Attached below is my open letter to President Obama addressing the under-explored and underrated fitness crisis. As Congress strives to draft a workable economic stimulus, I’ve decided the time is right to make the case for a health club stimulus. ________________________________________ Dear President Obama: I applaud your rhetoric about getting people back to work for…
Whenever a holiday approaches, I’m reminded of my old swim coach’s attitude toward days off. When a teammate asked in early summer whether we’d have practice on Independence Day, my coach said: “The Russians have practice on July 4th, as do the Germans … you can bet we’ll be practicing too!” Years later, it occurred…
Though health clubs often spend lavishly to make the gym experience more pleasant, I’d rather see the money put towards making the time more productive. For example, I appreciate the unlimited supply of gym towels, but I’d just as soon have my sweat drip all over a new StairMaster. Likewise, I enjoy watching SportsCenter in…
Several years ago, a friend and I were driving at night down the main strip that cuts through Charlottesville, VA. A severe electrical storm suddenly killed the power to much of the city, including the traffic lights at some busy crossroads. As we slowed near one major intersection, we were relieved to see that a…
As I strive to squeeze the most from every set, I’ve done considerable thinking about what number of repetitions is most challenging. Put another way: When doing a set to failure, what number of reps hurts the most? I’ve analyzed only sets consisting of 1-10 reps; if your set lasts more than 10 reps you’re…