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08-02-2012 20:02 LIKE on FACEBOOK! Facebook.com FITNESS VIDEO LIBRARY sarahfit.com I saw this cool fitness challenge from CathySavageFitness.com and thought I'd give it a try.What time did you get? Try repeating this 3x for a quick 10-minute workout. Here is the original video http://www.youtube.com TWEET TWEET twitter.com PIN ME Pinterest.com TUMBLR sarahfit.tumblr.com OUTFIT PROVIDED BY daactive.com

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Crank It Up: Quick Fitness Challenge - Video

Sweatband.com, the UK sports & fitness equipment superstore, has added Spirit Fitness, the leading global commercial fitness brand, to its range. The cardiovascular equipment range being launched consists of two treadmills, two elliptical cross trainers, three exercise bikes and a rowing machine.

London, UK (PRWEB UK) 20 February 2012

Sweatband.com, the UK sports & fitness equipment superstore, has added Spirit Fitness, the leading global commercial fitness brand, to its range. The cardiovascular equipment range being launched consists of two treadmills, two elliptical cross trainers, three exercise bikes and a rowing machine.

The two brand tie-up is a significant milestone for Sweatband.com. With the Spirit Fitness brand included in Sweatband.com’s range the superstore is primed to make significant inroads in the commercial fitness market.

Spirit Fitness is a global player with an impressive pedigree in the commercial fitness equipment market; 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of its first ever treadmill. Sweatband.com will harness its own marketing and service expertise along with Spirit Fitness’ reputation and experience to service the education, accommodation and public service sectors.

Maz Darvish, CEO of Sweatband.com, commented: “Having established a market-leading position in domestic fitness equipment, Sweatband.com has been receiving an increasing volume of enquiries relating to light and full commercial fitness equipment from schools, universities, police stations and hotels. Now we have added Spirit Fitness to our range we can deliver our proven blend of value, expert knowledge and superlative service levels to the institutional market.”

“We chose Spirit Fitness as a key partner for our entry into the commercial market for two reasons. Firstly, in these austere times for many public and private sector organisations, the Spirit Fitness range represents excellent value for money in comparison to other brands in the market. Secondly, the machines have been proven as durable and Spirit has an enviable reputation in the market for providing excellent warranty support – which is crucial for kit bound for more intensive use,” continued Darvish.

Spirit Fitness UK’s national sales manager Craig Young said: “Sweatband.com has a strong online presence, a good team of fitness equipment specialists as well as a central London showroom. We are delighted to welcome them as an authorised distributor for our commercial-use Spirit Fitness products.”

About Sweatband.com

Sweatband.com is one of the UK’s leading sports and fitness equipment retailers. Operating for more than a decade online and with a west-end showroom, the company has processed over a quarter of a million customer orders. Sweatband.com’s range spans multiple sports & fitness verticals including tennis, squash, badminton, golf, fitness & gym equipment, boxing, running, swimming and yoga.

About Spirit Fitness

Spirit Fitness built its first fitness product in 1983, with the simple goal of giving its customers the highest quality equipment to help them achieve their fitness goals. Since then the focus has always been—and will continue to be—delivering a quality experience with its equipment. All Spirit Fitness products are produced in ISO-certified factories for consistent quality.

Spirit Fitness’ other passion has always been innovation to improve the customer experience. Spirit Fitness was one of the first to integrate cooling fans on its products; a high-quality fan is now standard on nearly all Spirit Fitness products. Audio speakers for MP3 players are also integrated on most Spirit Fitness products.

There are many companies that produce fitness equipment, but few that focus on the details that you will find in a Spirit Fitness product.

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Ruth Stone
Sweatband.com Ltd
+44 (0) 7788 417 109
Email Information

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Sweatband.com Enters the Commercial Fitness Market with Global Player Spirit Fitness

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — On a rooftop parking lot, with temperatures in the chilly low 50s, a crowd of all ages shimmied and shook, sweated and smiled as DJ Francis played an eclectic mix of dance music. But this wasn't just another wild South Florida party. It was a special Zumba class for charity, led last month by the creator of the global craze, Alberto "Beto" Perez.

