SAVING A LIFE

The Wayland Town Crier

Thursday, April 7, 2005

Physical Eds Fitness Studio at the intersection of routes 27 and 30 is the first business in town to install a public access defibrillator in partnership with the Wayland Fire Department and MetroWest Medical Center in Natick. Owner Ed Carp, center, purchased the defibrillator for $2,000 and has received training on it from the Wayland Fire Department. Above, Ed Carp and employee John Betts (left) receive instruction on the new equipment from Lt. Dave Houghton.

PUMPING IRON WITH ED

By John Hilliard/ Staff Writer

Thursday, December 16, 2004

If Jack Kerouac ever got off Route 66 and spent time at a gym, he may have found the perfect fit at

Physical Eds Fitness Studio in Wayland. There, clients can get a personalized workout in decor

lifted straight from a retro lounge, complete with marbled-topped tables, bubble clocks and

sparkled, ruby-red vinyl stools. There are even tiki beads dangling over the doorway. All thats

missing is Steve McQueen, James Dean and dry martinis. Its a fun place - I wanted it to feel

lively, said owner, trainer and studio namesake Ed Carp. I love being here. Its been a dream.

Carp offers two forms of fitness training in which clients get one-on-one help for as many as 10

sessions that can be held anytime during a three- month period. After that, clients can buy time for independent study in the studios workout room. Many of Carps exercise packages offer full use of the studios cardio equipment, too. I just want everything to be comfortable, he said. This has nothing to

do with weightlifting. Its how you feel. Carp just happens to tap into some seriously retro-vibes to get that feeling. The walls and and furniture are all done in red trim - the sort of red worn by Marilyn Monroe, whos conveniently displayed on a poster lifting dumbbells. Large murals that are painted in the style of old picture postcards extol exercise virtues like power and balance. Wooden tiki statues hand-cut by a California artist - with a look Carp describes as old retro-Polynesian -are nestled

between shiny new pieces of exercise equipment. And a two-foot tall hula girl lamp is tucked in for good measure. They just have that real-life, nostalgic look to them, said Carp. I didnt want

anything cheesy in here. He works with any age, from children through seniors, and said he is concerned with the growing problem of childhood obesity. He encourages children to stay

active and tries to get them to enjoy workouts. Youve got to take some kind of organized plan to have fun and be taught, he said. You keep it light enough, you keep it fun. Carp is a former Mr. Massachusetts and former Mr. Connecticut who holds a business degree from the University of

Massachusetts at Amherst and brings 30 years of experience in fitness and weight training. He opened up shop in town late last year. The Wayland resident decided to turn his hobby into

his trade while pursuing an MBA at Babson College after the reality of a suit-and-tie world hit him. I just had enough of corporate, he said. I wanted to do my own thing, so I just started training people. That was 15 years ago, and Physical Eds is the result of all that training. 1 I didnt want to run a big

gym, he said. I wanted to train people. Carp prides himself on working closely with clients and

teaching them the means to stay healthy. It is not enough that people simply use equipment, but that they understand the exercises they perform. I want to teach you, so you dont need me during every

single workout, he said. Its first about instructing & and teaching and showing people proper technique. Framingham resident Matt Westerberg just completed a 10-week program with Carp and

said the trainers enthusiasm for the work kept it from becoming boring. Heg fun and enthusiastic, said Westerberg. Hes fanatic about keeping the place clean and keeping it interesting. Marlboroughs Julia Kasparova tried out a single session with Carp as a gift from her husband last August, and has since paid for two sets of 10 sessions with the trainer. She said Carp works to not just push his clients, but instructs them on how to work out safely. He managed to correct many of my incorrect forms, said Kasparova. He is more demanding than I would be of myself. Shirley Ju, a Natick resident who has trained with Carp for over six weeks, said working out at Physical Eds was different from what she calls impersonalgfitness clubs and gyms. (Carp) cares about you, said Ju. Youre not just a paycheck.At other clubs, Ju said trainers did not try to improve how she exercised, and she often had body aches after a workout. Not so, she said, after visiting Physical Eds, where Carp has been teaching her better ways to stay healthy. He remains focused on you, she said. Physical Eds

Fitness Studio is located at the corner of routes 27 and 30 in Wayland. Owner and trainer Ed Carp can be reached at 508-655-7497.

