Posted: 30 Oct 2010 09:03 AM PDT

Move over, kickboxing. Women are discovering the appeal of boxing for fitness, with hands taped and gloves on. Around the country, boxing gyms are becoming popular with those who have no desire to become boxers but rather are interested in combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise in one efficient hour-long workout.

A fitness boxing workout doesn't actually involve punching people or being punched. It does involve hitting the heavy bag (surprisingly fun) and hitting the little speed bag that hangs from the ceiling (surprisingly difficult). The Capital Region offers at least five places where you can try out this intense form of exercise to see if it might be for you.

I admit, I was skeptical. I went to three gyms, as an observer at the first and a guest participant at the next two. At the first -- Thai Boxing in Guilderland Center -- the hands are gloved and the feet are bare. Classes are led by owner-coach Greg Smith and involve three-minute periods of intense work followed by a minute's rest. Students work in pairs, with one doing a series of punches, repeated over and over against the pads that the other holds up; when the bell rings, they switch.

Later they might lay kicks softly up against the side of the torso of the sparring partner, or kick hard at pads the partner holds up at chest level. (Smith explains that most kicks in Thai boxing are actually done much lower; this particular exercise is designed to increase flexibility.) Later, in an exercise with obvious applicability to self-defense, they lace their fingers together behind the partner's neck and deliver a series of knee kicks to pads held at the groin area.

It's clear this form of boxing requires -- or creates -- flexibility, endurance and strength. It's also obvious this workout could be easier for someone like me -- strong but not at all good at learning routines or dance steps -- to complete than, say, a kickboxing class where I have to follow along and mirror a teacher's endless complicated moves. All you have to do here is repeat the same maneuver for three minutes and be willing to sweat.

Pria Sinha, 22, of Troy, started working out at the gym a year ago for fitness and soon got serious about it; she now goes six days a week. She has lost 50 pounds, and looks toned and fit although not at all muscle-bound. The gym's evening classes fit well with her job schedule; she's a night-shift supervisor at a shipping company and starts at 11 p.m. When she tells people at the company about her hobby, "a lot of them don't believe me."

Smith is pleased with Sinha's progress so far. "She's paired up right now with one of the hardest-hitting guys in the class," he says, "and she's doing really well."

Next up is Schott's Boxing, a gym distinguished by the looming presence of a full-sized boxing ring. I was told to arrive 20 minutes early so I could get "all taped up." This sounded serious.

Instructor Javier Martinez, 24, is friendly and polite. He asks if I have any preexisting physical injuries or conditions he should know about. When I say that I broke my wrist a year ago and still can't make a complete fist, he asks if I feel that I can punch with that hand. When I say yes, he says to let him know if I feel any pain and immediately either stop using that hand or use it very lightly, for speed and not for power.

Stance is critical in boxing: feet apart to hip-width, knees bent, torso up straight or leaning forward a little, hands up over the face. (The stance is good exercise in and of itself, and by "good exercise," I mean tiring.)

Co-owner Andy Schott says women comprise about half the people who work out at his gym. Tina Martin, 51, has been working out at Schott's regularly since February. "There's nothing fancy about it," she says. "You just go there to box and work out, and that's it, and I think that's what I like about it most." She started when a coworker suggested it might be a good activity to do with her teenage sons. Indeed, two of her teenage sons have since gotten hooked on working out there, too.

Javier illustrates three different punches (called "1," "2" and "3") and we climb into the ring with my partner Samantha to practice them. Sam and I alternate punching out a 1, 1, 2, 1 rhythm, or some other simple combination, on the pads Javier holds up. (Thanks to having my wrist and hand stabilized with long nylon tape, I am able to punch hard, although carefully but without pain.)

Sam and I do the circuit of 12 stations together. The workout is broken into three-minute intervals of hard work, followed by rest for one minute. Work at the stations includes hitting the heavy bag, hitting the wall bag, working with the speed bag, working with a coach on the punch mitts in the boxing ring, and jumping rope or doing other individual exercise.

