Bellingham Athletic Club

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June Vibe

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Bellingham Bells

Mark your calendar! BAC night at the Bells is Wednesday, July 24. Do you love to sing? Love baseball? We are looking for one or two people
to sing the U.S.A national anthem and/or the Canadian national anthem. If you are interested, please reach out to Brian or McKenzie!

Courtesy Corner

THANKS!!! BAC members are the best! Our membership has been very generous in support of Hope House. We have been able to give 15 bins of items to this wonderful charity. Every time we ask our membership to support those less fortunate in our community, you come through with wonderful and thoughtful donations. Way to go BAC! I also want to thank the swimmers for stepping up and responding to our request to cancel their swim lanes, we have been able to reallocate the lanes to other members. Also, our membership has curtailed the use of cell phones in the locker rooms. Thanks so much for reflecting the caring attitude of our BAC community!
Thanks for your cooperation!
Cathy, Brian, Kellie and McKenzie

Staff Spotlight
Avery Hamby

Hello! My name is Avery and I am so excited to be taking over as the new Kids Club Supervisor! I have been at BAC as a kids club attendant and front desk staff for nearly 6 months now and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience thus far. I joined BAC just after graduating from WWU in Fall of 2023 with my Bachelors of Arts in Education. When I am not at BAC, you can find me hiking, hammocking or reading comfortably at home. Childcare and education is a passion of mine, and I am looking forward to using my skills in the subject to further reach the goals of our Kids Club.

Equipment Spotlight – Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Plate Load

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Located in our upstairs Fitness Area is our 5-piece plate loaded upper body Hammer Strength Circuit. Shoulder Press, Chest Press, DY Row, Row and Pulldown. What’s unique about these pieces are that they what Hammer Strength calls their “Iso-Lateral” pieces.

What that means is the movement arms are independent of each other forcing you to work both arms equally. Each piece’s movement arms can be used in tandem or one at a time giving you a variety of different workout options.

Each piece is plate loaded so you select the amount of weight you wish to lift and slide the plates on each post of the movement arms. Make sure to load both sides equally.

The seats on all the units are adjustable to fit the size of the user. If you have any questions on any of the Hammer Strength pieces, please ask one of the BAC Personal Training Staff. They would be happy to assist you!

Equipment Spotlight – Nautilus Gravitron Pull-up Dip

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Pull-ups and Dips have been Strength Training exercise staples for generations. Unfortunately for those of us that do not possess the requisite upper body strength to lift our body weight up it’s a near impossible task. Our Nautilus Gravitron Pull-up Dip machine is different than a standard pull-up or dip station in that its resistance plates provide the user with assistance rather than resistance.

As you move the pin down the stack and increase the weight you systematically reduce the amount of body weight you need to lift to complete a pull-up or dip. The weight stack offsets your body weight and provides you with as much assistance as you need, not resistance. This allows you to build up your upper body strength gradually with the end goal at some point to be able to lift your own body weight.

To use the Gravitron simply set the desired assistance weight you need, climb the steps to the top steps, grasp the dip handles or the pull-up handles, place one knee on the knee pad followed by the 2nd knee.  Your body weight will slowly lower the pad allowing you to do either do a dip or pull-up. The dip handles are tapered from wide opening down to a narrow opening to accommodate your shoulder width whereas the pull-up handle offer a variety of hand placements and widths you can use.

On completion of your set of pull-ups or dips slowly bring the knee platform down so that you can step down with one foot onto one of the steps then slowly begin lowering the weight stack down until it rests back on the weight stack then remove your other knee from the knee pad. Hold on to the dip handles and descend down the steps back to the ground.

A feature for those users that wish to perform the exercise with their body weight without assistance you can do that by removing the weight pin then pushing the knee pad down toward the floor and then inserting the weight pin into the hole on the bottom of the frame. This will hold the platform down out of the way so that the user can do body weight pull-ups and/or dips.

The Gravitron can be a nice addition to your normal workout routine. Give it a try and see what you think. If you like more information on how to operate the Gravitron please feel free to talk to one of the BAC Personal Training staff, they would be happy to assist you.

Inclement Weather Policy

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For the safety and well-being of all those concerned, our weather policy is as follows:

When the Bellingham Public Schools are closed due to weather, BAC will be open with a skeleton staff, but there will be no classes or appointments.

When the Bellingham Public Schools are delayed, BAC will be open, but there will be no A.M. classes or appointments.

In the event of extreme weather, we may find it necessary to close the club. Please check the website, social media, call in, or listen to your local radio station for information. This is a very rare occurrence but is sometimes necessary for the safety of our members and employees.

During the Bellingham Public School weekends training days and Holiday break: December 21st-January 5th, you will need to go to our website to get the updates.  In general, we start checking the weather at about 4:00 am and make the call by 4:30 am.  We make every effort to get staff in to open the clubs on time, but please be patient.  Brian Porter and Cathy Buckley usually are making the rounds picking staff up and transporting them into the clubs.  The purpose of our policy is to not put staff in danger and to keep unnecessary cars off the roads until the snowplows and sanders can make the rounds.  Thanks for your patience during weather events.

