center’s goal is to improve the overall health of the community and to demonstrate the advantages of regular exercise.
“I feel terrible if I don’t exercise,” Tomichen said. “I’ve always felt like I needed to be active. I’ve been a runner, exercised and ran half marathons.”
Most people who have pre registered for the classes said they have joined for a variety of reasons, including weight loss, endurance, passing the military fit test, gaining strength and improving their overall health.
“Some people have diabetes and high blood pressure and they want to be able to improve those health issues,” Tomichen said.
Home workouts and prepared Challenge meals are available through F45’s website.
F45 Training is located at 2044 NW 82nd and the telephone number is (580) 951-8797.