Next stop is LA Boxing in Colonie, which is part of a nationwide franchise. It's a big, well-lit building that shares its parking lot with a Dunkin Donuts. It looks more like a "health club" than the others, although it, too, has a boxing ring inside, as well as a jungle of heavy bags hanging from the ceiling.

The workout is intense here, too, with lots of cardio (including indoor sprints and walking lunges in between sets of punching the heavy bag). The class I take has more women than men (four women and two men).

According to Billy Harkins, assistant manager, "our membership is probably 55 percent women." The coaches try to motivate people, he says, and let people take things at their own pace. He says that the LA Boxing workout burns 800 to 1,000 calories in an hour; having taken part in one, I can attest to that.

As I drive away from one of the gyms, merging into traffic comes as a bit of a shock, in the same way that emerging into the mall after a good movie can be. The experience has been so absorbing I have almost forgotten about the world outside the gym. That is very appealing, as is the way that the muscles throughout my body still feel stronger than before and ready for another workout.

Where to Try Boxing:

THAI BOXING

457 Route 146 (in the Park Guilderland Center plaza)

Altamont 12144

(518) 595-3134

albanythaiboxing.com

Introductory deal: 2 classes for $20; also offers a monthly unlimited ($99)

SCHOTT'S BOXING

21 Vatrano Road

Albany 12205

(518) 641-9064

schottsboxing.com

Also offers a pay-as-you-go system ($12 per class) and a monthly unlimited ($49 per month)

LA BOXING

457 Albany-Shaker Road (at Osborne Road)

Albany 12211-1865

(518) 489-8269

laboxing.com/albany

First class free. Also offers a monthly unlimited ($49 per month)

NEW YORK BOXING

244 North Mohawk Street

Cohoes 12047

518-833-6751

nyboxing@gmail.com

Also has a new location at 7 Mariaville Rd., Rotterdam

SWEENEY'S BOXING AND FITNESS

160 Delaware Avenue, Delmar 12054

(518) 439-5656

sweeneysboxing.com

Most of these gyms offer memberships that give unlimited monthly access to classes. Contact individual gyms for pricing information.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

Celebrity Health & Fitness Expert Forbes Riley’s Outrageous Fortune - YAHOO!

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 07:08 PM PDT

Forbes Riley, Founder/CEO of SpinGym LLC, along with the creators of Skullcandy, Silly Bandz, Bumpits and FitFlops, will be profiled by Forbes Magazine on E! Entertainment's "Got Rich Quick: Outrageous Fortunes. Premiering Thursday, October 28, 2010, at 10:00 p.m. EST.

St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) October 27, 2010 –

E! Entertainment Network is on the rise with such hit shows as "Keeping Up with The Kardashians", Chelsea Handler's "Chelsea Lately" and "E! News with Ryan Seacrest and Guilana Rancic". This Thursday pop culture meets pop finance in the Forbes Magazine special, "Got Rich Quick"--spotlighting Forbes Riley and her portable SpinGym product (http://www.MySpinGym.com), as well as four other entrepreneurs who have masterfully turned simple ideas from sandals, head phones and rubber bands into must-have multi-million dollar companies.

Originally launched on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in January 2010, SpinGym® is now sold internationally and is fast becoming a staple of fitness programs--with certified instructors offering classes incorporating SpinGym® into aerobics, kickboxing, Spinning and Pilates. From frequent fliers to desk jockey's to fitness clubs and rehab centers; SpinGym®'s popularity stems from the fact that it is stylish, compact, portable, and delivers powerful results.

"Over the years I've noticed that so many women have weak upper bodies and hate their arms (especially the saggy underarms)--they are embarrassed to go sleeveless. I originally developed the SpinGym for women who didn't have time to go to the gym or who didn't have the strength to do proper push-ups and pull-ups. What's most surprising is that we are now certifying SpinGym Trainers for use in their cardio, kickboxing and Pilates classes. I think SpinGym's appeal is that it really is an effective total body gym that fits in the palm of your hand" said Forbes Riley.

