Getting Fit in Muskego, 15 Seconds at a Time

"You can do anything for 15 seconds," said Bonnie Johnson, a participant in Accel Fitness' 9 a.m. class, which works out three times every week in the studios at Starz Dance in Muskego.

Looking at fitness in that way - bite-size pieces of time - makes the 30-minute workout seem a lot easier to swallow, and that's the point. The program has been in Muskego for about a month, but the instructor/owner has had more than 11 years experience in personal training and running similar programs.

Cory Paszkiewicz, who runs the fitness 'boot camp,' says the myth for many people is that they need to spend hours in the gym every day to see results.

"I recently won my pro card in the WNBF natural bodybuilding federation and I don't constantly working out," Paszkiewicz said.  The program he conducts at Accel combines a mix of aerobic (cardio) and resistance (or strength) training. The movements and exercises are also done in short intervals (15 seconds) and after certain repetitions, the class rotates to incorporate a new activity.

Paszkiewicz explains that this high-intensity interval training is proven to burn nine times more fat than the aerobic training alternative. For someone like me who loves to run, it's also more effective because the body isn't doing the same thing over and over, day after day.

"The body becomes more efficient when you're performing a continuous exercise like running, so after a short period, it's using less energy."

The idea is to keep a certain amount of repetition to develop strength in certain areas without the body becoming too efficient.  If the workout is too random, Paszkiewicz said, that results can be measured.

The 30-minute class I observed used a variety of lunges, push-up style exercises, weight lifting with kettle bells and long thick ropes that participants have to lift and whip to help build upper body strength.

Students say it's a fast half hour, but they nonetheless can 'feel the burn.'

In the weeks to come, I'll be one of them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to chart my own progress. I like the duration with my busy schedule as well as the combination of a personal trainer in a group setting. While I'm choosing to do a boot camp, Muskego has multiple fitness facilities that can suit other tastes, including Curves, Snap Fitness and Preferred Fitness.