The charismatic Colombian in cargo pants — who has become a rock star in the fitness world — climbed onto the roof of a Chevy minivan that doubled as a stage. He demonstrated salsa steps, the merengue march and many other Latin-inspired dance moves — all while cueing the drummer and the Bongo player.

For an hour, 75 of his adoring fans — and even the minivan — moved to the beat.

"Everybody loves it; everybody has fun," Perez said while posing for pictures with his Zumba faithful, some who traveled from as far as Canada.

Two days later, Perez flew to New York to appear on the TV morning show "Live! with Kelly." "You must be so rich by now," host Kelly Ripa gushed to Perez, 41.

Perez' Zumba classes, with the motto "Ditch the Workout, Join the Party," were strictly a South Florida phenomenon 10 years ago. Today, Zumba Fitness has become the largest branded fitness program in the world, with about 12 million people taking Zumba classes weekly at 110,000 locations in at least 125 countries, according to company spokeswoman Allison Robins.

The private company won't reveal information about the company's finances or its net worth. But at a time when most of the world is struggling economically, Zumba Fitness' empire appears to be flourishing. It is doing so on the strength of a growing army of certified instructors who spread the Zumba gospel to such distant outposts as Iceland, Papua New Guinea, Nepal and even Afghanistan — at the Kabul Community Center.

Zumba instructor Liz Ramirez, a U.S. Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, said in an email that she teaches classes in the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy Compound that was attacked in September.

"In an environment like this, Zumba has been my lifeline," Ramirez said. "It provides me with a creative outlet ... a needed balance to the challenges and demands of the workplace. The music is upbeat and the environment is supportive."

And you don't have to be in a war zone to need a stress reliever. Florida Keys attorney Dorothy Harden discovered Zumba classes two months ago and is hooked. "It feels like exercise because you are sweating, but it's so much fun you forget you're exercising," she said. "You get your inner-dance on. And now I can fit into my clothes from college."

Many fitness crazes have come and gone: barefoot running, hula hooping, Nordic tracks and strip aerobics, once a favorite of Carmen Electra. Staying power is tough in the ever-evolving fitness industry. John Figarelli, founder of the National Fitness Hall of Fame Museum and author of The History of Fitness: Fads, Gimmicks and Gadgets, said: "I think the owners of Zumba did a great job of getting it going from a business standpoint."

Zumba Fitness does not charge gyms to carry its classes. Instead, it trains instructors and gives them the license and use of the trademark if they join the Zumba Instructor Network.

"We're helping the instructors to become entrepreneurs and make a living out of it," said company co-founder Alberto Aghion, a Florida International University alum who last year entered the school's Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

It's a sound strategy, said Figarelli, whose book covers 100 years of working out, from 1900 to 2000. "Most group exercise instructors will just go with the next popular class. But if Zumba is your business, instructors will stay with that."

Ensuring instructors are successful has become the company's main mission. "We have three people who all they do is call up gyms all day and try to find instructors employment," said company co-founder Alberto Perlman.

The company has made Zumba instructors easy to find, with a worldwide listing that includes all of their network instructors' classes regularly updated on the company's website. Instructors receive new music and choreography about every two months. The music department now creates music just for Zumba classes, with original songs that include Zumbalicious, Que Te Mueve and Caipirinha, which was a No. 1 song in Israel.

Zumba Fitness makes its money on its instructors academy, instructors courses, monthly fee for instructors in their network and on all its brand merchandise. The company has built its own line of hip, colorful clothing and footwear, workout DVDS, two video games, original music and a lifestyle magazine, Z-Life.

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Zumba making its move, rocking the fitness world

Germany's massive ISPO trade show heads to Beijing, while Barcelona welcomes the GSMA Mobile World Congrees.

