'No Time To Exercise' Is No Excuse

"Time is wasted, time walking Time, time You ain't no friend of mine. " - Hootie & the Blowfish

Alright, cheesy song I admit but it brings up a real issue in the fitness industry. The catch-all excuse of I don't have enough time to exercise is ever present but now its simply not true. New studies have shown that short bursts of very intense exercise — equivalent to only a few minutes per day — can produce the same results as traditional endurance training!

From Science Daily:

"The most striking finding from our study was the remarkably similar improvements in muscle health and performance induced by two such diverse training strategies," says Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University.

Gibala's team made headlines last year when they suggested that a few minutes of high-intensity exercise could be as effective as an hour of moderate activity. However, their previous work did not directly compare sprint versus endurance training.

The new study was conducted on 16 college-aged students who performed six training sessions over two weeks. Eight subjects performed between four and six 30-second bursts of "all out" cycling separated by 4 minutes of recovery during each training session. The other eight subjects performed 90-120 minutes of continuous moderate-intensity cycling each day. Total training time commitment including recovery was 2.5 hours in the sprint group, whereas the endurance group performed 10.5 hours of total exercise over two weeks. Despite the marked difference in training volume, both groups showed similar improvements in exercise performance and muscle parameters associated with fatigue resistance.

"Our study demonstrates that interval-based exercise is a very time-efficient training strategy," said Gibala. “This type of training is very demanding and requires a high level of motivation. However, short bursts of intense exercise may be an effective option for individuals who cite ‘lack of time’ as a major impediment to fitness."

Click here to read the original source story.

News from the World of Fitness: Updated National Fitness Guidelines

One of the biggest questions the trainers at Main Event get asked is:

How long should I work out each day?

While the answer to that question depends greatly on the person and their fitness level - updated national exercise guidelines released by the American College of Sports Medicine give a good idea of how to structure your workout.

From Science Daily — By Nancy Dohn

---

GAINESVILLE, Fla.---Fitting aerobic exercise and weight training into busy schedules may have just gotten easier. Updated national exercise guidelines released by the American College of Sports Medicine Wednesday (June 3) in Orlando show breaking up aerobic exercise into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day can be just as effective as one 30-minute session.

In addition, performing one set of weight lifting exercises (eight to 12 repetitions) will build the same muscle endurance and strength as doing multiple sets, said University of Florida exercise physiologist Michael L. Pollock.

New to the national guidelines, last updated in 1990, is the recommendation to perform weekly stretches to increase muscle and tendon flexibility, which reduces potential injury and maintains function as people age, Pollock said.

"The first guidelines established in 1978 looked mainly at the importance of cardiovascular exercise. In 1990, strength training exercises were added as part of an overall fitness program," Pollock said.

"These current guidelines include flexibility exercises and modifications to aerobic and weight training based on current research that will help the average person adhere to a fitness program."

Click here to read the rest of the story

Sweat and the Pursuit of Happiness

"The secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Mark Twain

I'm reading a book called The Athlete's Way by Christopher Bergland and it is really resonating with me. I would highly recommend it to anyone that wants to dig deeper into the pursuit of goals. Why some people are able to take the steps necessary and others just never get started. The author has done some pretty extraordinary things such as Ultramarathons and Ironman triathlons so he is clearly an overachiever. But he breaks down the psychology of performance in such a way that it applies to all things in life.

Here is a sample:

"The most valuable lesson that I've learned about the athlete's way is that it isn't just about the outcome, it really is about what happens along the way. The trick is to set goals and achieve them, but to take it down a thousand. To keep the bar high but stay very relaxed. You need to demand the most for yourself, but cut yourself some slack. Don't be a control freak, or try to be perfect-but still try to be the best you can. This is that tightrope walk of the athletic paradox."

"The pursuit of happiness is the prime motivating force in most people's lives. Athletes like to exercise because it makes them happy. If you are someone who thinks of exercise as a suffer-fest, a disagreeable, unpleasant experience to be avoided, the key is going to be for you to flip your perspective to associate physical activity with happiness...Athletes consider working out to be rewarding and pleasurable because they intuitively incorporate the four tenets of athletic bliss into every workout:

1. Presence of positive emotions
2. Physical pleasure
3. Meaning/Significance
4. Sense of achievement

If you can make even one of these a part of your exercise experience, you will be on your way to enjoying working out."

"Set a goal and don't quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don't quit until you reach it. Never quit." - Bear Bryant

So if you have extra bandwidth in your day and can afford the time, this is a very good book to help you either get started or to reinvigorate you if you have plateaued.

Chris Scully

Main Event Fitness' Proud History & Bright Future

Since its inception in 1989 Main Event Fitness has acquired an almost mythic reputation as a gathering place of celebrities and bodybuilding freaks working out side-by-side with students and "regular" folks. When Lex Luger and Sting opened the first MEF on Buford Highway in November 1989, the buzz was unbelievable. Wrestling was climbing the charts as an entertainment outlet and many of the top talents were living right here in Atlanta.

All of the top wrestlers were regulars at MEF: Hulk Hogan, Randy Macho Man Savage, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Ric Flair, Marcus Bagwell, Diamond Dallas Page...a who's who of talent were there all the time. And the neat thing about these guys was that they were on TV every week and yet they were approachable, nice guys with good attitudes toward the staff and members.

There was also the bodybuilding culture, which was huge with regular coverage on ESPN and with Atlanta as one of the country's epicenters for the sport. The Buford Highway gym was the place to be for bodybuilding, celebrity-watching, and powerlifting. The change in the area over on Buford Highway during the mid-90's caused businesses like Target and Publix to rethink their strategies and this meant MEF had to do the same thing.

