HEALTHY LIVING 2008 -- 20s: 20-somethings looking to look good

He sees it all the time: people coming in to work out just for vanity.

Shoot, he’s even got a class full of sorority girls that come in worrying about “getting the small tummy and the small butt.”

But maybe that’s just because that’s the dynamic that comes with helping people in their 20s work out.

“They want to look good in a bathing suit, more so than being healthy and being fit,” said Kevin Dryanski, an athletic trainer at The BAR School of Athletic Performance and Personal Training Studio in Ahwatukee Foothills. “Obviously, our older clients, most of them want to lose weight and be more healthy, whereas our younger clients want to lose weight and look good.

“It’s like, 'Hey can we do exercises so I can lose this, right here?’ while they’ll be holding a little portion of their leg,” Dryanski added. “I’m not a plastic surgeon. I can’t exactly pinpoint and say, 'OK, we’re going to get rid of this fat right here.’

“It’s pretty funny, but it is a different dynamic, especially from a 20-year-old to a 50- or 60-year-old. It’s a different animal.”

The advantage those in their 20s do have, however, is that their bodies can take more punishment while they’re trying to look good in a bathing suit.

“If it’s a simple step up. With a 50-year-old person, we might just focus on balance at the top, whereas with a 20-year-old person that’s looking to get into better shape we’ll focus on being explosive up to the top and then balancing up there,” Dryanski said. “Just simple things that we could add in that someone that would be a little bit younger and more agile and in a little bit better shape.

“Obviously, as you get older, you kind of lose some things here and there. I think balance is one of the things that goes.”

The differences in workout regimen extend to the amount of weight a person can handle to the type of cardio activity someone can undertake.

“Most of our clients have some sort of joint problems, whether it’s ankles, hips, knees, lower back - something that hinders them,” Dryanski said. “Most of the 20-year-old clients that we have don’t really have those problems, so they can take a lot more pounding on their body.

“It’s not as limited with the older crowd,” Dryanski added. “You can pretty much do anything you want with the younger crowd as long as they’re in relatively good shape.

“With the younger people, it’s fun just because you can get creative and throw different stuff at them.”

The BAR School of Athletic Performance and Personal Training Studio is located on 44th Street just north of Ray Road. Visit their Web site at www.thebarfitness.com.