Social Workout

Congratulations!

May Edition Challenge Awards Press Conference

Thank you all for being here. Apologies again for getting this press conference started a little late. Last night, as many of you know, was the May Edition Challenge Awards Ceremony. Some people in our media affairs office are moving slowly this morning. Regardless, we're delighted to be here and to make the official online announcements of our Challenge winners. Please hold your applause until after all the names have been read.

One last word: Nearly 300 people signed up for this challenge. Our challengers churned out over 1,000 workouts in May. In the end, 30 challengers completed and blogged the requisite 26 workouts in the month. Hats off to all of our finishers, and to everyone who made a good run for it! You are all spectacular, and fully engaged in life. Your bodies appreciate you, as do we. Now then, without further ado, the prize winners of the 2009 Social Workout May Edition Challenge.....

• General Heroism -- One Full Year of Free Gym Membership at Crunch -- goes to MSH258!
• Hot Blogging Award -- One Year Supply of Vita Coco Coconut Water goes to  Sassletics82 & VonHottie!
• Gymsanity Award -- Two Personal Training Sessions with Super Trainer Brian Schneider goes to SandyLiz!
• Fierce Bootie Prize -- One Month Unlimited Free Yoga at The Fierce Club goes to oopappleoo!
• Smart Eating Prize -- Dinner for Two at Soho's Incomparable Salt goes to Eis4Emily!

Congratulations to one and all! We hope to see you all right back here in a matter of days for our epic Feats of Summer Challenge. Don't walk, run....

Schwag

Episode 1: Recessionista Wellness Retreat

[Herein begins our blanket coverage of the Vital Juice Recessionista Wellness Retreat, a promotional "happening" of fitness classes and freebies going on now through Saturday in Union Square, Manhattan. Stay tuned for Saturday's special feature, wherein a crew of elite SW readers will attempt to take every class on offer, and blog the experience. -The Eds.]

Just back from the "retreat." Primary insight: Endless rain leaves some of us itching for a fight. I took the Million Dollar Knockout class and am tempted to return at 5 P.M. for Street Fighter class.  Feeling very Hilary Swank. Loaded up on free things: Juice from Blue Print Cleanse, Soy Joy Bars, Attune Probiotic Bars, Lashtique eye makeup remover,  and Aveda lip tint. Also collected more coupons and entered more drawings than I would have thought imaginable in one hour. Bottom line: The retreat is worth stopping by, though I'm conflicted in encouraging you since it will decrease my odds of winning the Laser Cosmetica giveaway...

New York

Workout

The Extra Summer Challenge

I'm psyched about the summer challenge. Working out, performing feats... I'm extra psyched because I'm hitting a big decade marker toward the summer, and I've set my own summer challenge of being my hottest ever for the big 3-0.  Totally doable, say I. To kick off the sculpt-o-mania, I invited Ellen Barrett into my living room via Crunch's 2005 Super SlimDown.  I officially love Ellen Barrett.

Not Quite Total Fitness

The Wild World of Gambling, Health Clubs, and Bankruptcy

Bally's Total Fitness, beleagured sports club chain, is set to emerge from bankruptcy. After two years. There is no reason to care about this news unless you are a Wall Street analyst or happen to be one of the 3.5 million people who belong to a Bally's gym. 3.5 million? Who knew? (Act now, and Bally's will give you nationwide access for just $29.95 a month!) Anyway, for the rest of us, Bally's stands for fluorescent lights, Atlantic City, and the misguided, Trumpian, corporate types who bankrupted Crunch, the first time. Not to belabor the point, but we've always felt there was some cognitive dissonance in the Bally's brand. How do you go from gambling to fitness? Well, it's actually better than that. The company started with pinball machines in the 1930s, and then moved into "gun-sights for B-52 bombers" and "detonator fuses." When we think wellness, we definitely think detonator fuses.

Well, brand evolution takes a while. Maybe fresh from failure, with a clean balance sheet, they'll get it right. Or not. "If there is ever a publicly traded component to this turnaround effort," writes Blogging Stocks. "I'd be
skeptical."

Workout

Day 17, No Spin.

I decided to skip Monday spin this week with the Faceless Instructor. I been spinning a lot so my hamstrings and everything feel all tight so I opted for Touchy Feely Yoga Guy's class instead. the cool thing about TFYG is that since I shook him off me once when he adjusting me, he kinda gets it and verbally instructs me now...makes me like him much more.

Workout

flocking fans

if you want to take carl's chisel and then spin at crunch union sq on saturdays, you better show up an hour early and wait on line. it's like buying concert tickets before the internet.
he added a bonus 15 mins to the spin class yesterday- great day to forget my inhaler.
1 hr chisel
1 hr spin
LOTS of SWEAT and ruddy faces.

Move Over Chrysler

Crunched!

Oh no! Break out the bad fitness puns, Crunch, our dear sponsor, has filed for Chapter 11. We've got a front row seat to this one, and here's what our sources say: Don't panic. Rumors that they're closing 25 gyms unfounded. Only two locations in New York to close -- 42nd Street (btw: you read it here first) and 25 Broadway -- both of which bleeding cash (close to $1 million each) due to rich leases and poor membership. "This transaction will allow us to restructure our balance sheet and close several unprofitable locations," Crunch CEO Tim Miller said via press release.