FRIENDLY FITNESS COMPETITION

By Catherine Sheffield/ Correspondent

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Ken Stone of Natick says when he first went to Physical Eds Fitness Studio in Wayland, he was

hesitant. He has arthritis, tendonitis and calcium deposits among other ailments, but once he

began training with Ed Carp, working out felt good. When I got here and started to workout I

began to feel better, Stone exclaimed. My arthritis didnt matter Ed knew what kind of workouts I should be doing to minimize the pain and stress on my joints. Now Stone is one of 15 members of Carps gym who last month participated in Physical Eds version of The Biggest Loser, a show on NBC where overweight contestants compete to lose weight using diet and exercise for a cash prize of $250,000. Physical Eds prize was not $250,000, but he did award the winner $100 and an embroidered Physical Eds jacket donated by Four Seasons Embroidery in Framingham. The next top four participants in the competition also received jackets. However, Carp, who lives in Wayland, said for his contestants it wasnt about the prizes, it was about the camaraderie they felt between their

fellow gym goers. Gleason said his weight loss regime entailed 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise in the morning before work, then returning to they gym after work for another 20 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of lifting. He also changed his diet, drinking one of Eds nutritional sports shakes for

breakfast, having an energy bar for lunch, drinking another sports shake in the afternoon and then having a normal dinner I asked Ed to help me develop a plan and basically made it so I ate something every three hours, he explained. Gleason said he began coming to Physical Eds in June after his company, Porcelain Patch and Paint in Watertown, painted Carps office furniture and some of the fitness equipment. When Ed called me he asked if (Gleasons business) could paint all his office furniture bright red. I thought it sounded a bit strange at first, I thought red thats an unusual color, but when I got here I could see why immediately. They were doing it for each other and for themselves. Pushing themselves and each other to get more healthy, he said. Stone ultimately lost 15.8 pounds and came in fourth in the competition. It was Jon Gleason of Wayland who won Carps version of Biggest Loser, losing 25.2 pounds in the seven-week competition. Gleason said he had wanted to lose weight since completing his MBA at Babson College this past May. When I was in grad school I just got so busy I didnt have time to really workout and I gained some weight and let myself go. After graduating I knew I needed a change, and when this competition came up I figured this was my opportunity. Gleason gestures around the room and points out some of Carps whimsical and brightly

colored paintings and decorations. The decor in Physical Eds is not that of a typical gym. Its so unique, Gleason said, I was definitely surprised at first. But I really like it, its fun and theres always something to look at. Carp has filled the gym with what he calls fun distractions. Not everyone enjoys working out, Carp explained, so I wanted to give people things to look at and focus their attention

elsewhere so they dont get bored or tired as easily. Carp said mainly his decorations have a retro theme and are all Americana. Fun items from Americas past can be spotted near almost every exercise machine, from the original Burger King dolls to old glass soda bottles to framed advertisements from the 50s. The pervasive color throughout the place is a bright fire-engine red off set with black. The semi-private workout room is also called the Tiki Room and is decorated with a Polynesian theme with Hawaiian leis and wooden tribal masks. The competition Physical Eds Biggest Loser competition began the week after Thanksgiving and lasted seven weeks until Jan. 13. Carp said the holiday time between Thanksgiving and New Years is one of the most difficult times to lose weight. He estimated that people typically gain five to seven pounds over the holidays. Matt Brennan of Wayland, who lost 12.8 pounds in the competition, said he felt the timing for the competition was perfect. Thats when I needed to lose weight the most, he said. I was doing a lot of traveling before Thanksgiving and I didnt have time to workout. I was probably my heaviest right after Thanksgiving. Brennan has been coming to Physical Eds for seven months. I love it here. Its never Stone said hes referred many of his friends and family to the gym already. Its immaculate,

its friendly, Carp is key with instruction, its unlike any other gym. The gym, which opened in November 2003, is part of Carps passion for fitness. Carp began power lifting competitively in 1981 and won the eastern states competition. In 1991 he was overall champion in the Mr. Connecticut

competition and the overall champion in the Mr. Massachusetts competition. In 1992 he won the

Yankee Classic and in 1994 he won the Metropolitan Classic competition. Carp said he loves being a trainer and does not have any aspirations to franchise or open other stores. I just want one state-of-the art facility where nothing squeaks, all the equipment is the latest, and I can give everyone personal attention, he said. These days you never get to speak directly to the owner of the business or receive one-on- one attention. I want to give that to people, I like that Im right out front all the time if anyone has a question. Carp said Physical Eds is more than just a business to him, its his second home and a place he takes great pride in. His members say they feel that way too. Ken Stone said he looks at his membership to Physical Eds as an investment in himself. We all have families and businesses and busy lives. When I come (to Physical Eds) this is the only thing I do for me all day. Brennan, Gleason and Stone say they are thrilled with the weight they lost and intend to keep it off.

Physical Eds Fitness Studio is located at the corner of routes 27 and 30 in Wayland. Owner and trainer Ed Carp can be reached at 508-655-7497. Physical Eds is online at www.physicaled.com