floor. Amid the benches and free weights, a lone figure works out; undisturbed, and at her own pace, completing her exercise routine. Sound alluring? Believe it or not, it's all part of a concerted effort to make exercise appealing to the average person. According to owners Karen and Ron Magnum, the Diet Center and Magnum PowerForce Gym was designed for persons whose insecurities usually keep them away from such facilities -- the older, married couple; the woman who can't fit into a size six -- in general, those persons without the well-defined abdominals and the rock hard thighs. Because a healthy body is the result of a total commitment, they started with the Diet Center, moved to 119 Front Street, and expanded to include the gym. "We took over the Diet Center -- then on Victoria Street, in 1992,'' said Mrs. Magnum.

"It offers a healthy, nutritious and delicious eating programme, which when combined with exercise, helps the person to lose inches and reduce their overall weight.'' Designed by doctors and nutritionists, the Diet Center is part of a body of about 100 facilities spread across the United States and Canada. Each has trained counsellors who help clients follow the programme, motivating them, teaching them to adhere to healthy food choices and monitoring their progress. Upon joining, persons are asked to undergo a body elctro-lipograph test which measures body fat percentage. That, along with details of their exercise routine, is put into a computer which specifically designs a menu for them. They are then given a booklet from which they may select any of a number of appropriate foods which fit their specific dietary requirements, and asked to come in three to five times a week to record their progress. "It's all food that you can pick up in any grocery store,'' said Mrs. Magnum. "And it's a very disciplined programme. This is great for people who really can't do it on their own; who psychologically, feel they need someone there asking them whether or not they did their exercise and someone to go over all the foods they've eaten with them. "We also have a maintenance programme for after they finish the reduction programme to help them keep the weight off,'' she added. "What we do is help them to understand that they have to change the way they eat for life.'' Mrs. Magnum said it was because of her husband Ron, a professional bodybuilder and personal trainer, that they decided to offer their clients the total approach to a healthy living. Mr.

Magnum began weight training at the age of six when he received his first set of dumbbells. At age 16, he entered his first body building competition and, since then, has won a string of titles. "Exercise is a very important part of the programme, as the most efficient way to burn body fat is to combine healthy eating habits with exercise. So we decided to add a gym to encourage clients to work out. My husband is a drug free body builder with extensive experience in the field of toning and shaping the body,'' she said. "We felt that by giving clients the opportunity to exercise at the gym and to do the Diet Center programme as well, they would see much better results. We had a lot of feedback from many of our overweight clients who said they felt intimidated by all the fit bodies around them at other health clubs so what we wanted, was to create an atmosphere where overweight and unfit people could feel comfortable to workout, and thus achieve their goal of becoming fit.'' Helping clients work towards that, Mrs. Magnum said, are three rooms filled with free weights, punching and pummelling bags, cardio-vascular machines and a host of amenities which, under the watchful eye of her husband, can aid anyone in their quest for fitness. In fact, recent additions enable even greater benefits to patrons, who, if they wish, can tune in to any one of the appropriately placed television monitors for musical inspiration. "We have an abdominal room, which is bright and airy, and lot of our clients like it because of that ,'' she said. "And we now have 14 in total -- treadmills, stair steppers, rowers, cycles. "We've has a lot of clients say that the atmosphere in the gym is very comfortable.'' The Diet Center and Magnum PowerForce Gym is open 6.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

weekends. PHOTO Karen Magnum Personal trainer Ron Magnum hits the punching bag at Magnum PowerForce Gym. The body builder can offer clients expert advice to help attain their goals A glimpse of one of the gym's three exercise rooms