The Marietta MEF opened in April 1992 as the previous occupant of the space, Skyline Athletic Club, decided to sell. The Marietta location was always considered the "bigger" and "nicer" sister to the Buford Highway gym but they both enjoyed considerable success. The focus of the business became the Marietta unit with its terrific location and huge growth potential. When Sting decided he wanted to move his family back home to California, I got a wonderful opportunity to step into his shoes as co-owner with Lex.

I credit both Lex and Sting for giving me the chance to pursue my dream. Sting could have sold his interest to any number of people and Lex could have chosen to go into business with someone else - so I'm very thankful that they allowed me to climb the ladder. I always loved the business model: a real gym, not a health club. The definition of "real gym" has changed somewhat over the years but all in all, it is still pretty easy to distinguish between a real gym and a health club.

Let me tell you, there are not many real gyms left so I feel lucky. When the Buford Highway gym was sold in 1998 it afforded us the opportunity to focus on our flagship facility and the changes that occurred at MEF Marietta over those years are immense. Wrestling and bodybuilding are no longer the attractions that they once were, the facility has been renovated several times, and Lex has moved on to pursue other interests. The celebrity faces have changed - we enjoy plenty of notable NFL players as customers now (Hines Ward, Jamal Lewis, Jason Allen, and Wayne Gandy to name a few) as the sports performance division of XPE Sports grows its business within MEF.

Our customer base, which back in the 90's was younger, is now a bit older and more affluent. Our gym is a source of great pride for me as most gyms do not last beyond three years let alone 18 years! But we are still a real gym - that is what I wanted in 1993 and that is what I want in 2013. I am also very fortunate that Bob Scully is right there with me in my quest to have the best gym anywhere! I couldn't do it without his help.

Chris Scully

Most Common Phrase: "I used to...."

I have been involved in sports and fitness all of my life and I'm a listener by nature. So it occurred to me that over the years, one phrase that is constantly used in the gym is "I used to." It's amazing how many of us look back and say that phrase when explaining ourselves to someone. Here are some that I logged because they were so darn funny:

• "I used to be on the Canadian Olympic Archery Team" - this person was from NY
• "I used to own gyms back in California" - that was a lie
• "I used to be a competitive bodybuilder in FL" - doubt it
  
• "I used to model" - if you saw what I saw, I'm not sure what kind of model they were referring to?
  
• "I used to play in the NFL" - lie
  
• "I used to be in the FBI" - probably a lie
  
• "I used to be a star baseball player but I tore my knee up and it cut my career short with the Yankees" - lie
  
• "I used to be an Olympic decathlete but only three get to go to the Olympics and I was number 4" - probably a lie
• "I used to be a world class sprinter. I beat Darrell Green (4-Time NFL's Fastest Man) in a charity race in D.C." - sure you did
  
• "I used to be the Choreographer for the Olympic opening ceremony" - lie
• "I used to be...a Navy Seal, Army Ranger, chef, taught Major Leaguer catchers how to catch, bodybuilder, firefighter, and radio d.j." - one person who did all this by age 26 - right!

There are plenty of these types of exchanges I have had where the truth was told. But it's amazing how people feel the need to embellish their past. I actually enjoy playing along with some of them. Keep them coming...it makes for good entertainment! I guess we all are guilty of looking back at the glory days (either real or make-believe).
Chris Scully

Introducing Chris Scully

For those of you that don’t know Chris – he is the co-owner of Main Event Fitness with his father, Bob. He is originally from Miami, FL and attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. Having played all sports as a kid, he decided on soccer as his sport of choice in high school and played for Wake Forest as a collegian. After graduating in 1989, he began his career in fitness in Miami and moved to Atlanta in 1993 to explore the opportunities of owning a gym. He became involved with Main Event Fitness shortly after arriving in Atlanta and several years later in 1997, bought ownership in the company. Chris' dream was always to own a gym - a real gym- and he is very proud to have had a large hand in the development of such an exceptional facility. He loves the atmosphere at MEF and truly looks forward to each and every day at the gym. Chris is married, has four dogs (3-Siberian Huskies and 1-German Shepherd), enjoys cycling, and occasionally plays golf and tennis. He enjoys reading mostly non-fiction and is a history buff. He attended Miami Dolphins games as a kid and wished the Falcons played outdoors so he could relive some of those wonderful fall days in a sun-soaked stadium (instead of the sterile Georgia Dome). Chris loves talking Pro Football and English Premier League Soccer.

Nutrition - Online Monitoring

One of the coolest new features of our website is our Online Nutrition Monitoring. Members can access this feature from any web browser. Just click and go!

The Skinny:

This innovative online tool assists our members in tracking their diet and helping educate them along the way. Introduced in 2007, our new software system allows a Main Event Fitness coach to advise our members on their meal planning and caloric intake (versus caloric expenditure). The online program is different than other online diet programs in that we do not provide a meal plan to follow. The meal plan approach has proven to cause a great deal of stress and frustration because it alters a person’s eating and food preparation habits significantly. This makes it very difficult for the individual to follow the program long-term. Main Event advocates recording what eat and gradually making changes to your diet by substitution of healthier alternatives that contain fewer calories.

To take a tour of the industry’s newest technology, please visit https://mef.stayinstep.com/login.htm.

Some of the features include:

• An integrated Food & Exercise Log
• Ideal & Goal Setting
• Integrated Calendar that displays:
  • Daily Weight
  • Gain or Loss
  • Calories Consumed
  • Calories Burned
  • Net Calories
• Over 8,000 foods in the database
• Over 600 exercises in the database
• User community with Forums

The online monitoring is both affordable and convenient. For more information, please call Dell White at 770-951-2120 or e-mail him at Dell@MainEventFitness.com.