Belly up ... to fitness class

By Bob Reinert/USAG Natick Public AffairsJanuary 13, 2011

Belly up ... to exercise class
Darin St. George, known as 'Trainer X', walks through one of his lunchtime fitness classes at the Natick Soldier Systems Center's Lord Community Center. St. George, who has been offering classes since July 2009, recently joined the NSSC staff as a fi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

By the middle of most weekdays, Darin St. George makes his way to a barroom.

No, it's not what you think. In fact, since July 2009, the man known as "Trainer X" has transformed the downstairs lounge of Lord Community Center at Natick Soldier Systems Center into a lunchtime fitness oasis, offering his "Thirty Minutes to Win It" classes.

"Am I in a bar'" St. George said."Yeah, people are used to it. It's the person in that bar with me lifting the weight that is in control of their destiny. It's never an external force. You're always the biggest problem you're going to encounter.

"It's never the wand. It's always the wizard."

Just feet from that bar, St. George, 42, imparts "Trainer X-isms," urging class participants to find more within themselves.

"Run like somebody's chasing you," he said. "Lift like something fell on you. Eat like somebody else."

Diane Steeves has been one of St. George's disciples since the very beginning. She had been walking daily but was looking to do more.

"At first, I was hesitant to try the program, since I had never really done anything like this before," Steeves said. "It turned out to be a great decision. After just a few sessions, I was feeling totally re-energized, both physically and emotionally."

That's just the kind of change St. George strives for with his intense, 30-minute workouts.

"I want to deliver constantly variable, high-intensity, functional-movement workouts to people," St. George said. "So it's rapid fire. We're firing through it."

His ability to deliver those workouts improved earlier this month, when St. George joined the NSSC staff as a fitness program specialist.

"I don't want there to be anybody that needs anything over here fitness and wellness related that I can't help," St. George said. "It's nice to know that I'm part of a team now."

St. George won't let a lack of facilities stand in his way, either.

"You've got to be innovative," St. George said. "It doesn't matter to me. It can't, because it's out of my control. Your body is the machine."

Steeves praised St. George's effectiveness.

"Any concerns I had were put to rest when I realized that Darin was able to teach the class in a manner that is appropriate for any level of fitness," Steeves said. "He is able to motivate the beginner without overwhelming them, as well as the more experienced athlete, so that they

can realize improved performance.

"Darin keeps the class fun and fast paced. The chance to get away from the office during lunch and recharge is great, and I am able to complete the rest of the day in a more productive way."

St. George said he wants class participants to think beyond the 30 minutes they spend with him. Nutrition, he added, is a big part of the equation.

"Food is with you all day long," St. George said. "You can't put ketchup in a Lamborghini. It needs gas. It needs the proper fuel."

St. George spoke of his efforts in terms of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, the Army's $125 million program to build resilience in Soldiers, family members and civilian employees.

"I'm thinking comprehensive workforce fitness," St. George said. "Not engaging in regular exercise is the same coronary heart disease risk as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

"I just want to give the gift that I know, which fitness is, to everybody. Because once you can get your body in shape, everything else is easy."