Recently the Keynote Speaker at the Chicago Black Inventors Conference (CBIC), Forbes made a resounding impression on the over 1,500 attendees who are hoping their inventions become the next must-have product for American households. "It is easy to see how someone with her energy, passion and commitment can become so successful. Forbes belief in SpinGym is infectious, and her enthusiasm for thinking out of the box extremely motivating. Simply one of the most outstanding speakers I've ever heard" said CBIC Chairman Calvin Flowers.

From Fox Business to The Strategy Room, and morning television shows nationwide, Forbes Riley is a recurring fitness and lifestyle expert who brings business acumen and real life experience to millions of viewers who find this mother of 7 year old twins captivating and energizing.

About SpinGym®

Introduced in January 2010, SpinGym® is a unique hand-held fitness product designed for people of all levels of fitness: from athletes to seniors, rehab to recreation. SpinGym® is fast becoming a staple of fitness programs with certified instructors offering classes incorporating SpinGym® into aerobics, kickboxing, Spinning and Pilates across the country.

Stylish, portable, compact, and weighing less than one pound, SpinGym® is a revolutionary new fitness product. Its award-winning, modern European design combines the physics of inertia and isokinetics to create a completely unique way to train, strengthen and sculpt the muscles of the arms, shoulders, back and core in just 5 minutes a day. This principle is called GRT (Gyrotronic Resistance Training®), and unlike free weights or gym machines, each rotation of the SpinGym® energizes and activates all the muscles of the upper body simultaneously - a breakthrough in the world of fitness. SpinGym® not only provides resistance, but because of the rotational forces created--it becomes a complete fat melting, calorie burning total body gym. SpinGym is offered with fitness and cardio workout instructional DVDs. For more information visit http://www.MySpinGym.com
About Forbes Riley®

Forbes Riley® is an award winning TV host, author, National Fitness Hall of Fame Inductee, and the Founder / CEO of SpinGym LLC. She is a two-time recipient of the Electronic Retailing Association's (ERA) "Best Female Presenter of the Year", and has been awarded "Best Live Shopping On-Air Guest". She is recognized worldwide for promoting several of the most successful infomercials of all time including the Jack Lalanne Juicer and Living Well Healthmaster, grossing in excess of $1 billion dollars. Forbes is a regular presence on televisions worldwide as a product spokesperson and television host--appearing on such networks as ESPN, TLC, Fit-TV, Animal Planet, ABC Family, HSN, QVC, The Shopping Channel (Canada), QVC London, IdealWorld (London), and recently starred in the feature film about raw food called "Super Charge Me!". Forbes continuing mission is to promote health, vitality and fitness as a lifestyle, not a fad. She divides her time between Los Angeles and Tampa Bay, with her husband and children. For more information about Forbes Riley, please visit http://www.ForbesRiley.com.

###

Cyndi Mulligan
Reicol, LLC
727.366.2726
Email Information

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Expansion nearly complete at Franklin Health and Fitness - Smoky Mountain News

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 05:53 AM PDT

A 4,000-square-foot, $800,000 expansion that includes a major renovation at the Franklin Health and Fitness Center will be finished in about eight weeks.

"We're wrapping it up," said Rodney Morris, the facility's general manager.

Additions include a new aerobics room, a cardio room with updated equipment, a new women's locker room, a remodeled and expanded men's locker room, an enhanced spinning room, an expanded KidsZone, a redesigned service desk and a new entrance with handicap access. There will also be new paint and flooring throughout the center.

Franklin Health and Fitness Center opened at its current location on East Main Street in 1988. Rodney's father, Dr. Ed Morris, was an original founder and is now sole owner of the center. This is the second — and by far the largest — expansion at the facility.

