 
Eric Arteaga
School: Livingston High School
Current sports: Football, Wrestling, Weighlifting for Team FIT
How long have you been working out and lifting weights?
I have been lifting since 7th grade. It wasn’t until I entered high school that I realized what lifting was really like. Now, getting into Olympic lifting, everything has changed. I feel better and stronger. I feel like I can do anything.
What are your personal records in the Olympic-style lifts?
Clean and Jerk: 100kg (220 lbs.)
Snatch: 71kg (156.2 lbs.)
Combined Total: 171kg (376.2)
Why is working lifting important to you?
Lifting is important to me because it gives me personal strength and self-confidence. These two things are very important for any sport I play. It will also help me in life because I will know what hard work is really like.
What has it done for your life?
Olympic-style lifting has been a big change for me. It is different from all of the other lifts that I do. I actually look forward everyday to lifting with my partners and coach.
What are the keys to your success? Why do you believe you have been successful?
My keys to success are all the coaches I have. My main coach or favorite would be Ms. Naldi (Luciana) because she has pushed me to become a better athlete and she believes in me. I believe that I am also successful because I want it more than others.
What does your family think of your lifting?
At first my parents didn’t want me to lift; they didn’t really understand why or what I was doing. They didn’t want me to get hurt. Once they saw me lift, it changed the way they thought, especially because they saw how much I enjoy lifting.
What are your future goals for weightlifting or sports?
My future goals for sports and weightlifting would be to continually improve at whatever sport I choose to play. Also when I go to college, I want to come back and coach others how to lift.
Nathan “The Bear” Schadle
Age: Just turned 14 several hours ago
School: Charles Armstrong (will start Monta Vista High in Fall)
Date you started at FIT: I started training at Barbell Club under Coach Rob in August of 2006, when I was 12.
Your best lifts:
Snatch: 55 kg. (121 pounds)
Clean and Jerk: 72 kg. (158.4 pounds)
Front Squat: 77.5 kg. (170.5 pounds)
Back Squat: 95 kg. (209 pounds)
Bear is a two-sport athlete, participating in baseball and Olympic-style weightlifting. With hard work and determination, and under the guidance of Coach Rob, Bear went to the 2007 National School-age Championships, where he won a Silver medal, his first medal ever. And just recently, Bear turned a triple play in a baseball game.
Bear played baseball before he joined Barbell Club. He was also playing soccer but, with a tight schedule of schoolwork and baseball, he dropped it in order to make time for Olympic-style weightlifting, as he realizes the importance of strength training for overall athletic development.
If you’re ever at FIT in the late afternoons, you can see the lightning speed at which Bear pulls himself under a barbell. This kind of speed, no doubt, increases his athleticism for baseball and for any sport that he may consider in the future.
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Andrew "Shaggy" Rosen
Age - 13
School currently attending - BLACH
Date you started working out at FIT - August 2007
Why did you start working out at FIT? - To get stronger.
What is your proudest moment at FIT? - When Rob said I asked too many questions...ha ha!
What is your favorite exercise or movement at FIT? - Weightlifting.
What is one thing you've learned from working out at FIT? - Never give up!
What advice would you give future FIT TEENS? - Work hard and you'll achieve your goals.
Shaggy has come a long way since his first day at FIT. Not only has his hard work paid off and he's now able to execute highly demanding exercises (squats, clean and jerks, snatch, deadlift), but his work ethic has also improved. He doesn't question anything. He says things like: "Okay coach...yes coach...sure coach." Andrew is a key part of our afternoon program and, aside from the fact that he absolutely loves working with Coach Rob, he is an excellent example for our younger FIT KIDS!
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Spencer Elman
Age: 14
Date you started working out at FITBUDDIES: October 2006
Why did you start working out at FIT? To become fit
What is your proudest moment at FIT? Completing "Fight Gone Bad"
What is your favorite exercise or movement? Rowing
What is your least favorite exercise or movement? Back Squats with heavy weights
What is one thing you've learned from working out at FIT? How to Jump Row
Spencer says, "Thank you Jen for being our trainer twice a week. Jen is so nice to me and all the FITBuddies."
Spencer has been a part of FITBuddies since October 2006 and everyday he shows up to FIT with a smile on his face, ready to go. After a year and a half, he his much more aware of his body and has had significant strength gains. Spencer loves "learning something new" and always works to the best of his ability. Thanks Spencer for being such a great addition to FITBuddies and FIT.