12th ISPO Beijing
February 22-25
Beijing, China

Germany’s ISPO is one of the biggest events in the world for sports goods manufacturers and suppliers, and its sister event in China draws more than 17,000 visiters and 350 brands to the burgeoning sports retail market in the region. This year the event has grown by nearly 40 percent and expanded to four days and will highlist an Action Sports Village and sports fashion events. ISPO On Snow Demo will take place February 26-27 at the Duolemeidi Ski Resort in Chongli.
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27th GSMA Mobile World Congress
February 27 - March 1
Barcelona, Spain

GSMA Mobile World Congress, a four-day event dedicated to cutting-edge mobile technology, will feature a GSMA Mobile Health program, focusing on remote monitoring, wellness, and assisted living technologies. A full program of conferences, keynotes, and panel discussions runs alongside an exhibition of the hottest new products and concept designs from the top mobile companies in the field. More than 60,000 industry members from 200 countries are expected in 2012. Tickets range from €4,999 for a platinum executive pass to €699 for an exhibitor pass. A standard gold pass, allowing access to all exhibitions, conferences, and networking opportunities, is priced at €2,699.
http://www.mobileworldcongress.com
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32nd Natural Products Expo West
March 8-11
Anaheim, California, US

Now in its 32nd year, Natural Products Expo West is one of the largest natural, organic and healthy products trade shows and conventions in the world, alongside Vivaness, with more than 55,000 industry professional attending last year's event. More than 3,000 exhibits from over 1,900 different companies showcasing the newest products in natural and specialty foods, organic, health and beauty, natural living, supplements and pet products. Its sister show, the 26th Natural Products Expo East, ran September 21-24, in Baltimore, Maryland, and drew a crowd of 25,000 with 1,300 exhibits. Natural Products Expo Asia, in its tenth year in 2012, is being held in Hong Kong on August 23-25. In 2011, the event attracted some 10,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors.
http://www.expowest.com
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101st International Women's Day
March 8
Worldwide

This year marks the 101st anniversary of International Women's Day, a global day celebrating the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future. In some countries, such as China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, it is a national holiday. Hundreds of events will be held around the world to mark the occasion, including talks, discussions, exhibitions, workshops and a range of local events. This year's theme is "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures." To celebrate, CARE USA, a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty, will host the CARE Conference & International Women's Day Celebration, March 8, in Washington DC.
For more about the conference: http://www.careconference.org
Find out what is happening near you: http://www.internationalwomensday.com

31st IHRSA Convention
March 14-17
Los Angeles, California, US

A rival to the IDEA World Fitness Convention and FIBO, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association annual convention is another top, long-standing fitness trade show held in Los Angeles, drawing a crowd of some 7,000 industry pros every year to swap ideas and flaunt new techniques and products. Four-day passes are $795 for nonmembers/$595 for members. Two-day passes are priced at $559 (nonmembers)/$395 (members) and a one-day pass costs $450 (nonmembers)/$250 (members). http://www.ihrsa.org
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25th Salon Mondial Body Fitness Form’expo
March 16-18
Paris, France

Similar to Canada’s Canfitpro and the US’s IHRSA, France’s massive Salon Mondial Body Fitness Form’expo expects to draw some 20,000 visiters and 100 international companies representing more than 200 brands. For three day, fitness professionals can swap ideas, check out the latest products and trends, or take classes in a range of techniques offered by Leaderfit, Reebok, Les Mills and Crossfit, among others.
http://www.vivelaforme.com
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8th International Fitness Showcase (IFS)
March 23-25
Winter Gardens Blackpool, UK

The 8th annual program packs more 200 different fitness sessions into three days, designed for fitness instructors, trainers, and the public. Comparable to Inner IDEA in the US, IFS is one of Europe's biggest fitness conventions and expects around 6,000 participants from Asia and Europe with fitness and health champions leading classes on The Fit Zone, Gravity, Modern Pilates, and much more. A three-day ticket is priced at £199.
http://www.chrysalispromotions.com

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Health and fitness agenda: ISPO Beijing

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -

As warmer weather and swimsuit season is quickly approaching, many throughout the country are hitting the gym to get in shape and shed some unwanted pounds.

Nashville's News 2's Lauren Murphy consulted with health and fitness experts who offered healthy ways to lose 10 pounds.

Health officials said one of the best ways to ensure weight lose is to get a good night's sleep each night and skip that extra cup of coffee to help boost energy.

"People will reach for food or for another cup of coffee. They would just be so much better off if they would just get that recommended eight hours of sleep," explained Maryanne Brockett, a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at 5 Gym in east Nashville.

Another way to help shed the pounds is split meals with friends or co-workers and to eat slowly. Experts say it takes around 30 minutes for a person's brain to register satiety and that by sharing a meal won't be quite as detrimental to a diet since you are only consuming half of the calories.

