ask an instructor expert advice 1 8 p e ak maga z i n e j o n a t h a n p u e n t e a s k a n i n s t r u c t o r expert advice we grill mountainside fitness instructor julie whitman on how to get the most out of your workout q: how long have you been a fitness instructor? a: i’ve been with mountainside for six years, but i’ve been teaching for 33 years. i started when i was 16. i was always active growing up, so it was a fun way to get paid for something i loved, and it kept me in shape. q: what are your greatest fitness accomplishments? a: i’ve run the boston marathon three times and the new york marathon once, and four years ago, i completed an ironman race. that was a goal when i turned 45. i’ll turn 50 in april, and as a new goal, i’m training to be in a figure show. now, i’m in the weight room, working my legs and shoulders. i’m also doing a lot of speed walk- ing with 5-pound ankle weights. it looks funky, but that’s ok; the end result is good. q: what’s the most common mistake you see? a: members tend to stick to what they know and are comfortable with, and when they don’t see a change, they quit. you need to change up your routine to see the results. mountainside has everything you need to be fit. your workout week should consist of a group fitness class, a yoga class, a cycle class and the weight room. be the change you want to see. step out of your comfort zone, and step into a new you! q: what do you eat on workout days? a: before i do anything else in the morning, i drink a cup of water with lemon and apple cider vinegar. then, what i eat depends on my workout, but today, i had two pieces of ezekiel (sprouted grain) bread, with two hard-boiled eggs mashed on it with avocado—like an egg salad sandwich without the mayo. q: finally, what’s on your workout music playlist? a: when i started teaching classes, i used to bring records with me. and if we got too close to the turntable, it’d skip! i’m pretty eclectic these days: usher, pitbull, onerepublic, macklemore, pharrell, and also some older stuff, like joan jett and ac/dc and erasure. i try to keep it current, but really, i think the older stuff’s better. julie whitman ❱❱ north phoenix location teaches classes in trx, cycle, piyo live, m-sixty and csc (cardio, strength, and core training). “be the change you want to see. step out of your comfort zone, and step into a new you!” 18 p e ak maga z i n e