Equipment Spotlight – Matrix Rotary Hip Machine

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If you are looking for a way to strengthen your hips through multiple ranges of motion the Matrix Rotary Hip Machine is your one-stop option! From the standing position, the Rotary Hip Machine allows users to strengthen each hip in Abduction (outer thigh/hip), Adduction (inner thigh), Flexion (frontal hip (hip flexors), and Extension (posterior hip (glute) and posterior thigh (hamstrings).  

The Rotary Hip is adjustable to fit people of different heights and leg lengths. Users are able to adjust the movement carriage up and down so that the red axis aligns with the axis point of your hip joint, the movement pad can be adjusted up and down to fit the users lower leg length, and the movement arm may be rotated to the appropriate range of motion for each movement (Abduction, Adduction, Flexion, and Extension). The yellow-colored handles let users know where the adjustments can be made. The weight stack ranges from 10 lbs. to 295 lbs. in 15 lb. increments. 

For basic instruction the user can view diagrams of how to perform the four movements. These diagrams are located on either side of the weight stack. For more specific information on how to utilize the Rotary hip, use your mobile phone to scan the QR code located on the right side of the machine. It will direct you to an instructional video on how to utilize the machine safely and effectively.  

If you have more questions regarding the Rotary Hip Machine, feel free to contact one of BAC’s Personal Training Staff. We would be happy to assist you.

July Check-In Challenge Winners

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Each time you check into BAC from July 1st through July 31st, members became eligible to win our weekly and grand prize! We have had three winners so far!

Week 1 – Marilyn Kuhns
Week 2 – Dave May
Week 3- Christina Mellema

Stay tuned for the winner of Week 4 & the Grand Prize winner!

Equipment Spotlight – Matrix Leg Press

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One of our newest pieces the Matrix Leg Press is one of BAC’s most versatile pieces of equipment.

It provides a variety of adjustments with which each user can use to accommodate their size as well as the type of workout they wish to perform.

All the adjustments are highlighted in yellow and there is a menu of all the available adjustments listed above the weight stack.

The Matrix Leg Press features a large foot platform with marked quadrants so that the user may align their feet. It’s seat is adjustable from 180 degrees (flat) to 80 degrees (upright) with adjustable shoulder pads.

To adjust the platform use the yellow handle and knob to the right of the platform. It allows the user to adjust the platform closer or further away depending on the users leg length.

The weight stack resistance ranges from 15 to 305 lbs in 10 lb increments. For smaller increments the 2 lb steel add-on weights maybe be inserted above the weight stack. There are 4 (2 lb) add-on weights located to the left of the weight stack.

The Matrix Leg Press offers a variety of advanced options as well. If you would like to learn more about them or if you would like more instruction on how to use it properly please contact one of BAC’s Training Staff. We would be happy to assist you.

Equipment Spotlight – Hammer Strength Smith Machine

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Smith Machine features:

  • 35-lb. rotating Olympic bar.
  • Bar travels on angled guide rods (see figure 3)
  • Bar has rotating safety hooks on each side of the bar that rotate into evenly spaced hooks the entire height of the machine on both sides. (Figure 4 and 5)
  • Uprights spaced evenly a part to allow a bench to be rolled into place for a variety of exercises.

Smith Machine usage:

  • Enter the Smith Machine from the back (Figure 2) so that upright hooks are facing you. This allows you to see the hooks and safely rotate the bar out of
    them and safely rotate them back in securely.
  • Keeping the safety hooks in front of you also allows you to follow the angle of the machine, which is the most efficient for your body.
  • If you have questions, please ask. We would be happy to help.

Employee Spotlight: Lesley Jones

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Lesley JonesLesley is both an experienced Personal trainer and Fitness/Pilates Instructor. Her philosophy is helping clients to achieve healthy living through balancing work and family. Lesley firmly believes that making time for Fitness is essential for healthy living. She has also run weight loss clinics teaching clients the importance of sound nutrition and exercise. Lesley works with a wide variety of people of all ages and fitness levels. In her spare time, Lesley spends time with her sons, Luke and Matthew. Lesley also loves to run, bike, read, garden, and work on additional Fitness related certifications.

Equipment Spotlight: Matrix Selectorized Low Row Machine

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This Fall, BAC added to its Matrix Line of Selectorized Resistance Training Equipment by adding the Matrix Low Row.  It now gives a very nice additional option to our pulling movement equipment.  The Low Row offers a number of options. First,  it provides a wide-angled plate for stable foot placement. Second, a long-angled seat allowing the legs to drop out of the way so that the arms have an unrestricted range of motion when pulling, Third, the option to use a number of different handles, and Fourth a weight stack that ranges from a starting weight of 12 lbs. to a maximum weight of 312 lbs. in 12 lb. increments. We have been very pleased to add this to our resistance training equipment menu. Our hope is that you will as well! Please consider giving it a test drive. If you have any questions regarding how to operate the Low Row please let us know.

Matrix Selectorized Low Row Machine