Experts also suggest that brushing your teeth can help cure a craving.

To help ease mindless eating, health officials suggest painting your nails, organizing your desk or other activities to distract yourself.  

Brockett told Nashville's News 2 that it is ok for a person to indulge occasionally.

"Instead of having that one cookie when you really, really wanted it, you're going to eat that whole bag [if you deprive yourself]," she said.

Another tip to help shed the pounds is to substitute soda and alcohol for sparkling water.

"I'll put a lime in it and you'd never know the difference," said Mark Magnuson, who has successfully lost 13 pounds of fat and kept it off.

Brockett said she encourages everyone to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

"Your body is made up of water," she explained, adding, "If you don't have enough, none of [your body] functions correctly. It also helps stave off hunger so you really need to get at least 64 ounces."

Melony Barnett told Nashville's News 2 she successfully lost 10 pounds by enlisting in an exercise partner.

"It's kind of become a competition," said Barnett. "We try to outdo each other!"

Another tip that Brockett offers to those working out is to keep it fun.

"If you get bored, you're going to quit, so you always need to change it up," she explained.

According to Brockett a few other ways to shed pounds include instead of emailing co-workers drop by their office, during commercial breaks of your favorite television show perform quick workouts focusing on different areas of your body and keep healthy snacks available.

The fitness trainer also said many health and fitness magazines offer workout plans online and to place a photo of you looking your best on the refrigerator so you will be reminded of how healthy you were at that time.

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Fitness experts offer healthy advice on shedding 10 lbs.

Fitness Revolution, a fitness franchising organization, has been awarded Franchise Business Review’s 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award.

Elizabethtown, KY (PRWEB) February 17, 2012

Fitness Revolution, a fitness franchise chain, has won the 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award. The awards were given out by Franchise Business Review, a leading market research company. This is the first such win by Fitness Revolution.

2012 marks the 7th year Franchise Business Review has given out the Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. After surveying more than 22,000 franchisees from over 300 different franchise chains, the company ranked the top 50 franchises according to data on actual franchisee satisfaction.

Fitness Revolution took home First Place among all midsize franchise systems. It also rated highest in franchisee satisfaction among all Fitness franchise chains. Fitness Revolution ranked 2nd overall among franchises of all sizes.

This came as welcome news to the first-year company. “To receive this honor in our first year of operation is a testament to our company’s dedication to providing our franchisees with the tools to be successful,” said Fitness Revolution Co-Owner and President Nick Berry.

Founded in December of 2010, Fitness Revolution began offering its first territories in January of 2011. By the end of the year, it had expanded to over 100 different franchises and had been registered in over 40 different states – most recently Illinois.

To win the award Fitness Revolution beat out a diverse field which included real estate, technology, and retail companies. The purpose of the awards, according to Franchise Business Review, is to show to potential future franchisees which franchises are meeting its customers’ needs.

“The goal of Fitness Revolution, since the beginning, has been to create results-driven, sustainable businesses,” said Co-Founder and CEO Pat Rigsby. “We do this by finding passionate fitness professionals, and providing them with successful business systems.”

Indeed, Fitness Revolution is quickly gaining the confidence of its franchisees. In a field of hundreds of potential nominees, the personal training franchise came in at the head of a pack of 39 new companies to make the list.

In its first year of operation, Fitness Revolution has provided a number of benefits to its franchisees: preferred pricing from vendors, payment processing software, training equipment, SEO, and deals for nutrition and supplements.

Speaking on the topic of Fitness Revolution’s remarkable first year, Berry said, “We knew immediately that we offered the tools to create profitable fitness franchises, but even we were a little surprised at how quickly word has gotten out about Fitness Revolution.”

Fitness Revolution's success comes as no shock to its franchisees, who appreciate the company's client-centered approach. In fact, the award serves to validate the company's strategy of meeting individual needs within its successful business models.

“2011 was such an amazing year for signing new franchisees and helping them grow their personal training businesses,” Rigsby explained. “But I think we have even bigger things in store for 2012.”

About Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry: Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry are the co-owners of Fitness Consulting Group, a leading business development consulting firm within the fitness industry. Fitness Consulting Group is the parent company to Fitness Revolution, and a number of other fitness businesses.

