American Prep Blog

APA Staff Fitness

Written by Daniel Bazan | Jul 30, 2023 10:52:00 PM

July 2023 - Dan Bazan, Communications and Marketing Director

This past month, APA staff from Draper, Salem, and West Valley campuses participated in our first-ever APA Spartan Team competing in two races at Snow Basin in Huntsville, Utah.  The Spartan Race is a tough obstacle course designed to test even the fittest athletes.  

Our APA staff was made up of two teams (22 participants) competing in the 21k/13-mile Beast Race on Saturday, July 8th, and the 10k/6.2 mile Super Race on Sunday, July 9th.  We are proud of our APA Spartan Team for testing their physical and mental fitness, pushing their limits, and completing each race.  

We want to take a moment to acknowledge the profound investment in our staff's health and fitness by the
American Preparatory Academy Education Foundation.  Their generous sponsorship of our first-ever APA Spartan Team enabled our staff to take part in one of the world's biggest obstacle races for FREE, fostering a culture of health, teamwork, and resilience.  So here's to our APA Spartan Team - you've shown us what it means to conquer a challenge with vigor and grace.  We are immeasurably proud of your achievements and can't wait to see you conquer more races in the future! 

In light of this inspiring achievement, we're pleased to announce the continuation of our FREE staff workouts every Saturday at 8:00 am at our Draper 3 campus.  We invite all staff members to join us as we prepare for future challenges and build a healthier APA community together.  We also hope to see even more staff members stepping up to join the APA Spartan Team for next year's race.  If you would like to participate in the Saturday workouts, please join us on the west side of Draper 3 at 8:00 am.  We are there every Saturday morning. 

Here's to our APA Spartan Team – you have truly embodied the American Prep spirit of "doing hard things" and showed us what it means to rise to the challenge and conquer it with poise and perseverance. 

 

 

February 2023 - Dan Bazan - Communications Director

2023 is off and running, and now is a great time to join a fitness program; however, deciding which program is right or affordable for you can be challenging.  Slogging through the details of a prospective gym or program can be helpful but may leave you overwhelmed.  Still, if you're like me, you're probably bombarded with daily ads from fitness gurus recommending 6-week fat shredding programs or the top 5 BEST ab-building and bicep-burning exercises.  The choices can be daunting, so I encourage you to start with a small decision that is completely free. 

As American Prep staff members, we have a fantastic opportunity available to each of us through our weekly workouts at the Draper 3 campus.  Teachers, instructors, and support staff meet at Draper 3 every Saturday at 8 am and burn calories while building strength through a 1-hour workout.  Our plans combine compound movements, cardio, and weight training to provide full-body benefits.  The BEST part of our Saturday exercises is the incredible group of people we get to hang out with - teachers, instructors, and support staff who all enjoy this program. 

Before you run off to your local gym's March Madness program or buy expensive home gym equipment, try our Draper 3 staff workouts on Saturdays at 8 am. 

Spartan Race Updates 

This year, the American Preparatory Education Foundation offered to sponsor up to 25 participants in the first-ever APA Spartan Race team.  The Spartan Race is the world's biggest obstacle race, with over 1 million participants worldwide.  This year, the Utah Spartan Race will be held on July 8th and 9th in Huntsville, Utah.  We are gathering interest now due to the commitment required to train for the event and because of the cost of tickets. 

Thank you to those who have signed up for our July Spartan Race. Due to demand, we are gaining interest in an APA Spartan team to participate in the longer Beast Race (21 Kilometers) on Saturday, July 8th. If this race is more compatible with your schedule, we would love to have you join the APA Spartan team. 

UPDATE: Due to demand, we are gathering interest from APA staff who want to participate in the Spartan BEAST race (Saturday, July 8th) OR the Spartan Super race (Sunday, July 9th)

Click here to submit your interest for the BEAST Race on Saturday, July 8th. 

Once you submit your interest, Dan Bazan will connect with you about the race.  

We encourage you to set your health goals high for 2023 and hope you'll consider working out and racing with us in July.  If you have any questions about the weekly workouts at D3 or the Spartan Race, please contact Dan Bazan, dbazan@apamail.org. 

 

January 2023 - Dan Bazan - Communications Director

2022 was an exciting year for staff workouts at Draper 3. Our staff fitness group held training weekly during the school year and twice a week during the summer. What began as a small effort to find fitness became a focused pursuit of physical transformation for all.  

One of the many reasons that this group continued is because each exercise program is flexible and can be adjusted to meet individual needs. With over a year of meeting to work out at Draper 3, we know that weekly group exercise benefits anyone who participates. We invite you to join us on Saturdays at Draper 3.

Click to view the APA Staff Workout Schedule

MORE EXCITING NEWS!

This year, the American Preparatory Education Foundation, offered to sponsor up to 25 participants in the first-ever APA Spartan Race team.  The Spartan Race is the world's biggest obstacle race with over 1 million participants worldwide.  

