By PAUL BALCERAK

Staff writer

New Year’s fitness resolutions are fairly common, but rarely seem to stick. One local gym, however, wants to change that with a program the staff hope will help motivate people and keep them motivated.

The Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge at Silverdale Fitness will combine a nutritional program developed by Oprah’s personal trainer with a team-based exercise competition in the same vein as NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”

“People have had success with these types of programs in the past,” Silverdale Fitness General Manager Melissa Reeves said. “The whole key is to get people excited about fitness and to get them moving again.”

Here’s how the program breaks down: personal trainers at the gym will lead teams of six to eight people during the eight-week program. Each team will meet twice a week — once to train with their teammates and personal trainer and once to compete against other teams.

There will be a wide variety of competitions that will have various events built into them, Reeves said, allowing people to pick the events most appropriate to their abilities. For example, a relay race of sorts has been planned, where one team member will do a particular exercise (i.e. bench press) then jog across the gym and “tag” another teammate who will perform another exercise (i.e. an elliptical course).

Reeves and the rest of the gym staff are hoping the competition will create accountability between teammates and keep people motivated, if, for nothing else, for the sake of their team.

“Most people know what they need to do,” she said, but getting and staying motivated without help can be hard.

To further entice people, prizes will be awarded to the winner, who will be determined by a weigh-in and waist measurement at the end of the competition. Prizes include appointments with personal trainers and T-shirts. The grand prize is a one-year membership to Silverdale Fitness.

Along the way, participants will receive nutritional guidance to assist with weight loss. The nutritional program will be based off fitness trainer Bob Greene’s book, “The Best Life Diet,” which has been featured on “Oprah.”

Buying the book isn’t a mandatory part of the class, but it helps, Reeves said, and the gym will be offering it to participants at a discounted price.

“They will definitely walk out of there knowing … the better choices,” she said. “Nothing is terribly bad for you, it’s just the sizing and portions (that people need to control).”

Gym staffers are still trying to put together a couple more teams before the competition begins on Jan. 15. Almost three full teams have been assembled thus far and Reeves is hoping to get a couple local businesses involved in the competition.

She’s even looking ahead to do another competition in the future.

“I know it’s gonna be a success, so I’d love to do it later on in the year,” she said.

Rates for the program are $99 for gym members and $150 for non-members. The cost doesn’t cover Greene’s book and people need to be signed up by Jan. 14.

More information about the program can be retrieved on the gym’s Web site at www.silverdalefitness.com or by calling (360) 698-2264.