To build or not to build

Morris appeared before Macon County commissioners back in September 2007 at a public hearing on a countywide recreational bond referendum that, if passed, would have built a county recreation center.

Morris told commissioners then that his facility operated on a small profit margin and that any loss of members could result in Franklin Health and Fitness having to close its doors. That bond referendum ultimately failed.

Rodney Morris said that, at this time, he didn't see a great need for another recreational center in the county and that the majority of voters must have felt the same way.

"If there wasn't a facility already here, they [commissioners] could have made a better case," Morris said.

Members first

Sean Callahan, owner of Wind River Construction of Franklin — the company doing the expansion — said he got an unusual request from Morris.

"They asked us to slow down a little," he said. Callahan said the construction was done in phases to ensure members always had access to the facility.

Rodney Morris said that member access and convenience was paramount during construction. "We're open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.," Morris said. "Sean and his crew went above and beyond to help us accommodate our members."

Callahan said that meant working lots of nights. "All the tile had to be laid at night," he said. And it meant adding stages to the plan so they could come in after hours when members wouldn't be there.

Jerry Wright has been a member for the 22 years Franklin Health and Fitness has been in business.

"I helped cut the ribbon," Wright said.

Wright called the expansion "first class," and said that members were inconvenienced as little a possible.

"At one time they were thinking they may have to close some to accommodate the construction, but they worked around that. I am very pleased that they didn't have to shut down," said Wright.

Wright said he remembers 22 years ago when he heard of plans for a new fitness center in Franklin. "I'm a racquetball player," Wright said, "and when I heard they were gonna have racquetball courts I went down to sign up. At that time Western Carolina was the closest place to play."

Wright said he and his family enjoy many of the amenities at Franklin Health and Fitness Center.

"My son takes karate twice a week and the pool is really a fun place for the family," he said.

Wright said there's nothing better on a cold winter's Sunday afternoon than loading the family and heading to the fitness center's 25-yard heated saltwater pool.

Building plans

Bernlohr Architects of Annapolis, Md., designed the expansion and remodeling.

"We interviewed several architects but when we talked with Jim [Bernlohr], we knew he was the best fit for us," said Rodney Morris.

The firm had worked on more than 150 fitness centers across the country

Callahan said the plans were straightforward and the design was good.

"The architects have never had to make a site visit, everything has gone according to plan, " Callahan said.

And those plans include a passive electric-solar design along with a natural gas backup that's used to heat the pools and showers. The roofing, which uses light colored, reflective shingles, is LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and hot water is provided by energy-star certified tank-less hot water heaters.

Morris said the architect, the builder and the sub-contractors were all knowledgeable and comfortable using the latest technology to help create an environmentally friendly environment. Morris said the green building design not only makes sense from an environmental standpoint but that it is also money-saving in the long run.

Meeting needs

Rodney Morris said the driving force behind the expansion was meeting needs.

"Our membership is growing, the town of Franklin is growing and people are more health-conscious," he said.

There are approximately 1,800 current members at Franklin Health and Fitness Center. Morris said the facility employs about 50 people, with seven full-time staff members. The expansion will likely create a few more employment opportunities.

Morris said the center is diligent in finding the best possible employees and instructors.

"We always conduct a series of interviews," he said "and all of our instructors must present a class for co-workers before they work with members."

"We look for instructors with experience. And many of our instructors have four-year degrees in their fields," Morris said.

"All of our instructors must either be certified or obtain certification as a requirement for employment," he added.

Morris said the new additions and enhancements should nearly double membership capacity at the facility. However, he said there is still room for growth.

"We own three-and-a-half acres here," Morris said "and we are prepared to meet the needs of our members."

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Health Aerobics Cardio

Monday, November 1, 2010

“Girls in Gloves: Boxing Your Way to Health and Fitness - Times Union” plus 2 more

“Girls in Gloves: Boxing Your Way to Health and Fitness - Times Union” plus 2 more

To build or not to build

Members first

Building plans

Meeting needs

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive

Feedjit