2010, is a new year and a new decade; but not really. At the stroke of midnight the date on the calendar will change, but most people will not to any great extent. The world is full of monotonous un-kept promises of redemption and self-resurrection like indecipherable intentions echoing off canyon walls of excuses, until they abruptly return to sender. Rarely is a New Year’s resolution followed by significant actions that develop the thought into something meaningful. Why? It would be easy to reason that some people are just lazy or incompetent. But I believe most people are at least of average intelligence, which is enough to recognize the correlation between effort and reward. Perhaps physics holds the answer. For every action there is a reaction; a great number of us live our lives in the later part of this statement. Meaning someone allows themselves to be acted on, rather than take the lead for the outcomes in their life. Fortune or misfortune merely becomes a circumstance of chance.

I don’t believe in luck. Success is achieved when determination and thorough preparation meet opportunity. It’s about the will to breakthrough to the other side, and having the indomitable spirit to stay the course. You should be willing to suffer for what you desire; loss and gain go hand in hand. That is the price of ambition.

Blood remains issue for Pacquiao-Mayweather
By TIM DAHLBERG (AP)




It seems Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s camp is indirectly insinuating that Manny Pacquiao has doped his way to the top. So Mayweather wants both Manny and himself to submit to random Olympic style drug testing.

For All The Marbles

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao March 13, 2010

One event I am looking forward to watching unfold in 2010 is the fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao on March 13, 2010. This will not be an average pay-per-view fight; instead the moment will elevate one of these fighters to epic proportions as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the last 10-15 years, and arguably place the winner of the match into the top 5 best boxers of all time. I can’t imagine that there is one boxing analyst or knowledgeable fight fan that would disagree with me.

I have not wanted to witness a boxing match so badly since September 18, 1999, when Oscar De La Hoya squared off against Felix Trinidad. However, my current level of anticipation far eclipses what it was back then. Regardless of the outcome neither De La Hoya nor Trinidad was destined to leave the ring being reborn as a boxing legend. That fate has been in reserve for 11 years for either Mayweather, Jr. or Pacquiao.

Styles make fights. ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd is a boxing technician, while Manny (a.k.a. Pacman) is more of a wrecking ball with blazing hand speed. Floyd’s strengths are excellent footwork, speedy counter punching, and superb defense on a level that Manny has never seen. I don’t think there has ever been a moment in Floyd’s entire boxing career that he has been in jeopardy of being knocked out. I recall past fights where Floyd quite frankly looked bored of what opponents had to offer him. Floyd’s downside is that he is a show-boater that allows fights to linger on longer then they should, which consequently provides his opponents extended opportunities. If there is a chink in Floyd’s armor, Manny is more than capable of cashing in on Floyd’s arrogant generosity.

Manny’s no nonsense approach to boxing usually dismantles challengers in a quick and brutal fashion. Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya can both attest to that statement. Both fighters were forced into retirement, after Manny chopped them up with ease like a butcher at a meat market. Unlike Mayweather, Jr., Manny is not known as a defensive specialist. Instead Pacman banks on outpunching his opponents with lethal first strikes, whereby his defense is in his offense. Both Hatton and De La Hoya were beaten up early in their matches with Pacman to the point that neither fighter ever posed a threat to Manny. In which case, who needs defense?

I am completely at odds as to who will win this upcoming match. Neither Floyd nor Manny has a clear decisive edge over the other. Mayweather, Jr. is almost a textbook-perfect boxer with absolutely no loses on his fight record. In addition, Floyd’s air-tight defense, athletic agility and effective counter punching leaves very little opportunity for opponents to get more than a single clean shoot on him at a time. On the flip side, since losing to Erik Morales on March 19, 2005, Pacquiao has done nothing but win, win, and win some more in convincing fashion. He avenged his loss to Morales by beating him twice following their first clash (first by TKO, and then by KO). Manny then proceeded to cross the following big name fighters off of his to beat list: Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto. If Floyd Mayweather, Jr. gets added to this list of fallen soldiers, Manny Pacquiao will achieve boxing immortality. Even the great Muhammad Ali would have to take a backseat to Manny’s accomplishments in the ring.

