Pitt Johnstown’s Wellness Center administrators offer students several physical fitness opportunities to keep active.

One of these is the development of a personal trainer program offered to all students.

Wellness Center Director Katrin Wolfe started the program in the fall.

Wolfe said, since most gyms offer one-on-one training with personal trainers, she decided to start a similar program here.

Wolfe said students were interviewed for trainer positions and assessed on many levels but, she has focused on the individual’s athletic and physical fitness history.

Before the program began, each trainer underwent a professional training course.

They received personal trainer certification through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.

Wolfe said the main objective for the trainers is to create custom workout routines, contoured to what each student wants to improve – mainly in the areas of cardiovascular training, weight training and cross-training exercises.

Wolfe said students can sign up for a fitness package with a trainer.

The packages are free and strictly provide a structured time frame for students and trainers to work together.

Bradley White, Tyler Ripko, Donald Justice and Benjamin Drake are personal trainers at the Wellness Center. Each trainer has his own unique training style and area of focus.

Ripko said each student he trains with is trying to accomplish a different goal, which makes sessions interesting and diverse.

“I train with people who want to accomplish something pertaining to weightlifting or athletic training.”

Justice said that, while he is teaching his clients how to better themselves, he broadens his knowledge of physical fitness.

“I seem to be growing in relation to my skill with cardiovascular exercise and becoming increasingly efficient when weight training.”

Justice said that, when he came to Pitt-Johnstown, his interest in running track became a determination to reach personal goals.

“It became a serious desire to help myself, as well as any men and women that seek my help.”

Wolfe said the program has been successful and is allowing trainers to reach out to more than just their clients.

White, while employed as a trainer, started a group exercise class entitled “Brad-Fit” that is open to all students and meets at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the Wellness Center.

White said the class does not concentrate on a particular muscle group but on a full-body workout. It is a balance between cardio and strength training.

White said students are shown how to exercise using kettle bells (round weights with handles) and battle ropes (weighted ropes the exercise keeps in motion).

“The equipment I bring in to use is not heavy, which allows everyone to benefit from the class. It is highly intense and a fully balanced physical workout.”

White said it is a consistent structured workout that incorporates circuit training and blitz training, where the rest periods are short and high activity levels are constant.

The sessions are broken into half-circuit training and half-battle ropes.

“The workout can be beneficial for anyone, but is geared toward athletes who strictly weightlift,” said White. “It’s been really popular, definitely more guys than girls taking the class.”

Although the class size is 11 people, White said there is room for a few more.

“You can sign up at the Wellness Center for the class, and usually I only take on 11 people but I can add a person or two to each class,” said White.

“We use the dance studio so it limits the number of people I can have.”

White said the kettle bells and battle ropes used are his personal equipment.

He is glad other people have the opportunity to use it, but said he wishes the Wellness Center had a wider variety of cross-training equipment.

Wolfe said the class is an alternative for students looking for a new workout.

“It’s a great way to get away from the typical gym workouts that people get bored with so easily,” said Wolfe.

“(White) has a lot of knowledge, and I am excited to see him expand his training.”