***This year, the Utah Spartan Race will be held on SUNDAY, July 9th in Huntsville, Utah.  (Previously communicated as Saturday, the 8th; however, the SUPER, which is the race we are participating in, will be held on Sunday, July 9th. Our apologies for this miscommunication.)***

We are gathering interest now due to the commitment required to train for the event and because of the cost of tickets. 

What is the Spartan Race?  The history of the Spartan Race is remarkable, spanning more than 20 years.  It has grown into the world's biggest obstacle race, with over one million participants worldwide. 

What's great about the Spartan Race is that anyone can participate. We encourage our team to test their physicality through training and commit to a race on July 9th in Huntsville, Utah. 

What can you expect during a Spartan Race?

The American Prep team will participate in the Spartan SUPER, a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) race including changing elevation with 15 - 20 obstacles.

Click the link below to see a video about the Spartan SUPER

Eligibility to participate

If you would like to participate in this year’s APA Spartan Team, please check your calendars for Sunday, July 9th, and confirm that you will be available. 

Participants whose ticket is paid for by APEF
  • Must be American Prep staff members
  • Must commit to participate with our team on race day, July 9th
  • Must commit to the cancellation policy below

Adding family members - All additional participants must pay for their race ticket; however, they can be added to the APA Spartan team. We would love to include our families and friends in this race event, so please invite your loved ones.  Adding your friends and family to the American Prep team will enable them to start with us at our race time and participate in our heat. Please contact Dan Bazan for details on how to add a family member.  

Cancellations and Ticket Transfer Options

Tickets are non-refundable and our APEF is generously funding our team so it is imperative that each participant understand the expectations of our race team.  

Because race fees are non-refundable, we require each participant to commit to repaying any race fees if they need to cancel. 

Options if you need to cancel your race:

  • Repay your race fee to APEF.  The current ticket price for our race is $109. Your ticket stays with you, so you may be able to use your ticket for a race the following year if you pay the transfer fee AND cancel within 30 days of their scheduled race.
  • Or, transfer your ticket to another event or to another participant for a fee (typically $35). Must be done 30 days or more prior to your scheduled race. 

Please click HERE to submit your interest in joining the 2023 APA Spartan team. 

Once you submit your interest, Dan Bazan will contact you with further details about ticket availability and registration.  

We encourage you to set your health goals high for 2023 and hope you'll consider working out and racing with us in July.   If you have any questions about the weekly workouts at D3 or the Spartan Race, please contact Dan Bazan, dbazan@apamail.org. 

 

 

August 2022 - Dan Bazan - Communications Director

American Prep staff, our Crossfit-style summer workouts have been fantastic, and as we move into fall, we will continue to work out outside as much as possible. At some point, we will have to move into the gym, but for now, we're going to keep it going in the great outdoors. 

Our workouts started as a silly idea to flip tires and burn some calories behind Draper 3, thanks to Craig Hollinger and Daniel Baker. As with all good things, it has matured into a consistent and supportive workout group and something I look forward to every week. 

We wanted to thank everyone who joined the program and encouraged us to keep going. As a special THANKS, we will be hosting a GIVEAWAY this month. Everyone is welcome to participate. Our goal is to give away fitness items you can use at home, at work, or with friends. We want you to have access to fitness wherever you are. Our giveaway will take place on Saturday, September 17th at 8:00 am at Draper 3.  Details COMING SOON!

Now that summer break is over, and school is back in full swing, it's easy to find reasons not to hit the gym, the trail, or the court. We always have something that may look better than sweating it out over kettlebells. We encourage you to find some time for fitness to relieve stress, reduce inflammation, and get your heart pumping. I personally think the best way to do this is with friends at APA. 

Send me a message if you have any questions about our workouts. If you want to attend, show up behind Draper 3 on Saturdays at 8 am. We'll be there. 

July 2022 - Dan Bazan - Communications Director

Several teachers and staff have been enjoying CrossFit-style workouts at Draper 3 this summer.  We are excited to welcome anyone who wants to come and burn calories with us in our self-paced, always encouraging no-pressure training sessions. 

With the start of Training Week and Preservice, we are adjusting our schedule to accommodate the workday and the heat.  Beginning Tuesday, August 2nd, our Tuesday workouts will move to 8:00 pm.  Our Saturday workout will remain at 8:00 am. 

Our schedules will adjust again as we get into the colder seasons, but until then, come sweat with us on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 

All American Prep staff are invited. 

Please email Dan Bazan if you have any questions.

Thank you, everyone! 

 

What to expect during a typical APA CrossFit-Style Workout:

Each 1-hour session is FREE for APA staff.

Equipment is provided. We do recommend you bring your own jump rope and yoga mat if you wish. 

Bring a full water bottle. 

There will be a posted list of exercises and one of our coaches will demonstrate each exercise and answer any questions you have throughout your workout. 

This is a self-paced, NO PRESSURE environment. You work at your pace. If you need motivation, ask! Any one of us will be happy to help you!