Progress!

We've made a lot of progress on the new building: we're ready to move the furnace now (currently, it's right in the way!). We've started patching drywall - and lots more repairs and fixes in that department need to be done. We've got a Fitness BootCamp Banner out front. We've removed a bunch of walls. New lights will be ordered soon. Lot's of painting to be done - but that will be after Christmas sometime.

There's still a whole lot on the Wish List - moving doors and adding a Parents Room window - but that will all come in due time.


Currently, the best way to help is to get some friends to sign up for our many classes. Starting in January, we're going to be adding Kids Fitness classes to our lineup. Patterned after our BootCamp, these classes will be fun, fast paced activities that will really give our younger members a good, healthy workout. The classes will meet twice a week, but only for 1/2 hour sessions as they will be packed with exercises and workouts. If your kids spend a little too much time in front of the screen, this is a fun way to build some muscle and burn off some energy!

Keep in mind that we also offer Fitness BootCamp, KickBoxing and Self-defense Black Belt classes for adults. If you're feeling tired, getting in better shape is the best way to look and feel better!

And, of course, Mixed Martial Arts is still hot, still a GREAT way to burn calories as well as learn some skills that just might come in handy one day!

Depending on many factors including weather, free time and delivery schedules, we're still hoping to be moving in early next year. Stay tuned!

Destruction Underway!

We've been working on the new building with every spare moment we've got. Saturday, Mr. Schulenburg put in about 6 hours tearing down walls - and Sunday we had a crew of four working on walls and ceilings. Thanks to Jim Zei, Izzy Ayala and, of course, Carolyn Schulenburg for all their work on this Huge Project!

We're aiming for a January Opening date... but that's tentative, based on the problems we run into as we discover what needs to be done. As always, we're looking to create the safest and most usable area we can - and it certainly won't hurt if it's immaculately clean, well lit and simply fun to work out in!

Here's a photo from the entryway: the walls are starting to come down and shortly we'll have a large workout area!

(This shot is a little deceptive - we're actually going to have a total area larger than we currently have.)

More to come!

Fighting Fit2 BootCamp

Our Fitness BootCamp program is based around the nationally acclaimed Fighting Fit2 curriculum designed by personal trainer and Black Belt instructor Mike Massie. We've trained with Mike several times in the last 12 months, learning new exercises as well as new nutritional ideas.

BootCamp, run by Mrs. Schulenburg (herself a Black Belt instructor as well as a Registered Nurse!) has always kept on top of the latest developments in both Sports Medicine and Nutritional Health. It's a self-paced program designed to meet the needs of those just starting out in fitness (c'mon, step away from that TV!) to those that have been working towards marathons or matches.

This is NOT a health club where you casually stare at bizarre machines, waiting your turn. This is dynamic exercise, practical movements that enhance your life by building the strength and endurance that make each and everyday a lot more fun! While YOU control the intensity, "drill sergeant" Carolyn is there to push you to do your best.

Whether it's the functional power gained through kettle bells or the core strength developed by the gentle instability of sand bags, you will build lean muscle and lose flab with our BootCamp program. We've just added those giant balance balls to our arsenal which also includes dumb bells, resistance bands, jump ropes, medicine balls and all sorts of floor exercises and stretches.

The other aspect of BootCamp is the nutritional end of things. While certainly not a proscribed diet, you will know how many calories to consume each day, how much water to drink and how often to eat. You'll learn how to really decipher nutrition labels and learn what ratios of Carbs, Fats and Protein are best for getting in shape. You'll learn which foods to eat more of... and which to eat less of. And maybe even some to avoid entirely!

Give us a call at 815-334-9662 to schedule a Free Trial workout and to find out more about our Fitness Programs!

Building Values

Here's an article I stumbled across in the last couple of weeks (lots of people surf the Internet... I stumble!). It's about a year old, but the sentiment is good and sums up the way a lot of our parents feel.

Safety IS our number one priority - and learning the confidence that comes with mastering your own body is a close second.

John McCain calls it "human cockfighting." It's violent, controversial ...

