For over fifteen years our unique fitness studio has been a landmark and a leader in the industry. With all the competition opening around town and big chains flexing their aggressive promotional budgets, it was inevitable that some of us would sample the trends - only to come back home and tell the village that marketing will never outlive quality and that there is no better club than Michael’s.

Only weeks ago I was at the trendy Studio Z and much to my delight, I found myself in Diane Clemente’s chair. I have known Diane for several years. She was a Michael’s Body Scenes member since 1999. All we had to do was mention the name Michael’s and the conversation took off.

For a number of reasons, in October 2002 Diane left Michael’s and joined one of the chain gyms.

“ I wanted to take an aerobic class but there weren’t enough people signed up. I was told that they were waiting to get a better attendance but in my opinion, I believe they should have offered the classes in order to get the people. I was also very disappointed by the look of the personal trainers. These girls were out of shape and a far cry form the trainers who work at Michael’s. The day care was nice but didn’t feel like my family at Michael’s”.

When she said the name of our club, she broke into an adorable and genuine smile.

“I couldn’t wait to get back. I came back to Michael’s in October 2003”.

I asked her what she liked most about the club.

“ I love the classes, the trainers are very professional. When I leave my Briana in the day care, it’s like a family. Michael’s Body Scenes feels like a family to me. It’s personalized! When I came back I was received with open arms and everyone was so happy to see me.”

What Diane was telling me is what educated people realize once they take a closer look at our competitors.

We have the best aerobic program and exercise classes. Nobody comes close, nobody even tries. Some of our instructors have been with the club for fifteen years. It is a beautiful testimony to Michael Papamichael's ongoing efforts to provide his staff with a stable and prosperous working environment. Our instructors, our diversified programs and our Cardio Theater cover absolutely all of our members’ requirements, including radio, television, CD, tapes and computers.

Our elite Personal Training program is untouchable--one of the best in the country.

Our trainers have advanced certifications. The knowledge and experience of fitness icons, such as Andrea Contant, set the tone and help maintain the highest fitness standards in the area. There is practically no turnover among our trainers.

Michael’s Body Scenes is also blessed with an outstanding Yoga practice founded by Leslie. She works closely with her team of teachers. At Michael’s Body Scenes we have a serious Yoga practice, which is well respected among the local followers of this discipline.

Under Chuck supervision, our equipment gets regular maintenance calls and a simple green spray bath on each shift. Our machines are clean and they perform their tasks without any glitches or squeaks. Until they are officially retired sometime in the near future, they will assist you as you make your way to free weights, core strength and working with your own body weight.

However, there is something else that our members find at Michael’s.

The warmth and family atmosphere Diane was so eager to come back to. “People know me at Michael’s.”

She also mentioned how she enjoys the e-mails she gets from the club, the mailings, the letters and the good advice.

“The other clubs don’t do that! I love getting the e-mails.”

And what about our sales team?

“A great experience!”

Our sales team is made of honest and sincere individuals, sensitive to the issues and concerns of the members and potential members.

Michael P., Leslie, Andy and Michael Frank remain the leaders of our local fitness community. They are good to the members and among the best people we could ever work for. They provide numerous jobs and their business ethics are outstanding. Like a fine gourmet restaurant surrounded by fast food joints, Michael’s Body Scenes is in a league of its own.

Michael’s Body Scenes has a sense of family and a sense of community. When a member of our staff has an illness, we’ll raise funds. If there is a terrible loss in someone’s family, we’ll do whatever we can to offer comfort and support.

We can also have a great time playing, as we did this last Sunday at the picnic, when I believe the staff beat the members again during our annual softball tournament...!

Diane is delighted to be back at Michael’s. So are several other familiar faces that came back to the club recently.

Welcome back to Michael’s. Enjoy your workout!