Fitness Revolution is a member of the Fitness Consulting Group family of companies. Fitness Revolution franchises focus on providing clients with the best fitness coaching available today, using a training staff made up of nationally certified fitness professionals.

To learn more about acquiring a Fitness Revolution franchise, visit: http://www.fitnessrevolutionfranchise.com/franchise/

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Matt Sizemore
Press Manager
1-877-814-6302
Email Information

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Personal Training Franchise Fitness Revolution Wins 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award

Choosing the best fitness equipment can be tricky these days. So many great ads for fitness gear promise to transform our bodies from fat and flabby to fit and fabulous but so few products deliver. The main reasons for this epic fail is most fitness equipment is unsafe, or boring or lame or all the above. Here's the truth about what fitness gear will burn a hole in your wallet and what fitness equipment can help you burn more fat and improve your body.

Most Over-Rated: Cardio Machines
Most Under-Rated: Interval Bodyweight Workouts
Sure cardio machines burn calories and they're easy to use but that's the problem. Easy calorie burning is no match for challenging bodyweight workouts that burn calories and fat plus strengthen, tone, boost endurance and so much more. No machine beats the after-burn effect you get from interval bodyweight workouts that are dynamic, fun and best of all free!

Most Dangerous: Kettlebells
More Safe: Sandbags or Dumbbells
There is no doubt that kettlebell exercises are dynamic and very effective for fitness and fatloss. The problem with kettlebells is they are very easy to get wrong. It takes a lot of time and some guidance to master kettlebell moves. That's both time and money most people would rather not spend waiting for results. If you like the idea of kettlebells but aren't too keen on the learning curve or the injury factor then try sandbags or sandbells (featured in video) instead. They're easy to use, fun, and more affordable than a rack full of kettlebells. Dumbbells are also a good substitute for many kb moves which saves money and time.

Most Boring: Resistance Bands
More Dynamic: Suspension Trainer
Resistance bands are cheap, portable, and great for general fitness and full body workouts but they are no match for a dynamic suspension trainer (featured in video). The suspension trainer is also portable, comes in various price ranges and is excellent for both general fitness and more advanced workouts and exercises such as suspended knee tucks and pikes, rowing, pushups and modified pull-ups as well as cardio intervals and flexibility too.

Most Unusable: Ab Wheels or Ab Rollers
Most Effective: Gliding Discs
Not only are most ab gadgets overpriced and unusable by most people they are extremely dangerous for anybody with a dysfunctional core which happens to be most people these days. A more effective piece of gear to strengthen your core and flatten your abs is gliding discs (featured in video). They can be used for dozens of core exercises and upper/lower body exercises that also target your core and just like those furniture moving sliders they will save your back!

Most Absurd: Shake Weight
More Realistic: Speed Blender
Never before has a piece of fitness gear inspired so many hilarious parody infomercials which speaks volumes about what a piece of junk the shake weight is. It's been ridiculed on South Park, Ellen, RuPaul's Drag Races and Saturday Night Live. If you're looking to shake up your fitness results you're better off speed blending some weight loss shakes because as every fitness trainer loves to say "great abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym" and not with a shake weight either.

Get better results from your workouts with the Best Fitness Equipment
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Worst and Best Fitness Equipment

BERLIN (AP)—Marco Reus has become the latest Bundesliga star to struggle with groin problems, threatening to derail Borussia Moenchengladbach’s title bid before it really begins.

Arguably the league’s best performer this season, Reus’ scintillating performances have led Moenchengladbach to third.

But the 22-year-old pulled out of training Wednesday and is a major doubt for Saturday’s visit to Kaiserslautern.

Arjen Robben missed the first part of the season with groin problems, and it’s still unclear when Mario Goetze will be back from a similar injury.

Moenchengladbach hopes to keep pace with Bayern Munich and leader Borussia Dortmund, who are one and three points ahead respectively. Both also play Saturday.

Munich visits bottom side Freiburg, while Dortmund should stretch a 15-game unbeaten run at Hertha Berlin, despite Shinji Kagawa being ruled out after tearing a left ankle ligament in training on Wednesday.

Dortmund said the influential Japan midfielder will be out for two to three weeks.