And yet every day, parents are encouraging their kids to try it. It's Mixed Martial Arts -- MMA to us fans -- and it's becoming a worldwide phenomenon. To the untrained eye, it looks like two people are beating each other to a pulp without regard or remorse. But that's just not true. Yes, a professional bout can get a little bloody, but MMA fighters generally have the utmost respect for themselves and each other. That's part of the reason parents shouldn't be afraid to let their kids kick, punch and grapple.

Nobody seems to have a problem with Karate or Tae Kwon Do classes for youths, but throw in some actual bodily contact and folks get nervous. (Even though football and hockey players routinely get smashed around.) I'm not saying I want my little girl fighting, but if you talk to any MMA fighter, he (or she) will tell you that it's a way for them to challenge and discover themselves physically and mentally. It's also an incredible confidence-booster, especially for smaller kids: The ground fighting technique called Jiu-Jitsu is all about using leverage against an opponent, not brute muscular strength -- so quite often, the little guys win. How refreshing!

Before having a son, my friend thought she was against letting kids fight. Now with a four-year-old ball of energy who instinctively wants to wrestle and punch, she figures, "why not let him learn the proper way?" I add to that what I've witnessed first-hand: the self-awareness that comes with knowing how to fight tends to make people turn the other cheek when provoked outside of the gym. I don't know if that's true for chickens Mr. McCain, but it is for humans.

Karyn Bryant is a television personality who's hosted shows on networks such as CNN, TNT, VH1, and MTV. She's currently a reporter for Showtime Championship Boxing and CBS' Saturday Night Fights, and the EVP/Director of MMAheat.com, an online destination for fans of MMA and pop culture. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Self Defense Black Belt

We are now forming our Self-Defense Black Belt classes: Simple... Easy To Learn... And Designed So Almost Anyone Can Do It...

Our Licensed Self Defense Black Belt Program™ Facility is designed with real world self defense in mind, no ineffective moves or wasted time.

This program was specifically created so that just about anyone at any fitness or experience level can learn the techniques needed for effective self-defense!


Check out the video (and, yes, that IS Mrs. Schulenburg dishing out those punches!) and learn more about our program!

Call us at 815-334-WMMA (9662) to find out more!

Training in Hutto, Texas

Mrs. Schulenburg and I have just returned from a weekend of tough training in Hutto, Texas (Home of the Hutto Hippos!). Renowned Martial Arts Instructor and Certified Trainer Mike Massie put us through our paces with both a Fitness BootCamp and his new endeavor, Black Belt Self-Defense, a program designed to bring real world self-defense skills to adult students without putting them at risk of injury in their workouts. Both are exciting programs and are perfect for our Fitness Students as well as our older MMA students.

For those of you who haven't experienced a Fitness BootCamp as yet - we're starting another session of our Fitness Fun classes on Aug 25. This is an opportunity to experience the workout part of our BootCamp without the nutrition component - at a bargain price! Classes will meet for the next two weeks on Tuesday and Thursday at 7:15PM and will be an introduction to some of the exercises that we do with our BootCamp classes. If you're interested, please call Carolyn at 815-334-9662. Call soon because we do limit class size to 12 participants.

And... we've got some great new ideas from Mr. Massie. I'd tell you more, but I'm too sore to type anymore! :-)

Just Another Day...

It's been a wonderfully cool summer thus far. A little too rainy perhaps, but we've not seen the 90's and 100's (with lots of humidity!) that many summers in this area seem to be built around!

This has made training a lot more fun - we don't have to hide behind air-conditioned doors and instead can let the cool breezes blow through our studio!

It's been a good summer for not only our MMA students, but for our Fitness KickBoxing and Fitness BootCamp students, too.

If you're still looking for a way to have some fun while working out, our Fitness classes truly are a great mix of great times and great workouts. Programmed by Mrs. Schulenburg, each class is a little different, each brings something new to the mix - and students are truly motivated by both the good times and the results!

Come join us! We've got special summer rates in effect through August and family members of our MMA students can save even more!

It's a great time to get in shape... and have a whole lot of fun doing it!