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Spotted Dog Fitness Center Focuses on Group Approach in Bradenton, Fla.

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 December 2004, 00:00 CST

Dec. 7--BRADENTON, Fla. -- The options are multiplying for group exercise enthusiasts who'd rather work out away from the glare of the big-gym lights.

Spotted Dog Fitness, a studio offering a variety of group fitness classes, is set to open Dec. 15.

Owner Eric Wilds hopes to make the concept of group exercise more appealing to a relatively untapped market: men.

Classes you may never have heard of before, such as Brazilian Butts, AbsoGlutely, Body Elite and Power Zen, are coming to 5227 Manatee Ave. W.

Yoga and Pilates are also on the schedule, along with classes that fuse elements of both.

Wilds is putting the finishing touches on a 1,600-square-foot studio in Fairway Plaza named after Sam, an English setter. There, Wilds hopes to put his passion for group exercise to work.

Vince Julien, owner of Shapes Total Fitness and SouthSide Athletic Clubs, tracks participation in group fitness classes at his clubs.

At Shapes, which is for women only, 60 percent of members are involved in group fitness classes. SouthSide, a coed gym, sees considerably less group participation -- about 28 percent.

Group fitness "is very much more female oriented," Julien said.

Group members tend to be more loyal to a club. The attrition rate is higher among members who come for the exercise equipment alone, Julien found.

Spotted Dog is open to women as well as men.

Wilds became a believer in Pilates after injuring his back while working at Select Service, the landscaping company he owns. He rehabilitated himself through Pilates, and has taught it for several years at the former Westbay Athletic Club and the Bradenton Country Club.

Wilds developed a following, and figured a studio of his own might help meet what he identified as a growing demand for high-quality group fitness.

His studio space is devoid of the large exercise equipment common to gyms. At Spotted Dog, the biggest overhead will be instructor compensation, Wilds said.

"We've become so oriented to technology," Wilds said. "Many Americans are intimidated by traditional fitness venues. Here, there's social reinforcement and social bonding."

Classes, an hour each, will be offered throughout the day on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.

There are seven instructors, led by Rebecca Meyer, a local personal trainer and fitness consultant. Her credentials include certification with the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council of Exercise.

She plans to focus on functional strength programming that prepares group members for everyday life. But sport-specific group training will be offered too: for example, workshops to prepare for snow-skiing.

Wilds hopes to attract more men to the group fitness concept.

"We want to give people tools so they don't get some of the injuries associated with weekend athletes," Wilds said.

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To see more of The Bradenton Herald -- including its homes, jobs, cars and other classified listings -- or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bradenton.com.

(c) 2004, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.)

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