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Stephen William Woodworth
Age – 14
School currently attending - St. Matthew's Catholic - 8th Grade
Date you started working out at FIT - Summer 2007
Why did you start working out at FIT? - I wanted to drop pounds for school basketball and hopefully high school football.
What is your proudest moment at FIT? - When I back-squatted 60 kilos
What is your favorite exercise or movement at FIT? - I like back squatting
What is one thing you've learned from working out at FIT? - Athletes make lifting weights look really easy, but now I know how hard they really have to work!
What advice would you give a future FIT TEEN? - Make your goals and stick to them. Don't get discouraged if you cannot lift a lot of weight right away. It takes a lot of time, but you'll make it! Eating healthy helps too. Watch those calories! I've learned how to read labels and make better food choices. You can too!
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Sarah Groenke
Age: 9
Sara Groenke is 9 years old and is a regular in the Tuesday night Fit Kids group. An extremely hard worker, Sara always puts on a smile and is determined to make it through the work outs. She's a team player and is eager to help out, but what really sets her apart is dedication. We love seeing Sara each week because I know she's here to learn about fitness, and make health a part of her life forever. She can back squat 15 kilograms (33 pounds) with perfect technique and is smooth with the jump rope. She may be soft-spoken, but Sara's determination definitely helps to challenge the group as a whole to stay on track.
Great work Sara! Keep it up.
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Jeremy Teter
Jeremy, one of the first members of FITbuddies, started training at FIT last October. When Jeremy started, he was unable to hike or walk with his family without feeling light headed; he could not jump rope, do push ups, box jumps, or even body weight squats. But Jeremy started with an amazing attitude. Every Monday and Wednesday he comes to FIT more than ready to workout and has never once complained about anything! He brings a smile to everyone’s face as he cheers on his fellow FITbuddies and always has a joke to make everyone around him laugh (he is definitely Bill Teter’s son!). He also has a very serious side and works his hardest at every exercise. Because of his attitude, Jeremy has done a 180 in the last year. He is now doing back squats with half his body weight, learning the highly complicated Olympic-style lifts, running longer distances every week, pumping out push ups, jumping onto boxes and much more. Our next goal for him is one body weight pull up!
As usual, Jeremy (with the help of his father) answered the questions below with a good laugh:
Age: YOUNGER THAN YOU
Date you started working out at FIT BUDDIES: “THE DAY I REALLY BECAME A MAN.”
Why did you start working out at FIT? “MY DAD SAID Jen Pleimann is ‘HOT.’"
What is your proudest moment at FIT? “RUNNING ALONGSIDE MICHELLE LAST YEAR.”
What is your favorite exercise or movement? “LET'S JUST NOT GO THERE.”
What is your least favorite exercise or movement? “SIGNING ALL THOSE DARN THANK YOU NOTES”
What is one thing you've learned from working out at FIT? “ANALISA REALLY YELLED AT ME DURING FIGHT GONE BAD!”
What advice would you pass along to future FIT BUDDIES? “TRY NOT TO LOSE 'FOCUS' WITH ALL THAT DAZZLING BEAUTY AROUND”
And now on a more serious note:
Date you started working out at FIT BUDDIES: “October 2006”
Why did you start working out at FIT? “I WANTED TO LOOK MORE MUSCULAR TO MY FRIENDS.”
What is your proudest moment at FIT? “DOING WAAAY BETTER THAN MY BEST AT THE ‘FIGHT GONE BAD’ COMPETITION, EVEN THOUGH I WAS GETTING A BAD COLD.”
What is your favorite exercise or movement? “I REALLY LIKE ROWING… I LOVE IT!”
What is your least favorite exercise or movement? “THE RINGS.......UGHHH!”
What is one thing you've learned from working out at FIT? “YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING THE TRAINERS WANT YOU TO, AND EVEN MORE! YES, I REALLY LIKE MY TRAINER.”
Congratularions, Jeremy, and keep up the good work!
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Nathaniel Wipfler
Age: 9
Date started working out at FIT TEENS/KIDS:
August, 2005
Why did you start working out at FIT? What are your personal/sport specific goals?
My parents worked out at FIT and thought it would be fun for me.
What is your proudest moment at FIT? Jumping on to the tallest box
What is your favorite exercise or movement? Sprints!
What is one thing you’ve learned from working out at FIT?
While the workouts can be hard, they can just be fun.
What advice would you pass along to new kids at FIT?
Working out with Analisa and Rob is fun!
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