Hertha is still without a coach after sacking Michael Skibbe last weekend following five straight defeats in all competitions and is just two points clear of the relegation zone before its 1,000th Bundesliga game.

Reus was flown to Munich to visit Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, the same specialist who oversaw treatment on Robben’s recurring groin problems.

The Bayern Munich player, like Goetze, was beset by a pubic bone inflammation, an injury that has puzzled doctors with no clear treatments known to work.

“Sometimes it’s better, then worse. Nobody could tell me when I’d be fit again. There were always setbacks,” Robben said.

Moenchengladbach is taking every precaution to protect Reus, mindful that the injury—if not treated properly—could lead to a long layoff.

Goetze hasn’t played for Borussia Dortmund since Dec. 11 and the playmaker will be out for at least another month.

Reus has scored 13 goals and set up six more to help Moenchengladbach make the transformation from relegation candidates last year to title dark horses.

“Bayern are still my favorites, but ‘Gladbach don’t need to hide,” said Stefan Effenberg, who won silverware with both clubs. “They play a football which deserves to make them champions.”

The league’s top defense—just 12 goals conceded in 21 games—has also contributed to Moenchengladbach’s success, which was bottom of the table and seven points from safety when Lucien Favre was appointed coach on Valentine’s Day last year.

Favre immediately plugged gaps in a defense that had conceded 56 goals to crawl its way to third from bottom before winning the relegation playoff to stay in the top division.

After fixing the problems at the back, Favre turned attention to the forwards, where Reus, who has agreed to a ?17.5-million ($23 million) move to his native Dortmund at the end of this season, is backed by a supporting cast of striker Mike Hanke, rising star Patrick Herrmann and Venezuela captain Juan Arango.

Hanke’s improvement from six goals in his first 34 appearances to five in his last eight games is indicative of the transformation under Favre.

“Favre managed to get the players to follow him without question. The 1-0 win in Munich on the first day of the season opened the door,” Effenberg told German daily Bild.

“His meticulous work is behind it. … Last season ‘Gladbach was the shooting target for the league, now they have the best attack. Favre has all the players playing to the limit.”

Last week’s 3-0 rout of Schalke has Moenchengladbach dreaming of a first title since 1977, but the players are mindful of the threat posed by relegation-threatened Kaiserslautern.

“Motivation is not a problem against top sides like Schalke but you have to be just as focused against so-called lesser opposition,” said Brazilian defender Dante, who is reportedly a transfer target for Bayern.

Meanwhile, Robben has been unable to reassert himself in Bayern’s starting lineup since returning from injury, with German international Thomas Mueller taking his normal place on the right.

Robben seems certain to start on the bench for the third game in a row in all competitions, with Mueller ending a 1,162-minute goal drought by scoring last week’s 2-0 win over Kaiserslautern.`

“That was a huge load off my mind,” said Mueller.

Also Saturday, Hamburger SV hosts Werder Bremen in their 176th Northern Derby, Cologne visits Nuremberg, and Bayer Leverkusen will hope to put its 3-1 Champions League loss to Barcelona behind when it welcomes relegation-threatened Augsburg.

Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller criticized defenders Michal Kadlec and Manuel Friedrich for fighting to change jerseys with loss.

Schalke hosts Wolfsburg led by former coach Felix Magath on Sunday, when Hannover hosts Stuttgart.

Mainz gets the weekend’s games under way at Hoffenheim on Friday.

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Reus' fitness an issue for Moenchengladbach

Bluetooth 4.0 technology is making inroads into a slew of fitness and health products, and consumers can expect the trend to only get hotter, according to an announcement last week.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is now forming a new Sports and Fitness Working Group, which aims to increase interoperability between wearable gadgets and sensors and so-called "hub" devices such as smartphones, televisions, and gym equipment.

"That's a fairly natural fit for Bluetooth now," writes technology blog Engadget, "but it's taken until Bluetooth 4.0 for the standard to really emerge as a viable alternative to lower-power options like ANT+," now used in heart rate monitors, for example.

Bluetooth fitness gadgets already on the market include the new MOTOACTV, a Bluetooth 4.0-enabled device that tracks time, distance, and calories burned. Plus the device stores hours of music listenable via wireless headphones. In addition, Nike introduced Nike+ FuelBand, a wristband that uses Bluetooth technology to automatically sync with your smartphone to track your fitness.