Both Floyd and Manny are going to have to come out of their comfort zones in order for either fighter to beat the other. Manny needs to step-up his technical boxing skills to be able to land one of his show stopping hooks against Floyd by patiently reading Floyd’s transitional movements, and then time his strikes to occur while Floyd’s feet are moving. Ideally, Manny should attack Floyd when he is moving backwards. When the ‘Pretty Boy’ is moving laterally, he is very difficult to punch because of his excellent upper-body agility, quick spin pivots, and great defensive hands. In contrast, Floyd needs to exhibit a willingness to bang with Manny in short controlled spurts. Manny has a tendency to hold his guards low. Floyd has more than an ample amount of hand speed to make Manny pay for not guarding his grill. Whoever most effectively adapts their style will get the win. Considering that both fighters will enter the ring having skill-sets that could potentially off-set the others, and knowing each fighter is in superb condition; this fight will go the distance, and then end in a split decision. No KO, unless either Floyd or Manny makes an untimely gross mistake, which is not likely to happen.

TAO TE CHING

The valley spirit never dies;
It is the woman, primal mother.
Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth.
it is like a veil barely seen.
Use it; it will never fail.

By Lao Tsu, 6th century B.C.

GYM 360 - CV Equipment

The acquisition of the following state-of-the-art CV (cardiovascular) machines produced by Cybex, Keiser, and Concept II should provide even the most discerning gym member more than enough variety and performance to meet their exercise goals and demands at GYM 360°. As is the case with most gyms, the treadmills will be the most widely used workhorse in the CV area. So deciding which brand and model of treadmill GYM 360° should be equipped with was not taken lightly. Taking into account durability, craftsmanship, pricing, personal experiences, testimonies, and aftermarket service lead to the decision to use the Cybex 750T treadmills in our upcoming facility.

For those who like to cross-train or just enjoy alternative modes of CV other than walking/jogging/or running on the treadmill, than the Cybex 750AT Arc Trainer and the Concept II Rower are excellent for providing a full body workout that burns calories, increases muscular endurance, tones, and won’t leave you bored to tears.

The Keiser M3 Indoor Cycles will be used to conduct classes in our cycling studio. Keiser has cleverly put the fly wheel at the back of the bike, so there is less damage from dripping sweat. The resistance controls are digital and a breeze to use. The M3 is also Polar friendly, so riders who are wearing their Polar transmitters can see their heart rate displayed on the bike’s digital screen.

The rest of the CV equipment is rounded out by the Cybex 750R Recumbent Bike which is great for low back pain sufferers, and the Cybex 750C Upright Bike which combines an outdoor cycling feel with built in programs to simulate various terrain conditions that require different capacities of work to overcome.


Concept 2 Rower
Keiser M3 Indoor Cycle

Cybex 750T Treadmill

Cybex 750R Recumbent Bike

Cybex 750C Upright Bike

Cybex 750AT Arc Trainer

Brand New

Designing a brand name and logo is not easy, especially when there's more than one opinion involved. Essentially a label symbolizes the character of an organization, and what its mission is. Trying to bundle such a large load into minimal characters accompanied by a simple, but expressive and meaningful graphic takes a lot of head scratching and deep breaths. The short-listed logo variations that you see above were completed by a professional graphic designer. However ending up with an elite eight to choose from took a week and a half of designing 2 dozen prototypes, before handing the idea over to the design pro. It pays to do your homework, because it makes it more likely that you will be satisfied with your final choices.

My colleagues and I have chosen to to be identified by the top-left logo. There you have it; a brand is born.

GYM 360 - Turn your life around.

I'm Fat & I'm Proud...Say It Loud!

Wear that t-shirt proudly young man, because a study by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute released in Melbourne said that around 4 million Australian adults, or 26 percent of the population, were obese, eclipsing the 25 percent rate in the United States.

On behalf of my fellow Americans, I honorably solute Australia's 'MASS APPEAL' and accept defeat with humble grace.

This is the latest 3-D model depicting Gym 360 which includes the circular aerobic room, front desk reception area, cardio area, free-weight and machine area, functional training room, cycling room, and the locker rooms. The rest of the club's details are a secret for now.