Bluetooth SIG member company Mosoro has also announced a Bluetooth Smart sensor that connects to a golf club and can instantly send information about your swing to a smartphone for real-time feedback on how to improve.

According to a press release, IMS Research forecasts more than 60 million Bluetooth enabled sports, fitness and health monitoring devices will ship between 2010 and 2015, most of which will be heart monitors (17.7 million), sports watches (7 million), and speed and distance monitors (2 million).

 

 

 

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Bluetooth zeroes in on fitness and health gadgets

There was no hand-to-hand combat, and they all escaped with their noses intact. Yet the 12 participants in the cage fitness class looked like they were competing for the Ultimate Fighting Championship title.

For 30 minutes, they each walloped and wrestled a 40-pound, free-standing punching bag at Kelly's Championship Martial Arts in St. Louis.

Jess Holt, 29, of Affton, has been taking cage fitness three times a week for more than two months.

"You get such awesome results in only 30 minutes," she said. "This is more intense than my personal trainer. And each exercise, even if you hate it, it's only 45 seconds."

Adam McDonald did two tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine. He compares the intensity of cage fitness to that of the workouts he did while in the service.

"This is one of the biggest workouts, definitely. It works every muscle in your body," said McDonald, 25, of Belleville.

Cage fitness is among the latest programs that combine high-intensity interval training with functional movement. High intensity interval training involves short bursts of anaerobic activity that improve cardio conditioning, glucose metabolism and fat burning. Kicking, punching and grappling with a heavy punching bag are functional movements that force multiple joints to move in multiple planes.

Matt Hughes, an American Ultimate Fight Championship Hall of Famer from Hillsboro, Ill., created the cage fitness program, which is taught in about 230 fitness centers. Kelly's Championship Martial Arts has the only licensed class in Missouri.

Cage fitness home kits, which include an instruction manual, full-body workouts, a 25-pound fitness dummy and gloves, are available online for $349.

The workouts resemble mixed martial arts cage fights with five rounds that last 5 minutes 15 seconds, punctuated by 45-second water breaks. Each round includes seven exercises that last 45 seconds each and focuses on warming up, upper body, lower body, a combination of upper and lower body or a combination core/cool-down.

The exercises are based on cage fighting techniques, but no two classes are the same, said Kelly Schmidt, owner of the center. "The moves are constantly changing to prevent muscle memory and to get faster results. It's called muscle confusion."

During a recent class, instructor Caleb Caldwell demonstrated the exercises at the front of the room while Schmidt egged on the participants by counting down.

"Fifteen seconds, 10 seconds, only five more seconds, keep going," she yelled into a wireless headset. The participants rotated among activities: lifting the bag, kicking and kneeing it, punching and elbowing it, leaping off and on it, then over it and doing push ups on it. During the final round, which focused on the core, they gripped it between their legs and did abdominal crunches. Ideally, participants do each exercise as quickly as possible for the 45 seconds. The exercises can be changed to fit personal goals.

"We have a guy who is 400 pounds who does this," Kelly says. "He can't jump around like everyone else, but he still works out hard."

"There are modifications for everyone for every part of the body," added Caldwell, 37, of Affton, who lost 47 pounds in the past six months by doing cage fitness six days a week.

Sarah Carmody, 41, of Webster Groves, has been taking martial arts classes at the center for more than two years. Cage fitness, which she takes twice a week, goes hand in hand with the others, she said.

"The first (cage fit) class, I felt like I was going to die," Carmody said. "The first two weeks were really tough. Then it got easier. The strength and conditioning help with Hapkido." Hapkido is a Korean martial art that includes punching, kicking and joint locking while using weapons such as swords, rope and nunchuks.

Dillon LeMaster, 19, of St. Louis, a mixed martial arts cage fighter, credits cage fitness with allowing him to outlast an opponent during a recent bout.

He "was winded in the first round and I could have kept going," LeMaster said. "The whole idea is to just keep pushing, pushing, pushing until you can't go anymore. The beauty of this class is you can't master it. I think it's a lot of the muscle confusion."

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Cage fitness challenges participants with grueling workouts

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